PINT: the D-Day edition

PINT. usually it's a fun oasis in my week… this week, it's just time to get 'er done.
so here goes. head on over to supahs to check the rest of the PINTs out.

an orphan of a different kind, but still just as needy

i've got a OLF that i met while ago because he takes crazy great photos and had a cool series of his wife's pregnancy along with some commentary from a guy's/husband's perspective. he's not only great behind a camera, but a fantasic writer too.
i was hooked.
he followed his wife's series with another one (different couple) and it was equally awesome.
i also, like i've done with many of my "regulars,"gotten to sorta know them, via his blog.
in addition to the adorable tessa tangerine, his daughter her photographed while in utero, he and his wife have a son from her first marriage. LB (little buddy) suffers from a rare genetic disorder called SMS. (here's a link to more info)
so ryan, being the creative type, assembled some talented friends and artists who donated their talents to make a children's album. 100% of the proceeds goes to a grant fund he established through PRISMS.

getting a diagnosis for your child can be devastating news. but just think if your diagnosis is for a disease or condition that is rare. little is written or known about it, and no known cure. or plan of action for how to manage the condition.
these little orphan diseases are underfunded (if funded at all) and oftentimes misunderstood. raising awareness and resources can be exhausting and daunting.
please go to this link. purchase it today on itunes. and repost this little widget on your blog or tweet about it (#dofunstuff) today. ryan is trying to create as much buzz about it as possible.
do you have kids? go buy this album. your kids will love it.
does your church have a preschool or preschool sunday school classes? they'd love a new fun kids album.
have grandchildren? nieces? nephews? neighbors with kids??
come on… this is for a great cause. and you can give this to someone (or a bunch of people… buy a bunch!!) for christmas!
if this was you… a parent of a child with an orphan disease, wouldn't you want all of your friends to get the word out??

PINT: the exhausted edition.

whew. it's been a crazy week. but crazy or not, i couldn't pass up an opportunity to PINT. You know how to do this. visit here. share some love. and be my guest… join us one of these tuesdays!

oh, my aching nest

i almost need to fast from facebook for awhile.
my heart can't take much more!
so many of my friends are either sending off their first child to college, or they're becoming new empty nesters. the mood amongst my facebook friends is somber. and that's the kids, too.
it's hard leaving behind friends and family and facing the unknown. it's exciting too… the mix of emotions is enough to give even the strongest of stomachs a case of acid indigestion.

i was feeling pretty good about sending my younguns off again. really, i was.
bamagirl left about two weeks before boy wonder… and we went down a week after she left to move all her stuff in (to the palace). then the next week boy wonder left on his own… and we followed a week later to move some of the big stuff in and get him settled (pictures to come… it deserves its own post).
that was tuesday.

it's over.

classes have started for bamagirl and boy wonder's start next tuesday.

our home is quiet. in a way that is unfamiliar, yet reminiscent of last year. i remember not liking the quiet.

this year, i'm more comfortable with it, but deep down, i think i'm grieving again. hearing my friends lament their losses is rubbing just a tiny bit of salt into a wound i thought had healed.

it manifested itself in a dream…

our dogs were over at a neighbors home and were screaming and going crazy (our dogs have not be adequately socialized and are borderline obnoxious) and i was trying to quiet them down. across the way, a very young bamagirl was standing, frightened. i reached my arms out and she came running… relieved to be safe from the chaos of the dogs.
i patted her back and comforted her as she rested her head on my shoulder and i was so happy to have her nestled in my arms, needing her mommy. i was looking forward to time together to mold and shape her.

then i realized… she's not four anymore.

sigh.

i'm missing that part of motherhood.

"i love you, mom."
"no, i love YOU!"
NO!! i love YOU, mom!"
"nooooo, i think i love YOU!"
"NOOOOO! i love you MORE!"
"mmmmm. no, i think i love YOU more!"

"mommmmm! we love each other!"

yes. we do.

