It's the hard knock life........

I know, I know...It's been a LONG time.  But my life has been intensely crazy and is finally slowing down.

A lot has happened the last few months.  I will share it all...in the form of the Christmas letter I had hoped to write and mail to family and friends but never actually accomplished....so here goes!

Merry Christmas to all the wonderful people in my life!  I hope life is treating you well and this letter (blog) finds you happy and healthy as we wrap up 2011.  Here is a brief recap of the past 12 months in the Zeets house.

Brian: Well you know Brian, nothing really bothers him and he's still as laid back as ever (drives me crazy!).  He's still a supervisor at Crystal, 17 years now.  He's one of the den leaders for Tommy's Tiger Cub pack (maybe he's a wolf or a bear now, I have no clue...mother of the year!). The best part of the den leader gig is Brian gets to wear one of those awesome brownish-tan scout leader shirts! He looks so dorky! (wait, did I say dorky, I meant hot....yeah hot.....not.) Sorry to offend any scout guys, I just like to make fun of Brian (like all the time).  His newest adventure began a few weeks ago when he started playing basketball a few mornings a week.  Abby wanted to know why he was doing this.  Brian said it was to get some exercise and Abby's response was, "You're already skinny." (little punk never says that to me!).  Anyway, old man Brian has been feeling the pain of the early morning basketball league, but actually enjoys it and that makes me happy. (As long as he's quiet when he leaves at 5:15am to play basketball, I'm good.)

Danny:  Well the Dan-Man is now 17! (I know...no way I look old enough to be his mother...thanks for mentioning that!) He's been accepted to Loras College in Dubuque and they have offered him a pretty decent scholarship.  He's had a busy year.  Last February he went to Washington DC on a school trip called Close-Up.  It's an interactive classroom where students learn all about the government.  He had a great time and was the only one from his Catholic high school to take the liberal stance on the issues (not sure where he gets his left-wing liberalism from.....I'm not at ALL political...hehe!) He was also selected as a candidate for the American Legion Hawkeye Boys State camp last summer.  It was quite an honor and he's considering going back as a counselor next year.  This fall he attended the National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC).  He's a well-traveled young man!  He's still pretty darn funny and a very nice kid (except to his siblings...he likes to antagonize them).  I am very proud of him (so is Brian, but since I am writing this I will take all the credit!)
Danny-boy!

Abby:  Miss thang is now 9 and a force to be reckoned with!  She's still singing, dancing and playing piano.  She was 'Molly' in our local theater production of "Annie" earlier this month.  She earned rave reviews for her performance and made some awesome friends!  Here's the link to the review!!
http://wcfcourier.com/lifestyles/review-wcp-s-timeless-annie-impressive-treat-for-holiday-audiences/article_2ae79c72-24eb-11e1-a75b-0019bb2963f4.html
Anyway...after being called a "noodle of light" in the review, singing Annie songs all the damn time and basically being the world's smallest diva, Danny lost it.  One night after a show, Abby came home all hopped up on her new found fame.  She started bitching at Danny (sorry for the cursing....it's just who I am!) and Danny started bitching back.  The following is a transcript of the conversation:
Danny: "Abby...SHUT UP!" (can you feel the love?)
Abby: "You can't talk to me that way. I am a noodle of light!"
Danny: "You are not a noodle of light. You are a noodle of darkness. You're a burnt noodle!"
Abby: "MOM! Danny called me a burnt noodle."
Me: "I'm sorry...Mom's not here right now, please leave a message."

Now...I actually liked Danny's burnt noodle comment (I enjoy a snappy comeback) but told them both to knock it off.  They didn't listen to me and Abby just sang louder to piss off Danny.  
Abby will also be singing the National Anthem at a UNI women's basketball game in February....Danny says he's not going (Ha!)
Here's a picture of our little "Molly"....rotten orphan!

Tommy: Well Bubba is 8 and in 2nd grade.  A big year as he had first reconciliation a few months ago and first communion will happen this spring.  He's taking piano lessons and is also quite musical, just not so in your face about it all.  He loves martial arts and just leveled up to his orange belt and earned his first stripe this week.  He's in scouts (no idea what level.....did I mention that I am STILL waiting for my mother of the year award?!) But Tommy looks super cute in his little blue scout shirt!  He's still very sweet and the only one who listens to me (making him my favorite....although I tell all my kids they are my favorite when the others aren't around).  He takes care of the damn dog because in his words, "Abby is always doing her hair." He's found a new love of football thanks in part to Grandpa Don taking the boys to the UNI games.  Actually Tommy enjoys tailgating as much as the game (he enjoys snacks....a chip off the old block!) 
Here's the little martial arts champ!

The boys at the last UNI game.


Me: Well it's been a good year!  I'm still a wife, mother and youth minister. I enjoy my Tuesday mornings at Panera with my friends.  Survived an overnight service experience with middle schoolers, survived an overnight trip to Valley Fair with middle schoolers, survived an overnight lock-in with middle schoolers (did I mention I am getting too damn to sleep on a gym floor?!) Took 90 high school kids to NCYC. Got to see the bright lights of New York City a few weeks ago with my mom.  Spent a lot of time at the theater with Abby.  All while maintaining my girlish figure and sanity (shit....0 for 2 on those!)  Anyway, life is good....if I could just get that damn song "Hard Knock Life" out of my head!


