OH wow. Lets see, Friday was a blast. I got a call from Brett at 8 am He wanted to make sure I was coming to his school for his carnival. I assured him I was and he asked if I would bring them some water. I told him I would. THen I asked if he needed snacks too. So he told me to hold on and he went and asked. He came back and said Please. So Rayley, Bow and I had to run to Walmart before we went to his school. When we got there I had to push in a stroller, and tote in a cooler with 24 20oz waters, and a 10 lb bag of ice all the way in. Then the secretary called Bretts teacher and asked her where she wanted the snacks. she was unaware I was bringing any. How in the hell was my son allowed to use the phone in the classroom to call me to bring snacks if she has no clue?
I told her just to save the drinks and crackers for the field trip on Tuesday.
Then we went outside. There were kids everywhere. I walked around with Brett for a few minutes. They have all kinds of 'carnival' games and you are given tickets so you can use a ticket for each game. YOu also get a ticket for a soda, cotten candy, popcorn and a pickle. I went to work the concession stand for a little while and someone came and got Bow. I told BRett to go and enjoy his carnival. He asked if he could take Rayley. I was impressed. I told him that yes, he could go and take Rayley to do all the activities. They are really great at the school and let her enjoy everything. I also wasnt worried about her getting lost, as all the teachers know her and she could find a familier face where ever she went. All 3 came back with tattoos and BRett and Rayley had gotten their face painted.
They had a blast. And Bow LOVES cotten candy. He likes pickle too, but not near as much as he likes cotten candy!
But Brett really shocked me. He is good with the younger kids, but he really took her around and showed her off. It was so nice and loving. and I got lots of compliments on him. Teachers came up and where telling me how great he was being with her.
Once we left there we had to go and get my hair cut, pay a few bills and then go to the ballpark. The coach was short handed so I tried to help get the boys a little practice time in before their game. By the time the game started I could have wrung about 7 little necks. They are the rudest bunch of kids you have ever seen. And mostly I worked with them at the batting cage. I decided to check the bats. I promise you, if there is more than 3 kids on this team with the correct size bat then I missed it. a kid that is right at 4 foot tall maybe weighs 40 pounds is using a 28 inch 21 oz bat. That is too big for even me to use. Of course, being as how I am a woman I am ignored when I tell them those bats are too big. Some of our STATE CHAMPION High School boys dont use bats as big as these kids are attempting to swing. And these are 6 and 7 year olds with a few 8 year olds. And every practice and before every game I have to put my foot down and MAKE the boys warm up. They have no concept of warming up. I will just be glad when this season is over. Honestly I will.
After they lost 5-2 we came home.
Yesterdaywe got up and pretty much did nothing. I did ask the boys to PLEASE get all their clothes and hangers out of their room. I needed them in the laundry room. ANd I folded up all of Their jeans. I told them to hang them up for me. I got up and shaved BR's head (he has a head full of hair, but wants it SHORT, so we have went to a clean shave with a little on top) and recleaned the kitchen. One time while I was feeding Bow I had heard him ask BRett to empty the dishwasher and then fill it back up.I thought that was SOOO nice) So once I put up all the dishes that Brett forgot, and put in all the dishes that he didnt see, and moved around those that he did, I came back in the living room. There sat BRett and Matt, on top of the jeans I had folded in anticipation of having them hung up. I asked BR to pause the TV. Matt jumped up like he was going to leave. BR told him to hold on.
"Where are you going?"
"huh?"
"Here is what I think"
blank stare from Matt
"You saw your mom walk back in, a light bulb went off in your head and you are jumping up to go and do what you were supposed to be doing for the last hour"
I said "nononono, let me try! You were sitting there, saw me walk in here, a light bulb started to glow a little and then dimmed quickly, but you realized you had forgotten you were supposed to be doing something. YOu just cant remember what it is. So you jumped up to run and hide and pretend you were doing something"
I told them I was going to get ready and wanted that done in the next 5 minutes. I went and got in the shower. And realized I had bought 2 conditioners. And no shampoo.
Very seldom do we ever go 'out' but twice a year we do. The NRA banquet and the National Wild Turkey Federation Banquet. You dont dress fancy for these, but I try to wear a decent shirt and jeans. Wear makeup, fix my hair and put on perfume.
Once I got out I put on my make up and tried to get dressed. There is very seldom that I go anywhere I worry about dressing decent. But twice a year I try to look nice. And I had planned to wear my lime green and perriwinkle Fat Babies tonight. Its the only shoes I have that are not crocs. I got into my cruel girl jeans. Not easy, but I was in them. ANd started trying to find a shirt to match my cowboy boots. Now up to 4 years ago all I owned was wranglers and boots. But I didnt even try to replace them. But BR did buy me those Fat Babies that yearfor Christmas. and I try to wear them twice a year. ANyway, I have 6 shirts at least that match them. And thats not easy to do. BUT all these shirts were bought after I had Rayley. So they dont fit now. I did finally manage to find one that I could wear. After trying on EVERYONE of them! while I was trying on the 4th shirt. Brett walked through. "Those jeans make your butt look big mom" This is NOT what I wanted to hear. Yes, they are the largest jeans I own, but in all honesty, I get compliments all the time on having lost my baby weight. I just dont have the shape I used to. But I am working on it. 200 sit ups at a time.
We rounded up the kids and took them to my mother in laws. The boys bailed out and she went around to hug and talk to BR, Rayley was on that side, When she got out she ended up standing right there, and Martha didnt see her when she shut the door. She slammed the backdoor with her little hand in it. OH LORDY. There was no blood, but I know it hurt. She screamed and hollered and we were finally able to get her to make a fist. She was still screaming when I was kissing it better and BR told Martha to take her in the house and put ice on it. Then my sister in law drove up on the 4 wheeler. Martha took her over there and she showed Suzie her hand, then off she went, no more tears, as long as she could ride.
We arrived at the banquet 20 minutes late. It took us 30 minutes just to make it 10 feet in. And most of the people we look forward to seeing were not even there. But we did see quite a bit of family and a few friends. The ones we love and enjoy being with, but only manage to see at the banquet or funerals.
They all asked where I was putting my tickets, cause they remembered the year I had won quite a bit of stuff. I just laughed and told them they were safe, we wernt spending any money this year.
After looking around we pretty much decided that there wasnt much to buy raffle tickets for, so we really wernt going to spend any money. (WHEW!) We were just going to eat and enjoy the evening. Then right before they did the drawings I decided that I would buy a 100.00 package of tickets. It really is a good cause, and I had saved that and a little more just for this event. They had a real cute .22 cricket that I wouldnt mind winning for Rayley. We already know it will be the first gun we buy her. But we planned on buying it in a few years. She turns 4 next month. Not quite big enough to hold up a gun and shoot it.
With the 100.00 package you get 50 tickets for the 30 or so raffle prizes and one ticket for the 'red' table with 3 guns. The 300.00 package comes with 200 raffle tickets and 2 'red' tickets and a 'blue' ticket for the bigger gun table.
BR and I put in the tickets for the prizes we wanted (some were NOT something we really were interested in) and dropped in the 'red' ticket with a little sigh, and then went to eat and watch the auction. There was some nice stuff and we would have bid on some things in years past, but diesel is just eating us alive this year. We have 2 beautiful prints that we have gotten, and I have quite a few prizes, such as a clock, knicknacks, T shirts, (one says "vegetarian: old indian word for bad hunter") and one year we won a .45 pistol. BR did bid 40.00 on a cap signed by Ted Nugent on the silent auction. We got outbid early.
Everyone that came by talked to the baby and lots of folks held him. He ate up all the attention and played on the floor for a while. He was a great kid. He wanted to stay busy though. I think I flipped him 873 times. and he would squeal and laugh.
Once everyone ate, all the auction items had been bought for outragous sums of money, they started on the raffle. I didnt get the windchimes. They were cute. But I think BR only put in one ticket. THen they called my number!! I had won 2 shooting sets! its a set with shooting glasses, ear plugs, targets and a metal frame. One for each boy. Not bad! Not worth 100.00 bucks, but heck, a win is a win. :)
As they went down the line I didnt get anything else. oh well. It was a fun night and I did enjoy it. And the boys will love these sets. I think I will save them for when we have Rayley's party. Baseball will be over and they will have more time for shooting. PLus, next year they will be old enough to get into 4H for the shooting and archery division. I dont want to raise Cows or Pigs. I just am not up to it and I think they are too young. And since a part of the money raised at the NRA banquet goes to our 4H shooting sports it will be a way to be more involved in both (BR decided last night that I needed to be involved in the Friends of the NRA, There were not alot of people there, its not well advertised and he knows how much I love volenteering for things like the PTA and such).
