Friday, June 30, 2006

Hahahaha

CJ just asked me this question - Mom, what's an Elvis?

All Our Bags Are Packed

We're ready to go...I wish to China...but just to the city for a mini-vacation sans kidlets. Two nights just the two of us. Heaven on earth. We haven't been away since last September, not even for our anniversary because everyone in our house was sick, and I don't count Banff because that was a business trip. And we're leaving not a moment too soon - the kidlets are all over-tired and crabby today. CJ is upset and emotional because Molly and Buddy will be spending the weekend at the vets. It's just easier on Grandma if she doesn't have to worry about the dogs. I am just really looking forward to relaxing and doing nothing or everything, whatever we feel like. I have a friend (actually she's a good friend of Lola's too) who doesn't like to be alone with her husband because they don't know what to talk about. It's awkward and uncomfortable for them. And yes, she told me all this in front of her husband. That's just sad, people. Just Sad.

Wish me luck as I maniacally try to catch up on laundry so that we'll have clean clothes to wear. And Happy Canada Day tomorrow!

Wednesday, June 28, 2006

Congratulations!

Congratulations to Alfred's Mom on the birth of her sweet little baby girl, and to Perrin and Family on the referral of little Miss Olivia. Aren't they both just too precious for words? And of course congratulations to all the other families who have recently received their referrals as well!

Injury Report

One of my childs, and I'll let you guess which one, has injured his butt. He told me the other day that he was practicing his slam dunks, and of course, me being naive and all, thought he meant with the playschool basketball net not the regulation size basketball net. Yesterday he came in crying his little heart out - crying so hard he was choking - no blood so that's a good thing. He said he slipped and fell on his butt. Now for the rest of the story - he found a rubbermaid stool-type-tool-holder-thing on which he put a pail, upside-down. He had another upside-down pail that was on the ground that he used as his step-ladder to reach the higher pail. Off of which he would jump and and do slam-dunks. And he fell and landed on his butt. He's lucky that's all he hurt. So this morning we asked him how his gluteus-maximus felt (oh the possibility of jokes) and he said it only hurt when he climbed stairs, sat down, or got out of bed. So in other words, any time he moves. Here's hoping for a quiet day!

This week is our fiscal year end here at Jaj-ville so I've been working over time. All that means is supper is late every night and the children have to fend for themselves at lunch. So really no different than any other day. Last night I was still working numbers at 6:00 and the children were hungry, so Husband suggested we take them to DQ. For supper. I think my arteries are still coughing and sputtering. It was extremely expensive for crap but we each (except TJ) had the new Monster Cookie Blizzard which was quite good. Really good in fact.

Well so much for quiet ~ the boys are upstairs and it sounds like my ceiling is about to cave in on me, so I best see what's up.

Tuesday, June 27, 2006

EEEWWWWWEEEE



My office chair ran over this thing...it was still alive but its middle was squished...country living is overrated!

What to Blog...what to blog...

Since the boys are out of school my stress level has dropped dramatically and I'm having a difficult time finding things to crab about. Hard to believe, isn't it!

Last week Husband and I went to a dinner meeting; it was decided about 15 minutes before we left that I could actually go as well and I blew off a Spice Party to go. Actually since Husband was going with our without me and I wouldn't have been able to go to said party anyway, but I still feel bad about it. So even though I'm not big into dinner meetings with 300 other people, I'm big into free food and desserts!

And just so I'd have something to blog about, I wrote down things that were happening around me that I found very irritating - just for your reading pleasure! Here we go - Irritating Things at Dinner Meetings:

1. Microphones that are way too loud and make you jump every time somebody starts to talk. It was quite ironic, actually, because one of the speakers did a presentation on the decibel level in sow barns, and listening to everybody over this extremely loud sound system, I'm sure we suffered permament hearing loss.

2. People sitting at tables behind me who talk while the speaker is talking. This is just plain rude, especially if you're talking to someone a table away from you - if you have something to say, take it out to the hallway. It's hard to listen to two conversations at once.

3. Cell phones that ring while the speaker is talking. Put your cell phones on vibrate people! We're all thrilled that you've chosen Beethoven's 5th Symphony as your ring tone, but really.

4. People sitting at the next table who actually answer their cellphones when they ring. Is your call that important that you can't call the other person back later? Must you carry on a whole conversation while other people are giving a power point presentation?