I hope you can take some time to relax and enjoy some time with your family this holiday season.  One of my favorite quotes comes from catholic artist Steve Angrisano who says, "FAMILY....it stands for Forget About Me, I Love You."  Merry Christmas to all whom I hold so dear.  I am blessed to have such a loving family and some fabulously supportive friends. (Shout out in particular to Hippie...you know who you are...I adore you!  Hope everyone has the chance to experience a friendship like ours!)


Peace!
Annie

So close, yet so far away!

Have I mentioned that our lives are INSANE?! 

We've had an exciting few weeks in the Zeets' household.  Seems all the drama paid off for miss Abby as she was cast as the orphan Molly in our community theater production of Annie! The role, as Danny says, was made for her.  Molly is the smallest orphan who drives everyone crazy.  She's whiny and bossy (hhmm....can you say type-cast?!)  We are very proud of Abby, because although she is a lippy little freak, she does work extremely hard at everything she does and very much deserves this part. 

I'm also very proud to say that Danny has been accepted to Loras College!  Loras is a Catholic college about an hour and a half from home.  It's small, intimate and will be a good fit for him.  The only hold up might be the cost.  Private college is quite expensive (so if you'd like to make a donation to the Danny Zeets' scholarship fund, hit me up!).  We're hoping for the best come financial aid time and we are feverishly filling out scholarship applications!

And Tommy is still just my sweet and darling little Tommy! Although his new favorite phrase is "Oh, snap!"

Now for the biggest news!  A few weeks ago, my phone rang about 7:50am.  Who the hell calls me at that time?! Don't they know I am in psycho mom mode trying to get the kids ready for school?!  After I took the munchkins to school. I came home, checked the caller ID to see that it said Time Warner...and there was a message on our machine.  As the message began to play, my heart started racing! 
"Hi Annie, this is Shana from the Anderson Show. We received the question you submitted to Ask Anderson and I would love to talk to you more about it.  Please give me a call back..."
YEP!  THE STALKING HAS FINALLY PAID OFF!!!!
I was in heaven!!!!!!!!!!!! I also noticed that Shana has e-mailed me the same information.  They must really want me!!  I immediately called Shana back. She was very nice, but also has an unfortunate last name (which I will leave out to protect her identity and so all my smart ass friends won't be able to comment on it!).  She was very sweet and told me she loved my question to Anderson.  The question I asked was, "In high school, my journalism teacher taught me that the three rules of journalism are Accuracy, Accuracy, Accuracy.  What rules are most important to you as a journalist?"  I know....fabulous question!! (I totally rock!)  Shana then went on to say the show was trying to get it lined up that I could Skype my question to Anderson!!  What?! (my first thought was, crap I can't lose 50 pounds by Monday!).  She asked if I was available between 6am and 10am Monday morning. Why yes, I think I can make myself available at that time.  She did say that there was a possibility that the Skype thing might not work with Anderson's busy schedule, but could I e-mail a picture of myself to them to use just in case Anderson wasn't available.  (would it be totally bad if I sent a picture of Jennifer Aniston instead of myself?) So I emailed a picture (not a good one....I am so not photogenic) and waited for Shana to get me more details.  Long story short, Anderson had to fly to Vegas to be the moderator for the Republican Presidential Debate (those guys are always screwing up my life! no offense to any of my republican friends...joking....not really).  She politely told me they may use my question some other time and she'd be in touch.  Haven't heard anything since (probably saw my picture and thought hell no!).  The good news....I'm quite certain Anderson has now heard of me.  And his talk show has replied to another one of my tweets since then too.  My new plan is to try and get him to have lunch with me when I am in New York in December,  I know that sounds crazy, but if anyone can make it happen, I think it's me! (maybe my new title should be professional stalker!)

On a side note: What the hell is up with Kim Kardashian and her divorce?! Not like I thought the marriage would last, but come on, 72 days?! There are things that have been in my fridge longer than 72 days! (gross, yes, but it's my reality.....guessing the mother of the year people have been reading my blog and decided to strip me of my title thanks to my admittedly poor housekeeping skills and use of foul language...damn!)

I hope your lives are going well.  I promise to write more.  If you need me, I am usually at the theater with Abby and for those of you that are local....Annie tickets are on sale! Call the Waterloo Community Theater at 291-4494,  Show opens December 9th!

And Anderson, if you're reading this (which undoubtedly you are) hit me up!  Find me on facebook or tweet me @annizeets. 

Peace out homies!
Annie

Can't we all just get along?!

Yes, I know, it's been too long!  Contrary to popular belief, I do occasionally work and last week was full of work related things.

Anyway, my kids are still driving me nuts!  I swear I spend every morning just yelling at them to get moving.  Is it really too much to ask that you get dressed and brush your teeth without me having to tell you 67 (hello Drew) times?!  I mean you are 17, 9 and 8......is time for you to move out yet?!  And of course, there's the constant issue of "the dog".  Every morning it becomes a fight about who will take her out and feed her.  The moment I start to say. "Will someone...."  Abby and Tommy both scream "Nose goes!"  I could be saying, "Will someone please come here so we can get in the car to get ice cream," but NO....it's always "nose goes" because my kids are sarcastic little punks (no idea where that comes from!).  Tommy 99% of the time ends up taking the dog out and feeding her, because Abby locks herself in the bathroom about this time of the morning to "do her hair". She always seems to be "doing her hair" when it's time to do something productive.  I can hardly imagine what she will be like when she's 15.....gives me nightmares!

