Brett 1- Me 0

well, the day started out much like I expected. BR was saying "HEY, HEY, I need some help here."
So I groggily opened my eyes. He was holding Bow up and saying "This is a bad one, I might need some help"
So, I got up and changed Bow's diaper. While he found something to watch on TV. IT was a bad one. BR told me "I kept blaming the dog, and got up to find where he had had an accident (the dog is 11 and would rather DIE than go in the house, but he is getting old..), Then Bow got down from playing on top of you and got in my lap and I found the source."
We had slept in the living room, since he isnt supposed to lay down to sleep. He has to sleep sitting up.

BR felt a little better, but still needed pain pills. I called walgreens in my town to transfer his Rx. Unfortunatly, Sams pharmacy is closed on Sundays.

Then I started cleaning. My mom called around 10:30. The kids were playing. Did I really want them home? Ummm yep. I explained again, that this was the ONLY day I had to get the tree up. and they had ALOT of cleaning in their rooms to do. Not to mention all the crap they had in MY livin room and kitchen to pick up.

SO she brought them home.
The minute they came in I told them to get busy. We had 7 hours to get the house clean, Bretts project done and baths and haircuts.
"but mom! why?"
"yeah! why cant we play?"

"cause I told y'all last night when I left you there that this HAD to be done today. YOU chose to stay. I tried to get you to come home and even tried yesterday to get you to work."

In all honesty, I didnt try hard. I was worried we would end up back in the ER. and it was late, and they were all settled in, and I just didnt have the energy to argue. Plus BR did feel like death warmed over.

"Why do I have to do my project today?"
"cause its DUE tomorrow"
"you didnt say that last night"
to this I entered into a tirade the likes you have never seen. I read them the riot act. I told them that its NOT my responsibility to remember EVERY little thing they have to do. THEY know what is expected of them, and THEY should take SOME responsibilty. I am their mother, not their personal assistant, maid, and cook, driver and laundress.


THey kinda started cleaning. Princess criesalot had excuses for everything, but finally did see the light. I of course had to do everything I was doing while tripping over Bow, who clings to my legs and cries for me to pick him up the whole time I am doing anything. BR did get up and went out to work on the lowboy trailer lights. It wasnt hard work, he only had to rewire one connection, and put in 2 bulbs, but when he was done he was wiped out. And his cheek/jaw are was hurting again.

He came in and sat down, turning on movie after movie to catch the kids eyes.
He even got up a few times and got the kids on task. At one point I was walking through and saw the pile of clothes the kids had thrown down, Bow was playing king of the mountain. It was at least 3 feet tall. everything from swim trunks to blankets and thermal underwear. I started to throw a fit and BR came in and told them smell and look at every peice to make sure it was dirty. They managed to dwindle the pile down to half its size.
I worked right up till the game came on at 3. I look forward to the game every week. I always watch it and I dont like to be interupted while I am trying.

I do utilize the record feature on the TV though. Cause inevitably my kids will make me pause it through out the game to answer questions, stop fights, and get them something to eat.

I had just sat down and got comfertable, got the clothes I needed to fold in front of me, and Rayley came in. Her room was clean. I checked. and pointed out the 348 objects that were NOT where they were supposed to be. I asked the boys to wash their bed clothes, and made sure one of them was picking up their bathroom.

back to the game. Bow wanted attention. and this is why I always have at least 5 baskets of clothes sitting around that need hung up and folded. When I sit down to fold and sort, he gets IN the baskets, on the baskets, or throws my folded clothes all over, or throws the clean clothes onto the floor out of the baskets. SO I dealt with him, turns out he wanted to play ball. He throws a ball to BR or I and we throw it back. He throws pretty good. he would throw it to us, we would catch it, throw it past him and he would go and get it.

I asked the kids to take out the trash, and settled in once again. Then I reminded Brett he had to do his timeline. He went into the kitchen and got started. But first they were all hungry. SO I fed them. THEN told him to clean off the table and get busy.

He already had the timeline written out, he just had to transfer it to posterboard.

I set him up with that. told him how to do it, drew him a picture, and was back to my game.
Rayley came through a little while later. Her room was clean again, for the 7th time. I assured her that it wasnt. She swore it was. I told her "you HAVE not cleaned up by your kitchen" SHe swore she did. and I asked her where Bow's train was. The last time I had went in there I had seen the wheel of it poking out from under some toys.. Since she hadnt brought it in here I knew she hadnt cleaned up that spot. Then she said "how do you spell CRIME SCENE? I told you this kid is a bubble off plumb.
"Y -O- -U- R B-O- D- Y"
and I look over at BR. He nods his head and says "sounds about right to me"
"ohhh okay. neat" She said.
Then she ran into the kitchen to tell BRett "I know how to spell CRIME SCENE"
"So do I, C -R-I- M -E S- C- E- N- E"
"nope"
"ya huh"
"nuh uhh"
"is too"
"thats not what mom said"
"well what did mom said?"|
"I dont remmeber how to say what mom said, but it wasnt what you said"
"well thats how you spell it,"
"no, its not!" she said with a foot stomp"
"MOOOOOOOOMMMMMM Bretts instigating a fight!!"
"NO I am not mom! I am telling this moron how to spell, and she is arguin with me!"
"he doesnt spell like you do!!"
"see what you started" BR said...

GGGGGGGGGGRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR.
Luckily, at this point Brett had a question. So we answered it. Then back to the game.
Then another question. Finally BR and I paused the game, got up and went to walk him through it step by step. He had put all 17 entires on 7 inches of the paper insteadof spacing it out for the entire timeline.

So, BR would show him what to do, then make him do it.
My game was paused, and I was in there 'helping'...

I had to get up a few times and deal with Bow, with Matt and Rayley fighting and with the dishwasher going off. I loaded my 3rd load of the day, answering the phone. Family was finding out that BR had been sick, so they were all calling to check on him. then I rewrote the timeline on a scratch peice of paper, since BRetts was not legible.
All of a sudden I heard the TV talkin. It was a commercial, but I jumped up. I KNEW the game wasnt over. I was an hour and a half behind, but it wasnt even half time yet. Sure enough, the kids had been in here fighting in the floor and hit the satalite box. they stopped the recording. Since it was on a commercial, I hit record again, then turned on the first recording, starting the game back over. So I wouldnt find out the score since I hadnt seen the other hour and a half.

We got the timeline done. and I sent Matt to put his blankets and sheets in the dryer, and start another load of clothes. Then to take a bath.
BR and I sat down, and started back on the game. We had went about an hour into it. Having to pause to tell BRett to take a bath. Argue with Rayley why she wasnt getting a bath right then, and deal with Bow. I finally got him down to sleep. He hadnt had a nap today, so he would sleep through the night. if they let him.

Then it dawned on me. When I set a recording to record and its sports, it automatically goes 60 minutes beyond the supposed end of the game. BUT since Matt and Rayley had turned OFF the original recording, and I had just hit the record button, the one that was recording now was not going to record past the end of the game. And if you are watching a recorded event you cant rewind when you get back to live TV.

SO I told BR. He asked what I was going to do. Well I didnt want to go to the new recording, cause I hadnt finished with the 1st half yet. and I didnt want to see the score incase something had happened.

I didnt have anything set on the bedroom TV till 8. So I asked Brett to get up and go and turn on the TV in the bedroom. I said "turn on the TV. put it on channel 64 and see whats on." "BUT DONT SAY ANYTHING! just awnser my questions with a yes or no answer."

He looked at me funny, but did it.
He went in there, and turned on the TV. He was standing in the threshold of my bedroom, and said "number 3 just punted" "DONT! DONT tell me ANYTHING"
BR said "JUST Look at the clock, tell me what the time left is"
"1:47"
"okay, thanks, now what quarter?"
"JUST tell us the quarter, nothing else up there. Just the yellow number after the countdown clock"
"4th"
"alright. tell me when a commercial comes on" I said.
I was going to get up when a commercial came on, and go in and hit record on that TV incase it ran over. They ALWAYS run over.
"number 21 just... "
"DONT TELL ME ANYTHING ABOUT THE PLAYERS!!"

So BRett stood in the doorway and would get excited, or gasp, or something every few seconds. "Brett, please, just watch till a commercial comes on. NOTHIN else"
"alright mom!"
of course all this woke up Bow.
a few minutes passed, and I was gettng back into my game and holding Bow and getting him back to sleep. I had a plan, and wouldnt miss anything. There is nothing worse than watching an entire game and missing the last 3 or so minutes cause the durn TV stops recording. and it was close to 6, so I knew it would be going off any minute.

We watched for a few more seconds, and I looked down, the red light was off, I told BR, its not recording anymore. He said I was right, and it was a good thing I had realized that. Otherwise we would miss the end.

Then BR and I were hollering at the TV, a great play had happened. BR and I were discussing the play, and what they needed to do next. "okay mom, come on, its 20-13 steelers over Cowboys"

I havent even made it to the half. it was still 3 to 3. I had done EVERYTHIN I had to do today, busted my ass to get all MY crap done. ANd did half of theirs, interupted MY game to help him with homework that a drunk monkey could have done, fixed them 2 meals during MY game, helped them make a bed, paused the TV to go in and show them stuff that was STILL not picked up, and they KNEW wasnt picked up, and all I wanted to do was sit, enjoy a winecooler and some popcorn while I watched the Cowboys play. 3 hours. the rest of this month. EVERY day, of this month is dedicated to doing something for someone else. Be it the PTA, nursing and driving BR to DR appointments, making him plates, fixing their food, cleaning for my dad to come in, putting up a tree, spending hours trying to find the perfect gift for THEM. ALl of it. and all I want is 3 hours each weekend to watch a football game. everything else I watch, I wait until they are asleep. Sometimes it will take me 3 days to watch a sitcom, cause I wait so late at night that I fall asleep during it.

