The Hyena Chat thread: Everyone's welcome!

[funnygarcia]

I could have hubby look at the pics, he's the one in charge of arranging furniture.

I have a few things on my walls, other than that.. it's all about function and making sure it all fits into a small space.

We love books, thus we have lots of bookshelves in every room.

The boys like their games -- so we have game systems and discs laying about.

It's messy, not pretty but it works... sums up our take on life.

In other words.. I'm not a good judge on furniture placement-- if it works then it's fine.

 

[sameyeyam]

I like that!
well maybe not the chip cabinet.. but the idea of having your loved one around, present in your day to day life.

Hubby and I have discussed different options for his ashes. The coolest being to turn him into a gem stone-- but that's out of my price range.

I told him he would be lucky if I can find a cardboard box for him.

I find it very comforting. Sometimes when no one is around I can sit and talk to her. I can put pretty little things on her shelf, decorate her shelf, etc...I'm thinking when I die that I want to be cremated also and her and I can share a "cubby" at the local cemetary. They make these little cubby things to put cremated ashes in, so we can pal around for eternity.

I did consider having some of her ashes made into one of those gem stones or christmas ornament. But that only uses up a small amount, like a tablespoon full. Actually I usually take about 1/2 teaspoon of her on vacation with me and sprinkle her in various places.

There is actually a huge amount of ashes...like about the size of a gallon jug. We barely fit my mom into these 3 little ones and the huge one my dad got.

I know that my sister had another small service for her when she got back to Florida with her boys and they dumped quite a few ashes into the Atlantic. But I know she still has some.

 

[funnygarcia]

Home improvement projects cause lots of stress on relationships and family life.. I totally understand why you would put that off.

My dad always wants some project or thing to tinker with-- except he's not quite up to the task to do it on his own-- infuriates my mom who would much rather move to a place with no upkeep .

 

[sameyeyam]

I could have hubby look at the pics, he's the one in charge of arranging furniture.

I have a few things on my walls, other than that.. it's all about function and making sure it all fits into a small space.

We love books, thus we have lots of bookshelves in every room.

The boys like their games -- so we have game systems and discs laying about.

It's messy, not pretty but it works... sums up our take on life.

In other words.. I'm not a good judge on furniture placement-- if it works then it's fine.

I'm a perpetual rearranger of furniture. Something I inherited from my mother. That's why I never became a SAHM...I would have been moving furniture every day.

Oh and here's my mom getting ready for one of our chats....got her coffee cup and ashtray handy! If she were sitting here watching me doing this I can assure you that she would think it hilarious and would be laughing so hard she would be crying. It's been 3 years now and I can't even begin to tell you how much I miss her. Sometimes when you guys talk about your not so great relationships with your mothers it makes me mad. Mad because my Mom was my best friend and we should have had another 40 years of love and laughter and tons of thrift store trips. But I guess I have to be happy that I have almost 40 years of the most wonderful mom. Just miss her so much that my heart hurts sometimes.

 

[funnygarcia]

Hubby also said he doesn't care what we do with him.. just not bury him.


We are both enrolled to donate our bodies to U of MN, if we can not donate our organs.

The U will use the body up to a year, cremate and send the cremains to family.

Did I mention it was free.

 

[funnygarcia]

I It's been 3 years now and I can't even begin to tell you how much I miss her. Sometimes when you guys talk about your not so great relationships with your mothers it makes me mad. Mad because my Mom was my best friend and we should have had another 40 years of love and laughter and tons of thrift store trips. But I guess I have to be happy that I have almost 40 years of the most wonderful mom. Just miss her so much that my heart hurts sometimes.

I wish I had that kind of relationship with my mom.

 

[sameyeyam]

Home improvement projects cause lots of stress on relationships and family life.. I totally understand why you would put that off.

My dad always wants some project or thing to tinker with-- except he's not quite up to the task to do it on his own-- infuriates my mom who would much rather move to a place with no upkeep .

Figure it's just easier to let the kids grow up and move out...then there will be plenty of room. We could use more room right now, but we're trying to think long term and plan on growing old here. So when we look at the big picture, maybe a little too small for us right now, but won't be overly big when we are empty nesters.