5. People who dress inappropriately for dinner meetings. Okay, so this dinner meeting was for farmers but it was actually called the Gold Event...and for the guy who was dressed the worst, I have a question for you - Do you really think that when you wore a t-shirt with writing on it, shorts (the same pair my 11-year-old has), sandals (at least there were no socks involved but we still don't enjoy looking at your feet) and a flappy hat attached to a string tied around your neck you wouldn't stand out? Guess what - you did stand out! I'm not saying to dress in black tie, but long pants and a button-up shirt sans the hat would have been nice.

6. People that don't take their crying baby out when it starts to cry. I understand there are times when a baby needs to come to one of these events, but when it starts to cry, don't just let it cry - you're not at home - people around you and across the room find it distracting and irritating. Please take the baby elsewhere and meet its needs.


There you have it. We left before all the speakers had a chance to talk or I'm sure I would have had a longer list to give you. So the next time you go to something called the Gold Event, or someplace you know I'll be, please try not to irritate me. I thank you kindly.

Monday, June 26, 2006

The New Supermarket

The new Supermarket near our house has an automatic water mister to keep the produce fresh. Just before it goes on, you hear the sound of a thunderstorm and the smell of fresh rain.

When you approach the milk cases, you hear cows mooing and witness the scent of fresh butter fat.

When you approach the egg case, you hear hens cackle and the air is filled with the pleasing aroma of eggs frying.

So far I have been too afraid to go down the toilet paper aisle.

Sunday, June 25, 2006

Oh Tooth Fairy...

You need to stop at my house again tonight because Teej lost another tooth. And by the way, could you let him know that it's okay for people to know it's missing and that it happens to all boys and girls? Apparently he doesn't want anyone to know because it's private...

Saturday, June 24, 2006

Movie Night


Last night we watched Cheaper by the Dozen 2 and you know the twins? Nigel and Kyle? I swear CJ could be their 3rd twin. It was freaky. And I'm not sure what stardom has actually done to Hilary Duff, but she looked terrible in the movie. Really just unhealthy.

After the children were in bed, Husband and I watched The Client. It happened to be on TV.
It was a good movie but not one I could watch by myself. I'm just not a suspense-thriller type movie-watcher. I prefer romantic comedies.

And I bought March of the Penguins for the boys and CJ was so excited about it. He's already watched it this morning.

So today I need to shake off the too-full feeling I have from eating too many Doritos last night and do some yard work. After another cup of coffee.

Friday, June 23, 2006

Sounds Good to Me!

You Should Spend Your Summer at the Beach

You're a free spirit who is always thinking of new ways to have fun.
And you don't just love summer... you live for it.
So, you really should blow off your responsibilities and head to the beach!

Pictures

I haven't posted pictures in a while, so I thought we'd do a show-and-tell today.


Molly is really growing. She's a wonderful dog except for the peeing part. How long, again, does it take to house-train a puppy? I'm just really glad we have tile and hardwood everywhere. She's not allowed anywhere there's carpet until she's fully house-trained.




Yesterday we had the taps installed so now we are able to actually use the sink in the downstairs bathroom instead of just admiring it. On Monday the fellow is supposed to come and put the knobs on and just finish everything up. Isn't it swell? And don't ask me why TJ wanted to sit on the throne with Buzz for a picture...



I bought this little beauty the other day for Thumbelina's room. It's actually a clothes hamper but I thought it would be fun for toys and stuffed animals. Her room is going to be lavender and green but I haven't found any bedding sets that I love. And I don't really want crib bedding because she'll outgrow the crib quickly. So I do have fabric with green and lavender, and I'm thinking I'll just make valences for her bedroom windows. My SIL, Sylvie, suggested that we make a rag quilt for her bed. Love the idea, just haven't put it into motion yet. For an accent colour I think I'll do yellow. I'm not a big fan of yellow but when it is next to purple it looks so nice. AND I bought a picture of a yellow rose from the Love Without Boundaries auction - it is so gorgeous. The picture was actually taken in Henan, China...wouldn't it be so cool if that's where Thumbelina is from? Anyway it will look awesome in her room.

Thursday, June 22, 2006

Why Do They Do This

You know what really bugs me is when big corporations have voice activated phone systems. I feel like such a turkey saying Yes or No to a computer. And the computer always sounds so chipper. And for some reason it never recognizes when I say Well Duh! It just says I do not understand. Well Duh!

And then you have the companies that won't talk to you because your name isn't listed on their computer. Please have Mr. Jaj call us. We're not allowed to talk to you. I'm now covering my ears. Thhhbbbtt!