Last week we had journal-gate 2011.  One night, Tommy was in the shower just singing away (he's got a very nice voice) when Abby bursts into the bathroom and yells, "And what you read isn't true anymore!"  She then ran into her room and slammed the door (she can slam a door with the best of them).  This peaked my curiosity, so I called her to the living room.  The following is a transcript of the conversation that happened:

Me: "Abby, what are you yelling at Tommy about now?"
Abby (starts sobbing):  'He read my journal and I wanted him to know what he read isn't true anymore."
Me: "Okay, but why are you crying?"
Abby (sobbing harder): "I can't tell you."
Me: "It's ok, you can tell me anything"
Abby (sobbing almost uncontrollably): "Not this, it's bad."
Me: (starting to get freaked out): "It's ok, just tell me what's going on so I can help you."
Abby: "It's so bad mom, so, so bad.  It's the worst thing ever!" (Sobbing to the point where she can barely breathe now)
**At this point, my mind is going to a dark place.....worried that someone has hurt her or someone she knows I don't let up.**
Me: "Honey, I have to know what's going on.  You're scaring me."
Abby (HYSTERICAL is an understatement at this point): "Tommy read my journal and I wrote in there about who I had a crush on!" (SOBBING!)
Me (relieved and trying not to laugh): "Abby, it's normal to have a crush on someone. That's not a bad thing."
Abby: "YES IT IS! Tommy will go to school and tell everyone who I like and my life will be ruined!" (I've been trying to tell you she's a drama queen!)
Me: "I will talk to Tommy.  He won't tell anyone, I promise."
**About this time, Tommy is out of the shower and back upstairs. He's caught on to what's happening.**
Tommy: "I only read her journal because she read mine first!" (the plot thickens!)
Abby" "Well you left it out!" (yep...she's got an answer for EVERYTHING)
Me: "Abby! Did you read his journal first?"
Abby: "No!"
Me: "Abby! Did you read Tommy's journal?"
Abby: "Just one page."
Me:: "So you DID read his journal!?"
Abby: "Not really."
Me: "ABBY....did you read Bubba's journal?!"
Abby: "Sort of"
Me: "ABIGAIL ANN ZEETS, did you read Tommy's journal?" (yep, I'm pretty much screaming at this point)
Abby: "I guess so"
Me: ABBY, yes or no, DID YOU READ HIS JOURNAL?"
Abby: "Yes!"
Me: "Was that so hard to say? I wish you would just tell the truth!"
Abby: "But it was only one page"
AAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!!! yes....the queen of getting the last word did it again!

So I sat them both down. Told Tommy if he told anyone what he read in her journal he was out of martial arts.  This got him crying. Abby was smiling because she thought she had won.  But her smile faded when I told her if she ever read his journal again, she would be out of voice and dance.  Then I gave them the necessary mom speech about respecting each others privacy and then made them sit on the couch and hug each other for 5 minutes!  (Abby says the hugging is worse than my usual punishment of standing holding a piece of paper to the wall with your nose......come to think of it, I STILL have not received my mother of the year award.  Probably delayed because of all the problems with the postal service these days!)  Both sat there crying and about this time Brian walked in. He had no clue what had just gone down and he wondered what was going on.  I started to explain, but then I started crying! (I might be a tad dramatic as well.....) He rolled his eyes and went off to watch something sports related on TV.  We all got settled down, hugged it out, and then Danny came in, called Abby something along the lines of a snot and we're back to square one!  Can't we all just get along?!

Side note......Abby locked the boys out of the house the other day.  Tommy starts kicking the door, I start yelling to stop kicking the door (had NO idea the little princess had them locked out), she opens the door, heads back outside, Danny throws a frisbee at her leg (he did throw it hard and it did leave a massive bruise).  She comes in screaming (shocking, I know).  Everyone comes inside as a punishment and I yell at Danny, reminding him he's 17 and really should not try to hurt his baby sister.  A few hours later Abby comes over to me smiling.  She tells me she locked the boys out of the house on purpose because she knew THEY would end up in trouble for kicking the door.  She's definitely in touch with her dark gifts this one.  Can't we all just get along?!

Side, side note:  last weekend we were having dinner at my parents.  Danny was going to join us later but wasn't showing up.  Called him and he informs me that he cannot find his car keys or wallet (crap).  I tell him to look for a few more minutes.  In the meantime, Abby says, "I might know where his stuff is." (shocking!). She calls Tommy over and says, "Tommy, do you know where Danny's keys and wallet are?" Tommy says no....but then he says, "Wait.." (really?)  "Tell him to look in my dresser."  I call Danny back, tell him to look in Tommy's dresser and guess what...there they are!  I ask Tommy why they were in his dresser....he simply says, "I hid them there."
CAN'T WE ALL JUST GET ALONG?!

Here's hoping your  family is getting along better than mine! Cheers!

OMG....I almost forgot...hi Anderson! Tweet me @anniezeets or find me on facebook :-)

Annie

I'd like to phone a friend....BUT I DON"T KNOW HOW!