Hubby also said he doesn't care what we do with him.. just not bury him.


We are both enrolled to donate our bodies to U of MN, if we can not donate our organs.

The U will use the body up to a year, cremate and send the cremains to family.

Did I mention it was free.

DH and I are both organ donors. My mom was an organ donor for many years, but when we had to take her off life support I asked the nurse about organ donation. She said that she would let the proper personnel know, but that I should discuss it with the rest of the family first. My stepfather was totally against it. My brother I think was just in shock and didn't know what to think. My sister and I wanted to donate her organs. We dug out her driver's license and somewhere along the line she had removed the organ donation status. So we respected that wish and decided that her husband should have the final say. It still saddens me that so many others could have benefited from her organs, but ultimately it wasn't my choice.

I have made very sure that my entire family knows that organ donation is most important to me. DH feels the same way and we have even discussed organ donation with our kids from a very young age. They have both consented to donation of their organs also. So we are all in agreement.

 

[sameyeyam]

I wish I had that kind of relationship with my mom.

Of course we had the usual rocky years when I was a teenager. But from about age 19 we had such an awesome relationship. She was still my mother and disciplinarian, but she made growing up so much fun. She wasn't my best friend when I was a kid because she had to be a parent, KWIM? But after I was an adult she turned into a great friend.

Honestly I can't tell you what she did that made us such great adult friends. I think it was just that we could get together, she treated me as an equal and we could laugh. I can't tell you how many times we would be out together and get the giggles over something. I really do wish that everyone could have that type of relationship with their mother. Maybe it was just our two personalities, because her and my sister didn't have the same closeness that we did.

 

[sameyeyam]

Well I need to go clean the kitchen and get something started for dinner. Have a great evening, I'll probably pop on later to visit.

 

[funnygarcia]

Maybe it was just our two personalities, because her and my sister didn't have the same closeness that we did.

Maybe.

I love my mom, and I know the reason why she kinda blathers on and on to my boredom is because she is desprate for contact. Living with my dad is not easy. Never has been easy. Since she has retired she doesn't have that daily escape.

E had a huge fight with my dad before we did the trasnplant surgery.
We never quite mended fences after that- it was an ugly year.

 

[funnygarcia]

Well I need to go clean the kitchen and get something started for dinner. Have a great evening, I'll probably pop on later to visit.

see ya!

 

[Alex2kMommy]

Sometimes when you guys talk about your not so great relationships with your mothers it makes me mad. Mad because my Mom was my best friend and we should have had another 40 years of love and laughter and tons of thrift store trips. But I guess I have to be happy that I have almost 40 years of the most wonderful mom. Just miss her so much that my heart hurts sometimes.

I'm still trying to catch up, this post just caught my eye.

My mom and I certainly don't have a perfect relationship, but of course she means the world to me. DH says, "Lord help you the day your mother dies, you are going to be a WRECK."

Yup. I know.

 

[Alex2kMommy]

My funny moment...I am taking DS and one of DD's BFF's brothers (13yo) trick or treating. As we are walking down the street a couple of other 13yo's yell at us...HEY SEEVERS (13yo boys' last name)...so he yells at the top of his voice "WHAT'S UP F'ING HAM! All of these people with little kids turn and look at us. I start lecturing him...you WILL not talk like that if you're with me, there are little kids all around, etc...He's looking at me like I'm nuts and I say I don't think you're mom is going to be very happy when I tell her you are yelling obscenities like that.

He starts laughing and looks at me...UH, sorry Mrs. I, but that's my friend from school and his last name is Effingham. Do I feel stupid or what?!

What an unfortunate last name to have.

Kinda reminds me of a girl in grade school whose last name was Butts. And yes, hers was a little round.

And my other stupid moment...we go up to this house and they have awesome carved pumpkins. I tell the guy at the door, WOW! those are awesome pumpkins, I love them! Did you carve them?

Why yes, he says. I had a lot of fun making them. So I'm looking at each one and there is one with a man's face on it. I look at the pumpkin, look at the man, look at the pumpkin...yep, no mistaking it, he carved his own face on a pumpkin. So I say, is this pumpkin you? He laughs and says no, but doesn't tell me who it is. So I say...well it really looks like you a lot. He is laughing hysterically now, but still doesn't offer up a name of who it is. Finally I say, well who is it then if it's not you?