When they got to the 'red' table they called out the number. They always do it so slow. Cause its a really big thing, our ticket was 617488. They called out 6, everyone had a 6, same with 1 and 7. Then they called out 4, lots of folks moaned. then they said 8. There was more moans and a few waiting with baited breath. It was a full 6 seconds before he said "61748..." , yeah, yeah, I have those numbers.. come on, I am ready to go. These boots have worn a blister on my heel. Like BR pointed out earlier, the sole doesnt even look like I have ever worn them and he bought them for Christmas of 05. When we first got there and were talking to an old friend and a cousin one of them mentioned the color of the boots. Like I said, they are lime green bottoms with periwinkle tops. well Steve said why do you have one pants leg tucked in and one out?" I told him "As we were walking in I realized they were both tucked in," this happens when you just pull on boots with out pulling the pants down over them, " and once I got that one out I realized I was just too fat to get the other one out." They just laughed, then BR said "seriously, thats exactly what happened. I asked her at the time. And we all know I am too fat to bend down and fix it for her!" But they were really starting to hurt. And all I could think was "PLEASE call the number, I want to load up adn go home!"
"...8..."
Well I was holding Bow, and screamed "YES!!"
Noone heard me cause everyone was groaning. And they have a rule, they call out the number, then if noone screams they pick a new one. I was getting up, grabbing the ticket and asking BR which gun (I knew which one I wanted, but Lord knows it wouldnt be the one he wanted) and trying to get up there when the announcer said "I am fixing to drop the ticket"
"I GOT IT!! I GOT IT!!"
Then a roar went up, all our family and friends on the other side started hollering
and clapping cause they recognized who had gotten it. There I ran, poor Bow just a bouncin and went up for him to verify my number. THis is always the hardest part. Incase you are wrong you dont want to be embarresed in front of everyone. BUT it was MY number!! I had won!!
I knew which one I wanted, then I hear "dont let her pick it out! He's comin to make sure she gets it right!!" And laughter. BR was coming to make sure I got the right gun. But got stopped on the way about 8 times by people telling him which gun to pick.
There was a Remington .22, an Escort 20 gauge, and a S & W .22 pistol. I didnt want the pistol, nor the shotgun, but BR was there so I had to discuss it with him.
We picked the Remington Model 5 .22 magnum. It has a NRA medalian in it.
BR was on the same page as me. But he told everyone I picked it cause it had Gold on it! LOL
I couldnt belive I had won a gun! I was so happy. I gave them my name and have to go and pick it up on Monday.
After all the congrats and kiss my asses from family and friends we were leaving and a guy told us that they way I was running up there with the baby they thought I was gona trade him in on the gun! I told them I didnt know that was an option.
Friday, May 2, 2008
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Sometimes the best questions are those that go unasked....
Well I really thought I was in for a nice, quiet, lazy day of laundry and cleaning.
Then a friend and fellow PTA mom called me at 8:30. She wanted to let me know that she had fixed some punctuation on a letter I had written (the only thing wrong iwth it was no apostrophy in Mothers for Mother's Day, can you belive that?) before she delivered it to the teachers this morning. I swear she talked for 10 minutes BEFORE it dawned on me I was supposed to be at the school before noon today.
We are making Mother's Day cards for the kids to give to their moms. We cut out a card that folds and kinda holds itself shut for each kid. Then I made up samples for each teacher (like 26 of them) and then I wrote up an instruction letter. The instuctions were simple, have the child write a note to their moms on ONE side. It didnt matter wHICH side, but ONE side only. We would be stamping on the other side. ( I said that), and we would pick them up before the kids went to lunch today. and THat was IT. The sample was easy. I had a card cut, wrote "childs message to mom" on the inside and wrote "for PRIDE (thats our name) use only" on the outside. I told them we would be laminating the cards. And then we would add a super special element to it. a 'present'.
Most of the teachers thought it would be neat. They loved that we were doing something for each kid. But there were the ones that couldnt belive we wanted them back in 4 hours. Those that didnt know what to do with them. THose that were unable to read the instuctions. You name it, we got it.
Once we got all the cards back, we started stamping them. There were 3 of us, but one had to start working on something else half way through it. We stamped "happy mothers day" on it, the schools name on the back, and 2008. Of course we were using scrapbooking stamps and the 2008 had to be done one number at a time.
Most of the cards were done correctly. The notes were sweet too. Except one ENTIRE class wrote on BOTH sides. BOTH FREAKIN SIDES. that was IN the instructions AND on the sample. this woman is certified to TEACH our children. And we wonder why most kids now walk around with their heads up their butts. THen I find a card from a differnt class that is all done up on the inside. real good writing, neatly done cute pictures. and on the outside it says "For PRIDE use only" sometimes you just have to shake your head and say a little prayer for people.
Anyway, we got roughly 450 of these stamped, folded and back in their class envolopes in less than 3 hours. Not bad. Then we had to take them all back out and UNFOLD them. cause you cant laminate them folded.. LOL. But this part is done. Now all we have to do is laminate them, cut them out and then put the extra special really cool 'present' on it. :) The cutting out is going to be a real PITA. its not in any way even. its got dido's and such. ACK!
Well I also had to go down to Bretts room for something. Sure enough he is having an altercation. The teacher has now made a horseshoe out of all the desks. And the open part faces the board. well Brett is stuck in the MIDDLE of the horseshoe. he isnt a part of it. he is INSIDE it. and the little snot nosed kid that he seems to have the most problems with is IN FRONT of him. inside the horseshoe. When I walked down there I was greeted by the site of BRett threatning the kid because he needed OUT, and the kid kept moving his desk and chair and wouldnt let him out. A girl I went to high school with (guess that means she aint a girl no more) was subbing in there. She said it was like this all the time. And that it really wasnt Brett. She would do the same thing in his shoes.
I have went through a year of hell, wondering what was so bad in this childs home life that he had changed like he had. WELL, now I know. Its not that he is being bullied. Dont get me wrong. NOONE bullies Brett. He aint real big, but he is mean as a junkyard dog. But he isnt sneaky about his attacks. When he has a problem, EVERYONE knows he has a problem. He will call you out in front of everyone. And thats what he does. He was seeing RED. and do you know as soon as I walked in the little snot nose jumped up, ran over and said "why hello, Mrs. Byerly, how is little Bow doing? he is so cute!"
I am seeing Eddie Haskel. But not a cute and almost lovable one. I have known this kid for about a year. I never really liked him. But its not fair for an adult to not like a kid. But sometimes its real hard to be nice.
I went and talked to the principal. I told her that I was mad enough when Brett was sitting against a wall, facing the wall, but this was rediculas. I told her that Brett would NOT be going on the field trip to see Beauty and the Beast. He'd rather be hunting with his dad anyway. She begged me to let him go. They are going to stop and eat by the river and all that. I told her that I really didnt feel that it would be best for him to go, I didnt want them to get up there and Brett and snotface have an altercation and me have to drive an hour and a half to pick him up!
I usually go on their field trips, but this year I have had to sit them out. I honestly just cant afford the diesel to go. It would cost me 100.00 just to go and watch a play that sucks. Plus I really dont like kids. that many and I am ready to drive off in a lake.
She told me that she would put Brett in another class, assign an aide to kinda be with him, she would work it out so that he wouldnt be tempted. I told her that if she felt it would work out, I would let him go. She really thinks she can make it work. So I relented. Now if I get a phone call that they have dropped him off on the side of the road I am gona be pissed. I warned them.
Once school was out I went and got the princess of criesalot and Matt from daycare, he had rode the bus over there. We had to go grocery shopping.
The kids were on a roll tonight. Wanting everything in site. and Brett had a 10.00 bill burning a hole in his pocket. They got mad cause I wouldnt buy them candy, or the nifty little jiuce boxes. They are always wanting lunchables, but I wont waste money on them. They wanted cashews, and got mad cause I bought off brand chips. They REALLY got mad on the cereal isle. Rayley wanted Barbie cereal, the boys wanted cat litter cereal ( dont ask me why they call it this, they have called fruity pebbles 'cat litter' since they were teeny tiny), They begged me to even buy them the 'cheap stupid cereal in a bag' I refused. It was plain ole cornflakes or nothin. They voted nuthin. I got the cornflakes anyway.
But I did see where there was a special on Frosted Flakes. A big box for 1/2 price. It was 2.50. I got that. They were so mad they just thought I was getting more corn flakes.
One time Matt said "Its not fair, all my friends get to bring lunchables, and drink soda's at lunch" I told him that when he got grown he could take lunchables and drink a soda at lunch. But until then, he was just lucky I wasnt making him take meatloaf and water in a thermos. THey get vienna sausages and Hugs (a little thing of faux juice).
When I refused to buy the individual lunch bags of chips they REALLY got upset. They said itwas embarrising to have to eat their chips out of a ziploc bag. I told them that when I was growing up ALL we had was chips in a ziploc. There was no such thing as individual bags of chips in our lunches. They didnt belive me. Then they started asking if I had koolaide jammers, or capri suns, or juice boxes. I told them that no, we had kooliade in a pitcher, yes, there was such a thing as Capri suns, but we didnt really get them, they were more of a luxery for when we were going somewhere, and no, juice boxes didnt ever make it into my lunch box.
"well what did you drink at lunch then?"
"we had Koolaide in a thermos."
"whats a thermos?"
I tried to explain what it was. ANd that it would LEAK ALL over your lunch if you wernt careful. And that our lunch boxes would be concidered a lethal weapon at schools today. They were shocked. Then one of the smart asses asked me if I was able to eat a sandwich with lunch meat or did I have to cut peices off a ham like at Thanksgiving.
I told them that we had lunch meat, and even had sliced bread. AND cheese slices.