Well....it's been awhile, but I'm a busy woman!  Plus I think you need to miss things sometimes to really appreciate them!

I pride myself on being fairly technologically savvy...at least I thought I was....until I met my match....the HTC Merge.  Oh, the Merge (I refer to her as Marge) looks all shiny and pretty.  But beware she is a devil who messes with your mind while all wrapped up in a glorious red phone cover!

I've wanted a smart phone for awhile, but of course had to wait until I was "eligible" for a new phone.  Several years ago I had a Crackberry and I loved it.  We had a really good relationship, but alas she proved to be out of my league financially, so I had to let her go.  After that I had just a regular old phone with a full keyboard....which because of the amount of texting I do (which I'm certain is no more than the average teenager) I managed to rub off all the paint on the keys making it quite difficult to text since I could not see the letters. (oops!)  Finally Sept. 18th arrived.....new phone day!!!!  I decided right away I was getting a smart phone.  Thought about the Crackberry again, but decided I wanted something similar to the iPhone (which US Cellular doesn't carry).  Looked at a few with touchscreen keypads...but I really need an actual keyboard (my fingers are too fat for the touch screen!) Marge was really the only choice.  But the nice (and strikingly handsome) US Cellular guy assured me it was a great phone and very user friendly (Liar!).  So I purchased Marge and went on my merry way.  I was SO excited about this phone (yes...I need to get a life..don't remind me).

I got home only to realize Marge didn't come with instructions (really?...thanks HTC). So I started messing around with the screen and the apps (apps are the "applications" you can download onto your phone such as Angry Birds for those of you not as tech savvy as me...Yep...I know the lingo) only to find I had no idea what I was doing.  All I wanted was to change my ringtone to "I Like It" by Enrique Iglesias (best song EVER and by the way, he is another strikingly handsome man) but I could not get it to work...aaaahhh!!!  Seriously this phone can locate the international space station in 3 seconds but won't let me get my jam on with Enrique?! NOT COOL!  Suddenly, the phone was ringing (some awful pre-loaded ringtone) but since it's a touchscreen there's not answer button and I had no idea what to do.  Then I see it says on the screen, drag down to answer....so I drag down and nothing happens.  So I miss a call from my friend Carrie.  She leaves a voicemail.....but how the hell do I retrieve my voicemail? My old phone you'd hit the letter "v" while in the contact list and voicemail popped up to dial.  So, I tried it with Marge and Yes...voicemail popped up!  So I called it and it says something like, sorry not happening. Now I'm irritated.  I'm yelling at Danny to come help me (he's not happy that mom has a cooler phone than him, so he doesn't come running) but he finally comes upstairs.  I ask him how the heck I get my voicemails.  He looks at me like I'm an idiot (parents out there....I'm certain you are all familiar with this look) and says, "Dial your cell phone number."  To which I respond, "If I dial my own number I'll get a busy signal."  He says, "Mom, dial your number!" (in a quite snotty tone I might add).  So I dialed my number knowing he had no idea what he was talking about............and there was my voicemail (damn it!)  Danny just smiled (again parents....you know this smile) and walked away.

Back to the ringtones...I want my Enrique damn it (sorry for the swearing, but damn it!).  I called Danny upstairs again and asked him to text me some ringtones. He does it, but they pop up and say download.  Well I down load them, but have no clue where the went.  Danny suggests I look at the app store to see if there is a ringtone app that I need to download (smarty pants).  Again.....I'm schooled by my 17-year-old.  There is a lovely ringtone app that I can download music and customize (sweet!) my ringtones. 

Ringtone set, feeling good, I still have no idea what Marge can do, but we're trying to work things out.  She gets tired easily (smart phones don't have near the battery life) and I still haven't figured out all her capabilities. (but I can check my major stocks at the click of a button...isn't there like a Real Housewives app where I can see all the latest gossip about the crazy ladies? I think people would really prefer that to a stock market app!).  Oh...the coolest thing is on the home screen it shows the weather and if it's raining outside it's raining on my screen and there are windshield wipers that go back and forth...so awesome!

Just know that if you call me and I don't answer it could be that I screwed up while trying to "drag down" OR I'm just jamming out to Enrique!!

UPDATE:
The Anderson Cooper talk show has tweetied me TWICE now!  So I'm almost certain Anderson knows of me!  Hey Andy....tweet me @anniezeets.  I just know we could be BFF's!!

Until next time....
Peace!
Annie

30 random things

30 random things about me!

1. I am vertically challenged (thanks mom and dad for those awesome genes)

2. I don't eat blue food....nothing....no blue candy, cereal, blueberries, etc....don't judge me!

3. I am deathly afraid of going to the dentist....like have anxiety attacks for days before an appointment

4. I love boy bands, Backstreet Boys, N'Sync, Ricky Martin, 98 Degrees...yep I love them all!  These days I also really love Lady GaGa (although she might actually fit into the boy band category....jury's still out on that one!)

5.  Although it may not seem like, I am a very insecure person.  I hate the way I look and I'm constantly second-guessing the decisions I make.

6.  My greatest achievement in life is my kids.

7.  I love my family.....My parents are so supportive and go above and beyond for me and my family.  My brother makes me laugh more than anyone.  He has the biggest heart of anyone I know and has a wonderful family of his own. I also have awesome aunts and uncles who are all here in town. 