OBAMA!

Which of course doesn't at all resemble the 20 something white guy I am looking at.

One house we went to had a quartet of cool pumpkins. Three looked very traditional, with triangle eyes and a toothy grin, but one was carved into some sort of full-body shape, with two big eyes on the head, and a curling, worm-like body. It was cartoonish, but I didn't recognize it, so I asked the girl, "What is that cute wormy pumpkin? Is it a cartoon character? I don't recognize it." She shrugged her shoulders and said her friend's boyfriend carved it, she had no idea, it just looked wormy to her.

We took the kids over to University Place for trick or treating. You know.. the rich neighborhoods.. Where they give out the full sized candy bars. Mikalah was so excited, and ran from house to house.. and WHAT were the people thinking when they let her pick out what she wanted??? This one guy was laughing his butt off as my greedy little baby shoveled 3 huge handfuls of candy into her bag. As my big ole pregnant butt is waddling as fast as I can to grab her and stop her. He was like.. NO!! Its OKAY!!! And then proceeded to give give her another big handful of candy.

NO KIDDING.. She ended up with twice as much candy as her brother. Alex needs to step up next year. We did end up with a few full sized bars though.

OMG, too funny! Flashbacks to my ex-SIL, who used to take my nephew around the ritzier neighborhoods in Tacoma, too, for exactly the same reason! "They give out full-size candy bars!"

DS4 and DS8 were so funny last night. They'd go charging up the door, usually DS4 leading the way. (DS8 tends to be a bit shy.) DS4 would either knock on the door, or ring the doorbell if he saw it first. (He has a thing for doorbells.)

I stayed at the sidewalk, so couldn't hear everything said, but DS4 usually bellowed a high "Trick or treat!", the homeowner (usually a woman) would coo at the kids a bit and give them candy, then DS4 would say sweetly, "Thank you!" and dash away. After about 3 houses of this, I asked DS8 if he was saying "trick or treat" and "thank you", because I couldn't hear him at all. He asked, "Why?" and I told him because that's what he's supposed to do, and it's polite. He shrugged his shoulders as if to say he was perfectly fine with letting DS4 do all the talking. (I think he did speak a bit quietly after that, at least making an effort.)

One conversation as the door opened:

DS4: Trick or treat!
Homeowner (in mock fear): Oh my goodness, you two are sooooo scary looking!
DS4 giggles gleefully.
Homeowner: So are you a skeleton?
DS4, hopping up and down: Yesssss! I'm a dark skeleton!
Homeowner, clearly a smart woman who speaks Toddlerese: Ohhh, does your costume glow in the dark?
DS4: Huh?
Me, from the sidewalk: Yes, honey, your bones glow in the dark.
DS4 looks down his body, a tad confused.
Homeowner, looking at DS8: And you're a... a... well, you're just scary looking!

DS8 was dressed only in his hooded skull mask, otherwise wearing a black sweatshirt and jeans. (We never did find the black robe Great-Grandma left from last Halloween... remember, when she scared the bejeebies out of DS8?)

DS8 finally speaks: I'm wearing a mask.
Me, thinking: Good thinking, Spock... Wouldn't want them to think you look like that all the time.

 

[sameyeyam]

I'm still trying to catch up, this post just caught my eye.

My mom and I certainly don't have a perfect relationship, but of course she means the world to me. DH says, "Lord help you the day your mother dies, you are going to be a WRECK."

Yup. I know.

Maybe.

I love my mom, and I know the reason why she kinda blathers on and on to my boredom is because she is desprate for contact. Living with my dad is not easy. Never has been easy. Since she has retired she doesn't have that daily escape.

E had a huge fight with my dad before we did the trasnplant surgery.
We never quite mended fences after that- it was an ugly year.

Don't want to make my mother into a saint here, and yes we did have our differences at times...but those were few and far between. I know I'm a grown woman, but when my mother passed away I felt like I was an child orphan. It was a horrible feeling and it took me over a year to get over that feeling. Sometimes I still get that feeling. I know everyone loves their mothers and I love hearing you guys talk about your mothers...whether they are driving you crazy or not. Guess it just makes me miss my mom or be mad at the world because she's gone now.