I was able to leave there after only spending 218.00 I didnt buy ANY meat. It was awful. Next week we are buying a calf. Then in 6 months we will have fresh meat. of course its gona cost a fortune. But I hope it will be worth it. between buying the calf, feeding it corn for 6 months and then having it butchered we are looking at my entire grocery budget for 2 months at least. Of course maybe it will last longer.
Once I got the kids home I instructed them to unload the truck. Me and Bow HAD to get him fed. He was cranky and I was getting there. So we came in and sat down. I was finished about 15 minutes later and they were playing dodgeball with a sodapop bottle. I got them back on task about the time their dad called. we were on the phone 17 minutes and 13 seconds. Not one sack had been brought in. So I calmly walked outside with my pingpong paddle. Amazingly enough they were able to bring in 3 and 4 bags at a time and had the truck unloaded in less than 5 minutes. I had planned on putting up the groceries once they got them in. I had just wanted all the meats and milk and such in before it went bad in the heat. And knew I had to get Bow fed. Plus it doesnt hurt them to help me every once in a while. I also dont like them to put stuff up. I can NEVER find it again. I have been tempted in the past to call them AT school to find out where they put something.
Then Rayley decided to pose a question that I guess was weighing heavily on her little mind.
"well since you are done with Bow, why are you just standin there, you could be helpin us ya know"
Before I could comment Brett and Matt realized that possibly she might have a good question and decided they should pursue the matter further.
So once they got done putting all the groceries up it was time for bed. They were upset that they had not been able to play all night. They had only gotten to work. They were SOOO mistreated.
I asked them if they remembered the 15 minutes I was on the phone with their dad? The 15 minutes I was nursing Bow, then the hour it took them to put up the groceries.. They said they did. I told them that WAS their play time. They had just squandered it.
You know, when you piss off a kid before bed, they go to sleep really quickly?
So here I sit, eating my second bowl of Frosted Flakes, which are hidden at the back of a top cabinet, and enjoying the quiet.
Then a friend and fellow PTA mom called me at 8:30. She wanted to let me know that she had fixed some punctuation on a letter I had written (the only thing wrong iwth it was no apostrophy in Mothers for Mother's Day, can you belive that?) before she delivered it to the teachers this morning. I swear she talked for 10 minutes BEFORE it dawned on me I was supposed to be at the school before noon today.
We are making Mother's Day cards for the kids to give to their moms. We cut out a card that folds and kinda holds itself shut for each kid. Then I made up samples for each teacher (like 26 of them) and then I wrote up an instruction letter. The instuctions were simple, have the child write a note to their moms on ONE side. It didnt matter wHICH side, but ONE side only. We would be stamping on the other side. ( I said that), and we would pick them up before the kids went to lunch today. and THat was IT. The sample was easy. I had a card cut, wrote "childs message to mom" on the inside and wrote "for PRIDE (thats our name) use only" on the outside. I told them we would be laminating the cards. And then we would add a super special element to it. a 'present'.
Most of the teachers thought it would be neat. They loved that we were doing something for each kid. But there were the ones that couldnt belive we wanted them back in 4 hours. Those that didnt know what to do with them. THose that were unable to read the instuctions. You name it, we got it.
Once we got all the cards back, we started stamping them. There were 3 of us, but one had to start working on something else half way through it. We stamped "happy mothers day" on it, the schools name on the back, and 2008. Of course we were using scrapbooking stamps and the 2008 had to be done one number at a time.
Most of the cards were done correctly. The notes were sweet too. Except one ENTIRE class wrote on BOTH sides. BOTH FREAKIN SIDES. that was IN the instructions AND on the sample. this woman is certified to TEACH our children. And we wonder why most kids now walk around with their heads up their butts. THen I find a card from a differnt class that is all done up on the inside. real good writing, neatly done cute pictures. and on the outside it says "For PRIDE use only" sometimes you just have to shake your head and say a little prayer for people.
Anyway, we got roughly 450 of these stamped, folded and back in their class envolopes in less than 3 hours. Not bad. Then we had to take them all back out and UNFOLD them. cause you cant laminate them folded.. LOL. But this part is done. Now all we have to do is laminate them, cut them out and then put the extra special really cool 'present' on it. :) The cutting out is going to be a real PITA. its not in any way even. its got dido's and such. ACK!
Well I also had to go down to Bretts room for something. Sure enough he is having an altercation. The teacher has now made a horseshoe out of all the desks. And the open part faces the board. well Brett is stuck in the MIDDLE of the horseshoe. he isnt a part of it. he is INSIDE it. and the little snot nosed kid that he seems to have the most problems with is IN FRONT of him. inside the horseshoe. When I walked down there I was greeted by the site of BRett threatning the kid because he needed OUT, and the kid kept moving his desk and chair and wouldnt let him out. A girl I went to high school with (guess that means she aint a girl no more) was subbing in there. She said it was like this all the time. And that it really wasnt Brett. She would do the same thing in his shoes.
I have went through a year of hell, wondering what was so bad in this childs home life that he had changed like he had. WELL, now I know. Its not that he is being bullied. Dont get me wrong. NOONE bullies Brett. He aint real big, but he is mean as a junkyard dog. But he isnt sneaky about his attacks. When he has a problem, EVERYONE knows he has a problem. He will call you out in front of everyone. And thats what he does. He was seeing RED. and do you know as soon as I walked in the little snot nose jumped up, ran over and said "why hello, Mrs. Byerly, how is little Bow doing? he is so cute!"
I am seeing Eddie Haskel. But not a cute and almost lovable one. I have known this kid for about a year. I never really liked him. But its not fair for an adult to not like a kid. But sometimes its real hard to be nice.
I went and talked to the principal. I told her that I was mad enough when Brett was sitting against a wall, facing the wall, but this was rediculas. I told her that Brett would NOT be going on the field trip to see Beauty and the Beast. He'd rather be hunting with his dad anyway. She begged me to let him go. They are going to stop and eat by the river and all that. I told her that I really didnt feel that it would be best for him to go, I didnt want them to get up there and Brett and snotface have an altercation and me have to drive an hour and a half to pick him up!
I usually go on their field trips, but this year I have had to sit them out. I honestly just cant afford the diesel to go. It would cost me 100.00 just to go and watch a play that sucks. Plus I really dont like kids. that many and I am ready to drive off in a lake.
She told me that she would put Brett in another class, assign an aide to kinda be with him, she would work it out so that he wouldnt be tempted. I told her that if she felt it would work out, I would let him go. She really thinks she can make it work. So I relented. Now if I get a phone call that they have dropped him off on the side of the road I am gona be pissed. I warned them.
Once school was out I went and got the princess of criesalot and Matt from daycare, he had rode the bus over there. We had to go grocery shopping.
The kids were on a roll tonight. Wanting everything in site. and Brett had a 10.00 bill burning a hole in his pocket. They got mad cause I wouldnt buy them candy, or the nifty little jiuce boxes. They are always wanting lunchables, but I wont waste money on them. They wanted cashews, and got mad cause I bought off brand chips. They REALLY got mad on the cereal isle. Rayley wanted Barbie cereal, the boys wanted cat litter cereal ( dont ask me why they call it this, they have called fruity pebbles 'cat litter' since they were teeny tiny), They begged me to even buy them the 'cheap stupid cereal in a bag' I refused. It was plain ole cornflakes or nothin. They voted nuthin. I got the cornflakes anyway.
But I did see where there was a special on Frosted Flakes. A big box for 1/2 price. It was 2.50. I got that. They were so mad they just thought I was getting more corn flakes.
One time Matt said "Its not fair, all my friends get to bring lunchables, and drink soda's at lunch" I told him that when he got grown he could take lunchables and drink a soda at lunch. But until then, he was just lucky I wasnt making him take meatloaf and water in a thermos. THey get vienna sausages and Hugs (a little thing of faux juice).
When I refused to buy the individual lunch bags of chips they REALLY got upset. They said itwas embarrising to have to eat their chips out of a ziploc bag. I told them that when I was growing up ALL we had was chips in a ziploc. There was no such thing as individual bags of chips in our lunches. They didnt belive me. Then they started asking if I had koolaide jammers, or capri suns, or juice boxes. I told them that no, we had kooliade in a pitcher, yes, there was such a thing as Capri suns, but we didnt really get them, they were more of a luxery for when we were going somewhere, and no, juice boxes didnt ever make it into my lunch box.
"well what did you drink at lunch then?"
"we had Koolaide in a thermos."
"whats a thermos?"
I tried to explain what it was. ANd that it would LEAK ALL over your lunch if you wernt careful. And that our lunch boxes would be concidered a lethal weapon at schools today. They were shocked. Then one of the smart asses asked me if I was able to eat a sandwich with lunch meat or did I have to cut peices off a ham like at Thanksgiving.
I told them that we had lunch meat, and even had sliced bread. AND cheese slices.
I was able to leave there after only spending 218.00 I didnt buy ANY meat. It was awful. Next week we are buying a calf. Then in 6 months we will have fresh meat. of course its gona cost a fortune. But I hope it will be worth it. between buying the calf, feeding it corn for 6 months and then having it butchered we are looking at my entire grocery budget for 2 months at least. Of course maybe it will last longer.