Why yes, I do need a coffee. Why do you ask?

Poor Husband

Is sick. He just got sick yesterday. He looks terrible. It's just a cold so hopefully it doesn't turn into anything more. He slept horribly last night, meaning I slept horribly last night as well. Poor me. TJ was up in the night with leg-aches, so after I Tylenoled him up and lathered his legs with Absorbine Jr., I went back to bed with him. He has the most uncomfortable bed on the face of this planet but I did manage to catch a few winks. Let's hope Husband is feeling better tonight because I really need my sleep.

On a happy note, the CCAA has updated their website stating that they've matched children to families whose files were logged in before June 28! YAY! YAY! YAY! Only 77 more days until it's our turn!!!

Wednesday, June 21, 2006

I Gotta Get Me One of These




Your Bumper Sticker Should Be



If you can read this, I can stop suddenly and sue you

I'm Ready for School

At least I am this afternoon. CJ had a tantrum - his first since school's been out. Can you believe it? And I told AJ to go have a shower because he's dirty and he looked at me and said No. ????? Rassum-frassum-grumble-growl - Husband is in town right now and has promised to bring me home a coffee. Coffee is the answer to my problems. It's my Calgon. Take me away! In the meantime, TJ keeps giving me hugs. What a sweetie.

Yesterday TJ had his first filling at the dentist. He did really good throughout the needle and promptly said That wasn't too bad at all! The hardest part for him was not being able to talk to the dentist while he was getting his tooth filled. Talking, other than reading, is his most favourite thing to do. He wanted me to buy him something for being so brave, but I reminded him that the dentist already had given him a prize.

TJ's new favourite weapon of trying to extortionate me is to say If you don't let me do that then I'll never be happy again. Is extortionate even a word? Did I just make one up? He's quite the character.

I need to go make supper now. Don't know what but it will be something with chicken. Or something that tastes like chicken. Cooking is not my forte - I can do it okay, I just don't enjoy it. I think God gave us kids just to make sure we'd eat healthy...no not really...but Husband and I do have terrible eating habits when the boys aren't around.

Only 10 weeks until school starts.

Monday, June 19, 2006

Who'da Thunk It

You Are 60% Lady

You're part lady, part modern woman.
Etiquette is important to you, but you brush aside rules that are outdated or silly.

Yay!

Congratulations to Val & Ron - they received their daughter, Olivia, yesterday and what a precious little sweetheart she is! Don't you just love that little face?! Sigh.....soon it will be our turn. Double Yay!

Father's Day Success

I was a little nervous about my Father's Day gift for Step-Dad, not knowing his tastes and sense of humor all that well, but he really liked his gift. His favourite glass was the one that says No you can't have a sip. He said it would be good to use around Muther.

AJ made Husband coffee in bed. He was very excited about it all (AJ that is...Husband was just relieved that it tasted okay). We gave Husband a pencil holder that has 3 slots for pictures and I even found nice pictures of the boys to insert in. CJ is always covered in dirt or making faces when I take his picture so finding decent pictures can be a bit of a challenge. Boys.

We had a BBQ on Saturday with Husband's family and as I'm sitting on the couch looking through the Sears catalogue, Husband's grandmother says to me Don't you think your brother-in-law looks like Taylor? I do. Yes Grandma, I think he does. I'm starting to wonder if I should be asking for his autograph or something. Oooo, we could get her an autographed picture of him for her birthday! A nice black and white head shot.

Last night I didn't sleep very well so I'm really kind of sluggish today. The night before I had a dream about Thumbelina, and so last night I think I was trying too hard to dream about her again. Didn't work. And seeing how there's no school today because the boys are finished, and I work at home, I'm forever chasing boys and their toys out of my office. And CJ keeps coming to check on my coffee progress because I've promised him I'll play a game of Nintendo with him when I'm finished my coffee. And no, I'm not purposely trying to make my coffee last longer. It just tastes really good and needs to be savoured. And so starts our summer vacation.

Friday, June 16, 2006

Airplane Ride

AJ went for an airplane ride last night in a Cessna 150.



He won it through a Sunday School contest and Pastor was the pilot who took all the winners for a ride. They flew over the farm. We sent our camera up wtih AJ and he took a picture of our conglomeration.


Looks pretty neat from the sky. AJ told Pastor that he likes roller coasters so Pastor did some fast dips for him...not sure how much he really enjoyed that part of it.