8.  Even though I am hard on him almost all the time, I have the world's greatest husband! He loves me unconditionally and is a wonderful dad!

9. I'm NOT a fan of country music.

10.  I have lots of great friends who prove to me that God puts people in your life for a reason.

11.  Boogers freak me out.

12. I have a bad gag reflex and also hate toothpaste - that combination leads to me almost puking every morning while brushing my teeth....it's gross.

13.  I worry a lot about the world we live in and how things will be as my kids grow up.

14.  I cry almost every day.

15. I have an acute sense of smell....somewhat like a dog...in fact I smell EVERYTHING before I eat it.

16.  I miss my Grandma Ann a lot.  She would have gotten a kick out of the munchkins!

17. I know every single word to "It Takes Two" by Rob Base and DJ Easy Rock...even won a few bar competitions in college because of that song :-)

18.  I hate people who drive the speed limit! My philosophy is the speed limit is just a guide.  By the way...never had a speeding ticket!  I drive my minivan like it's a sports car and I am proud of it!!!

19.  In case you didn't know....I LOVE ANDERSON COOPER!

20.  I would love to sing with a band at least one time before I die

21. Onions are by far the nastiest food on the planet.  I quite literally yak every time I get even the smallest piece of onion in my mouth. 

22.  There are certain words I just cannot stand.....moist (aahhh...my ears are burning) is the worst word EVER!

23.  I love Disney movies....but Belle is my favorite princess because she is smart and likes to read.

24.  My friend Emily proves to me that age is just a number.  I have more fun with her than anyone and thank God everyday for bringing her into my life.

25.  I really do want world peace

26.  Sometimes he drives me insane, but I feel so blessed to have a teenage son who has a good heart and is a genuinely good kid. 

27. The young people I have met in my time as a youth minister inspire me to be a better person.  I am also SO thankful to have had such awesome support from all the youth groupies parents....without them I could not do this job! (you know who you are!)

28.  I think the Geico woodchuck commercial is about the funniest thing I have ever seen! Hey you woodchucks, quit chucking my wood!

29. I've seen the musical Rent (the actual play, not the movie) at least 10 times I think.....I've even seen it twice in one day two different times! 

30.Did I mention I LOVE ANDERSON COOPER? (Still waiting for the silver fox to tweet me!)

Peace!

TOE-tally dramatic!

Have I mentioned my daughter Abby is a drama queen?  All I wanted was a beautiful baby girl who I could dress up in pretty, frilly dresses.  A girl to do makeovers with and watch chick flicks with.  No one prepared me for all the drama that comes with having a girl!!!  There should be a how-to manual for raising girls (maybe that's the book I should write...the title should simply be "Raising a Daughter? Good Luck"). 

Abby can be extremely moody (must get that from her dad because I am perfectly pleasant all the time).  She also is a master of the art of the getting the last word (again, a trait she must have acquired from Brian as I never like to argue).  She also thinks she knows something about everything (wow....seeing a trend here....Brian might need to get some professional help).  And oh the drama!  I'm pretty sure Abby is a Real Housewife in training as she can turn even the tiniest thing like taking the dog out into a performance worthy of an academy award!

Last week Abby got out the shower and I noticed her toenails were really long.  It was gross!  I informed her they needed to be cut ASAP...she burst into tears.  "I hate getting my nails cut!!! It hurts," she's screaming at me. (maybe she is subconsciously remembering the time she was like 10 months old and while clipping her nails, I nicked her skin and there was blood everywhere and I called my dad hysterically crying and told him I thought I had cut off part of her finger and he needed to come to my house quick........and I do not consider this being dramatic.....I consider this being a concerned parent.)

Since she was already crying, why not just grab the clippers and get started (still no word on my mother of the year trophy....maybe they are planning a surprise ceremony in my honor!  Guessing it's taking longer than expected because Anderson Cooper is really busy, but I know he's clearing his schedule for me.  Hey Anderson...tweet me @anniezeets!)  Well getting started with the toenail clipping did not go well.  So we decided to soak her precious toe in warm water before proceeding.  After the soak, I gently started to clip........oh the horror!  Abby started screaming, "You're ripping my toe off!"  "Just sit still. I know it hurts a little, but we need to get that toenail out," I say.   Abby's response, "Why are you trying to kill me?"  At this point she is laying on the couch, wailing like someone is trying to kidnap her, her face is completely purple from crying while I am trying to actually NOT RIP OFF HER TOE.  "Why did this happen to me?" she cries....like she's been the victim of some crime...not dramatic at all.  I started laughing.....which led to another outburst.  "Stop laughing at me! I can't believe you think it's funny to see me in pain."  (Side note:  I do have a tendency to think it's funny when people get hurt.  I enjoy a good stumble in a parking lot, or a trip up the stairs, so Abby's statement has some truth behind it.)  The idea that my kids would ever be in pain is unbearable....except for this day.  The whole thing was comedy.  I'm just waiting for DHS to show up at my door and say they had a report of child abuse from a neighbor who heard horrific screaming coming from the Zeets' house.  Some days (like this one) I might just say to DHS, "Lock me up!  At least I'd get 3 meals a day and there's no kids!"  (Sorry if this offends anyone....I don't actually want to be locked up and think child abuse is about the worst sin on the planet, just using my fabulous and sarcastic sense of humor to stress my point...although I really don't have a point!)  Back to "the toe".  I'm finally able to gently (well sort of...) remove the ingrown nail....the ordeal is over!  I get the little missy calmed down, tell her I'm sorry if I hurt her (yes, I can be a nice person) and her toe should feel better in a day or two.  We bandage it all up, she is finally calm (when I say calm, I mean she isn't hysterical anymore....we still have the deep breath/sniffing combo happening) and then Tommy comes in and says, "Geez Abby, you're such a wimp."  Let the hysteria begin yet again......

