Author Archives: Heather

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About Heather

I adore my family, writing, books, cats, lazy mornings in bed, and chocolate. I'll never say no to breakfast for dinner, long talks with friends and lazy summer days at the pool with family. My life is often crazy, always awesome and one I'm so happy to be living! My side hustle is editing and proofing work. Find out more at https://heathercaryn.com/
Dec19

Winter Ramblings

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Last night I had the craziest anxiety dream- I was studying to be a baker and I had to create a new breakfast pastry combining a croissant and donuts. While snakes were biting me and my pants were falling down because they were too big and I didn’t have a belt.  All this because I haven’t wrapped a single gift yet- so forgive me if this post is disjointed.

First- meet David/Davis. He is Scorch’s newest Hermit Crab that he bought with his own money on Monday.

Davis

Too bad I’m 99% David/Davis is dead as he hasn’t come out of shell once that we’ve seen since Tuesday. Awesome. Merry Christmas kid, let’s talk about the Circle of Life.

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The kids had a snow day on Tuesday.  It was freezing out with a -12 with the windchill in the morning, so I made the kids wait until the afternoon and then we went out to sled!  (I dread the day my kids won’t let me dress them in goofy winter hats.)

Hats_2013

Only it wasn’t sledding snow- we just sunk right to the ground.  So we decided to follow the dog and take a hike instead.

WinterRomp2_2013

I’ve said it once, I’ll say it again- I don’t know how people who don’t live in the country do it. Between our 2 acres, our creek and the woods around us, my kids would stay outside all day, every day if I let them.  We hiked until the kids were freezing and tired (just how I like ’em) and then I set them up with some hot chocolate and Good Luck Charlie on Netflix and worked for a few hours until it was time to play a few cut-throat rounds of Old Maid.  Not a bad way to spend the day!

Snow

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After finishing the first 3 books in the Harry Potter series, we’ve been struggling to find a book that captured all our attention again. We read the 3 Stink Moody books and we enjoyed them- but they didn’t suck us in like a really good book does. We were recently given the first 3 books of the How to Train Your Dragon series as a Christmas gift so we decided to start the first one. Both Scorch and I were reluctant because we’ve seen the movie and we figured it would be the same exact thing.  So glad to say we were wrong- the book, thus far, is great! We are absolutely loving it- Scorch loves the story and I love the story telling. Two huge thumbs up from us!

Dec16

Flying Solo with Santa

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Continuing on my “Sunrise, Sunset” theme of the week, we took the kids to go see Santa tonight. At first, Beaner was not having it- at all. She said she’d give Santa her list and talk to him but she wasn’t sitting on his lap or taking a picture with him. No way, no how. Given that this isn’t my first time around this particular block, I put on a festive sweater and touched up my makeup knowing darn well I was going to have to get in the picture with the kids to make it happen.

There was a small line ahead of us, including this adorable 10 month old. Her parents had her decked out in this gorgeous dress and big old bow. She couldn’t stop smiling and waving at Santa while we were in line, and the kids asked if they were that excited to see Santa when they were little. So the Hubs and I started to tell the kids about all our trips to see Santa over the years. About how Scorch would get all serious and scowl and the Bean would cry and cry the minute she was put on the big guy’s lap.  We took bets on what the little girl in front of us would do- the kids thought she’d do fine and I knew she’d lose her mind the minute her mom walked away. And that’s just what she did- the poor thing couldn’t get away from Santa fast enough as all of us in line giggled over her.

Once she was done, it was the moment of truth. Scorch was geared up and ready to go- but Beaner was the big question mark. I took off my jacket to hop in the picture with them, when Beaner let go of my hand, climbed up on Santa’s lap and told me they were fine without me.  And they were.  For the first time in 7 years, my kids took a picture with Santa without me in it because they didn’t need me in it for reassurance and comfort.

3 hours later and I’m still not sure what I think about that.

Dec14

All I Want For Christmas Is Scorch’s…

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About two week before my brother’s wedding, Scorch noticed he had 3 loose teeth- his top two, and one on the bottom.  I kid you not when I tell you that I prayed that the boy’s top teeth would stay put until after the wedding.  Thankfully, they did so we don’t have a jack-o-lantern grinning at us from all the pictures.  But the inevitable did happen and he lost one of the top teeth today (the bottom one came out the day before the wedding).

