Wrecked

Hi there. Remember me? The lady who writes this blog...

occasionally.

Well, it's been a rough few years weeks. :) I kid.

I'm not sure whether it was the cold weather, or the post-holiday blahs, or the potty training, or the car accident, or the kid that won't stop pooping in the front yard, or the cold weather, or going without a car for 3+ weeks, or the kids, or the cold weather, or the kids (see where I'm going with this?), but I have not been able to get my act together. Actually I am pretty sure that it was all of these things (and more that I will spare us all from hearing about) that formed a Molotov cocktail of bummer-dom for me.  Don't you like how I just make up words to suit my needs?  Fortunately I have my priorities (somewhat) straight and have managed to keep the family fed and the laundry (somewhat) done, but as always the blog (and my toenails) have been neglected.

Did someone say cocktail?

Oh, yeah.  That was me.

I've been having way too many of those lately.  Between the box of wine tucked in the cabinet next to the oven (meant for cooking) and my sweet neighbor who invites me over to sample her latest cocktails, I have had no self control.  I'm not going to lie, it helps with de-stressing.  And I'm not going to lie, I delivered a couple drink recipe books to my neighbor's doorstep hoping she'll continue with her experimentation and feel obligated to invite me over to try them. :)  Did I mention I love her?

So anyway, back to the goings on around here...

Yes, I had a car accident. 
Yes, the kids were with me. 
Yes, it was my fault. 
And yes, I feel like a schmuck.

I'm one of those people who say they don't get in accidents and they don't get tickets. 
Because I'm suuuch a good driver. 
And I'm suuuch a defensive driver. 

Well, I've been eating crow for the past three weeks and six days. 
I know this because that is how long I have been without a car.  Do you know how important it is to have a car?  Do you know that is how more times than not we get from Point A to Point B?  Do you know that without one we are pretty much stuck at home?  And without one we have to do a lot more planning...and walking.

Sure you do.

And what the heck does 'eating crow' really mean?  Might have to Google that later.

I keep replaying the accident in my head over and over and over again, and I honestly don't think there was much I could have done differently.  It was one of those wrong-place-at-the-wrong-time moments.  Or maybe I'm justifying?  And no, I didn't get a ticket.  I only found that out after my insurance agent asked if I was given a ticket and I was like,

"I don't know.  Did I?" 

And she asked, "Well, did an officer give you a citation, have you sign it, and then give you a copy?"

Me: "Ummm, no.  I guess I didn't get a ticket."

Hello?! 

What idiot doesn't know if she got a ticket or not?

Yours truly.

I'm going to blame it on the damn airbag that popped out of my steering wheel and smacked me in the face.

And since I can't stop thinking about the accident, it's no wonder Luke can't either.  But geeez, I wish he would.  Here are just a couple of the many conversations we've had since the accident.

Steve (helping us into the Sequoia):  I love you guys.  Drive carefully.

Me: We will.

Luke: Mom, why weren't you driving carefully when we had the accident?

Me: Silence (head drops)

AND

Luke:  Mom, why did we have an accident?

Me: Sometimes accidents happen.  That's why they're called accidents. (Thanks for that one, Dad!)

Luke: Well, how come Daddy doesn't have accidents?

Me: Doh!

This last conversation was particularly painful.  Steve and I tend to be a bit competitive, especially when it comes to driving.  I get on to him for not using his turn signals and for reading work e-mails while driving.  He gets on to me about...well, I'm not sure.  I am a perfect driver. :) 

 See what I mean?

I knew I was not going to handle his teasing well and that I didn't want to wish an accident upon him (which crossed my mind -- SHAME!), so I quickly came up with a solution:

Steve has been wanting a flat screen tv for our room.  

Sounds reasonable, right?

Did I mention we already have one facing the bed and this one would be for the sitting area?  And that we actually have one in the sitting room but it's one of the "old timey ones"?

Hello?!  Excessive, right?

I mean, some people don't have enough food to eat and we are going to have two fancy tvs in our bedroom?! 

Out of the question.  Ridiculous.  No way.  Not gonna happen.

Until now. 

I offered Steve a deal:  He is to never speak a word about my accident or him being a better driver because of it, and I will never complain about the second tv in our bedroom.

Except for on my blog.  Cause it's my blog and I'll blog what I want to. :)

He thought about it for two seconds, smiled, and we shook on it.

Isn't this how all married couples operate?

No?

Well, it works for us.  Goodness only knows what our kids are learning from our strange behavior.

Speaking of strange behavior, who are these weirdos?

Before you go thinking that I must have picked up a one-gloved crack-smoking bum off the street, let me clear things up.

That is my cousin Ashley on the left.  Classy broad, eh?  She is not smoking crack, but rather shotgunning a beer.  I'm not sure who that chick is on the right, but can you believe I own that same jacket?! :)  Whoever she is, she has good taste in clothing...and a double chin.  Just like me.  Hmmmmm.... 

I honestly don't remember what led us to shotgun beers in the middle of the day, but I'm sure it had something to do with me being on a trip sans children and proceeding to act like I was in high school again because of it.  Or maybe it was the result of being in a cabin with eight other people baking cookies around the clock for three straight days.

Have I mentioned my love for Cookie Weekend?

"What is Cookie Weekend?" you ask.

You can read more here:

 Cookie Weekend 2009

I think every family should have a cookie weekend.  It is soooo much fun!!!

Here are a few pics:



Lindsey's Choco Delight something-or-others just before baking.



Proof that the guys really do get in on the action...and looove it!



He is sooooo bad!



Silly Girls. 







Two of my favorite people in the whole wide world, my adorable grandparents.

Nothing says lovin' like baking cookies and blending a frozen concoction...

even in 20-degree weather?



This was not my grandparents' tree, but a tree my Pop made up a story about.  Something about a little blind boy who got his site back after picking out this straggly tree.  I don't remember the details, but he joked that I should write about it on my blog.  There you go, Pop.  Done. :)



The always-photogenic Ashley (I hate envy that about her) with Ozzy.







Linsdey and Matt with their cute little tree.

Group pic.

What is up with my hair????

You may have noticed that someone is missing. There was a little kid who made it into our family picture last year. We joked that maybe we'd see him again.







Guess what?

We did...

And when we did, we just had to get a picture with him.  His parents might want to keep a closer eye on him, considering all the weirdos running around this place.

By the way, his name is Dallas, which is pretty unfortunate for a kid who lives near Philly.

This was taken at Hotel Jonas, the restaurant we stopped at on the way home.  It's something like 100 years old and is still a hotel/tavern.  It's become a tradition.  They have great greasy food and cold beer.

Funny story:
Last year after cutting down trees, we sent the guys out for cookie ingredients while we went home to bake.  But instead of going straight home we made a pit stop along the way at Jonas for clam chowder.

This year we again sent the guys out for cookie ingredients, then twenty minutes later got a picture text of them bowling and drinking pitchers of beer.

What's the old saying?

Paybacks are hell.

This was taken from the restaurant. I loved the colors...and that barn. Oh, that barn. Have I mentioned that I want to live in a barn someday? Like a tricked out, something-out-of-Southern-Living-magazine-type barn. Or an old schoolhouse or church or something.

Okay, this post is getting long and down-right obnoxious.  If you read this blog for updates on my kids and not my ramblings, here ya go:

Kid #2 is potty trained!  Woo Hoo!!!!!!

Be back soon with Christmas pics!

xo,

Jess