A friend of mine sent me this fabulous quote after reading my blog.  She thought I would appreciate it and I do!  Thanks Sarah!
"They know me in way no one else ever has. They open me to things I never knew existed. They drive me to insanity and push me to my depths. They are the beat of my heart, the pulse of my veins, and the energy in my soul- they are my kids"

Catch you on the flip side peeps!
Peace!
Annie

Man VS Dog

Greetings from the land of confusion! The pace of life in the Zeets house has picked up this week as the kids get back into all their activities.  We are like ships passing in the night (not cool cruise ships, more like those inflatable yellow life boats).  Brian and I pass each other in the kitchen every so often, I text him our schedules every day and occasionally we spend a few minutes rehashing the day before bed.  I'm embarrassed to say that tonight Danny reheated a piece of pizza, Tommy had cereal, Abby had toast (did I mention she's a vegan?), no clue what Brian ate and I snarfed down 4 toquitoes (that's how I keep my amazing figure in tact). By the way, still waiting for that mother of the year trophy (I'd also take a sash, I do love accessories!).

But onto the topic of the day....the dog!  Murph (yes, she's a girl...we didn't name her) is a pug/sharpay mix.  I think she's adorable but my husband, well he loathes this dog!  It's sad really because all Murph wants is for Brian to love her and it's never going to happen.  Brian's has 2 big problems with the dog: 1. She sheds...A LOT! Trust me, when I brush out this little dog with short hair, I could make another whole dog out of the hair I have brushed off Murph.  It's crazy. I admit the shedding bugs me too, but that's why God invented lint rollers and vacuum cleaners.  2. She snorts, she snores, she sneezes, she grunts and she barks.  Murph is one noisy dog.  She sounds like a pot bellied pig!  Pugs are known to have breathing issues and Murph is no exception. She might be the loudest sleeping dog in the world.  Her snore is worse than any grown man (I wonder if they make Breath Right strips for dogs?) She scares my poor niece to death because she quote, "sounds like a monster."  Brian is a light sleeper to begin with, so when Murph starts sawing logs, Brian loses his patience. 

Murph is an older dog....we think she's about 8. I notice that she's become a little skiddish when it comes to noises.  And when I say skiddish, I mean she tears through the house, barking like a maniac and often trying to claw through the window screens to attack a falling leaf.  As you can imagine, barking dog equals pissed off husband. (excuse the language....but the word fits the situation so I don't consider it swearing!)  I'm sure the neighbors have a good laugh when the windows are open and Brian is yelling at the dog. (side note.....I often shut the windows if I'm going to yell at my children.....I'm a polite neighbor or paranoid mother, not sure which).  I'm also certain the dog thinks her name is Stupid as Brian is always yelling "Stupid dog" (sorry...I know stupid is not a nice word, but I'm laying our life out there...the good, the bad and the ugly).  Sometimes at night, Brian will be sitting on the couch watching TV and Murph will come right up to his legs (she's a little bit like a cat sometimes) and snuggle around them.  His standard response is, "Get that %$%& dog away from me!"  We all roll on the floor laughing because it happens almost every night!  "She just wants you to love her! She's like the little black sheep child who longs for her Daddy's love and affection," I say to Brian.  He doesn't think I'm funny (which is crazy because I am hilarious!)

Several weeks ago, I was cruising around Target (my home away from home) and stumbled upon a deal on  a large package of Swedish Fish.  The deal was too good to pass up, so I grabbed a bag (I'm a bargain shopper!).  I came home and could not wait to break open those tasty little fishies (I have food issues....topic for another day). So later on, I settled into my evening with Anderson Cooper

(Anderson, if you're reading this....hit me up!  Tweet me @anniezeets or find me on Facebook)  followed by The Real Housewives of New Jersey (my guilty pleasure is reality TV. Makes me feel better about my own life. I also LOVE Strange Addictions...I mean really, who eats their husbands ashes?!) and of course I had my fishies.  I ate way too many fish and passed out on the couch.  What I didn't realize was I left the open package of fish on the floor and my dog ate the entire bag of fish!  I woke up to Murph hacking up a nasty pile of red fish (sorry for the graphic....just trying to paint a picture).  I was instantly pissed (again....needed to be said)....not worried about the poor dog....pissed that the dog had eaten all my fish!!!!! Not cool, Murph, not cool!  Then I found myself yelling at the dog like she's one of my kids.  "MURPH, I cannot believe you ate my fish.  I'm the only one that takes care of you in this house and you do this to me!" (yep....officially on the crazy train). 