So today I got to sleep in until 8:00 and let me tell you, it was heaven. TJ was in bed with me; I remember him coming in at one point because I told him he wasn't allowed to talk. If I don't actually tell him that then he'll just keep talking and talking and talking and there'd be no point of sleeping in. So he fell asleep...with his glasses on...and was still sleeping when I got up.

CJ is out "working with the guys" and he's already been in to get himself and Mr. J a fruitopia. And he mentioned that Husband owed him 10 bucks already. Little extortionist.

TJ heard Grampa's voice, went and got dressed, gathered up a few puzzles and said I'm ready to go to your house! This after he already informed me that, and I quote, I'm not having breakfast, I'm not getting dressed, and I'm not brushing my teeth! Two outa three ain't bad I guess.

My brother just picked up AJ for Graduation practice. My niecie is graduating from Kindergarten tonight and AJ is a Flag Bearer (I mistakenly called him a Flag Carrier guy and he was sure to let me know his correct title) so he had to go to the practice. I need to go shopping and buy Niecie something. And today is Muther's birthday so I need to do something about that too. And it's Father's Day on Sunday. I have so much trouble knowing what to get my step-dad for Father's Day. I'm at a loss. I have a few more hours to think about it I guess. But help me out and give me ideas, will you? I'm thinking chocolate almonds or some similar sweet confection.

So for now everybody is happy. The sun is shining and the house is quiet. It's gonna be a great day!

Thursday, June 15, 2006

Last Day

Today is the last day of school. Yay! I can relax for the summer - the pressure will be off to make sure everybody is clean and wearing clothes that match and are on the right way...some of the children wear clothing backwards or inside out, or even backwards and inside out. No lunches to worry about and no homework to stress over! Homework is a huge load of stress here. I love summertime.

TJ's class is having a party - his teacher bought some sort of pizza pop things - she called me the other night to see how many he would eat and I didn't really know what she was talking about. My kids don't ever get treats like that. I just wonder what people must think of us. CJ's and AJ's class are both having a lunch exchange. They've filled out a menu with a couple of different choices of food they'd like to have, and then exchanged it with other kids in their class. CJ ended up getting a girls lunch to make...the same girl he's had a crush on the for the last year or two. So of course, being the sensitive creature that he is, upon finding out he picked Girl with the Long Hair immediately collapsed to the floor screaming No! No! Why me? I had to go the grocery store last night to buy such things as white bread, cookies and chips, and fruit rollups. I refused to buy pop. Children do not need pop to drink. Especially for lunch on a school day. So CJ was packing Girl with the Long Hair's lunch last night and he wanted to make it extra special. Because Mrs. K. said to make is special. And he wanted to make Mrs. K. happy. So what does he do but pack a whole row plus two (cookies not rows) of oreos. And he put in two bags of chips, two fruit roll-ups and a package of popcorn. Needless to say I did some purging of the lunch bag before I sent him on his way. And he wrote messages all over the lunchbag to GwtLH - Danger. Don't open. Stay away. Sigh. Romantic like his father.

AJ had to make a lunch for a boy. The menu request for Tivo was a Pizza Sub or Peanut Butter sandwich. He got peanut butter. AJ made it and said I'm putting a lot of peanut butter on. I hope his mouth gets glued shut. But he meant it in a nice way I'm sure. And Tivo's lunch bag had little messages written on it as well - This is not edible. Kids and their sense of humor.

So all is quiet for the next 2 1/2 hours. Let the fun begin! And pass the earplugs please.

Tuesday, June 13, 2006

Nine Months!

Happy Anniversary to Me! Nine months since our LID - this must mean something special. Maybe I should go buy Thumbelina an outfit or go out to dinner. Anyway, without further ado, may I present to you Nine Things About Me That You Probably Don't Want to Know, in no particular order:

1. I am afraid of the dark. Mostly about what is hiding in the dark, but I don't like to take the dogs out for bathroom breaks after dark, nor do I like to go out to my vehicle. If I'm in a parking lot I'm constantly pushing the unlock button on my key chain which makes the horn honk and flashes the interior lights in hopes to scare whatever may be out there away. The unknown.

2. When in a restaurant or other social gathering, I prefer to sit in a corner facing the other patrons or guests. I'm really uncomfortable if my back is to everybody or if we're seated in the middle of the restaurant.

