Super Laundry Mom's Mission to Save the World!!

I used to say that I didn't have a lot of friends.  That's just my poor self-esteem talking.  I decided to sit down and think about what a friend really is, and I realized I have a lot of friends.  Its funny, but there are many I haven't actually met face to face, but I still consider them my friends.  They come to me for help, and that means a lot.  I know how difficult it is to ask for help, but its nice to know there are people you can count on when you are in a bind.  Oh, and if you don't ask for help often, you get to use the sentence "You know how I never ask for help?" and then your buddy now has an obligation.    I like to help people.  I'm a people helper.  Some people would say I was a people pleaser, and Joyce Meyer (awesome Christian Minister and Author) has a book to help me.  But I'm in denial and do not want help.  I see no problem with what I do.

I have a bunch of friends in different situations, and I've really tried to help.  I see them as a run-away train headed toward a tall, tall bridge, with a broken track.  I can picture whats going to happen, and the sight isn't pretty.  I don't know WHEN its going to happen.  I might be able to figure it out, but that would be math, and we all know how I feel about math....  So, my mother spoke sharply at me in an "instant message" saying that I can't save the world.

Lets talk about how much I love, respect, and admire my Mom.  She took care of 2 kids on 39 cents a week after expenses, while my Dad was in Antarctica.  Sure, I didn't get ice cream nightly, but I also didn't realize the awesome feat she managed.  My Mom took the time to instill important life lessons that have really helped mold who her children are today.  Messages like "Nice people do NOT throw knives at posters of rubber chickens!!" is probably the one lesson that nobody in our family will forget.  But she can't always be right, right?  I mean, after all, she also said "Lisa, not everybody is going to like you".  This just doesn't not make sense to me.  After all, I'm a freakin' SWEETHEART!!  Why would there be anyone out there who DOESN'T LIKE ME?!?!!!??!?  So, when she stated, oh so sharply, in her instant message "Lisa, you can't save the world", I can't help but wonder if she's wrong again.

After all, I am Super Laundry Mom!!!  I can do ANYTHING!!!  Right?  Ok, so maybe not right.  I can make this promise, though, that even though I may warn you about the broken train track on the Mount Everest of bridges, and you ignore me, I will still be there when the inevitable happens.  I wont know what to do but be there, but be there I will.  And I will bring a casserole.  Casserole and some cuppy cakes.  Casseroles and Cuppy Cakes make everything better, right?

Whew! That was a LONG Week!

Cassie went back to school today.  Thank God.  I remember when I was growing up, Spring Break lasted, what?  Fifteen, twenty minutes, tops?  Now-a-days, Spring Break lasts around a year and a half.  Summer Vacation is even worse.  I have decided that Cassie is going to summer camp.  I hope to get her signed up this week.  I love my daughter immensely, I just can't stand so much bonding time.  As a matter of fact, I'm starting to wonder if they ever really cut the umbilical cord.  Tonight is an Autism Support Group Meeting.  The same one I tried to go to last month.  Cassie is ready for it.  We've been practicing.  So, this morning she tells me that yes, she remembers, and she knows I'm going, and hopes I have a "World of Fun.... NOT!!!!"  She wasn't being her bitchy PMSing self, she was being my sweet, calm Cassie.  So I asked her why and she informs me "If you do not have fun, you will not want to go back, and we can stop this nonsense."  Wow.  That's one way to think of things, huh?  But I'm going.. if I don't melt first.  

It's hot.  There are certain things I cannot be expected to do when there is this kind of heat.  One of them is house work.  Not happening.  If I stand up and start to sweat, I'm sitting back down.  In front of the fan.  Another one is cook.  If Pitman wants to grill the pork chops I took out of the freezer, that's fine.  I have raw green beans we can eat with them.  If not, I'd rather he go get me an antipasto salad.  Why?  Because when its THIS hot out, that's all I want to eat.  And it has to be an antipasto salad.  Why?  Because I'm just like that.  Oh, and when I say its hot, I mean its hot.  Its so hot that I couldn't even take a nap!!  I'm so glad we decided to get the central air conditioning in the house.  That way I can clean and cook and make myself useful around here.  The third?  Well, there was a reason why a window AC unit has been in every house we've lived in until now.  But the central air will take care of that, too.  

So, I will leave you with my most recent recycling victory.    What do you get when you cross a nasty old lampshade on its way to the garbage, and some left over material?  

nasty old lampshade

left over material

A NEW CLOTHES PIN HANGER!!!  You know, one of those bags that hold your clothes pins when you hang laundry!!  Isn't it beautiful?

I'm hanging my laundry in STYLE!

Even Super Heroes Screw Up Sometimes...