Once I got the kids home I instructed them to unload the truck. Me and Bow HAD to get him fed. He was cranky and I was getting there. So we came in and sat down. I was finished about 15 minutes later and they were playing dodgeball with a sodapop bottle. I got them back on task about the time their dad called. we were on the phone 17 minutes and 13 seconds. Not one sack had been brought in. So I calmly walked outside with my pingpong paddle. Amazingly enough they were able to bring in 3 and 4 bags at a time and had the truck unloaded in less than 5 minutes. I had planned on putting up the groceries once they got them in. I had just wanted all the meats and milk and such in before it went bad in the heat. And knew I had to get Bow fed. Plus it doesnt hurt them to help me every once in a while. I also dont like them to put stuff up. I can NEVER find it again. I have been tempted in the past to call them AT school to find out where they put something.
Then Rayley decided to pose a question that I guess was weighing heavily on her little mind.
"well since you are done with Bow, why are you just standin there, you could be helpin us ya know"
Before I could comment Brett and Matt realized that possibly she might have a good question and decided they should pursue the matter further.
So once they got done putting all the groceries up it was time for bed. They were upset that they had not been able to play all night. They had only gotten to work. They were SOOO mistreated.
I asked them if they remembered the 15 minutes I was on the phone with their dad? The 15 minutes I was nursing Bow, then the hour it took them to put up the groceries.. They said they did. I told them that WAS their play time. They had just squandered it.
You know, when you piss off a kid before bed, they go to sleep really quickly?
So here I sit, eating my second bowl of Frosted Flakes, which are hidden at the back of a top cabinet, and enjoying the quiet.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Some days are just too easy and they scare you.
I will be glad when Friday gets here. I am just so tired of getting up so early. Next week my mother in law will start back to her normal time of going to work. She will have to be there at 7 instead of 6:30. I know 30 minutes doesnt seem like a long time, but belive me it is when you are dealing with kids.
This morning the alarm was going off and Rayley came in and woke me up. She wanted cereal. At 5:27. I got up and got the boys to start getting ready. I was so tired. Then Bow started to stir and so I got him back to sleep. I dont know what on earth had woken Rayley so early, but she was awake. The boys were dragging a little. Not bad, but a little. But they were being pretty quiet cause they knew Bow was already on the verge of waking up.
Then BR drove up. The minute he opened the door Bow raised up his head and started to smile. I could have killed him. 15 more minutes and the boys would ave been gone and I would have been back asleep with the baby.
once the boys left Bow was wide awake and so was Rayley. I tried to lay back down. I would doze a little. But noone really wanted to see me go back to sleep. They have a sadistic streak.
BR went on to bed and I was getting Rayley some cereal ( she had forgotten all about it when the boys woke up. She talked for a while, and Bow nursed, and then played. and squeeled, and played. He played on me, on the couch, on the floor. He was happy as a pig in the sunshine.
So I decided that much as I didnt want to, I was going to have to start my day. First I put on a load of laundry, decided what I was going to make for lunch and put up the dishes from the dishwasher. Then, I turned on the computer and started to do some surveys. Speaking of which, I have a cool new money place where you can get 25.00 Free. Its like paypal was in the old days. And if you sign up under me, I get 10.00 :)
I'll post the link at the end of this. AND do it quick, it expires soon!!
oh, anyway, I decided to do a few surveys while Bow was playing on the floor being good. I am half way through my first Dr Pepper of the day trying to wake up and I hear snoring. SNORING. Rayley had crawled up on the couch and was fast asleep.
It wasnt 10 minutes later that Bow was back over here wanting me to pick him up. I did. He was asleep with in minutes.
I tried to convince myself that I was awake for the day, that I needed to do some laundry, that lunch could be started this early adn I would ruin my day if I went back to sleep. Luckily I dont convince real easy :)
I laid down and was out like a light.
I woke up a few hours later to a flat Dr pepper and a smiling Bow and Rayley. who of course needed more cereal. She knows that she only gets cereal once a day. In the morning. She even wakes me up by asking "is it cereal time yet?"
But this time she says "mom, you know, I just woke up"
"yes Rayley, I know that"
"well whats the first thing I do when I wake up?"
"I dont know"
"guess"
"agervate me?"
"nooooooo"
"go pee?"
"nooooo silly"
"well you tell me... hey where are you going?"
"to pee"
"ahhh"
"keep guessing"
"I give up, get me a diaper"
"I eat breakfast you silly mommy"
"ahhhhh, well didnt you already eat breakfast?"
"not really, it was still nighttime when I ate that. It was dark outside. and I was suppsed to be asleep"
"but you still ate it"
" I think I just dreamed it, cause I need some cereal now"
"but your bowl is in there, I can prove it wasnt a dream"
"maybe you dreamed it too, and since we both dreamed it I must really need to eat"
I gave her the cereal. anyone who can carry on a semi intelegent conversation, with the intent to convince you of something, with out getting lost or confused with in 3 minutes of waking up deserves some cereal.
She and I cooked lunch today. We had shake and bake chicken. She wanted to help me "powder the chicken" So I would put it in the bag and give it to her. At first she was real gentle. I kept showing her that she had to be a little more assertive in her shaking. She refused. Then she said "I dont wana be like Darla. She's a fish killer"... ahhh finding nemo.. I explained the chicken was dead and it wouldnt powder itsself. It didnt take long before she got into it. She got mad wen we did the 13th one LOL .
The whole time it was cooking she kept wanting to go and check on it. She didnt want to burn her first meal. I told her it would be a whle. and we couldt keep opening the oven door. So I turned on the light and she got a stool and sat in front of it till her Daddy woke up.
Once the boys got home we did some plant watering and visiting, their Aunt Amanda came over and so did my mom. Amanda brought Rayley a new pair of flip flops. just what the child needs, more shoes! LOL
The kids actually helped me pick up the house today and get some laundry done. I dont know what got into them. And they had a fight over Bow and who was going to change his diaper.
I am scared.
They even went to bed easily. Of course my mother in law had called and she asked Rayley if she wanted to go to Daycare tomorrow. OF course she was thrilled beyond words. She cant imagine a better place to be.
SHe had to have another bath, (we had taken one after we had breakfast, adn then again later when we spilled tea on our shirt. not US, just our shirt.)
Brett was still helping me get some laundry sorted and I asked him if he had made his lunch. He said no, and he didnt think Matt had either. THen he proceeded to make BOTH lunches. I asked where Matt was. He had went on to bed. it was 8:32 and he was tired. LOL
Rayley decided she needed a lunch too. Since she was leaving tomorrow. So I let her make one. SHe put all the same things the kids put in theirs in hers. And she had Brett write her name on it. She is all set.
She was even easy to go to bed. I am not sure what got into the kids tonight. But I like it and would LOVE to make it happen again.
Now I am going to call it a night and try to get a few hours of sleep before that damn alarm rings at that unGodly hour.
Here is the link. and I promise its easy as pie. It took me about 8 minutes to sign up and I am on dial up. And if you cant fidn anywhere to spend your free 25.00 you can send it to your checking account!!
This morning the alarm was going off and Rayley came in and woke me up. She wanted cereal. At 5:27. I got up and got the boys to start getting ready. I was so tired. Then Bow started to stir and so I got him back to sleep. I dont know what on earth had woken Rayley so early, but she was awake. The boys were dragging a little. Not bad, but a little. But they were being pretty quiet cause they knew Bow was already on the verge of waking up.
Then BR drove up. The minute he opened the door Bow raised up his head and started to smile. I could have killed him. 15 more minutes and the boys would ave been gone and I would have been back asleep with the baby.
once the boys left Bow was wide awake and so was Rayley. I tried to lay back down. I would doze a little. But noone really wanted to see me go back to sleep. They have a sadistic streak.
BR went on to bed and I was getting Rayley some cereal ( she had forgotten all about it when the boys woke up. She talked for a while, and Bow nursed, and then played. and squeeled, and played. He played on me, on the couch, on the floor. He was happy as a pig in the sunshine.
So I decided that much as I didnt want to, I was going to have to start my day. First I put on a load of laundry, decided what I was going to make for lunch and put up the dishes from the dishwasher. Then, I turned on the computer and started to do some surveys. Speaking of which, I have a cool new money place where you can get 25.00 Free. Its like paypal was in the old days. And if you sign up under me, I get 10.00 :)
I'll post the link at the end of this. AND do it quick, it expires soon!!
oh, anyway, I decided to do a few surveys while Bow was playing on the floor being good. I am half way through my first Dr Pepper of the day trying to wake up and I hear snoring. SNORING. Rayley had crawled up on the couch and was fast asleep.
It wasnt 10 minutes later that Bow was back over here wanting me to pick him up. I did. He was asleep with in minutes.
I tried to convince myself that I was awake for the day, that I needed to do some laundry, that lunch could be started this early adn I would ruin my day if I went back to sleep. Luckily I dont convince real easy :)
I laid down and was out like a light.
I woke up a few hours later to a flat Dr pepper and a smiling Bow and Rayley. who of course needed more cereal. She knows that she only gets cereal once a day. In the morning. She even wakes me up by asking "is it cereal time yet?"
But this time she says "mom, you know, I just woke up"
"yes Rayley, I know that"
"well whats the first thing I do when I wake up?"