Scorch_Tooth

I admit, as dumb as it sounds, losing his top tooth got me today. When a little kid loses his top teeth, they lose that little kid look. Before long, Scorch is going to have these gigantic teeth that the rest of this face is going to have to grow into, with gangly arms and legs that go on for miles. The next thing I know, he won’t want to kiss me goodnight, he’ll never ask to cuddle again and he’ll move across country and leave me forever.

*sob*

Who knew one little tooth could cause all this angst? I keep reminding myself that I’m going to love the kid, then the man, that Scorch grows into just as much as I love the little boy he is today- I just wish he’d stop growing so fast. Someone come up with a cure for that, ok?

 

 

Dec6

My Day Job

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Today I went into the school office like I do every Friday to get grocery cards (I buy gift cards from the school for my local grocery store at face value and the school gets 5%- genius).  When I walked in, both secretaries were in a tizzy- the PE teacher came in trying to tough it through a stomach bug and didn’t last 10 minutes.  They called everyone on their sub list and no one could come in so late. I’m not really paying that much attention, so when they asked me if I had my 4 year degree, and I told them yes having no idea what they wanted.

They wanted me to fill in for the PE teacher.

After I got done laughing,  I realized they were serious. Oh crap. Today is my day off so while I had a lot to do, none of it was pressing so for some freaking reason I said “yes.”

And that is how I ended up being a PE teacher today.  There we no lesson plans for any of my classes- PreK, 3rd, 4th, 6th and 7th- so we played a lot of basketball and kickball and with the scooters.  Thank goodness the PreK teacher is a former PE teacher and she stayed to help me manage those little balls of adorableness, snot & energy. 3rd graders were awesome, 4th graders were half awesome / half drama queens, 6th graders were all drama and 7th graders were the MOST fun, oddly enough.

All in all, everyone (including me!) had a good day and we all went home in one piece- so I’m calling my “teaching” debut a success.

Not that I ever doubted it, but today cemented the fact that I was not born to be a teacher and those who are, are a rare breed.

Dec3

Here Comes Santa Claus…

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So we survived the crazy! Thanksgiving was lovely and fun and delicious- just the way Thanksgiving should be.  And the wedding- oh, the wedding. It was gorgeous and loving and joyous. As an extra bonus, the kids rocked it! I admit, I was nervous- so scared that they’d freeze at the start of the aisle once they saw all the people, but they didn’t. Scorch came down first all by himself looking so handsome in his suit, then the girls (Bean & Lala) followed, dropping petals as they went.  When they got to the end of aisle, the girls just stood there, refusing to sit down until they got rid of every petal in their baskets. Trust me, it was too cute for words! If you know of anyone getting married, we could be convinced to hire them out!

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Two days after the wedding, we officially slid into the Christmas season and got our tree. Mind you, it’s not decorated yet, but it’s up and our Elf on the Shelf, Buddy, is back. That counts for something, right? Our first night was a success- we moved the Elf like a boss. Second night? Ummm…we forgot. The kids got a harsh lesson in the fact that Buddy doesn’t move if they are bad- which they surely must have been if he didn’t move, right? Yup- we win at parenting.

I have started Christmas shopping thanks to the kid’s oh-so-helpful list. Scorch asked for (in no particular order) an iPad, and iPod, a Kindle Fire and and Nook HD.  And the Bean asked for handcuffs. Oddly enough, neither list is helpful or surprising!

Nov24

Thankful

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Today officially kicks off our Week of Crazy. My brother is getting married on Friday (yeah!!!!), so tomorrow after school we have the final dress fitting for the Bean and haircuts to pretty ourselves up, Tuesday night we have parent-teacher conferences, Wednesday is the rehearsal dinner, Thursday is Thanksgiving, Friday is the wedding and Saturday is my niece Lala’s 3rd (!!!) birthday party.  And then on Sunday, we all collapse.  Say a quick prayer for my sanity, won’t you?