I am the Super Laundry Mom!!!!  I have my ever-present sidekick, Nummy-Num Girl by my side!!  I Somethings have changed since we found out about our Super Hero Abilities.  For one, Cassie aged 8 years, grew at least 20' and now says exactly which nummy-num she would like.  The fact she wants to eat all the time, that she loves pretty dresses, and sparklies are an intricate part of our lives are just some things that have not changed.

My LeeAnne put it perfectly one Christmas, while I was wrapping presents in really sparkly paper.  "Mom, did you know Glitter is known as the Herpes of the Craft World?"  Damn, LeeAnne, not only is that deep and true, but its one of the funniest things I've ever heard in my life!!!  And we have proof of this... all over every house we've ever lived in.  Heck, I'm sure we've left evidence in every house we ever visited!  And now, thanks to my Laundry Faux Pas, we will be spreading this shiny disease across Central New York!!!

See, Nummy-Num Girl needed to extend a dress for a (imaginary) part she was attending.  So we grabbed some sparkly fabric (is there really any other kind?) and she sewed on an extension.  Ok, so the dress is a pink and maroon stripped Crew-shirt type dress and the sparkly material is a baby blue, but she was the hit of her party!!!!  So, as all good Super Laundry Mom's do, I wash the dress.  I chose to put it in the "brights" load.  You know what else goes in the brights load?  Robert's bright red Verizon work shirts and his favorite shirt to wear under his karate gee.  I think you can guess where this is headed.

So, starting tomorrow, when you see Pitman, please do not laugh.  Just pretend its his stunning personality that is blinding you, and not the many sparklies that is now adorning his shirts as he goes out to spread love, peace, goodwill, telephone service and glitter throughout Central New York!!

Easter at The Pitman's!

Marley, The Easter Dachshund!!

As you ALL know, we've recently moved into the cutest Cape Cod in the world.  And today is Easter Sunday.  Now, I consider myself a Christian, and if you want to see me cry, give me a few moments to think of what happened on Good Friday to my Savior.  I get choked up just thinking about it.  (just one of those things you probably didn't know about me.)  If I ever decided to become an actress, and I needed to cry on command, with real tears, the story of the Crucifiction will do it faster than Walt Disney's Dumbo or Old Yeller.  Which is a good thing, I believe, because I really try to be a good Christian.  With all that being said, I also believe God has a good sense of humor, and if I can laugh at inappropriate things like all those idiots on America's Funniest Home Videos, than it can't be too wrong to laugh at really funny things, even if they are laughing at God.  Darn it, if God didn't like us to laugh, he wouldn't have given us Home Permanents or Big Bang Theory.  So, I laughed real hard at a few posts put up on this, the most holiest of Christian Holidays.  The first one being "So in honor of the holiday I will refrain from killing zombies. Ya know, just in case."  hehehehe  Then there is one I'm certain I will burn in hell for laughing so hard at:  "Today is the day that Jesus made a bunny that lays chocolate creme filled eggs. He also came up with the idea to mix peanut butter and chocolate. That guy sure is smart...Happy Easter".

Today we hosted the first family Holiday Dinner at our new home.  LeeAnne came in (in the middle of the night) for the main reason of "I haven't missed and Easter Egg Hunt yet, and I'm not about to start now!"  We were joined by both sets of parents.  What that means is that my "Dammed In-Laws" were in attendance, as were Rob's.  I'm very jealous of those people who love their in-laws and want to spend every spare moment with them.  I'm not one of those people, but I'm glad Rob is.  But Rob had his moments.  It was another one of those days where his Autism Diagnosis saved his life.  It happens a lot around here.  First off, he didn't want to get out of bed to hunt for eggs.  So, I thought to myself, "He woke up at 1:45 a-the-freakin-m to go to the Syracuse Bus Station, to wait an hour to bring you your baby girl!!  If you want to push it, he will get up, but he will be Mr. Grumpy Pants.  Which do you want?"  So, because lack of sleep makes it harder for those on the Spectrum, I chose to let him go.  He got up on his own, with plenty of time, and all was as happy as we could be under such circumstances.  But, the biggest thing came later, as I had gotten everything cooking and tried to jump in the shower before the "Damned In-Laws" showed up.  Please remember that things "Nero-Typical" (normal) just seem to know, usually have to be TAUGHT to those with Autism.