"I dont know"
"guess"
"agervate me?"
"nooooooo"
"go pee?"
"nooooo silly"
"well you tell me... hey where are you going?"
"to pee"
"ahhh"
"keep guessing"
"I give up, get me a diaper"
"I eat breakfast you silly mommy"
"ahhhhh, well didnt you already eat breakfast?"
"not really, it was still nighttime when I ate that. It was dark outside. and I was suppsed to be asleep"
"but you still ate it"
" I think I just dreamed it, cause I need some cereal now"
"but your bowl is in there, I can prove it wasnt a dream"
"maybe you dreamed it too, and since we both dreamed it I must really need to eat"
I gave her the cereal. anyone who can carry on a semi intelegent conversation, with the intent to convince you of something, with out getting lost or confused with in 3 minutes of waking up deserves some cereal.
She and I cooked lunch today. We had shake and bake chicken. She wanted to help me "powder the chicken" So I would put it in the bag and give it to her. At first she was real gentle. I kept showing her that she had to be a little more assertive in her shaking. She refused. Then she said "I dont wana be like Darla. She's a fish killer"... ahhh finding nemo.. I explained the chicken was dead and it wouldnt powder itsself. It didnt take long before she got into it. She got mad wen we did the 13th one LOL .
The whole time it was cooking she kept wanting to go and check on it. She didnt want to burn her first meal. I told her it would be a whle. and we couldt keep opening the oven door. So I turned on the light and she got a stool and sat in front of it till her Daddy woke up.
Once the boys got home we did some plant watering and visiting, their Aunt Amanda came over and so did my mom. Amanda brought Rayley a new pair of flip flops. just what the child needs, more shoes! LOL
The kids actually helped me pick up the house today and get some laundry done. I dont know what got into them. And they had a fight over Bow and who was going to change his diaper.
I am scared.
They even went to bed easily. Of course my mother in law had called and she asked Rayley if she wanted to go to Daycare tomorrow. OF course she was thrilled beyond words. She cant imagine a better place to be.
SHe had to have another bath, (we had taken one after we had breakfast, adn then again later when we spilled tea on our shirt. not US, just our shirt.)
Brett was still helping me get some laundry sorted and I asked him if he had made his lunch. He said no, and he didnt think Matt had either. THen he proceeded to make BOTH lunches. I asked where Matt was. He had went on to bed. it was 8:32 and he was tired. LOL
Rayley decided she needed a lunch too. Since she was leaving tomorrow. So I let her make one. SHe put all the same things the kids put in theirs in hers. And she had Brett write her name on it. She is all set.
She was even easy to go to bed. I am not sure what got into the kids tonight. But I like it and would LOVE to make it happen again.
Now I am going to call it a night and try to get a few hours of sleep before that damn alarm rings at that unGodly hour.
Here is the link. and I promise its easy as pie. It took me about 8 minutes to sign up and I am on dial up. And if you cant fidn anywhere to spend your free 25.00 you can send it to your checking account!!
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Out of the mouths of babes
Today was a pretty good day. Rayley was on a roll. Somehow Fido (the cat) and her got crossways, I think Fido wouldnt go in her room and play with her or something. SHe wanted to sleep at Bow's back. She was reading her the riot act. She told her that good kitties play with little girls, and even though Bow was a nice kid now, he was asleep and he would wake up and try to bite her ear off again. And how he would slobber all over her. OH it just went ON and ON. she would pick her up and tote her into the bedroom, and then as soon as she would let her go the dang thing would sling shot back in here and lay down beside Bow.
Finally she is picking her up and toting her back to the bedroom for the 47th time and she snagged her nails in the couch. well one caught Rayley and she REALLY lit into her. That is when I hear : 'Its all fun and games when someone gets hurt!'
I tried to explain to her that its supposed to be "its all fun and games TILL someone gets hurt."
She wasnt buying that. She said it didnt make any sense! I swear, she was lecturing the cat off and on for over an hour, and all the cat would do is stare at her. Once she did yawn. And Rayley explained that it was NOT polite to yawn when someone was talking to you. And when the cat got up to go to the bathroom she followed her in there and still griped. I wouldnt have blamed the cat for scratching her, or attacking her or something. I was ready to hiss and arch MY back!
Once she finally got over playing with the cat she went in her room to play. I had JUST got the baby to sleep so I was hoping it lasted. Then she came out and said "I drew you a picture"
Oh goody. There is nothing MORE FUN, than playing pictonairy with a 3 year old. They KNOW what they drew, but NOONE else does. But if you EVER get it wrong you have a broken hearted child on your hands.
So when I heard "I drew you a picture" I was very aprehensive. She came out toting her sketching thingy. Great, this always adds a level of difficulty. The picture is never really clear. and its got all the metal shavings around the outline.
Then she walks out and shows me this. I ALMOST blurted out "oh wow, what a great chicken". BUT then my prior expeireinces got the best of me and I tried to play it off and make her tell me what it was. I told her I didnt have on my glasses, she offered to go and get them. I asked her to spell its name and I would write it on there. NO GO. she reminded me she couldnt spell.
I told her how beautiful it was, how acurate. I was so impressed. She kept asking me if I knew what it was. I would tell her of course I did. So she wanted me to tell her. I didnt want to tell her.
Finally she got mad and said "FINE, if you dont like my chicken I will take it somewhere else!"
It WAS a chicken.
Now I dont have illusions of grander here. I know I dont have the next great artist on my hands. BUT I was impressed.
I was speachless. And wondering if it was a fluke I told her to draw me something else.
YEP it was a fluke. the rest were just scribbles with no meaning at all except to a 3 year old. ANd I dont even think she knew what half of them were.
The boys were pretty good today. I guess. I didnt get any bad reports. And they wernt home 5 minutes before they were back out the door and playing in the woods. Rayley played out there with them for a while. Then she came back in hungry. I told her I would fix her some food when the boys came home. She decided to make them come home. She has been watching me and she went and got BR's keys and set off the truck alarm.
The boys were here in 3 minutes. They came busting in the door and said "whats wrong?"
She said "its time to come inside, get a bath, we need to eat supper."
THEY WERE NOT amused. I dont blame them. I was enjoying the quiet.
They convinced her they were doing something fun outside. So out she went. Come to find out they had found a rich lighter pine stump and were dragging it up to the house peice by peice. she helped for a little while. Till it dawned on her that they were making her work and she wasnt having fun. Then she got mad and came home.
When she got here she told me that she was tired of 'fetchin that rinse light pine'.
I reckon they got it all broke out of the ground and brought up. They came in and everyone wanted something differnt to eat. Luckily they wanted to have a 'free night' so I let them.
Brett picked raman noodles with shrimp and Matt got a burrito plus a taco from BR's lunch. Rayley had corn, english peas, vienna sausages, and cheese sticks. I let them have a 'pick your own supper' night about once a week. Its easy on me and they think they have won some big battle.
I didnt think they would EVER settle down tonight. I bet I had to stop about 12 fights. and Rayley was the instigator in ALL of them. She would knock the hell out of one of them for no reason and then say "see, its all fun and games when someone gets hit!"
Bow was thrilled when they finally came back in and spent the evening playing with them.
I got everyone rounded up and in bed, by 8:20. Except Rayley. She was a live wire. I swear that child came back in here with something important to tell me at least 12 times.
And Darla, the Mo-ron dog. She kept wanting out. So I let her out. Then she wanted back in RIGHT then.
I decided to let her sit it out for a few minuets. She started buggar barking. I knew I had to get up adn go and see what she had. So I got up, got the gun and went to the door. You never know what will be outside around here. We had Coyotes attack them a few months ago. messed up Duke ( my old dogs) back real bad.. He is still crippled. So out I went. It was a possum. NOT what I want to see.
BUt it got under the house before I could do anything. I was still trying to regain my balance from the dog trying to knock me over to get in the house.
So I came back in, got her in her bed with a treat and when BR called I was telling him.
He said "did you shoot it?"
"no, it scurried under the house"
"oh, well at least you loaded the gun"
"no... it has shells IN it. Doesnt it? "
"no, the boys and I shot them all the other day when we were skeet shooting, I didnt reload it"
ahhhh good thing it wasnt a skunk!
I would have much rather known there wasnt any bullets in it a week ago. sometimes I have to wonder about his thought process. He knows this is my varmit gun.
Of course Duke saw me with the gun and wouldnt leave me alone for the longest time. He was dragging his crippled self all over the place, as excited as he could be. He thought we were going to go hunting. I dont know why he thought this. its dark outside, and he doesnt hunt anyway. He never was good at it. Oh he will tree a squirrel, but he wont bark. AT ALL. He just looks at them. then at you. Its the most agervating thing you have ever seen.
Finally she is picking her up and toting her back to the bedroom for the 47th time and she snagged her nails in the couch. well one caught Rayley and she REALLY lit into her. That is when I hear : 'Its all fun and games when someone gets hurt!'
I tried to explain to her that its supposed to be "its all fun and games TILL someone gets hurt."
She wasnt buying that. She said it didnt make any sense! I swear, she was lecturing the cat off and on for over an hour, and all the cat would do is stare at her. Once she did yawn. And Rayley explained that it was NOT polite to yawn when someone was talking to you. And when the cat got up to go to the bathroom she followed her in there and still griped. I wouldnt have blamed the cat for scratching her, or attacking her or something. I was ready to hiss and arch MY back!