3. I prefer small gatherings over large crowds.

4. I brush my teeth for at least 2 minutes, a minimum of twice a day. Depends on how many times I leave the house - I brush my teeth before each time - unless it's just to bring the dogs in or go get the mail.

5. I have a phobia about bad breath and therefore in my purse I always have gum - usually 3 packs - different flavours for my moods - and a pack of listerine strips. I always pop in a piece of gum before talking to people or going into a store.

6. I am afraid to try new things in case I fail.

7. I could spend hours playing Minesweeper on the computer.

8. I don't like to be in charge of organizing events because I worry if people will have a good time or not. That failure thing.

9. If Husband and I start watching a movie or TV show after it's already started, I'm always asking who people are and what they are doing and why. It drives Husband crazy and I really try not to ask questions he doesn't have answers for, but sometimes...often...I forget and ask them anyway.

So there you have it. Nine things about me that make me seem loonier than you already thought. Please share Nine things about yourselves so I won't feel so bad about myself.

Monday, June 12, 2006

Weekend Report

TJ was sick (again) on Friday and Friday night we were supposed to go to Aunt & Uncle Seargent's place for a BBQ in honour of the 25th Anniversary of their Nuptials. So it was voted that Husband should stay home with TJ, being that he is the people person that he is, so AJ and I went. CJ had to stay home because I can't handle him. Well, I can, but my brother was going with his kids (love them to bits) but Muther has told me that my brother's kids are so much better behaved than my kids are. Yes, she really said that. So...rather than put myself and CJ under that kind of scrutiny I bought him a toy to appease his disappointment. It worked.

1981


2006


Anyway, under different circumstances, it would have been a blast for all the cousins to be together. But I was actually a tad relieved that CJ wasn't there because the cousins were going crazy silly over oddly shaped strawberries and bodily functions that occur when one eats a lot of fruit. Or drinks a lot of pop.

Saturday's baby shower was a success. I hate being in charge of things. But as I told Sylvie, if I throw a baby shower for everybody having a baby at work...or rather their significant others...then maybe someone will have one for me. So she promised she would have a shower for me. And then I said was just joking. Somewhat...maybe...kind-of...sort-of.

Here's a question for you - do you think in a parrallel universe, there is a world made for lefties (ie left-handed people) and all of us righties have trouble with it? Like using scissors and and hand-shaking and what-not? I just got to thinking about that this weekend.

Thursday, June 08, 2006

It's Not Going to Work

You remember I was telling you about my shelf-cabinet thingy that I wanted to put a crackle finish on? It isn't going to work because it was painted with oil paint instead of latex. So now I have this crackle kit and I'm looking around my house wondering what I could crackle...


My helper:


So just imagine that against a green wall - almost sageyish - and picture chicken wire where the plastic windows are and picture my collection of chickens on it.

Here is what our bathroom looks like thus far:



Isn't it grand??? I'm wishing it was our main bathroom. I'm thinking the sink and countertop won't be here until Monday or Tuesday - it is going to be white - solid surface - yes, I have expensive taste.

Today I have a pile of bookwork to do. Our year end for the companies is approaching so I have to get caught up. The baby shower is on Saturday and I'm expecting about 20 people to come, so it should be fun. My 2 voice students have agreed to sing in a recital on Saturday, so I'm very proud of them and I know they'll sing great...and it's at the Nursing Home in town, so even if they blow it, most of the residents can't hear well enough to tell.

Wednesday, June 07, 2006

Update

You've probably been unable to sleep, dying to know the latest drama in our lives huh. First of all, the van door is fixed. Husband had to use 2 crow bars to pop it back in place. I helped by watching him and admiring his strength and agility. No, really. The door doesn't slide smoothly, nor does it slide all the way open, but it's enough to get in and out of and it closes.

When Husband came home he grounded CJ from his hockey cards and jersey for breaking the van door. CJ's response was Thanks alot Mom, it's all your fault! OOOooooo. So CJ was giving me grief this morning about pouring his own milk in his cereal bowl. The boys really aren't allowed to do their own milk because they pour so much that the cereal overflows and it's a big waste. I did win that battle but I don't like starting our mornings with a battle. And CJ didn't believe me that he was grounded from his hockey jersey until Husband reminded him about it.

The yogurt is somewhat cleaned up from off the van floor. Husband wants to trade the van in so what do I care what's on the floor? Actually the van was in a wedding last summer and we got it detailed cleaned for about 100 bucks and it had been extremely dirty, so I'm not worried about the yogurt spill. This is what I want to get...someday...