What an unfortunate last name to have.

Kinda reminds me of a girl in grade school whose last name was Butts. And yes, hers was a little round.




One house we went to had a quartet of cool pumpkins. Three looked very traditional, with triangle eyes and a toothy grin, but one was carved into some sort of full-body shape, with two big eyes on the head, and a curling, worm-like body. It was cartoonish, but I didn't recognize it, so I asked the girl, "What is that cute wormy pumpkin? Is it a cartoon character? I don't recognize it." She shrugged her shoulders and said her friend's boyfriend carved it, she had no idea, it just looked wormy to her.


OMG, too funny! Flashbacks to my ex-SIL, who used to take my nephew around the ritzier neighborhoods in Tacoma, too, for exactly the same reason! "They give out full-size candy bars!"

DS4 and DS8 were so funny last night. They'd go charging up the door, usually DS4 leading the way. (DS8 tends to be a bit shy.) DS4 would either knock on the door, or ring the doorbell if he saw it first. (He has a thing for doorbells.)

I stayed at the sidewalk, so couldn't hear everything said, but DS4 usually bellowed a high "Trick or treat!", the homeowner (usually a woman) would coo at the kids a bit and give them candy, then DS4 would say sweetly, "Thank you!" and dash away. After about 3 houses of this, I asked DS8 if he was saying "trick or treat" and "thank you", because I couldn't hear him at all. He asked, "Why?" and I told him because that's what he's supposed to do, and it's polite. He shrugged his shoulders as if to say he was perfectly fine with letting DS4 do all the talking. (I think he did speak a bit quietly after that, at least making an effort.)

One conversation as the door opened:

DS4: Trick or treat!
Homeowner (in mock fear): Oh my goodness, you two are sooooo scary looking!
DS4 giggles gleefully.
Homeowner: So are you a skeleton?
DS4, hopping up and down: Yesssss! I'm a dark skeleton!
Homeowner, clearly a smart woman who speaks Toddlerese: Ohhh, does your costume glow in the dark?
DS4: Huh?
Me, from the sidewalk: Yes, honey, your bones glow in the dark.
DS4 looks down his body, a tad confused.
Homeowner, looking at DS8: And you're a... a... well, you're just scary looking!

DS8 was dressed only in his hooded skull mask, otherwise wearing a black sweatshirt and jeans. (We never did find the black robe Great-Grandma left from last Halloween... remember, when she scared the bejeebies out of DS8?)

DS8 finally speaks: I'm wearing a mask.
Me, thinking: Good thinking, Spock... Wouldn't want them to think you look like that all the time.

I so miss those days, even with DS being 10 you can tell that last night he was only sorta halfway into it. Dressed up and everything, just didn't have that magical childlike sort of feeling like when the kids were younger. And let's not kid ourselves...DD & her friends were out stalking guys!

 

[sameyeyam]

As usual we try to incorporate education into our lives. Not only did we learn about nutrition at dinner, but DS also gave us a history and art lesson with his Leaning Tower of Cheesa and Crackers. Oh and lest you think I'm about to lose my Parent of the Year Award, I didn't just give them cheese and crackers for dinner. We also had a veggie tray and yogurt.

 

[sameyeyam]

One of those Pouring Down the Rain moment I always talk about. And yes, that is a Gargoyle peaking out from behind the fushia bush. Not sure how he got there, he's usually sitting on the edge of the whiskey barrel looking into the water.

 

[sameyeyam]

Well time to wash the dinner dishes and make my bed. Yeah, I know it's 6pm, but remember I had kids laying in my bed watching movies until this afternoon. Besides I absolutely can't stand to go to bed in an unmade bed.

 

[sameyeyam]

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

 

[sameyeyam]

Who's second chin is that and how did it get in my picture?

 

[sameyeyam]

Dishes are done, bleached the sink...always had stainless steel sinks and thought I would love a porcelain kitchen sink. Now that I have one it's a pain in the keester and I wish I had a stainless steel one.