I am not complaining really, but just asking for a little compassion. I know he didnt think about what he was doing. BUt thats the problem with my kids. they DONT think..

"GEE BRETT THANKS!"
"what?"
"NEVER MIND, just sit down. "

So BR says what happened? I said he told me the score. "BRETT, why? you know she was trying to watch the game. why would you do that? "
"well it was the same game!!"
" You JUST heard us say the score was 3 to 3. because you asked how they had 3, when a TD is worth 6. and we explained afield goal to you AGAIN"

"oh" " well are you going to go and record it?"

I just got up and started doing laundry. I had heard the buzzer go off about 5 minutes before and asked Matt to go and get his bedclothes out. Of course that was ignored. So I went to get them. and what do I find? an empty washer.
I walked into their bedroom.
"Matt, why is my washer empty?"
"I took out my blankets and put them in the dryer like you said"
"and what did you put IN the washer?"
"nothing"
"why?"
"There wasnt anything else"
"Matt, you had to walk OVER this pile of clothes infront of your door to get to the laundry room, then walk on a pile of clothes 2 foot high to GET to the DANG washer. you had to THEN walk BACK in here with BRetts bedclothes, OVER that same pile, and THIS pile, to put them on his bed in that attractive heap that you threw them into"
"I didnt know what you wanted me to wash"
"ANYTHING. ANYFREAKING THING IN THE HOUSE"
"oh"
"I even asked you to PLEASE put a load on"
"I didnt hear you"
"so, I have done 8 loads of laundry today and you fiqure I dont want another load in?"
"maybe"
at this point I left the room. For fear Rayley would have to give a statement in requards to a CRIME SCENE.
BR asked me what all that was about. I told him. "oh well keep it down, I had to pause the game cause of your tirade-- OH watch this play"

I tried to count to 10. Then started folding clothes, and told Matt to get some hangers. "but those are your clothes, why do I have to hang them up?"
Apparently by the steam coming out of my ears and the red color creeping up my face he decided this line of questioning was not going to benifit him in anyway and he got a few hangers.

Then I started telling the kids to put up some of the clothes I was getting folded. And I put up the clothes I had.
"did you see that?"
"watch this one!!"
"OMG, I cant belive they just did that~ You have to see this!"
"they are just going to give them the game"
"oh wait, they might come back with this one"
I didnt ruin it for him. because I knew how upset I was in knowing the score. I did explain to Brett what he did though. and why it was so wrong. "but you just said dont tell you what the PLAYERS were doing. you never said the score..."

I also had to give Matt back half the clothes he hung up. He would have the shirts so wonky that you couldnt even tell it was a shirt.

I also made Brett make me some more laundry soap. Those two loads that Matt had done had used up at least 2 cups of detergent.

And of course I was out of borax. I only had enough for 1 batch and Brett had already ground up 2 bars of soap. when I went in to mix them it dawned on me what Brett had said a few minutes before "HA! I did manage to smush it down and get them both in that one bowl" well he had taken the soap shavings, that are supposed to be fluffy so I can mix them and basicly made another bar of soap out of them. I had to break it all back up.

OF course then they were hungry again. I really need to get them checked for tapeworms.

I came in and sat down, right as there was about 2 minutes left. Bow had gotten woke back up and I was trying to get him to go back to sleep. BR was still watching the game. Obvlious to the final score and then it just stopped. with about a minute 30 left. The COwboys had the ball and only needed a TD to tie it. He was really wanting to see that touchdown.
so he went to the menu and saw I hadnt started the other one. "what happened?"
"thats when the recordin went off"
"you didnt get the end?"
"nope. but it was 13-20, so you pretty much saw it all."

By the time 7:30 got here I was so ready for them to go bed. Luckily, for some reason, they thought it was bedtime and had already gotten ready. I didnt even realize they were in bed, until I went looking for them because I walked back into my clean kitchen to find the mess from where they made their lunches. Honestly, I didnt make them get up. For one, I fiqured I would end up exploding and thats never pretty. For 2. It was just so much easier to clean it up and BR did feel sorry for me and helped. and for 3. I honestly didnt want to see their faces or hear their voices for at least 7 hours.

There is still no tree. I cant vaccum because I broke the belt, and after their baths they destroyed the bathroom again. I didnt realize that until they were already in bed. and I was not going to make them get back up and clean it. It will wait until they get home from school.