Shopping

Today I took the boys to get some of the things they will need for football this year. HOLY SHOPPING!!!!! Don't ever let anyone tell you that boys do not like to shop. We were at Sports Authority for 1 1/2 hours!!! I though my head would explode. Little Son wanted to get his cleats now and not wait. Of course, he only wanted a certain kind and he couldn't get them because they had screw in tips and they aren't allowed at the boys school. Big Son and I told him to get another pair. This kid walked so slowly down the row barely looking at any pair and kept stopping in front of the pair he couldn't get and picking them up and playing with them. Like they were going to change. Finally I told him to sit down and brought him 9 pairs of cleats in his size, made him try them on and pick his favorite. Next little son needed a new pair of sneakers since his are falling apart. Another problem. Husband and I said we wouldn't spend a lot of money since he would be needing a new pair for school. The first 6 pair he picked out cost $115 - $165. Like he would get those at any time. Then the mopping starts. Finally he picked out a pair of ugly Pumas. They had the same pair in white that were much better so I suggested those. TEMPER TANTRUM. He kicks the box of the ugly shoes and says he doesn't want them. After 10 minutes he tries the ugly shoes on and gets them. I barely kept it together.

Next, football section. Both boys needed gloves for football. It took 20 minutes for them each to pick out a pair. Next, they needed cup holders. Another 10 minutes for them to pick out those. Next came picking out a pair of gym shorts each and socks. ANOTHER 15 minutes. I finally had to put a stop to it and said we'd get the rest of the stuff another time. Maybe my boys are strange but put them in a mall or another store they like, they will take FOREVER looking around.

Good (?) News

Yesterday, Husband FINALLY got some good news.



He started building a home for someone in Mt. Kisco in 12/06. Everything was going fine, the house was beautiful, no complaints except the usual you would run into on a 3.5 million dollar home. That's right, Husband's bid to build a house, guest house, garage was 3.5 million dollars. Then, in January of '07 I was going through the homeowners bills and added them up. He had an outstanding balance of $450,000.00 You might ask HOW DID YOU MISS THAT!! I didn't. The homeowner would pay a partial payment on an invoice, or pay the whole invoice, or not pay at all. Also, I was sending him probably 7-10 invoices a week. I told Husband, he met with the homeowner and was told that he was waiting for the bank to come through with another loan. Please give him another month. Fine. Then in 2/08, I added everything up again and there was an outstanding balance of $650,000.00. Not okay because all the suppliers were paid to date and also the subs. That meant the business was out that money. Husband tried to meet with the homeowner again about the balance but got the run around.



Then Husband got wind of the Homeowner going behind his back and negotiating with the subs for a lower price, and even trying to bring in his own people that he hired instead of using us. By this time, the houses were framed, roof was on, siding almost done, copper work almost done, stone walls done, driveway done, etc. It was just about time for Husband to go in and do all the detail work that makes a house. Fortunately, Husband had been taking pictures every week of the progress so there really couldn't be an argument on the amount of work completed.



Homeowner never paid, Husband sent a letter that if he didn't get payment within 7 days, he was pulling the permit and taking legal action. No payment. He put a lien on the property, pulled the permit, contacted his lawyer and we started pulling together all the paperwork. Piles of it. Since March, Husband and I would spend at least one day a week with the lawyer getting everything organized and preparing for the suits that the Homeowner started filing against Husband because of the Lien. Since the Lien is on the property, the homeowner can't get ANY loan (the man is a person who buys property and houses, fixes them and sells them for twice what he paid and put into them). Since summer started Husband has been at the lawyer 2 times a week for the whole day.



Yesterday, the homeowners lawyer called Husband's lawyer and started sniffing around about making a deal. Our lawyer thinks it is because the lawyer and homeowner filed false documents with the court and got caught. Also because the amount of paperwork he received yesterday in response to his files, is 3 feet high. Anyway, our lawyer said to take it as a good sign because the lawyer also said that he agreed that Husband was owed some money. He continued to say that if the Lien was dropped then he could have a check by the end of next week for $150,000.00 and we'd all be even. Our lawyer told him that wasn't going to be happening. We were going for the whole lien amount.