So it's a new day; I'm on my second cup of coffee and I just finished eating a triple chocolate muffin. Comfort food. Bring it on!

Tuesday, June 06, 2006

The Fun Never Ends

So you remember how this morning one of the childs was mad at me? His initial punishment (before being left behind) was that he missed out on Hot Dog & Hamburg Day tomorrow at school. I was feeling kind of bad about it, so after school I went to the school office and asked if I could just buy the boys freezies and a drink. The secretary looked at me funny and said But I already have your order. I said No you don't because I didn't send one in. Turns out that while I was driving the two other childs into school, the first child filled out the order form and got money from his own wallet and handed it in at school today. After he knew nobody was going to get anything. My reasoning was because CJ goes nutso on the chemicals that are in hotdogs and he doesn't like hamburgs enough and didn't want one. TJ is sensitive to gluten and had some tummy troubles this morning, so he certainly didn't need any bread products. Sounds reasonable, right? I thought so too. So that's problem #1.

Problem #2 - after my voice lesson I was walking out of the school with my student and saw one of CJ's classmates wearing his hockey jersey that he brought from home (Carolina Hurricanes - they're in the playoffs - Did you hear about Dwayne Roloson? blew his knee out and may need surgery - he's from my home town and all the stores have Keep on Rollin' Roly in their windows - big deal around here) so I thought Isn't that nice of CJ to share his jersey. Not so, my friends, not so. He traded it for 25 hockey cards. I said Nuh-uh! The kids mom was there and she didn't think it was a trade I would go for, so the boys un-traded. Which brings us to...

Problem #3 - CJ was mad all the way to the van and threw the side door open with all his might...repeatedly...and now it won't close. Pastor was driving through the parking lot and saw me struggle so he stopped to helped, even went and got a screwdriver hoping to pop the door back onto the tracks but to no avail. So I drove home - the speed limit even - with door open about 3 inches. That baby ain't movin' anywhere! And Husband is a couple of hours away but he is on his way home. I was just talking to him and he wanted to know all about my troubles, so I told him. He said Just a minute and let me check what number I dialed. I so wanted to bang the receiver on my desk a bunch of times.

So now I'm completely defeated. If this was somebody else's life it would be funny, so go ahead and laugh, I won't be upset at you. But could you please stop this ride so that I can get off? I'm not having fun anymore. I told you every day was the Apocolypse around here. Stay tuned, I'm sure there'll be more...

*******

I forgot all about this until a few minutes ago. Child #1's lunch fell out of his lunchpail. Don't ask me how but everything was on the van floor, unbeknownst to me, except for his sandwich and cheese string. Meaning his yogurt was in the stifling hot van all day long. And somebody stepped on it. Kinda looks like the Pillsbury-doh-Boy puked all over the floor. Except it smells a lot nicer.

Apocolypse

Have you heard that today is the End of the World as we know it? It's 6-6-06. Ooooo. Actually you know what's weird about today? It's the 6th anniversary of my Dad's death - 6-6-6-06. If you add the numbers up - 6+6+6+6 - you get 24. 2+4=6. If you multiply the numbers - 6x6x6x6 - you get 1,296. Multiply it again 1x2x9x6 = 108. And again 1x0x8 = 0. Nothingness. Freaky. If you add 1+2+9+6 = 18; 1+8 = 9 which is an upsidedown 6. What does it all mean? Actually I could care less, it's just a bunch of numbers. I'm just trying to mess with your mind. Oh, you know what else? My Dad died on a Tuesday as well. Except it was raining. Today is sunny. I think it should be raining.

So I was telling Husband last night the significance of today and it being an Apocolpytic day and he said Hun, everyday around here is the Apocolypse. So true. So true. This morning's Apocolypse had to do with child #1. We weren't getting along, I won't bore you with the details, but he went to his room and stayed there. When it was time to go to school I called to him, twice, I noticed his lunch was not packed up, nor were his books and band instrument. So I left without him. I talked to his teacher and explained the situation and she was almost giddy about it. Said she almost did the same thing this morning. I almost said I'm glad I could make your day but I didn't. So AJ called me on my cell phone and asked if I could take him to school. I told him I could. He asked why I left without him and I told him. He said he didn't hear me call him. I reminded him that he has 3 watches and 4 clocks in his bedroom so he knew what time it was and knew we needed to leave and I actually left 10 minutes later than I normally do. He's just a pre-teen, what's he going to be like when he's a teen-teen?