So there's a little bit about our family pet.  I should also add that Brian would never hurt the dog.  He is a gentle guy but isn't much of an animal person.  To each their own, I'm not much of a cleaning or cooking person (I know....so shocked my mother of the year award STILL hasn't arrived!)




me and Murph...horrid picture of me but the only one I could find w/the $%#@ dog!

 Peace!
Annie

SNL

Sometimes I feel like I'm living in a Saturday Night Live sketch! 

Those of you that know my family, might say that I have some of the sweetest, most well-behaved children you've ever met.  Let's just say they put on a good show in public!  Walk into my house at any given time and you will find the boys fighting (yes, my oldest is 17 and my youngest is 8.....the 8 year old usually prevails) and my daughter screaming and crying because one of the boys dared to look at her or speak to her.  Add a dog that barks at every shadow and snorts like a pot-belly pig to the mix and we're in business.  Just the other day Abby came flying up the stairs bawling because Danny (the oldest) had called her a "lippy little freak".  I told her to relax because she's not a freak but I did tell her she's lippy and she is little (she's actually a midget but I didn't want to further upset her!). 

The thing about my kids is they continually antagonize each other!  I know this not uncommon between siblings, but my kids have turned it into an art form.  (footnote: after Danny read the last sentence he said, "At least I'm good at some form of art").  Abby is the typical girly-girl.  She is in constant motion....cheering, dancing and tumbling all over the house, ALL the time.  This drives everyone crazy and she knows it, so she does it even more and even louder just to prove a point.  The munchkins (I refer to the 2 younger ones this way all the time) love to torture Danny about anything and everything.  They are always teasing him about his girlfriend, his grades and his crappy car (Abby once reminded Danny that her American Girl doll is worth more than his car).  Tommy frequently walks up to Danny and starts pulling his leg hair.  But don't think Danny is an innocent victim.  He finds great joy in making his sister cry.  Last summer we roadtripped to Chicago with my dad.  Danny and dad in one car, Brian and I and the munchkins in the van.  We had walkie talkies to communicate which was really quite fun until......as we got into Schaumburg, Danny got on the walkie and said, "Hey look Abby, it's your store, Babies R Us."  As you can imagine, she became hysterical and cried for like 2 hours while the rest of us laughed for the next 2 hours.

The latest toy that is wreaking havoc on my home is the vuvuzela! (side note....Danny and his buddies won these on a youth group trip to Valley Fair.  I had to confiscate them on the bus ride so the driver didn't stop and leave our group in the middle of Interstate 35.)  Not only is the vuvuzela an obnoxious sounding horn, but it also doubles as a vicious weapon that can be used to smack your brother and sister.  Try to picture the noise of a World Cup soccer game combined with the high pitched screaming at a Justin Beiber concert and that's what you get when the vuvuzela is in use downstairs.  My dad will sometimes call and after a few minutes ask, "How many kids are at your house?"  "Just mine," I say. 

The other day the munchkins were doing battle (again) and tattling and crying (well Abby was crying), so for their punishment I made them sit on the couch and hug each other for 5 minutes.  Abby informed me it was worse than having to put her nose on the wall for 9 minutes (9 years old gets you 9 minutes on the wall). No applause necessary, I know I'm mother of the year.....guessing my trophy got lost in the mail.

Time for me to catch the end of Father of the Bride.  I love this movie because the soon to be bride and groom are Brian and Annie (pathetic, I know, but it makes me smile!).

Later taters!!
Annie

Why the title?

Living the life I never wanted....I know this sounds bad, but it's really not.  It's simply something I tell myself, my youth groupies and my family.  I say it to prove a point...that although this is definitely NOT where I ever pictured I would be, it's really a great life!

Like all young people just out of high school, I was going places!  I packed my bags, headed off to Winona State and decided I'd never look back.  I was going to get my degree, move to a big city and be an investigative journalist at some fabulous newspaper (hence my "mild" obsession with Anderson Cooper).  One thing was for certain: I was NEVER getting married and NEVER having children!

To say I had fun in college is a gross understatement.  I was quite social (shocking, right?) and I liked to party.  Sure it was a blast, but it didn't leave much time for pesky things like studying.  I was so wrapped up in being the party girl, that I really started to lose myself.  I was drinking a lot, skipping classes and living a life I knew was wrong, but nothing really stopped me.  I had a ton of great friends who I took for granted.  I was immature and basically just acting stupid.

I'll spare you all the details of my junior year....this is where life caught up with me.  Needless to say a little bundle of joy whom we named Danny came into our lives this year.  I moved back to Waterloo, transferred to UNI and settled into life as a young mother.  Brian and I got married a few months later (and we are still married and happy today! I know we kind of beat the odds).

I fought my way through my last few years of college all while learning to be a wife and a working mom (loved my part-time job at Walgreens!).  We didn't make much money, but we were living on love.  Thank God for our parents who offered support in every way possible.  I now know there are so many young moms out there who do not have any kind of support system.  I am forever grateful to our families for showing us such unconditional love during those really tough years!

Well, by the grace of God, I finished college!  I decided to major in English when I started at UNI (no journalism program at the time) and quickly realized I need to get a teaching degree if I ever wanted to be employed. (the joke was always the English/non-teaching students would wind up the English/non-working students).  After a few classroom field experiences and my stint as a student teacher, one thing I knew for sure was I did NOT want to be a teacher because I did NOT like kids (yes...and now I work with kids...and I do like them!)  But I decided to get the teaching degree as a fall back option.