I’ve really slacked this year with my 30 Days of Thankful postings (slacked = haven’t done it at all), which is a shame because I have so much to be thankful for. So here in they are, in no particular order:

> It’s 15 degrees outside. Today I’m thankful for my house, our fireplace, cozy blankets and cuddly cats.

> My family’s health. While 2013 hasn’t been the best year for us, my family (close and extended) has stayed healthy. I know that can change in an instant so I thank God for that every day.

> The kindness of friends and family.  From the minute I shared news of my layoff with my friends and family people went above and beyond to help in every way possible- from showing up at my house with chocolate, cheesecake and booze to passing my resume on to anyone they thought could help. I must have done something amazing in my past lives to be surrounded by so much positive energy and support.

> The Hubs. Oh how I love that man. He’s a giant pain in the butt in so many ways, but in all the ways that count, he’s steadfast and steady, encouraging and supportive. I picked a good one when I picked him.

> The kids. I joke about them a lot on here. I tease them, I share funny stories and I vent about the frustrations of raising two very smart, very busy, very independent kids. But they are my everything. There aren’t enough words that I could find in all the languages in all the world to share how much I love them. So I won’t even try. Just know that they are loved beyond all comprehension.

> My family. Living in NY means we see my family a lot and the Hub’s family as much as possible. And I wouldn’t have my life any other way. I can’t imagine a life where seeing our parents, grandparents, siblings and extended family frequently wasn’t the norm. The Hubs and I had to make some changes to ensure we could stay in NY and raise our kids with family all around around and it was one of the smartest things we ever did.

> My friends. The ones I’ve had since 3rd grade and the ones I’ve had since Scorch was 3 and everyone in between. Each of these smart, funny, empathetic, kind and lovely women are some of the best blessings in my life.

> Books. When life got hard, it was a relief to slip into a world that wasn’t mine. Whether it was a book that had me counting my blessings because at least that didn’t happen to me or it was a book that simply allowed me to escape into a whole other person living an extraordinary life, books have been a lifelong blessing.

I’m sure when I end this post, I’ll think of a million other things to be thankful for (like my various part time jobs, our critters, my comfy bed, good music, etc).  While I might not have had the time to look for all the lovely in my life lately, I know it’s there and I never take it for granted. So bring on the craziest time of the year- I can’t wait to celebrate all that is good!

 

Nov20

It’s All About Me

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There is this silly meme going around Facebook and if you get tagged, you have to share things about yourself. I got tagged today and had to list out 9 things about myself. And yes, I know it’s lame to share the same things here, but this poor blog is in desperate need of a jump start as I adjust to my new schedule, so humor me.

1) If I could pick my dream job it would be writing an advice column. I’m really good at telling people how to live their lives.
2) I didn’t start eating Italian food until I was a sophomore in college because I didn’t want to be rude and refuse a friend’s mom’s lasagna. My taste buds have thanked me ever since- my waist line, not so much.
3) We were visiting this friend’s house because he and I and some friends rang in 1998 in Times Square. That was one of the most fun / craziest things I have ever done – and something I’ll never do again because I could never hold my bladder that long again if my life depended on it.
4) I am one of the least athletic people you’ll ever meet, but I work out 5-6 times a week.
5) My favorite kind of books are the kind where I ignore my children/husband/chores/work because I can’t put the book down. I’m always on the look out for a new book that fits that description- genre doesn’t matter.
6) I’ve gone camping at least once a year for at least 31 out of my 35 years. We took Scorch camping for a week when he was 8 weeks old- the only summer he hasn’t been camping was the summer the Bean was born (I was too chicken to take a 10 day old camping).
7) While I like dogs (including my own), I’m a cat person through and through.
8) When I was pregnant with the Bean I had months of nightly dreams about Eminem. We were BFFs and I was the only one who could convince him to go back on tour (nope, I don’t get it either).
9) There is always music on at my house- which means I’m always singing and dancing. I’m pretty shameless so the fact that I can’t do either doesn’t stop me.

Here’s a few bonus items:

10) I love road trips. Absolutely *love* them and cannot wait until the kids are old enough to take a cross country trip with them.

