Ventage Tuesday - Throwback Style

A little lighthearted laughing at our selves can never hurt, right?  Just to prove I have not always been so stylish - here is Angie O, a life in pictures....

My obsession with green and pink started early - about 10 weeks?  

Rockin the bandana headscarf with my dad at 2.

In middle school, I went through a (gasp) blossom hat phase.  It is because of this, you will never see my baby girl in one of those flower headbands.  The pictures do not lie.  Circa 7th grade (1990?)

 I like this picture because it was proof that I didn't have a perm, or lots of flowers shirts.  My hair was as uncontrolled in 8th grade, as it is now.  (Circa 1992?)

I was a high schooler in the 90's - lots of flannel and colored denim shorts.  And tucked in teeshirts.  Super glamorous (9th grade 1993)

Rockin the high school spirit style - GO HUSKIES!  This may be the last time I wore short shorts.  10th grade 1994

I basically wore a lot of tshirts.  and had bad hair.  1996?  

Then the college years  - I ditched the contacts and went to short hair.  I also developed a love of grandma-ish sweaters.  Isn't 19 year old Mike cute?  1997

This picture doesn't really do me justice - I am wearing the tightest tshirt you have ever seen and blue jean bibs.  SO HOT.  Good thing the cropped angle puts you out of your misery.  1997

I also lived in a dorm and basically lived in pj pants.  1997

Then there were the "I am a lawyer so I should have old lady hair" days.  

Me and Babs - 2006.  I loved that necklace - wish I could find it!

 Then I went through a I HATE BEING A LAWYER BUT LOVE DRINKING phase.  the bandana resurfaces.  And apparently giant boobs too.

Back to another bad haircut for me --- but WAIT, who are these lovely ladies?   2007

Best Ang and Barb picture ever.  2007

There you go friends.  HOpe you had a good little laugh and this brightened your day!  

hello monday...

hello 24 hours of sleep in the past 7 days.  yes, 24 hours total.  i am a nightmare.  

hello to neon fashion statements, i came out of the bedroom this morning and my sweet husband says, "that looks pretty good for someone who hasn't slept or showered". um, thanks? 

hello diet dr pepper (shout out to em!) trying to cut back on the coffee since i am pretty jittery to begin with today!

hello to a new release of lego minifigs.  this obsession is so fun it might get its own post.  

hello to the buzz cut.  luke got a buzz yesterday, charlie got his hair cut too, Dottie got her bangs trimmed and pink toenails.  the kids are convinced we have done everything necessary to prepare for summer (forget about yard work, flowers, etc)

hello to planning big plans... looking forward to a birthday party, wedding and anniversary party all within the next 40 days!!  

My life would be incomplete

We're BAAAaaa-aacCCCKKKK {said in my most creepy poltergeist voice}!

In case you have been sitting around wondering, what do those fun, fantastic and super hot girls NEED?  {cue Beevis and Butthead dirty laugh}

Here are the top five things I need daily {get your mind out of the gutters, pervs}

1.  Coffee.  This may actually becoming an issue in my life.  As you may have heard, sleep is elusive in my life and so caffeine but especially coffee has become high priority.  I had a doctor appointment yesterday (yes, this grown up has a double ear infection, fun times) and my sweet doctor said, YOU HAVE TO STOP DRINKING SO MUCH COFFEE, your heart is racing.  So either racing heart or falling asleep in my car or desk.  mmmm.  will have to ponder.

2.  I have fallen in love with some new soap.  Did you know that soap could change your outlook on life?  well, my dears, consider trying this magic (although much more expensive than I would prefer) soap.  Lush Sexy Peel is like a blast of citrus and magic wake up stuff.  It smells great, is earth friendly (for you hippies out there) and it makes me fired up to shower every morning.  try it.  you will be very happy.

3.  Emails from my girls.  Since my life is pretty much work home work home work home, the little attagirl or woeisme emails from Katrina, Barb, Em, Stephanie, Josie and Gabby are often the brightest spots in my day.  I neeeeeeeeeed my fix.

4.  I never leave home without mascara.  Even when I am super lazy about makeup (think 8 am tee ball practice) I must have mascara on.  Right now, I am loving two different kinds :  Blinc Mascara for when I need heavy duty, stays put all day coverage or MAC Haute and Naughty two in one mascara that has DRAMA.

5.  Fifteen Minutes.  Right now, we are struggling to find a center and balance in our life/home/family.  I have needed JUST FIFTEEN MINUTES quite a bit lately and have been known to lock myself in the bathroom and run the water to drown out the noise just to breathe and find a happy place.  I have also been known to use these fifteen minutes to have a dance party, paint my toenails and dink around on instagram.