On a whim after graduation, I applied for a job as a production assistant at my local TV station.  The woman who interviewed me (I know God sent her to be my angel that day) told me about a job opening in the news department that I might be better suited for.  An hour later I was hired as an assistant producer for the morning news! (I had no idea what that meant, but it was a job in news, at a TV station, so I was pumped!).  Every morning at 2:30am (I am SO not a morning person) I was up and out the door for work.  I got to write all the teases and intros for the morning newscast, do some video editing and take millions of phone calls for school closings during the harsh Iowa winters.  I loved my job and was able to move into a full fledged producer position within a year.

The news business was great!  Fun, fast paced and never the same.  But it's also a tough business if you have a family.  When I got pregnant with Abby, I was producing the 5pm newscast.  I was feeling good, so I decided to do a work trip to Washington DC for an Associated Press workshop.  I flew out of Reagan National Airport on September 10, 2001.  Needless to say, the next day the world was changed forever and those of us in the news business were thrown into a whirlwind of live reports, death tolls and gruesome images.  It made me look at life as a gift that can be taken away at any moment.  I knew my priorities needed to change, but I wasn't ready to step away from this job that I loved so much.

I was lucky to have a nice, long maternity leave when Abby was born.  But while I was gone, a new news director was hired.  The man was a tyrant and made my life miserable.  He was not an advocate for the working mom or women in general.  After many disagreements, it all came to a head one day.  I ended up telling him off (don't know where it came from, I'm usually such a quiet and sweet person) and he fired me.  I was devastated!  How would we survive without my income? But it was then that God stepped into my life again.  Not only did I qualify for unemployment, but I found out one week later that I was pregnant with Tommy!  Two babies, 18 months apart.  It was God's way of telling me to slow down, enjoy life and stay home with those babies (who can really afford daycare for two babies on a producer's salary anyway?) So I did just that.....became a stay-at-home mom!

The title of my blog comes from a phone conversation I had when I was still staying home with my kids and my parents were on vacation.  Mom called to check in and I was having a rough day (contrary to popular belief...being a stay-at-home mom isn't all just sitting on the couch, watching soaps and eating bob-bons).  She asked what I was doing and my response was, "I'm just sitting here living the life I never wanted."  She thought this statement was hilarious.....I, of course was sobbing (did I mention that I am an emotional basket case most of the time?)  Like she always does, mom put things in perspective for me.  She reminded me that although this was not the life I had imagined for myself, it was still a pretty great life.  I didn't move to a big city and become a famous journalist, but I had worked in broadcasting even if it was just my local hometown station.  She reminded me that I had worked my butt off to get my degree, something no one could ever take away from me. She also said that even though I never pictured myself married with kids, could I ever imagine my life without Brian and the kids now?  She was right (as usual).  My dreams had changed.  My goals had changed.  I had changed.  Life is messy, it doesn't always go the way you plan (in fact it rarely goes as planned) but it doesn't mean it's not worth living.

So here I am.........living the life I never wanted!  And let me tell you, I thank God every day!

Stay tuned....there's more to come!

Peace out girl scouts!
Annie

Well...here I am!

Welcome! I've always wanted to do this and thought what the heck...just go for it!  Not sure anything I have to say is worth sharing, but I love to write so I'm taking a chance.

A little about me and my family.  I am married to a fabulous man who puts up with a lot.  Trust me, I'm no picnic to live with!  I'm moody, demanding, an irrational perfectionist with certain things...let's just say I'm high maintenance!  I have three great kids.  My oldest son is a senior in high school (I know...I don't look a day over 25 so it seems impossible), my daughter is nine (although she thinks she's 16) and my youngest son is eight (and thinks he's eight).  Yes, I know, the youngest are a mere 18 months apart (apparently I am NOT a perfectionist when it comes to family planning).  I also have a dog (a pug/sharpay) named Murph (SHE was already named when we got HER) who I have a definite love/hate relationship with.

I have the best job in the world...I am a middle school youth minister (glorified babysitter/coordinator of chaos)!  This means I spend many hours with 6th, 7th & 8th grade students doing things like taking trips to amusement parks, sleeping on church floors, camping (my LOVE of camping....note the sarcasm...will be a blog topic which stands alone soon!), watching movies, going bowling, playing jello football (this is not a naughty thing, so get your heads out of the gutter....the football is made out of jello), ordering pizza, praying and listening to these young people pour their hearts out about what is going on in their lives.  So many days I count my blessings that I have a job like this.  Other days, I think I am WAY too old for this.

The reason I decided to blog is in my heart I am a writer.  I've been journaling nearly every day since I was about 16.  I have stacks of old journals sitting around my house.  I find that writing is like therapy for me...I assume most writers would say the same thing.  My hope is that what I have to say about my experiences and my life will make you laugh and make you think.  So hang in there with me.....especially if you want to know why I have chosen to call my blog, "living the life I never wanted".

My goal is to start small and write a few times a week.  But I should warn you....I am on a mission.....a mission to get the silver fox himself, Anderson Cooper, to respond to me or retweet me on Twitter.  This is a very time consuming task which takes much focus and determination, so the blog is not my number one priority this week :)

Until we meet again I say, Peace out, girl scout!
Annie