Once she finally got over playing with the cat she went in her room to play. I had JUST got the baby to sleep so I was hoping it lasted. Then she came out and said "I drew you a picture"
Oh goody. There is nothing MORE FUN, than playing pictonairy with a 3 year old. They KNOW what they drew, but NOONE else does. But if you EVER get it wrong you have a broken hearted child on your hands.
So when I heard "I drew you a picture" I was very aprehensive. She came out toting her sketching thingy. Great, this always adds a level of difficulty. The picture is never really clear. and its got all the metal shavings around the outline.
Then she walks out and shows me this. I ALMOST blurted out "oh wow, what a great chicken". BUT then my prior expeireinces got the best of me and I tried to play it off and make her tell me what it was. I told her I didnt have on my glasses, she offered to go and get them. I asked her to spell its name and I would write it on there. NO GO. she reminded me she couldnt spell.
I told her how beautiful it was, how acurate. I was so impressed. She kept asking me if I knew what it was. I would tell her of course I did. So she wanted me to tell her. I didnt want to tell her.
Finally she got mad and said "FINE, if you dont like my chicken I will take it somewhere else!"
It WAS a chicken.
Now I dont have illusions of grander here. I know I dont have the next great artist on my hands. BUT I was impressed.
I was speachless. And wondering if it was a fluke I told her to draw me something else.
YEP it was a fluke. the rest were just scribbles with no meaning at all except to a 3 year old. ANd I dont even think she knew what half of them were.
The boys were pretty good today. I guess. I didnt get any bad reports. And they wernt home 5 minutes before they were back out the door and playing in the woods. Rayley played out there with them for a while. Then she came back in hungry. I told her I would fix her some food when the boys came home. She decided to make them come home. She has been watching me and she went and got BR's keys and set off the truck alarm.
The boys were here in 3 minutes. They came busting in the door and said "whats wrong?"
She said "its time to come inside, get a bath, we need to eat supper."
THEY WERE NOT amused. I dont blame them. I was enjoying the quiet.
They convinced her they were doing something fun outside. So out she went. Come to find out they had found a rich lighter pine stump and were dragging it up to the house peice by peice. she helped for a little while. Till it dawned on her that they were making her work and she wasnt having fun. Then she got mad and came home.
When she got here she told me that she was tired of 'fetchin that rinse light pine'.
I reckon they got it all broke out of the ground and brought up. They came in and everyone wanted something differnt to eat. Luckily they wanted to have a 'free night' so I let them.
Brett picked raman noodles with shrimp and Matt got a burrito plus a taco from BR's lunch. Rayley had corn, english peas, vienna sausages, and cheese sticks. I let them have a 'pick your own supper' night about once a week. Its easy on me and they think they have won some big battle.
I didnt think they would EVER settle down tonight. I bet I had to stop about 12 fights. and Rayley was the instigator in ALL of them. She would knock the hell out of one of them for no reason and then say "see, its all fun and games when someone gets hit!"
Bow was thrilled when they finally came back in and spent the evening playing with them.
I got everyone rounded up and in bed, by 8:20. Except Rayley. She was a live wire. I swear that child came back in here with something important to tell me at least 12 times.
And Darla, the Mo-ron dog. She kept wanting out. So I let her out. Then she wanted back in RIGHT then.
I decided to let her sit it out for a few minuets. She started buggar barking. I knew I had to get up adn go and see what she had. So I got up, got the gun and went to the door. You never know what will be outside around here. We had Coyotes attack them a few months ago. messed up Duke ( my old dogs) back real bad.. He is still crippled. So out I went. It was a possum. NOT what I want to see.
BUt it got under the house before I could do anything. I was still trying to regain my balance from the dog trying to knock me over to get in the house.
So I came back in, got her in her bed with a treat and when BR called I was telling him.
He said "did you shoot it?"
"no, it scurried under the house"
"oh, well at least you loaded the gun"
"no... it has shells IN it. Doesnt it? "
"no, the boys and I shot them all the other day when we were skeet shooting, I didnt reload it"
ahhhh good thing it wasnt a skunk!
I would have much rather known there wasnt any bullets in it a week ago. sometimes I have to wonder about his thought process. He knows this is my varmit gun.
Of course Duke saw me with the gun and wouldnt leave me alone for the longest time. He was dragging his crippled self all over the place, as excited as he could be. He thought we were going to go hunting. I dont know why he thought this. its dark outside, and he doesnt hunt anyway. He never was good at it. Oh he will tree a squirrel, but he wont bark. AT ALL. He just looks at them. then at you. Its the most agervating thing you have ever seen.
Monday, April 28, 2008
We should love all Gods creatures, even the kids
If I hadnt known better I would have sworn that Steve Irwins ghost took over my house yesterday.
The kids got up and Brett asked if he could play the playstation. Actually he started out by saying "mom, we wont fight, we will ONLY do it if 2 can do it and noone will get their feelings hurt. I promise"
At first I was confused. I was hopeing it was him turning over a new leaf and would apply to the rest of the day.
NOPE. he finally told me "if I let them play the playstation". I told him he could.
He was shocked for a full 5 minutes. Then convinced Matt I really did say yes. I told them ONE HOUR.
It was less than 45 minutes later and Brett was already changing games. To one where only one person can play at a time. Matt doesnt stick around long to play the games anyway. He just doesnt like them. which is fine with me. I bet that thing hasnt been turned on in 4 or 5 months. I forget we have it.
Once we turned off the games the kids went outside. They came back with a horney toad. Horney toads are VERY rare up here, but they said this was the 3rd one they had found. They wanted to keep it, but I made them take it back outside. I dont want the cat to eat it!
yesterday evening we went to my mother in laws. The kids immediatly found the critter keepers that they got for Matts birthday. I didnt know what they were doing, till I heard my mother in law screaming bloody murder. Then I knew. They were lizard hunting. They love to torture her. She lives in the woods like we do, so they just go out and play to thier hearts content.
At one time Matt had 4 lizards in his little kritter cage thing.
When it was time to go he loaded up and brought home his lizards. I told him that he wasnt allowed to bring them in the house. I didnt see Rayleys cage or Bretts.
Hoover was disapointed that I wouldnt let him keep them in the house, but said he understood. I also told him NOT to let them loose in the truck. He swore he wouldnt . When we got home and I got everyone unloaded I happened to look up. I saw something green and quick out of the corner of my eye.
So I started hollering at kids! I told them I wanted everyone of the lizards OUT of the house. RIGHT THEN!
They grumbled and moaned. And once the 4th one was caught I realized that BRett and Rayley had brought in their own stash.
SO I asked them HOW many lizards were brought in. They couldnt remmeber. I told them I had counted every one in the keepers and they better tell me the truth. They swore they didnt know. SO I picked the number 9. I told them they better find 9 lizards pretty quick.
I swear it was awful in here. There were kids going everywhere trying to catch lizards that DIDNT want to be caught.
We did end up with 9. I dont know how many more are in here. BUT I did make them empty their pockets BEFORE putting their clothes in the washing machine. They have been known to leave something in them!
I know there is at least one more in here. Cause the cat has been going crazy since last night. But if it will stay out of site it will be okay. I dont mind A lizard in the house. they eat bugs and such. I'd MUCH rather have a lizard. BUT the cat doesnt like them.
One time yesterday Matt was in the floor watching TV and playing with something. He had been down there for over an hour and it dawned on us. He was just playing with a lizard. Loving it and petting it. When he started trying to teach it to balance on one of Bow's toys I drew the line. I told him that I didnt want lizard poo on the baby's toys. He said "oh he doesnt need to poop. he did it about 30 minutes ago"
I asked him what he meant. "when I asked you to pause the TV so I could go to the bathroom it was to wash my hands and make sure he was clean. Can I keep him? He's real tame."
NO! you cant keep a lizard. MO-RON!
I found their report cards last night. Somehow Matt has went from a 85 in conduct to a 72. The last report I had was a 85! I was pissed! His next lowest grade was a 87. EVERYTHING else was high 90's. How do you make almost all A's and have a 72 in CONDUCT?
NEvermind this is my idiot... I mean kid we are talking about.
I wrote a note to his teacher. Asking her to call me.
Then it was on to Bretts report card. Where I found his progress report. Where I had written a note to his teacher to please let me know how he could bring up a C in Social Studies.
He had 2 C's. My kids have NEVER made C's. I am LIVID! I wrote his teacher a LONG note. Asking her to PLEASE have him sit out recess and instead study. SInce he wasnt able to bring home any of the homework that I had requested back at week 3.
Fast Forward to today. I got up and went to the school. I had to cut out 500 cards for mothersday. Luckily we have a die cut machine. And since the card is almost the size of a 8 and a half by 11 and our die cut machine isnt. I had to hit each one twice after scooting it down.
I was in the middle of this. Trying to keep Rayley and Bow happy and occupied when Bretts Teachers AIde came in. She handed me the envolope that his report card came in and said "did you see this?" I said "yes" "well why didnt you sign it?"
I told her I did. and wrote a note. I pulled it out. She said "But you didnt sign the outside and you KEEP the report, you dont send it back."