Check out everyone elses primal needs.  Katrina (I am guessing vegetables, meditation and some kind of blended drink concoction). Em (I am guessing some hippie lotion, almond milk, snuggles with the kids), Barb (I am guessing good hand cream, starbucks, hilarious 6 am phone calls with her bff) and Steph (I am guessing coffee, quality kid naps, allergy free foods).

Feel free to share yours too!  I am always on the hunt for the good life!

Just a Glimpse

The amazing Miss Ali Edwards had this all about me post.  I love the little glimpse into an everyday so I am shamelessly stealing. 

Here is what is on my:  

Nightstand : Kleenex, an alarm clock, water bottle, lemon flutter from LUSH, about 200 bobby pins, and an earring without a pair that I keep thinking will turn up. 

perennial to-do list : laundry, clean the bathroom, organize the kids clothes that no longer fit, get a haircut, more laundry, and meal planning.  

refrigerator shelves : my fridge is in desperate need of deep clean.  2 jugs of almond milk, 2 gallons of 1 percent milk, cheese (lots and lots of cheese), carrots, olives, pickles, a juice box or two, leftover shepards pie and about 10 containers of yogurt.  Apparently we are keeping America's dairy farmers in business.

itinerary : drag my ass out of bed at 430 am, try to look well rested, go to work by 630, try to be home by 5, spend some quality time with the fam, sleep as much as possible til the round robin of beds dance begins.  Lather, rinse, repeat.  

fantasy itinerary : Check myself into a very nice hotel and sleep and read magazines for three whole days.  alone.  

playlist : miranda lambert, bon iver, the Lumineers,  mumford & sons, allman brothers band, and johnny cash

workout plan : Um.  None.  

iphone :  instagram, kindle app, candy crush, facebook and LOVING mailbox for managing my emails.  

top 5 list : enjoying a perfect cup of coffee, watching my children sleep, making people laugh, trying new makeup and nights out with my husband

bucket list : I don't know that I have a bucket list.  Wish I had more time for the everyday things in my life not so much other hard to accomplish big things.  I like the little things!  

mind : planning for the future, Stephanie's birthday party, spring and summer wardrobe, our family summer bucket list, prayer

blogroll : all the Ventage gals, Gabby, Ann Althouse, Drudge report and Throwing Things

walls of your favorite room in the house : I love my kitchen art - canvas paintings of appliances

liquor shelf : gin, bourbon, whiskey, rum, vodka

last credit card statement : trying not to use those little devils any more  :)

screensaver : kiddos

tv every night : not so much.  We have been watching some old school movies with the kids, but not so much tv right now, I am trying to go to bed as early as possible!  

I Couldn't Have Known

Nine years ago today, I couldn't have known what my future would hold.  

I couldn't know that job loss, political intrigue, miscarriage, travel, and three kids in four years would be the cornerstones of my life.  

I couldn't know that the boy who lived in the dorm room next to mine my freshman year of college would change.  

I couldn't know that how I felt about him could change.  

I did know a few things though.

I knew that I was imperfect.  And that he loved me anyway.  And that he was imperfect, and that was part of what I loved about him.  

I knew he would be an amazing partner.  That he would be fierce and loyal and steady.  That he would make me laugh.  That he wasn't afraid if I cried.  That he prayed and would hold my hand.  

I couldn't have known that my life would be built around him and that it would never be the same for no reason I could see on that beautiful 70 degree day, at my parents church surrounded by all the people who loved us.  

Loved him then.  Would die for him now.  

xoxox.

Google It

Five things I have Googled in the past two weeks:

1)  Can you die from sleep deprivation. 

Answer:  No.  But you can die from doing stupid crap because you are exhausted(i.e. falling asleep when driving)

 2)  Latest snowfall on record in Green Bay, Wisconsin

Answer:  May 28 (1947) (see April 10 not looking so bad!)

3)  Are the Brewers at home April 15?

Answer:  No.

 4)  Mason Jar Herb Garden.

Answer:  Lots of ideas.  Thinking this might be a good spring project

 5)  Great WW low point salty snacks.

Answer:  less than satisfying. 

Heart of Darkness

I love to read.  Lots of weird stuff on my bookshelf (well, now electronic bookshelf).  One such book is Heart of Darkness, by Joseph Conrad.  Have you read it?  If not, you can buy it here for like $1.  Its a story of a man's journey up the Congo and the mysteries and psychological issues he faces from that experience. 

None of that really has anything to do with this post other than I love the title and the book and would recommend, especially if you like classic fiction. 

Back on point - I am feeling the darkness in my heart right now.  Having a hard time quantitifying or qualifying what the issue is, although my guess is that I have too many options.  I feel like my life is like a trip to Woodmans - too many things to choose from, most of which seem like ok choices with a few really bad choices snuck in for good measure. 

