The Grass is Always Greener. Except on our lawn.

This fantastic topic is brought to you by my darling husband Scott! I imagine it is inspired by the realization today that our lawn is...umm...total crap. Honestly it looks dreadful! You know the grass you walk on after a concert or on a school playground? Well ours looks only slightly worse than that. I think the only way to save it is to rip it up and re-sod the whole thing. It's a pity really, we have a nice corner lot and lots of space, but the grass is just not showing it off like it could. So we went to Canadian Tire today and bought grass seed; like we do every year. It won't grow; like it doesn't every year. I asked why do we bother doing the same thing if we know it won't work? "It works a little, we just have to do it every year." It doesn't work. The grass looks like a balding man trying to grow a few straggly hairs on his head. Or better yet, Scott trying to grow facial hair. Patchy and thin. Bazzinga!

However, it's not just the lawn. Scott has proclaimed this year The Year Of Home Improvement! (Best read in a monster truck announcer voice.) The hedge will be reclaimed from the wild. The lawn made thick and lush. The garage painted. The gardens landscaped and less weedy. The counter tops will lose their pink complexion and take on something in keeping with this century. Curtains would be nice; very nice. At the very least it would be nice to lose the forest green blinds. Yuck! The deck needs tending to, but it will have to wait until next year. Hopefully no one will fall through between now and then.

I admire his can-do attitude! It would be nice to see a few positive changes around the house.

A Fussn' and a Feudn'

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When you live with another human being, especially for a long while, you get to discover all the little things that make that person who they are. Some of these things endear them to you even more. The way they might tap their fingers when they're thinking. Maybe they've never outgrown the need to keep everything on their plate separate from touching. It can even be as simple as knowing how many sugars they take in their coffee. Whatever the reason, it's the little things that make people and the relationships you have with them special and unique. It's because of these small lovable things that we are able to tolerate all the things they do that drive us absolutely nuts!

My husband and I are at the point in our relationship where we both know we aren't going anywhere. It's perhaps because we're secure in this knowledge that we feel free to torment each other from time to time. There's a lot of teasing and making fun of each other under this roof. Sometimes it's light hearted jabbing, and other times it seems to take on a life of it's own.  It gets competitive and no one wants to lose. Occasionally we seem to fixate on one of those little things the other does that bugs us. We just can't let it drop. This month's obsession is my make up.

Apparently I have a tendency to leave my make up all over the bathroom counter. Before the kids arrived, I had my own bathroom, so it really didn't matter where things went and what state I left everything in. Now my bathroom is the kid's bathroom and I'm forced to share the en suite with Scott. He stills feels some ownership of the en suite; like he's allowing me to use his bathroom. I really don't have anywhere to put my stuff, so sometimes it can get a bit messy. There is no counter space, so I end up leaving a lot of my make up in the sink which, apparently, is a no no. It's not like it would stay there FOREVER, I just haven't gotten around to putting it away yet. I'm a busy girl! Rush, rush, rush and all that. Eventually I'll put it away, but eventually isn't soon enough. Says the man who can't seem to find the laundry hamper.

Oh my gosh, stop nagging! Which he has in fact done. Instead every time he finds make up strewn across his the counter, he hides it somewhere. This is a dangerous game he's playing! I hate being late and this is going to make me very late at some point. He does a lot of things that annoy me too, but I have the decency to nag him about it like a normal person. NOT play silly games that tear at one's sanity. Seriously, if this is the game he wants to play, I will FINISH him! Oh no. Now it's a competition. I can't back off of something that might allow me to win. Especially if it means his utter, total, humiliation. Oh, it's on alright. I just talked myself into it now. Are you happy Scott? Is this what you wanted?

First field of battle: Someone has been leaving used tea bags on the kitchen sink instead of putting them in the composter.

Watch your back Scott. And your pockets too. I'm just saying...