PINT: boy wonder's turn

yay. it's tuesday. PINT. go. create. post. link up. 

i would never leave…

other than having to live in tuscaloosa {which i personally have nothing against, but since our work is here… that might be a problem}, the hubs and i were pretty serious when we looked around at bamagirl's new surroundings and began to picture ourselves in this world…
i mean who wouldn't love to leave their schwank apartment and go to the clubhouse? it's like a mini-city. all it's missing is a freaking petting zoo… seriously.

a fitness center (this is only one of three areas) that rivals the best gyms…

an indoor climbing wall (heck i climb my own walls, so why not these?)

stair steppers, elipticals, treadmills oh my!

a cinema? well it ain't an imax, but how fun to watch a movie in a lounge chair with some friends? there's even a popcorn machine (and i'm not talkin' a microwave)!

a wall of tvs all tuned to sports, game tables, foosball, pool tables and more!

in between games of pool, you can check your facebook or write that intro to your thesis in the cyber lounge. in addition to the three pcs and two macs, it's completely wireless in case you want to bring your own…

 

all that climbing, working out, checking email and playing cards wearing you out?? relax in the hammock cove. seriously… there's even posts if you have your own eno and want a place to hang…

of course there's a pool. and of course there's a lounge lagoon where the water is shallow enough to just drag your lounge chair in and sun and be wet. (my idea of heaven)

water volleyball, fun music playing in the background… the only thing missing is a cabana boy.

naturally there's a hot tub. all this playing and lounging can leave a person with some awfully sore muscles. better head to the hot tub and soak awhile. 

so if you need us… we'll be hanging out at the clubhouse. the hubs is looking for a place he can set up his cabana boy gear, and i'm going to see about learning how to make some popcorn. if we make ourselves useful around here, maybe they'll ask us to stay…
just don't tell bamagirl… we want it to be a surprise!

University of Club Med

so enough with the hand wringing, i suppose. she's in. she's settled, and it's not like i'm going to move her out of it… so i'll take my own advice and suck it up. deal.
in defense of bamagirl (or MET aka Martha's Evil Twin), she did do much of her decorating herself. or used things from last year, like her coverlet. yay for recycling.

she yardsaled and got a cool armoire to house her ghetto tv (she's the only one in her foursome without… are you ready?… a 32" plasma tv in her bedroom) which she painted and i distressed.
the bed table was a yardsale find. the curtains were a purchase from tuesday morning.

the "live, laugh, love" sign over her window was another yard sale find. she painted over the center and hand painted the words. it turned out really cute. we bought the fabric and recovered her body pillow from last year and recovered four pillows we stole from her bedroom here at our house.

the hutch over her desk is her roommate's over the bed shelving she had in her dorm last year. cut the sides off… and voila! a desk hutch! the christmas lights are from last year, too.

the canvases over her bed she painted herself.

acne medicine rendered her towels from last year unusable (grrrr.) so we decided white was probably best. she bought the trim for the towels and i sewed them for her and a friend monogrammed the bath towel. i sewed the flowers onto her shower curtain by hand while we drove from our home to alabama. a tedious dang job that i didn't finish. (empty spot in the center, plus she wants stems for the flowers). she painted the bathroom before we arrived and decided she does NOT want a career painting houses! what a pain!!

the kitchen is nicer than mine. seriously. i think my cooktop is better, but they have stunning cabinets with tons of room.

one nice thing about the apartment is their unit is on the end. so both the living room and bamagirl's rooms have double the windows. it's a cheery space. they're recycling curtains from bamagirl's dorm from last year. they match the throw pillows.  the other blue ones were yardsale finds as were the decorations on all of the tables, including the lamps. just need a couple of lampshades for those.

the eating nook's curtains came from her dorm bedroom from last year. $2.50 for a tension rod… and voila!
tomorrow i'll give you a tour of the clubhouse. i hope one of the students has to move out and an apartment is available. the hubs and i have decided we'd love a 4 bedroom 4 bath home with all the amenities. i just don't want to have to do the school part. okay?
maybe the girls need a maid… i'm available. there's probably enough room in the pantry for me.