The thing that really sucks about this deal is that for Husband to stay in business, we had to pay all the subs and suppliers in full. If we didn't, they would be able to take action against us, close our accounts, and no longer work with us. So it has been a rough couple of months being out all that money. Of course the business had a majority of the money to pay for it, but some of it had to come from our personal accounts. Thankfully that was set up as loan with interest. Now we are just waiting and waiting to get some money. Even then some of it will be going to the lawyer. How much? We have no idea since he hasn't told us what his percentage will be.

But, like I said, at least the Homeowners lawyer was looking to make some sort of deal so that must mean that something is not to great in the Homeowners paperwork or money issues. The only thing that could be a problem for us is that if we do win and are awarded the money, when will we get it? I'm sure the banks will soon, if not already, want their money. What if he has to wait until he sells the house? The market is not good now and their is still a Lien.

Nothing New

NOTHING NEW HAS BEEN GOING ON!!!! This week has been pretty boring. Except for Monday night. I went and watched Big Son race at a track that I haven't been to before. He has gone with Husband and races against 17-40 year old's. He is the youngest in the class by 1 1/2 years and KILLS. I was so proud of him. Usually when we go to a race, I have to pitch in and help either change stuff on the go-karts or help the boys get ready. Getting ready entails lifting a go kart (anywhere from 190 lbs to 225 lbs.) getting them buckled with helmets and starting the engine. Or changing the setup (gears, tires, etc.). Monday, it was purely for my pleasure. After the first hour of helping getting ready, the rest of the night I got to be a MOM and watch. I was SO PROUD OF MY SON!!! He started his heat race 14th and 2 laps into it he was winning. In the feature he started 4th and ended up finishing 2nd. He was racing against people older, and who have raced not only at this track every week, but on a whole longer. My 14 year old had 25 year old's coming up to him and asking advise on how to set up the kart or how to drive the track. After the feature, it took me awhile to reach him because other drivers in his class and spectators were congratulating him. HE made ME proud because of his maturity and his ability to keep his success to a minimum. GO BIG SON!!

Besides that, we have been home. Little Son and I have started playing the game Risk. To anyone who wants something to do at night for an hour or two instead of watching TV, get this game. Little Son and I have played over the course of 3 days about 6 hours and are no way close to being done. It is fun. A strategy game that you need to walk away from, but keep set up so you can pick up where you left off. Great game.

Tomorrow Little Son and I are hitting a water park, Big Son is going to his friend's "ESTATE" I'm going to sneak pictures because nobody will believe me when I try to explain this kid's house. From the main road to the actual house has to be 2 miles. The property has 6 houses and is in 2 states. Their family is the biggest land owner in Westchester County. The family leaves Sunday for a safari in Africa and won't be home for 2 months. Big Son said the indoor pool has buttons to push to make the roof collapse and also 3 walls. There is also a button for a slide to come out of the wall. There is also a "private" beach on the property. Saturday the 4 of us our going to Jones Beach. We may even make a weekend of it and stay over.

Family

Little Son went with my parents this weekend upstate. He came home happy, tired, and with a Mohawk. Yes, my sister, master at the scissors, gave Little Son a hair cut and left him with a Mohawk. It looks good on him. It is not an extreme Mohawk, only sticking up about 2 inches. But, like my sister said in her post, he is the type of person that can carry it off. He has done odd things to his head in the past. One time, before a big race, he had his hair cut short and had his kart #'s shaved into his head. Another time he had his hair cut except for his kart #'s. He won't do this anymore because other kids are copying him. We are trying to come up with another idea.

I read my sister's post about my Little Son's weekend and it made me so proud of him. It is so important to me that my boys not only know their cousins, but look out for them, play with them, and teach them.

My grandmother has told me many times that she is so proud of her kids and grandchildren. Not for the usual reasons: successful, wealthy, etc. No, she is proud that her children have taught her grandchildren values and respect. She tells me that she brags at her senior meetings whenever the family has been together about the grandchildren (this includes great grandchildren). She tells them how great everyone got along, the kids didn't argue and how happy she was to see them all together. She says that she may not always agree with the decisions that we make, but she is satisfied that we will all look after each other. And we do.