A Passion For Photography

My husband LOVES photography. He has both passion and patience, which is probably why his photos turn out so well. This is something I could never do. I'm not a patient person. I have totally recognized that I like to know how to do things but not learn of to do things. This is probably why I don't have a hobby. He, however, is one of the most patient people I've ever met. You'd have to be if you're married to me. This also allows him to learn and improve on his photography. He takes his time and does it right.

I've been trying to convince him to pursue this interest in a more concrete way. He loves it. I think he should follow what he loves. In this particular case I don't mean just me and what I want. Although I don't discourage that either.  If you are genuinely good at something, have a talent for it, and love it, you should do it. This is what you should fill your days and life with. Many people go their whole lives wishing for such inspiration and opportunity to guide them somewhere better. I think that this would add tremendous joy to his life and how can following joy ever be bad?

I'd love to support him more than words of encouragement and praise. I'd like to be able to show him how this is possible to make this more of a permanent fixture in his life. I'm not saying quit his job tomorrow or anything that extreme. It would be fantastic if we could just get his work out there and appreciated. I'd also love to know where budding photographers can go for support. Where are there local or online groups and resources? I don't have much money, but I'd really appreciate knowing where I can find second hand equipment like light stands and such. Like I said, I don't know much about it, only that it's important and  possible. It's the how that I get stumped by.

I'd like to also encourage everyone to take a look at his Flickr page and bully him a little bit. If you have any good advice please leave it in the comments below. I love comments. Like I said, I'd really love for him to pursue this more actively. I don't have a job, so interfering and meddling in his affairs is going to have to hold me over until the kids are in school.

Scott Parker : Flickr

           Twitter : @SCOTTDKPARKER

A Letter To My Husband

Thanks.

Thanks for being that funny guy at the end of the day. You make me laugh, even when I'm trying really hard not to. I could slap you for even trying to cheer me up in the first place. Can't you see I'm doing my best to bring you down with me? Your good nature buoys me even when I seem determined to be miserable.

Thanks

Thanks for going to work everyday so that I can stay home with the kids. It's not easy being the one who has to put a roof over our heads and food in our mouths. We eat a lot, too. You make sure we are warm, fed and loved. We have a pillow to rest our heads at the end of the day. A lot of people don't even have that.  I hope you know how grateful we are.

Thanks

Thanks for taking the high road. Whenever there is a conflict, here, at work, or out in the wide world, you always treat everyone with respect. I've never seen you snap or be nasty to anyone. You gladly help people who need it, even if it means going out of your way to do so. You are a much kinder person than I'll ever be, but hopefully some of it will rub off anyways.

Thanks

Thanks for seeing that I quite often am none of these things, but you don't call me on it. Instead you tell me all the good things I am and do. You don't  focus on the negative and hang me out to dry. Instead you remind me who I can be and make me want to be that person. You give me space and time to be a better person.

Thanks

Thanks for being you just the way you are.

*disclaimer - I'm still right, even when I'm wrong. If I nag, I nag with love. Stop messing with my cooking, it's fine just the way it is.

Good Days

Today was a good day. I didn't win the lottery, magically lose 10lbs, or even cook something edible, but it was still good. The kids and I just hung out today enjoying our time together. My ideal plan of spending quality individual time with each, and then some group activities we could all do together, seems to be working out. Baby K and I danced and sung together, played with her tea set and read some books. Miss. A and I made a bird feeder which we hung in the back yard, made popcorn and watched a movie together, and did some puzzles. When we weren't doing things together, the girls did some colouring, watched Classical Baby (cartoon babies and animals dancing to classical music), or just chased each other around playing tag or hide and go seek. They didn't seem to mind playing on their own while I got chores done around the house. The house is starting to look more like a home and less like a college dorm. We ended the day with both the girls splashing in the bath tub. Like I said, nothing miraculous, just and really nice day where everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. Even Scott received kudos at work today! Which is always nice when you start a new job. Now I have the house to myself so I'm going to try out that new Zumba game I got for my birthday. I hope I can get the blinds to go down. I don't want to frighten the neighbours with my tired old dance moves. I bet Betty White is a better dancer than I am.