11) I’m not a crier over most things in real life, but I cry over things in books and TV all the time. Including the Folder’s commercial where the solider comes back home and surprises his family in the morning with a pot of coffee. Not sure what all that says about me.

12) I’m not a numbers/ data person, but nothing makes me feel more accomplished than having things like my budget / grocery list/ Christmas presents guide typed out in a color coded spreadsheet. Makes the Hubs crazy- he hates my spreadsheets.

 

 

 

 

Nov13

Free Time Gone Wild

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Do you want to know how you know you have too much time on your hands? When you spend a good chunk of your day 1) washing down the outside of your fridge with a Magic Eraser sponge, 2) rearranging all the magnets on said fridge all so you can 3) hang the 4 documents you created- Family Rules, Family Consequence, Scorch’s Chore Chart and Bean’s Chore Chart- just so on the fridge.  All documents are color coded, of course.

Gag me. Next thing you know, I’ll be whipping up some project I saw on Pintrest.

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In all seriousness, the documents I created were a long time coming. The kids have been a tad bit challenging lately. Typical kid stuff- that is, if your kids spoke a completely different language than you and they came from Opposite World. The only way lately to get their attention was to YELL loudly and repeatedly (after already repeating myself 10 times at normal volume) and that’s not a fun environment for anyone. Growing up, I babysat for a family where the mom was a yell’er- she could be heard all throughout the neighborhood and her kids completely tuned her out. I was having flashbacks and realizing I was becoming her so something had to give and the documents were born.

Really, there is *nothing* earth shattering on any of them. The rules are basic, the consequences expected and the chores typical little kids stuff. But so far, so good. Instead of being the bad guy, I can point to the rules. When I dole out immediate consequences instead of yelling myself horse, the kids can’t say they haven’t been warned.  And they both have a list of things they are expected to do each and every day. I don’t know if the kids were blinded by the sparkling fridge or impressed by the charts, but tonight was by far one of our calmer nights. Whatever it was, here’s hoping it continues to work!

 

Nov11

The 11th Hour of the 11th Day of the 11th Month

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As anyone who’s been following this blog for the past 6 months, it’s no exaggeration to say that my family has been going through a series of mini-crises. The Hubs’s was ill this summer with mono and the flu. The wind upended our patio table and shattered glass everywhere. The dog locked herself in the bathroom during a storm when we weren’t home and tried to eat her way out through the wall. A tree fell on our shed, demolishing everything inside it.  And then I got laid off from my job of 13 years.

And you know what? I still have it good. My life is a good- no, great- one despite this rash of bad luck. And I owe a portion of my good life to the men and women of the Armed Service. Their courage, sacrifice and dedication have let me and every other American live a safe life- a life full of possibilities and pride.

Today is Veterans Day. This day marks the end of WWI in 1918 and was created as a holiday to remember and honor all those who served in the military. In 2012, there were 21.2 million vets living in America and over 2.5 million of those served in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Of that 2.5 million, over 37,000 have been deployed overseas more than 5 times and over 400,000 have been deployed more than 3 times.  Think about those numbers for a second.  Makes my problems seem pretty insignificant in comparison doesn’t it?

The good news is that modern medicine and battlefield triage have advanced so much that, proportionally, more of the men and women are coming home than ever before. But not all are coming back in the same shape they left. An estimated 51,000+ service men and women sustained physical injuries in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and an estimated 320,000 have sustained Traumatic Brain Injury.

Those figures are staggering, aren’t they? I share them with you so you know exactly who to thank and why this Nov. 11th.  If you feel the need to do something based on these figures, check out the Wounded Warrior Project– they do outstanding work helping injured service men and women live a productive, independent life. Looking for a new hero? Check out Taylor Morris– one of five people who have survived a quadruple amputation. Life as he knew it ended at age 23 when he stepped on a bomb- and yet he kept pushing and now drives, skis, kayak’s and snorkels.

It’s really easy to get bogged down with the stress of every day life, but today I hope we can all step outside of our daily drama and realize just how good we have it thanks to our Vets.