This has always been true ever since I can remember. I never remember fighting with my cousins ( one reason is because I'm SO much older than them) but I remember looking after my younger cousins. I see this continuing and so does my grandmother. When our family gets together, there is no complaining because so and so comes and lets their kids go and doesn't control or watch them. No, in my family, when we have a "family" event (which is whenever any of us are together) we all watch each other's kids. If my boys ever came to my husband or I and complained because one of their uncles/aunts/cousins/grandparents corrected them, I would say "oh well, you have to listen to them, they're the adult." But very rarely does a kid complain. If they do, it is because an older cousin is paying more attention to another cousing than them. Or, more likely, that an older cousin isn't playing with them enough. Usually it is the kids looking after the kids, with the older kids having the authority. This may seem odd or even as if we are passing the "buck" so that the adults can have a good time. But that is not true. The "cousins" all seem to gravitate towards one another, with the Older Cousins (20 and above) talking, catching up, and laughing at the younger ones and reminiscing.

My grandmother has done an amazing job of raising her children and grandchildren. Yes, that's right her grandchildren. We have ALL spend time with her, slept at her house, and are very protective of her. The older she gets, it is more important. Ask any of her 11 grandchildren and 5 great grand-children and all will have a different, but very personal experience with her. My experience with her is totally different than my 7 year old cousins. My 14 year old son's experience with his great grandmother has been totally different than his 4 year old cousins. But this is what makes a "great" grandmother.

So even though I went WAY off track, I got a tear in my eye reading my sister's post. If nothing else, I know that I've raised a boy who is compassionate and caring.

While Little Son was with my parents, Sat. night Husband and I took Big Son to Middletown to watch dirt racing. There was also a County Fair at the race track. The first hour all Big Son did was complain: This Fair is weird, the animal smell, I don't want to watch a race if I'm no racing too, I don't like dirt racing, etc. Husband and I counteracted all this with stories of his grandfather's racing stories. By the time 4:30 came around, Big Son wanted to go in the stands and see the track (husband and I were going to take him into the pits and see the cars and all but for $40 each, NOT worth it).

The last time I was at that track and watched, I was pregnant with Big Son, about 8 months, and my dad had a huge crash. He flipped in the air, hit a light post, flipped back the other way and landed upside down on top of another car. He knocked the lights out in the pits and back field viewing area, and the stands shut down the lights because they thought he was dead. Husband jumped across the "stream" and fought with the officials to get to my dad. My mom was screaming and my dad's friend was holding her back from following husband. I had my dad's friend following me with his hands under my stomach and holding my back as I threw up. My dad has told me that he didn't remember anything for the next 2 days. Of course my dad refused medical help. He had to be the big man and walk not only off the track, but with the tow trucks bringing his car in. It was the last time he race.

By the time warm-ups started Big Son was enjoying it. Plus he knew some of the names from listening to my dad's stories and also from going to Atlantic City and watching. By the end of the night, he was talking to the men around us about racing, telling stories about my dad like he was there, and wanting to race at Middletown for the "experience". In 358 Modified, which probably costs $50,000 a year. No. I feel like taking him there and telling stories and experiences from my dad, I gave him a piece of history. Now he wants his grandpa to take him their.

After the racing and walking back through the fair to get to the car, Big Son enjoyed the fair (except for the animals). I talked him into going to the "freak"shows with me and he was grossed out. He was more amazed by the people. "Mom, I never knew what white trash was before but I guess when you see people with no teeth and who speak weird and dirty, that must be white trash. We are only an hour from home. People upstate and down south aren't like this. And why are these people so happy to get a stuffed animal from a game? The people at the race track weren't like this. I feel sorry for the people at the fair that they waisted their money on games instead of watching racing." To get to the race track you had to walk through the fair and to my son, racing was the only reason to be at Middletown that weekend (after he watched racing).