I have been aimlessly wandering around the grocery store that is my brain and feeling dissatisfied.  Is THIS really what I am meant to be/do/want? Am I expecting too much from my life?  Should I surrender and accept that this is how things are going to be and that it is ENOUGH? 

Enough is a pretty loaded word dontcha think? Not bad, not insufficient, just... lacking.  There it is. Happy freaking Monday.

If I had 24 hours all to myself...

If for some reason, I was given 24 hours all to myself with the stipulation I had to spend it alone, this is what I would choose to do:

Sleep in til 8 am.
Eat breakfast at the Milltown Cafe (my favorite greasy spoon) and sit at the oldtimers counter.
Walk through Target with no helpers and a coffee. 
Get my haircut and then a massage. 
Pack a lunch and go sit at the arboretum at UWGB watching the daffodils in spring. 
Write a letter (a real honest to goodness handwritten one) to my aunt Judy.
Read trashy magazines - InStyle, InTouch, Glamour
Go drink a beer on the patio at Titletown Brewery
Take a nap.
Take a million instagrams of my totally awesome day. 
Eat a burger at Hinterland.  
Find a giant antique claw foot tub and take a 2 hour bath. 
Go to bed early. 

I am such and adventurer. 

Someday We Might Look Back and Laugh

Easter weekend was rough.  Like snotty crying screaming rough.  Like, I had that - "We are horrible parents and our children are demons" moment, only it wasn't a moment, it was a whole day. 

The kids were OMG SO EXCITED TO GO TO POPPA AND GRANDMA'S HOUSE. 

Friday we packed up and were on the road at a decent time, the trip was relatively painless, all seemed well.  I should have known better. 

We get to my parents house and the kids start acting like they are sniffing paint fumes or snorting coke or something. 

OMG ITS SO AWESOME AND I LOVE POPPA AND I LOVE POPPAS HOUSE AND CAN WE HAVE A SNACK GRAMMA?  CAN WE RUN FROM ROOM TO ROOM AND TALK SO LOUD PEOPLE IN CHINA CAN PROBABLY HEAR US...

and on, and on and on. 

I was thinking this was first day of visit excitement and that they would ramp down.  They slept good (which never happens) and the morning seemed to be getting off to a good start. 

And then it turned into a total train wreck. 

The kids did eggs with my parents, maybe the dye leached into their brains or something because after that, they became monsters, no listening, running around like crazy, just screaming and being jerks.  My parents house is pretty small and it was raining, there wasn't any place to either 1) let them run around and blow off some steam/energy or 2) separate Luke and Dottie and settle them down. 

My mom scheduled lunch with the extended fam at 11:30.  Disaster.  My three kids all still nap, so now they were (SUPER OVER TIRED), ready to nap, and there was a housefull. 

Friends, I lost my shit.  At 3 pm, I said, "I have had enough of this." And we packed up and took three hysterical screaming kids to the van.  My parents are protesting, the kids are acting psychotic and I just couldn't take one more thing.  In fact, my brother said, I think I might just get another dog and avoid this whole kid thing. 

As we drove away, Luke kept unfastening his seat belt.  I would stop and make him buckle it up.  Finally about 1/4 mile from the exit where I was going to get gas, I said (and I am super embarassed to even admit this) "If you unhook your seat one more time, I am going to leave you at the gas station". 

We pull into the gas station and Luke has gone from hysterical to HYSTERICAL2.0 screaming, DON'T LEAVE ME HERE.  I AM SORRY IAM SORRY You can't leave me here, I am your FAMILY.  I was the baby in your BELLY, HOW CAN YOU LEAVE ME HERE.

Worst. Mom. Ever. 

At this point, I am SOBBING, all three kids are SOBBING and Mike is standing outside pumping gas.  To add insult to injury, I somehow set off the panic button on the van and couldn't figure out how to turn it off.  Nice way to draw even more attention to the screaming sobbing minivan. 

Finally I said, in the calmest voice I could muster,

"I am sorry.  I was angry and frustrated and I said something that was exaggeration.  I would NEVER leave any of you ANYWHERE just because I was mad.  That was  a bad choice.  You cannot take off your seatbelt when we are driving.  It is time to calm down and we will try to have a fresh start in a few minutes".

The kids were asleep before we even left the gas station parking lot.  They slept for 2 hours and were acting totally normal by the time we got home.  We had a quiet dinner, quiet bedtime and Easter morning was fine. 

We went to the zoo and ran around and just tried to forget that Saturday even happened.  It is still hurting my heart though.  Not just the naughtiness, more that I feel so bad that I spoke words I didn't mean, in anger and that it scared my kids.  Might take all of us a while to get over that. 

Someday we might look back and laugh, but, friends?  I don't think I will be laughing.