12

Andrew gets BO and is developing arm pit hair. He rolls his eyes at me and is almost always embarrassed by my presence.

That's what it's like to be 12.

He says mom, with the m drawn out a way to make it clear that I am humiliating him. His moods are extreme and his room is always messy. It is clear that things will be rocky from here on out.

The silver lining? He still spills it all. He tells me stuff that most kids don't tell their mothers. Last week he told me that he almost always feels like his friends just don't get him. He also told me that he might want to someday marry the girl in his class who has nearly as many freckles as him.

This year he wanted grown up things for his Birthday--an iPod and iTunes gift cards, He has an affection for NOFX, the Eagles (tragically), and Kayne West, which may be the most bizarre music combination of all time. Also, he detests the Beastie Boys and anything sounding remotely similar to them.

Andrew wants to be a writer when he grows up which makes me irrationally giddy. He keeps stories in a green folder in his closet. He wrote a story about a lizard king that was pretty darn good. He inhales books the way I wish I had at his age.

I see an astounding amount of potential in him that I cannot wait to watch take shape. I am eagerly anticipating all the little adventures his life is going to take him on.

Happy Birthday to my sweet little man.

Stuff

While Aaron has been researching fridges, window installation, and drills for our new home, I have been drooling over color schemes, mid-century furniture, and inspirational and low cost design ideas.

I have purchased the following frugal items for our new place mostly from Etsy:

For mine and Aaron's bedroom

For the livingroom, in a cute yellow frame

                                                Two throw pillows for Amelia's room

For Andrew's big kid room, a map chalkboard decal from Urban Outfitters

Jacob's Pottery Barn Teen surfboard shelves.  I saved big time by using craigslist.  His are white and sea green

American Pickers

 I think I have mentioned on here before that instant Netflix is the greatest invention EVER! It makes my world a million times brighter.
Currently I have fallen in love with the show American pickers. The show is phenomenal.
It follows around two dudes who have been friends since childhood while they attempt to score cool stuff. They go into the backwoods of America to find really cool vintage treasures to resell. It combines everything I love--vintage stuff, quirky people, and road trips. It's amazing!

check it!

I wrote this week's San Diego Reader cover.  You can check it out here: http://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2011/feb/16/cover-dui/

The Dreary months

The kids plus the dog during winter:

wants

Something New

This year, for my Birthday, my husband bought me a house, which makes us sound like the type of people that have a maid or take exotic vacations to Argentina. In reality finding out we would be homeowners on my Birthday was  a happy little coincidence.

We are currently in escrow with a move in date sometime at the end of February. I have some serious packing ahead of me.

I love the house. It is a beautiful and the home I can see us in for the rest of our lives.

It reminds me of my childhood. The streets are tree lined and curvy. There is a downtown area within walking distance that resembles a Norman Rockwell painting. It is filled with antique stores and small cafes and even a British export shop where I can purchase my favorite items for a traditional irish breakfast. It even hosts an old time car show once a month and an elaborate Oktober festival in the fall.

Our new home reminds me of the beginning of my relationship with Aaron when everything was fresh and new and I still took a polite tone with him even when I was grumpy, when I tried really hard to keep the house clean and when I cried any time I made parental mistakes like the time I accidently scratched Andrew’s tiny perfect little infant nose and it bleed.

It reminds me of being six and hiding behind the dining room curtains of my childhood home whenever my dad came home from work giggling and thinking he would fail to see my scuffed tennis shoes peeking out from behind the thick white fabric. Our new house smells like memories—new and old.

When we first moved to San Diego we lived less than a mile away. We used to drive down the hilly streets of our soon to be neighborhood and imagine what it would be like to live in one of the houses on the hills and now one of them will be the place where we sleep every night.

It’s a foreclosure and very rough around it’s edges. It’s a fixer and not much to look at. With time we will spruce it up. There is a tree in the backyard that is meant for a tree house also there is a small barn back there that is absolutely adorable. On top of that the kids that live directly behind us have a pirate ship fort that looks like it belongs on the set of a Disney kid’s movie. It even has a working sink and mini fridge. It’s pretty darn amazing. The kids that own the fort are 6 and 9—Amelia and Jake aged. Our next door neighbors have an 11 year-old son for Andrew to hang out with and across the way is a 6 year old girl. I think—rather I hope-- our kids will be happy there. I have a feeling that I will be.

I still can’t believe it and won’t allow myself to get carried away with excitement until we have the keys and our furniture is neatly arranged in every room.