SO explain to me WHY the report card has a signature line ON it if I am NOT supposed to sign it? I asked her if the teacher had even looked. She said no.
So I decided to take it down to her. Maybe talk to her for a second. I went down there and Brett was in his desk, literly facing the wall. with his back to the rest of the class. And a kid is standing there talking to him. When his teacher walked out into the hall I started talking to her and she called Brett out. I finnished explaining that I had seen the report card and wrote her a note. same with the progress report. ( how do they KNOW I got it if I dont send it back? there is no place on the envolope to SIGN for it) When I was in school we didnt get recess if we didnt bring the dang things back the next day!! And they say parents are NOT involoved. GGGGGGGGGGRRRRRRRRR.
ANYWAY. I told her that I wanted BRett to NOT go to recess. I wanted him to do work instead. In the 2 subjects that he was having problems with. She didnt look happy and told me there was no homework for those subjects. So I told her he could instead read his books. That would be fine.
Then I had to ask Brett if that was the SAME kid that he had been in trouble with 3 days last week for throwing pencils, and erasers with. He said yes. I asked him WHY ON EARTH that kid was UP, all the way across the room, at HIS desk, talking to him.
"he wanted to borrow a pencil"
"so he can THROW it back at you later?"
"probebly, thats why I got in trouble last time, he was throwing them back at me. I told you that." And he did. he told me that. BUT I really didnt think that a teacher would allow the kid to do it. seriously.
"tell him to get his OWN. That is why you stay in trouble."
I told him to NOT look at the kid. NOT talk to the kid and NOT let the kid borrow ANYTHING. There is NO sense in giving him ammunition!
Heck even in High School I cant imagine us ever just getting up and walking around the classroom to borrow something. EVER. and in elemetery school? We had to raise our hand to go to the pencil sharpener. And we better have a good excuse as to why our extra 3 pencils were not sharp BEFORE class started. There were kids milling all around. For no reason.
I really didnt delve into the problems I saw. I just didnt feel it was worth it. I have a feeling that I need to have a heart to heart with Brett. I think he does act up in class. BUT now I also think that he gets pulled into a lot of stuff that isnt really his fault. And I hate that. I have been on him SO hard this year. SO hard. And I see that maybe its not all his fault.
I am begining to think that its more of a personality conflict. ANd I know how that is. Ironicly my 3rd grade teacher hated me. ANd I was such a shy child noone could ever fiqure out why. But she did. She would purposely not include me in stuff. Or I woulnt get the notes sent home for school functions. I remember noone beliving me. I hope we can fix this. I really do. I guess next year is a new year. Dont get me wrong. he is no angel. I could ring his neck sometimes. But it seems there is a side to him there that NOONE else ever see's except her. I really wonder if this isnt what has been wrong with him ALL year. Cause I am not kidding when I say that HE was NOT like this last year. AT ALL. They have tried to blame it on everything from me loosing my job (so I was home more... being a fulltime mom), to having a baby, to Rayley not being as dependant on them, and learning to do things on her own, to.... all of it.
I fiqure that if he was still the same happy go lucky kid when his house burned, his grandma died, and his sister was born all with in 5 months of each other, me stopping work and being home all the time and him getting the baby he asked for (NOT my idea...) would make him even MORE happy. They used to BEG me to quit my job! LOL
After I got all of that over with and I was back to cutting out all those mothers day cards (I could kill the person who thought of this... sadly, it was partly me...) I got a call from Matts teacher. Of course with a 72 in conduct, he misses the last right choice celebration. I asked her HOW, when I get a folder EVERY night that says if he got in trouble that day I didnt know he was getting in trouble. she thinks she forgot sometimes to write it in there.
Or maybe it was on days he forgot his folder at home. Okay, if he DOESNT bring his folder does he still go to recess? yes, he just looses another point. -- He could give a rats ass about a point. Recess is where the fun is. Its instant gratification. why not take THAT away. ?? It seems he is talking in class.
I told her that I wanted to know EVERYDAY, ON the day when he was bad and lost a point. So far he is like at a 99. This kid has missed the A honor roll EVERY 6 weeks this year. even the AB honor roll. AND last 6 weeks he had a 92 in conduct. To me that is a red flag. He has kept HIGH 80's and 90's all year in conduct. All of a sudden its a 72 and we dont call home? I am confused. But it does no good to question them. It really doesnt.
Anyway, Even when he had A's in conduct, like last time, he was A honor roll. Except he had a U in handwriting. So that keeps him off the honor roll. he would average out as a A student ALL year. except he always gets a U. I have made him write sentence after sentence. hour after hour. then I see the work he brings home. Its in NO WAY legible. I would swear the 3 year old wrote it. BUT it is graded and accepted. If you dont LIKE his handwriting, then refuse to accept it. Make him do it over. I have asked for this. Begged for it.
I told her today. DONT let him go to recess. Make him sit and write. EVERY day. He CAN write neat. I have seen him. But if you let him get away with NOT doing it he will. He's 8. And already can game the system.
I really dont know what to do. I really dont. They are actually to the point that they could care less. Matt says there is no sense in even trying. He knows he will average out a passing grade if he does hardly ANY work this 6 weeks. and since he wont get a AB honoroll medal he doesnt care.
And Brett aced his taks test on reading (and managed to get a 70 in reading), missed one problem on the math 6 weeks test and has passed the taks practice math test with flying colors. So he see's no point in even attempting to do better.
Anyway. tonight Matt had baseball. And we found his bat. One of his coaches had gotten it out of the dugout. It seems that Matt had went to the bathroom and hadnt gotten the bat, the coach thought he had left and forgotten it. and when Matt came back the bat and that coach were gone. I am SO releaved. I was SO scared he wouldnt ever get it back. He did decent tonight. Oh he acted like he had never seen a ball headed at him on short stop, but he did stop a few. he didnt look near as good as he did in practice on Saturday. But at least he did get a hit. And made it to second. well he made it home. But got a double. THey lost. But I dont care. I am JUST THRILLED we found the bat!! OH and I dont have anymore 'double' games. Every game I go to now is either JUST matt, or JUST brett. No running between feilds.
Between school and baseball I came home today. One time I 'lost' Rayley. Come to find out she was in my laundry closet and was digging under clothes. I asked her what she was doing. I had them all in piles.
"lookin for geiko"
"who the hell is geiko and why did you get him dirty enough that I need to wash him?"
she just kept digging.
I told her it was fruitless. I hadnt washed any stuffed animals lately but if I came across him I would be sure to wash him and give him back. If she promised to QUIT taking stuffed animals outside.
"he aint stuffed!"
"okay, if you will quit taking your friends outside"
"but thats where I found him!"
"well its not my fault you left him out there one day, if you wouldnt take them out to begin with it wouldnt happen"
"NOOOO MOOOOOOOM. Geiko isnt a pretend animal. He's the lizard I hid yesterday when you said I had to put all of them outside. I hid him under these clothes"
OH GREAT! I just hope he escaped. BEFORE I traipsed through there doing 3 loads last night and this morning.
The kids got up and Brett asked if he could play the playstation. Actually he started out by saying "mom, we wont fight, we will ONLY do it if 2 can do it and noone will get their feelings hurt. I promise"
At first I was confused. I was hopeing it was him turning over a new leaf and would apply to the rest of the day.
NOPE. he finally told me "if I let them play the playstation". I told him he could.
He was shocked for a full 5 minutes. Then convinced Matt I really did say yes. I told them ONE HOUR.
It was less than 45 minutes later and Brett was already changing games. To one where only one person can play at a time. Matt doesnt stick around long to play the games anyway. He just doesnt like them. which is fine with me. I bet that thing hasnt been turned on in 4 or 5 months. I forget we have it.
Once we turned off the games the kids went outside. They came back with a horney toad. Horney toads are VERY rare up here, but they said this was the 3rd one they had found. They wanted to keep it, but I made them take it back outside. I dont want the cat to eat it!
yesterday evening we went to my mother in laws. The kids immediatly found the critter keepers that they got for Matts birthday. I didnt know what they were doing, till I heard my mother in law screaming bloody murder. Then I knew. They were lizard hunting. They love to torture her. She lives in the woods like we do, so they just go out and play to thier hearts content.
At one time Matt had 4 lizards in his little kritter cage thing.
When it was time to go he loaded up and brought home his lizards. I told him that he wasnt allowed to bring them in the house. I didnt see Rayleys cage or Bretts.
Hoover was disapointed that I wouldnt let him keep them in the house, but said he understood. I also told him NOT to let them loose in the truck. He swore he wouldnt . When we got home and I got everyone unloaded I happened to look up. I saw something green and quick out of the corner of my eye.
So I started hollering at kids! I told them I wanted everyone of the lizards OUT of the house. RIGHT THEN!
They grumbled and moaned. And once the 4th one was caught I realized that BRett and Rayley had brought in their own stash.
SO I asked them HOW many lizards were brought in. They couldnt remmeber. I told them I had counted every one in the keepers and they better tell me the truth. They swore they didnt know. SO I picked the number 9. I told them they better find 9 lizards pretty quick.
I swear it was awful in here. There were kids going everywhere trying to catch lizards that DIDNT want to be caught.