I guess it's normal in the parenting scheme of things to know you're doing the right thing, but it still feels awful to have to discipline and then you second-guess yourself. Maybe it's just me, maybe other parents out there are strong, but my kids can really get to me and I often almost change my mind on things. Almost.

Monday, June 05, 2006

Goin' to Crazyville

and I'm already there. It was a short trip. Husband is out of town for the evening meeting with our new bankers. We have a little building project underway and our current bank, whom we've been extremely good customers with for the past 30+ years, has decided they didn't like our project enough to loan us the money. So we are taking our business elsewhere. That leaves me home alone with the rest of the crazies. Oh sweet internet, my solace, my friend. The children are doing their darndest to make me forget that I'm supposed to be in charge. They are running around like maniacs, laughing evilly. Bedtime, please come soon and envelope me in your quietness...until the first maniac gets up and needs a drink...and then the next maniac will get up to go to the washroom...and the first maniac will get up to ask me to wake him in the morning...and the 3rd maniac will get up and by this time I'll be at my wits end...poor little maniac always gets the brunt of it. Do you know if wits have ends? Something to ponder about while I wait for the men in white jackets.

Mondays Aren't All Bad

Mostly, but not all. Typical Monday morning around here with a little bit of Murphy's Law thrown in because it's Monday. I really should check the boy's homework before I'm packing up their books and ready to walk out the door, but I'm so ready for school to be finished that I guess this is my way of rebelling. Oooo. That's stickin' it to them, isn't it. So CJ had his spelling list to write out. CJ hates spelling and a National champion he will never be. Husband looked it over yesterday and I say that quite loosely because he never checks to make sure the words are actually spelled correctly. So I checked it over this morning. Took a bit of time because there were quite a few corrections to make. Then I'm packing up TJ's homework and I noticed he was supposed to correct his speed drill in Math. He doesn't like the pressure of speed drills so he just makes up numbers. He really can add and subtract. So we start doing his corrections at 8:13 - 4 sets of speed drills - each set took 5 minutes to correct. He was doing a lot of yawning. We left the driveway at 8:43 am - school starts at 8:50. We got behind slow moving vehicles, and no it wasn't farm machinery or Mr. Toad. 18-wheelers. And we got every single red light we could possibly get. When the road finally split into 4 lanes, I was stuck behind a truck with the transports to my right. Making me late people - let's get the lead out! I wanted to yell at them, but I had the children so I pretended to be calm. Finally I was free and able to speed uninhibited. Except what do I see in my rear-view mirror but the police. The cops. The fuzz. Sans lights flashing so that's a good thing, but I had to put on the brakes and drive sanely. So the boys arrived at 8:55 - 5 minutes late. I felt really bad for them because nobody wants to arrive after class has started and this was their first time being late.

So I get home to find the cabinet guys here. Oh yah I forgot they were coming. Remember way back when I told you about the bathroom cabinetry we were having made? It's being installed today! Double Yay! The sink won't be installed until Wednesday or Thursday so it won't be completely finished today, but what a great thing to happen on a Monday!

Saturday, June 03, 2006

Friday Night Date Night

Yesterday Husband said to me I probably might be able to go out tonight...if you want to. What a romantic! As it turned out, we had grumpity children and it was decided that I would go out by myself. A date of shopping without interruptions! I had a fabulous time. Drove to the city...not really, but it's a mini-city, spent some time and dollars at Michaels, Staples, and the Party Store. I'm hosting a baby shower next Saturday and I thought it was high time I get my behind in gear and get the invites out. Did I ever tell you that E!'s wife, S! had her baby? A boy - A! on May 1, weighing 9lb 11oz. Yowzers! So since they haven't had a baby in 8 years and have recently moved here from out west, it's the least I could do for them. And the shower is going to be at Mother-in-law's, so I don't have to worry about my home being spotless! AND I am so looking forward to eating icing. Yes, icing. Do you know how hard it is for me to just look at the cupcakes at the grocery store instead of buying them? I tell you I could eat well, not many in one sitting because the cake part would make me full, but one of these days I'm going to buy a dozen cupcakes and eat just the icing and throw the rest away. You know this all stems from not having wedding cake at the wedding last week.

