Feeling Stabby

There is a higher level of stress and crankiness that causes hesitation in making another blog post right now. I don't want to sound like a complaining broken record. However, looking at the last year or so, especially starting with our move to Wickenburg, it's pretty much been that way: Stress, Tired, Worry, Anger, Bouts of Depression, Stress, Tired, Worry, Anger, Bouts of Depression...  and lather, rinse, repeat....
Between demands with the new house in these final stages, last week of school (both with my own kids and subbing...there's a reason I refused to sub this last week of school. I declared last Friday my official last day of school for the year), courses I've been taking in piggyback to obtain the credits I need to renew my certification in time for my new teaching job that begins at the end of July, three custom art orders in process (and probably a fourth), and all the demands that come with the aforementioned things or splinter cell side effects of the aforementioned things, it's a wonder I haven't gone completely off the bend. In some ways I have. There are poor decisions in the last year or so I'd like to just forget and have forgotten.  And yesterday I think I hit a new low in stress management. Or shall I say, stress non-management.

And yeah, a stomach bug hitting me Saturday morning just as we were going to start painting the interior of the house certainly didn't help.  And have you ever stayed in bed (well, with the exception of the bathroom...but let's not go there...) for oh...at least 18 hours straight and then ventured out to the rest of the house? If you have kids, I don't recommend it. I can think of worse things, but a house that looks like it's been hit by an EF-5 Tornado is on the top of the list of unwelcoming sights that bring back all the nausea and gastrointestinal distress. 

Luckily on Monday I was able to make up for lost time with the interior painting. But then comes the worry...what if these paint colors look like crap?

Here I am hellbent on making sure the paint colors go up before trim and flooring, but if the colors look like crap, then we'll be stuck with them unless I want to go through the headache of taping off the trim, protecting floors and covering furniture later and changing the color. Therefore, these colors have to be right! See? Anxiety and worry....

I will say that despite my tears and poor behavior yesterday, I will give props to the "stair guy".  FINALLY...Now here was a guy yesterday who informed us up front what our options were and what would be more expensive. He gave it to us straight. Oh, if only he was the cabinet and flooring guy too! One thing that has had me feeling quite stabby is the vague descriptions of materials and not knowing what kind of price points each options have. DON'T show me anything without prices! I need to know what is in the budget. I know I'll go for the expensive stuff, so it's best not to see those!

The longer you look at this, the funnier it gets...

It's comparable to what I've seen time and time again on Say Yes to the Dress. If you're a bride and arrive to the appointment saying, "my budget is $3,000...." Then you SHOULD NOT show her a $6,500 Pnina Tornai design, omit the valuable information of what the price of it is, have her try it on AND fall in love with it, and then inform her it's out of her range! What happens then? She tries on the less expensive dresses and NONE of them measure up to the expensive perfect dress. 

The same thing happened to me with the cabinets. DON'T show me everything, tell me to choose and then "maybe" it'll be in budget. I can tell you right now, if I'm choosing from everything, what I want WILL NOT be in the budget. Put away the expensive Pnina gowns and show me the $2,300 Lazaro. 

But can you afford that upgrade? Just use a white bezazzled fanny pack...

But sorry, the price won't get the "seal" of approval...

At least the bride knows the same day at the same appointment that her perfect dress is a pipe dream and she can be disappointed in a timely manner. Oh, I just LOVED choosing the cabinets and then days later finding out they were out of budget, and then having to go BACK and choose again since the first choice was that perfect Pnina gown. Yeah, that's fun. It's one thing to have to go back and re-do something because of a technicality or something is back-ordered or out of stock. But there is no excuse to having to choose again because they don't have prices posted and it takes forever to look them up to see what the cost is. THEN...add Alexander to that kind of incompetence (having to find somewhere for him to go while we do the cabinet goose chase OR bringing him with us and praying he doesn't act like this-click here), and there is a reason - I'll say it again - I feel stabby.

Despite feeling stabby, check out Christian's two Reading and Math medals he received yesterday. It looks like Christian feels stabby (right). Are they getting awards or doing a group mug shot?

There's the smile!

And because they'll always be my babies (below). They were kicked out eventually, though.  And Mikelle is so cute and pathetic on the couch. She's got the same stomach big (striking on the last day of school right before the LAST final). But taking a picture is too risky. 

Until next time...