I must admit I forget this quite often.  Like the uncomfortable position I was put in today.  I have to admit I was thinking very colorful language that would have made a Sailor blush, as I sat naked on my toilet waiting for the damn parade to be over.  All this because I never thought to tell Robert that when people (his parents) come to our house for the first time, and I happen to be in the shower, it is perfectly ok to NOT give them the tour of the upstairs (where I am naked and in the shower) until I come down. I calmly brought this to his attention shortly after the tour group went away and I was able to get to my room and get dressed.  He tried to tell me he did it because they asked for the tour.  I made him promise that next time someone asks to be on the same floor where I am naked, that he'll say (and I made him repeat it to me), "Well, Lisa's in the shower, so we'll tour that area when she comes down. Can I get you something to drink while we wait?"  I certainly hope he learns this lesson a lot faster than the "We do not break wind in polite company" rule!!!

Everything Old is New Again!

From the beginning of time, people have always taken what is old and re-purposed them for further use.  This is an art form that was forgotten by current generations, but it re-surging once more.  But now they call it "Going Green".  It is a way of life that was instilled in me years ago.  I find it fun and challenging, and I jump at the chance to do it.  My favorite part in the "Sound of Music" is when she makes play clothes for the children out of old curtains.  Same for Scarlett and her new grand gown!!  This is an awesome outlook to have when you have an Autisic child who tends to get attached to items that are no longer needed.  Case in point:  When we lived in the rental in Liverpool, Cassie had her own bathroom that we decorated in polka dots.  She loved it.  It was cute.

When we were to move, though, we only had one bathroom, and I didn't want polka-dots.  She was upset until I told her I'd make her curtains for her new room using the shower curtain.  Wait!  Can you DO THAT? Hey, you need to learn that you can do anything you want to!!  Rules are for wusses!!!  I had originally planned to make curtains out of a sheet I had bought that matched her comforter.  So, I figured I'd put the sheet and the shower curtain together, and TA-DA!!!!!  We have CURTAINS!!!!

And she loved it.  But, polka dots and a striped bedspread?  Does it work?  I ask you, does it REALLY matter?  Seriously, if YOU like it, thats all that matters, right?  I like it, Cassie likes it, and I want to start a "But I  Like It" movement, and I'm starting with my house!!!  Oh, and what you dont see in this next picture is the fact that her top sheet is sewn to her bottom sheet.... kind of what you have with a waterbed.  Why do I have to sew her top sheet to her bottom sheet?  We found out that one of her sleeping problems was due to the fact she worried that her top sheet would come un-tucked in the night.  If you find that silly, you are probably not an OCD Autistic person with high anxiety levels.  But, as I always do, I fixed what I could, and it has really helped her!!  So, just remember.  Surround yourself with things you love, reinvent things you have, and for crying out loud, don't settle for the "But THEY say..." mentality!!!  If THEY were so great, they'd have real names!!  Who are THEY and how do THEY know what is best for you?

We Finally Did It

Since moving into the Cutest Cape in the World, we've been waiting for this moment.  The simple chance to do it.  And we finally got it yesterday.  It was a small window of opportunity, but Cassie was occupied and all the conditions were perfect.  It wasn't planned, it was a spur of the moment thing, and that made it even more tantalizing.  Unfortunately, or fortunately, we didn't get any pictures, but I'm sure you can visualize most of it.

Being the good wife I am, I let Rob go first.  I kept myself occupied, because I might have let him start, but that doesn't mean I wanted to watch.  Being the good husband he is, though, he didn't take too long so I was able to jump on.  Yeah, it took me a while longer, but I enjoyed EVERY MINUTE of it!!!  I forgot how much I enjoyed this activity.  It had been so long since I was able to feel the complete joy and relaxation of having it done right.  And afterwards, the glow lasted all night.  I was able to relive the moments over and over in my mind.  <sigh>  I was the picture of contentment.  I think Pitman didn't enjoy it as much as I did, though.  He did end up doing a bit more work, and he was grumpy afterwards.  But it was so worth it.

The new lawn tractor is amazing.

Monday's Musings

I have a lot of things going through my mind this morning.  Each one could probably be its own blog, but I've promised myself I'd only blog once per day.  So I'll mush them all together as shortly as possible.  You are welcome.

First off, Porkapaloosa is an awesome way to spend an evening.  Unless you are easily embarrassed hanging around discussing eating your friend's pork and sweet white cream.  Enough said.

Second, I have 2 acres of property and no place to put the camper/trailer.  Pitman put it on our future patio, which now looks a LOT smaller with all my patio furniture and an old, torn up pop-up camper on it.

Third, I'm excited to announce I live near a crack house and know this because as I drove by, I saw a transaction between a guy in a hoodie and another man through a popped out pane in his glass door.  hehehehe.

Fourth I need to write a blog on hypocrisy and weight loss.

The fifth and final (because I need to get in the shower and wake up Cassie) is an update on a previous post.  The coat hooks are done and up!  And, yes, they look amazing!!  What do you think?

My entry hall...  well, the top part at least.
Not an easy place to try to take a full picture.