The pool

The pool at the hotel was great. It was perfect for winding down at the end of the day, or to cool off after being at the parks all day. There were many activities for the kids to do. Every 1/2 hour a new game started. There was an 8' beach ball that went into the pool, pool volleyball, pool basketball, musical chairs, bingo, dancing, music trivia, scavenger hunts, etc. One day while we were all sitting at the pool my father said that the pool was his favorite part of vacation. Most days, we all were at the pool together. My father said it made him happy to see everyone enjoying themselves and if that was all he saw throughout the week he would have been satisfied. The odd thing about the week was that we all agreed, except for going to Magic Kingdom together, we would all split up and do our own thing. But what happened was we all wanted to go to the same places and see the same thing. So really, only Thursday and Friday we split up and did our own thing. We would go to the parks together, do a little together, and then go on our way. My parents were great. I really didn't think that they would spend so much time at the parks or at the pool ( and in the pool ) as they did. They must have been exhausted. But, they both always had smiles on their faces and ready to go. My kids, husband and myself could not stop saying thank you to them.

Florida

Okay. I know I said I would post vacation pictures a week ago. I'm getting to it tonight. We realized when we came home from vacation that we would be leaving on Thursday to go to a race. That meant I had four days to unpack from vacation and pack the motor home to go away. Plus help husband pack the trailer. I never ends in this house.

Okay. Vacation. Day One. Getting to the airport was fine. The van had more than enough room and the first two pictures is unloading the luggage

Yes the below is a stack of luggage for 11 people (minus carry-ons) for a weeks vacation. Again, all went smooth. A porter loaded everything and brought us to the top of the line for check in. Of course, I stuffed everything into 3 suitcases instead of using four and was slammed with an overweight charge of $240.00.

Below: All of us waiting to load the plane.

Tomorrow: Pool pictures. The pool at the hotel was a saving grace. I would definitely recommend the All Star Music to anyone going to Disney. The pool had new activities every 1/2 hour. Most for kids, some for adults.

The Start

I was sitting tonight and trying to decide on how to begin my post about vacation, and realized that I CAN'T start at vacation. My vacation started on the Tuesday before we left, when I watched Big Son graduate Middle School. My gosh, I can't believe in two months I will have a high schooler. I STILL REMEMBER HIGH SCHOOL. I also remember holding him in my arms the first time and thinking how beautiful, perfect and SMALL he was. No more. He is still beautiful, and to me very close to perfect, but not small. My 6lb. 9 oz baby at 14 (15 in one month) is now 158 lbs. and 5'11". At times difficult, but for all those difficult times, he still crawls into my lap at gives me a hug.

Below, my baby waiting to get his diploma. I remember when I dropped him off for his first day at pre-school. He wouldn't let go. He held me around the neck and looked me in the eye and said "no mommy". Broke my heart. I told him he'd have fun and I would be back at lunch. I went to my car and cried. It broke my heart to leave him. When it was time for pick up time, he saw me through the windows of his classroom. I was there 45 minutes early. He had a huge smile on his face. Little did I know, until the 2nd year of pre-school that he wouldn't talk to anyone. Not teachers or kids. He played either alone or with kids without talking. I kept he out of kindergarten for a year so he could make friends.

Below, Big Son getting his diploma. I remember the day of Kindergarten orientation. He was ready!! The extra year helped. He made friends, he started talking (after alot of fighting for speech therapy and countless testing) and was happy. He always had a smile on his face. The day of his orientation ( bus ride and meeting his teacher) he was all kinds of excited. He got up, dressed himself, and was ready for breakfast. I couldn't get going. I kept hugging him and holding his face. Time to meet the bus and all of us ( Big Son, Little Son and I) all trecked down the driveway to wait for the bus. Big Son was so proud of himself, nametag and all. The bus came, and he ran right to the door and got on. The bus driver looked at me and said "Don't worry, go inside, he'll be fine." What did I do? That's right, let little son play in the yard and I sat on the stone wall waiting for the bus to come back. I sat for about an hour and my neighbor came over. She had 3 kids who did the same thing. She sat with me and understood what I felt. Big son came home soon after full of smiles and stories.

Good Luck baby!! I Love You!

Home

We made it home today at around 3:00 pm. The trip was AMAZING!!! This household is exhausted. I don't even know how to write about the week because there was just so much going on. Everyone seemed to have a good time and all the kids always had smiles on their faces. Goodnight, I just finished unpacking and need sleep.