We did end up with 9. I dont know how many more are in here. BUT I did make them empty their pockets BEFORE putting their clothes in the washing machine. They have been known to leave something in them!
I know there is at least one more in here. Cause the cat has been going crazy since last night. But if it will stay out of site it will be okay. I dont mind A lizard in the house. they eat bugs and such. I'd MUCH rather have a lizard. BUT the cat doesnt like them.
One time yesterday Matt was in the floor watching TV and playing with something. He had been down there for over an hour and it dawned on us. He was just playing with a lizard. Loving it and petting it. When he started trying to teach it to balance on one of Bow's toys I drew the line. I told him that I didnt want lizard poo on the baby's toys. He said "oh he doesnt need to poop. he did it about 30 minutes ago"
I asked him what he meant. "when I asked you to pause the TV so I could go to the bathroom it was to wash my hands and make sure he was clean. Can I keep him? He's real tame."
NO! you cant keep a lizard. MO-RON!
I found their report cards last night. Somehow Matt has went from a 85 in conduct to a 72. The last report I had was a 85! I was pissed! His next lowest grade was a 87. EVERYTHING else was high 90's. How do you make almost all A's and have a 72 in CONDUCT?
NEvermind this is my idiot... I mean kid we are talking about.
I wrote a note to his teacher. Asking her to call me.
Then it was on to Bretts report card. Where I found his progress report. Where I had written a note to his teacher to please let me know how he could bring up a C in Social Studies.
He had 2 C's. My kids have NEVER made C's. I am LIVID! I wrote his teacher a LONG note. Asking her to PLEASE have him sit out recess and instead study. SInce he wasnt able to bring home any of the homework that I had requested back at week 3.
Fast Forward to today. I got up and went to the school. I had to cut out 500 cards for mothersday. Luckily we have a die cut machine. And since the card is almost the size of a 8 and a half by 11 and our die cut machine isnt. I had to hit each one twice after scooting it down.
I was in the middle of this. Trying to keep Rayley and Bow happy and occupied when Bretts Teachers AIde came in. She handed me the envolope that his report card came in and said "did you see this?" I said "yes" "well why didnt you sign it?"
I told her I did. and wrote a note. I pulled it out. She said "But you didnt sign the outside and you KEEP the report, you dont send it back."
SO explain to me WHY the report card has a signature line ON it if I am NOT supposed to sign it? I asked her if the teacher had even looked. She said no.
So I decided to take it down to her. Maybe talk to her for a second. I went down there and Brett was in his desk, literly facing the wall. with his back to the rest of the class. And a kid is standing there talking to him. When his teacher walked out into the hall I started talking to her and she called Brett out. I finnished explaining that I had seen the report card and wrote her a note. same with the progress report. ( how do they KNOW I got it if I dont send it back? there is no place on the envolope to SIGN for it) When I was in school we didnt get recess if we didnt bring the dang things back the next day!! And they say parents are NOT involoved. GGGGGGGGGGRRRRRRRRR.
ANYWAY. I told her that I wanted BRett to NOT go to recess. I wanted him to do work instead. In the 2 subjects that he was having problems with. She didnt look happy and told me there was no homework for those subjects. So I told her he could instead read his books. That would be fine.
Then I had to ask Brett if that was the SAME kid that he had been in trouble with 3 days last week for throwing pencils, and erasers with. He said yes. I asked him WHY ON EARTH that kid was UP, all the way across the room, at HIS desk, talking to him.
"he wanted to borrow a pencil"
"so he can THROW it back at you later?"
"probebly, thats why I got in trouble last time, he was throwing them back at me. I told you that." And he did. he told me that. BUT I really didnt think that a teacher would allow the kid to do it. seriously.
"tell him to get his OWN. That is why you stay in trouble."
I told him to NOT look at the kid. NOT talk to the kid and NOT let the kid borrow ANYTHING. There is NO sense in giving him ammunition!
Heck even in High School I cant imagine us ever just getting up and walking around the classroom to borrow something. EVER. and in elemetery school? We had to raise our hand to go to the pencil sharpener. And we better have a good excuse as to why our extra 3 pencils were not sharp BEFORE class started. There were kids milling all around. For no reason.
I really didnt delve into the problems I saw. I just didnt feel it was worth it. I have a feeling that I need to have a heart to heart with Brett. I think he does act up in class. BUT now I also think that he gets pulled into a lot of stuff that isnt really his fault. And I hate that. I have been on him SO hard this year. SO hard. And I see that maybe its not all his fault.
I am begining to think that its more of a personality conflict. ANd I know how that is. Ironicly my 3rd grade teacher hated me. ANd I was such a shy child noone could ever fiqure out why. But she did. She would purposely not include me in stuff. Or I woulnt get the notes sent home for school functions. I remember noone beliving me. I hope we can fix this. I really do. I guess next year is a new year. Dont get me wrong. he is no angel. I could ring his neck sometimes. But it seems there is a side to him there that NOONE else ever see's except her. I really wonder if this isnt what has been wrong with him ALL year. Cause I am not kidding when I say that HE was NOT like this last year. AT ALL. They have tried to blame it on everything from me loosing my job (so I was home more... being a fulltime mom), to having a baby, to Rayley not being as dependant on them, and learning to do things on her own, to.... all of it.
I fiqure that if he was still the same happy go lucky kid when his house burned, his grandma died, and his sister was born all with in 5 months of each other, me stopping work and being home all the time and him getting the baby he asked for (NOT my idea...) would make him even MORE happy. They used to BEG me to quit my job! LOL
After I got all of that over with and I was back to cutting out all those mothers day cards (I could kill the person who thought of this... sadly, it was partly me...) I got a call from Matts teacher. Of course with a 72 in conduct, he misses the last right choice celebration. I asked her HOW, when I get a folder EVERY night that says if he got in trouble that day I didnt know he was getting in trouble. she thinks she forgot sometimes to write it in there.
Or maybe it was on days he forgot his folder at home. Okay, if he DOESNT bring his folder does he still go to recess? yes, he just looses another point. -- He could give a rats ass about a point. Recess is where the fun is. Its instant gratification. why not take THAT away. ?? It seems he is talking in class.
I told her that I wanted to know EVERYDAY, ON the day when he was bad and lost a point. So far he is like at a 99. This kid has missed the A honor roll EVERY 6 weeks this year. even the AB honor roll. AND last 6 weeks he had a 92 in conduct. To me that is a red flag. He has kept HIGH 80's and 90's all year in conduct. All of a sudden its a 72 and we dont call home? I am confused. But it does no good to question them. It really doesnt.
Anyway, Even when he had A's in conduct, like last time, he was A honor roll. Except he had a U in handwriting. So that keeps him off the honor roll. he would average out as a A student ALL year. except he always gets a U. I have made him write sentence after sentence. hour after hour. then I see the work he brings home. Its in NO WAY legible. I would swear the 3 year old wrote it. BUT it is graded and accepted. If you dont LIKE his handwriting, then refuse to accept it. Make him do it over. I have asked for this. Begged for it.
I told her today. DONT let him go to recess. Make him sit and write. EVERY day. He CAN write neat. I have seen him. But if you let him get away with NOT doing it he will. He's 8. And already can game the system.
I really dont know what to do. I really dont. They are actually to the point that they could care less. Matt says there is no sense in even trying. He knows he will average out a passing grade if he does hardly ANY work this 6 weeks. and since he wont get a AB honoroll medal he doesnt care.
And Brett aced his taks test on reading (and managed to get a 70 in reading), missed one problem on the math 6 weeks test and has passed the taks practice math test with flying colors. So he see's no point in even attempting to do better.
Anyway. tonight Matt had baseball. And we found his bat. One of his coaches had gotten it out of the dugout. It seems that Matt had went to the bathroom and hadnt gotten the bat, the coach thought he had left and forgotten it. and when Matt came back the bat and that coach were gone. I am SO releaved. I was SO scared he wouldnt ever get it back. He did decent tonight. Oh he acted like he had never seen a ball headed at him on short stop, but he did stop a few. he didnt look near as good as he did in practice on Saturday. But at least he did get a hit. And made it to second. well he made it home. But got a double. THey lost. But I dont care. I am JUST THRILLED we found the bat!! OH and I dont have anymore 'double' games. Every game I go to now is either JUST matt, or JUST brett. No running between feilds.
Between school and baseball I came home today. One time I 'lost' Rayley. Come to find out she was in my laundry closet and was digging under clothes. I asked her what she was doing. I had them all in piles.
"lookin for geiko"
"who the hell is geiko and why did you get him dirty enough that I need to wash him?"
she just kept digging.
I told her it was fruitless. I hadnt washed any stuffed animals lately but if I came across him I would be sure to wash him and give him back. If she promised to QUIT taking stuffed animals outside.
"he aint stuffed!"
"okay, if you will quit taking your friends outside"
"but thats where I found him!"
"well its not my fault you left him out there one day, if you wouldnt take them out to begin with it wouldnt happen"
"NOOOO MOOOOOOOM. Geiko isnt a pretend animal. He's the lizard I hid yesterday when you said I had to put all of them outside. I hid him under these clothes"
OH GREAT! I just hope he escaped. BEFORE I traipsed through there doing 3 loads last night and this morning.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
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