So right now we're having a thunderstorm. I wish it was nighttime so that we could get the full effect of the lightening. Buddy is sitting at my feet. Brave dog. My protector. He changes position and inches closer every time there's thunder. I never used to think storms were cool but Husband likes to stand on the porch and watch them so one day I got a bit brave and stood with him. Mostly in the doorway and peeking through my fingers every now and then, but I'm much better now. It's good to face your fears. My irrationality in grounded deep within me. One time when I was a kid, my mom woke me up in the middle of the night - my dad was working and it was storming out. She didn't want to sleep in her waterbed in case she was struck by lightening. I still haven't figured out how lightening would have sensed there was water inside a rubber mattress protected by covers and a house. If it's not one thing, it's your mother. Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha.

I bought some crackle finish at Michaels to apply to a piece of furniture that I bought at the auction. It's a really neat little cabinet that I want to edit a bit to fit my tastes. So I think I'll start experimenting on the backside of it to see if my diabolical plan will work. If it does, I'll post pictures for you. Have a great weekend!

Friday, June 02, 2006

A 'Do-Over' Day

Ever have one of those? It's 9:40 am and I'm wishing I could go back to bed and do my day over. I awoke with a headache and hip-ache so that is not a good start; combine that with a child who woke up on the wrong side of the bed and it's just a recipe for grumpiness. Said child didn't do anything I can really put my finger on, other than everything he did irritated me. Like moving at a snail's pace on purpose, being mean to his brothers, giving me challenging looks every time I spoke to him, arguing - arguing is the worst. Child asked if they could have chips today and I said No. He asked how come and my reply? Because I'm grumpy and I feel like being mean...how nasty is that! But at least he didn't argue with me, which is why I said it; any other response and I'd still be arguing with him about it. And I try not to argue with him - I usually just put up my hand and say I'm not talking about this anymore. Husband said it's because child is almost a teenager and that's what they do. Husband said I was the same way with my mom. My response? She deserved it. Oh, I so am going to get it in a few years. Anyway, we get to school and the normal flow of things is to drop the children off...sometimes while the van is still moving...no not really, but they do like the parents to keep things rolling along...so the pre-teen child is sitting in the van looking at his watch while his brothers happily skip to go play with their friends. Whatever.

I just got a pre-recorded phone call that I won an all-inclusive cruise to the Carribean...and then I hung up. I got the same phone call last week and Husband has received 4 phone calls in the last month. Persistent, aren't they. I'm sure we can have our number removed from their list, but sometimes it just feels so good to hang up on someone, even if it is a computer, rather than listening to the whole message. Husband said he once got a call about winning a free vacation and he said I hate vacations. The person on the other end didn't know what to say. Our family is just one little ray of sunshine, aren't we?

Thursday, June 01, 2006

Sweet Relief...sort of

It's been hotter than the fiery furnace here for the past few days, but today is a lovely shade of gray fog. No sun in sight, but still warm. Ahhhhhhh. You'd think I'd have better things to do than complain about the heat right? Well, you're wrong. I could complain about not having any air conditioning in my brand new office, but it isn't Husband's fault, it's Furnace Guy's fault. He's known since mid-October that we'd be needing air in the new office, and now that the sweltering heat is here, he's suddenly too busy to help us out. I'd think we'd be first on his list but apparently that isn't how it works. Husband tried calling him again yesterday but his mailbox was full. Anyway, that's yesterday's problem. Today's problems haven't come to light yet but when they do, I'll be sure to let you know.

The spider is taunting me. I'm pretty sure he is living in the postage machine...which means I may as well get rid of it now. I can't use it again. Yesterday I saw him sitting on top of the little scale thingy and, after a sharp intake of breath and my hands flapping like bird's wings, I reached for the oxy-clean to suffocate him with and he was gone. I can't bring myself to actually peak over the edge of my desk or the postage machine for fear that he will jump at me or spray me with poisonous web.

I've been feeling a bit melancholy about Thumbelina for the past few days. A part of me thinks we will never get to hold her. We've been hoping for a referral in 6 months for the last 6 months. Each month our dreams get pushed deeper and deeper into the abyss and I'm worried that one of these days the abyss is just going to disappear with all the waiting families files in it. Cheery, no?

And I was really hoping Husband and I could go away this weekend, just the two of us. And be lazy and watch TV in bed and have room service and do nothing but vegetate. Heaven. But it doesn't look like that will happen for a few weeks. We so desparately need a date at least. We didn't even get away for our anniversary because he was at a meeting and the flu was running rampant through our household...whine whine whine...okay I'm off to brighten someone else's day!