Come on little sheeps, Get in line now...

The kids were out playing a few days ago, as usual they tried to bring in their finds. This time it was a wasp nest. They brought me a decent sized one the other day, about the size of a box of kleenex. It was empty and I put it up on shelf. Very neat looking. Well this one wasnt empty. I told them to get it back outside. So they took it and went back out with it.

Then I see them playing with something a little while later. They had brought back in the larve. I thought I had explained to them that the larva would hatch out in the house and sting us all. But they just aint gona listen. I made them take that BACK outside.

Then Rayley came in the next day all upset. I couldnt understand what she was talking about, but she went and woke up the boys. Come to find out she had went out to the 'nursery' and the wasp larva was gone. She was all upset. wanting them to go and find more babies. They jumped up and started to head back out. I dont know what they think they are going to do. Raise up a baby wasp and teach it not to sting? Oh well, I will deal with that when they get stung. again. They have all been stung. And KNOW it hurts. You would think they would know better. But....


I have spent the last few days still killing ants. The boys came in and told me they had ants in their room. So I went and looked. Sure enough their wall had some and they were heading into the room. I told them to clean out around there and I would come and kill them. This took HOURS. And alot of threats from me. ALOT. once they got it looking clean I headed in there. Then looked under the beds. Now I know how they got their room looking so clean the other day. I made them clean up under there too. Sure enough, there were ants all under there. I tried to explain to them that anything I sprayed had to be thrown away. They just dont listen.

I dont let my kids eat anywhere but the kitchen. They still had crumbs in their rooms. That just irks me.

And speaking of eating in the kitchen. TWICE today I cleaned up spilled sugar. I guess someone taught them to put it on the cornflakes I bought. I cleaned it up the first time, ( I have been having to clean it up and telling them daily to quit making that mess) well, then when I went back tonight to clean after supper I found they had made another mess. I dont know what they did with this sugar, cause they are only allowed cereal once a day. In the morning. So I emptied out the canister and put a note in there. I told them they would not get any more sugar. I put it in a ziploc bag and in a high cabinet.

Then as I was cleaning I found hugs bottles, and spilled hugs, and half full ones. I wrote a note. It says :you are not allowed to have anymore hugs (the kooliade/juice things they drink), I told them what I had cleaned up and what I had thrown away. Then I said there was a pitcher of water and 3 glasses. That is what they are to use.

I got a phone call from a friend today. She wanted me to look online at the local paper. Seems last night our school board had decided to impliment a uniform for our kids. No warning, no advanced notice, just do it and damn the taxpayers.

they have to wear oxford shirts or collared pullovers. in 6 colors, maroon, grey, black, orange, yellow or green. And they have to wear navy or kahki pants or shorts, or skirts. It starts in 5th grade and goes to 12th.

I am BEYOND pissed. I dont let my kids dress inappropriatly. Their clothes FIT, they dont show their underwear, they are properly groomed (bzz cuts and all). I dont appriciate someone else telling ME that my kids cant dress like they always have. Jeans and boots. The shirts I dont really have a problem with. Except there are no girl colors. (for when Rayley gets up there, not for the boys). My kids do wear those types of shirts. Heck, up until this last semester they only wore a T shirt one day a week, the rest of the week they wore button up shirts. But they outgrew them and all I could find on the clearence racks were T shirts. And that was really just the last few 6 weeks. I dont let them wear anything in public that I wouldnt let them wear to church.

But we are not preppy, and they specifically said ".... a casual buisiness enviroment' My kids are KIDS, in school, they are NOT employees in an office setting.

And they wear JEANS and BOOTS. Matt wont wear ANYTHING other than Jeans and Boots. He wont even wear shorts if its 110* outside. There is NO way he is gona wear dockers, or cheeno's or what ever in the hell you call them. And they sure as HELL wont wear loafers.

And I am NOT going to make them do it. They deserve to be their own people. I pay for them to go to that school with MY tax dollars. They had no right to just decide they were going to take away my childrens individuality.

And the arguments about someone picking on them becuase of teh clothes they wear? well I was poor. I wore jeans and boots or homemade clothes. I NEVER got picked on. This is a country town. Sure there are kids wearing hillfigure, or gap, or what ever. But there are also kids wearing jeans and boots. And Matts boots are ariats, they dont get any more expensive than that.

I dont want to raise sheep. I want them to be themselves. Matt LOVES to wear overalls. Regular jean overalls, pin striped conductor overalls ( those are his sunday go to meetin overalls), it doesnt matter, he LOVES them. All the old timers here wear them. You can go to a funeral and folks have them on. They are clean, they are pressed, but they are what those men wear.

Their daddy has one pair of shorts, and doesnt wear them in public, he sleeps in them. when he gets dressed its jeans, boots and a shirt. you wont see him any other way. They are the same way.

To make them be someone differnt isnt fair to them. If the schools have a problem with people letting their pants droop downa nd showing their underwear, then BY GOD, tell them to pull them up. Dont like the T-shirts with sayings? then dont let them wear them.

But dont try to make them all look like stepford children just because you think it looks more professional. And its not even as much my boys. What about my girl? she has to dress like a boy? look like she works at walmart? (their uniforms are blue shirts and kahki pants). SHe is a girl. SHe loves colors, and skirts, and shoes. She has to look like one of the other drones just to be educated?

THere are some moms that are already online trying to find the uniforms. They say "well whats done is done, we cant change it" uhhhhhh... if they told you right now to bring all your guns and money to the court house square and turn it in would you just do that with out a fight?

We are becoming a society of wimps. Not standing up for ourselves or what we belive in. we are just letting others make our decsions for us and accepting that they know best. Its sad. And scary. Stand up. if something pisses you off, BY GOD say something. Dont just sit there and hope it all gets better. The only thing worse than being a push over is teaching your kids its okay to be a push over. or that they should strive to be like everyone else.

I am not sure what can be done, but I am going to try to do something. You can tell me that its easier, its cheaper, its this or that. No, its someone telling me that I cant raise and dress my children they way I see fit. Its someone telling my children that being themselves and having confidence in who they are is NOT valid. That they need to look and act like everyone else. My kids wear a white undershirt. tuck in their outershirts, wear a belt, and have holes in the knees of their jeans. They are KIDS.

As far as being cheaper? No, its more expensive. I would have to shell out for these uniforms. THEN buy them clothes to actually wear. That would mean an extra load of laundry a day. They would have to come in and change out of their clothes for school into jeans and shirts and going out to play.

How in the hell is it easier? because thats all there is in teh closet? or because mommy's dont have to think?

And what the hell are they going to do in the winter? tell me to buy my kids a kahki 'members only' jacket? If they are worried about gangs, then what will keep these kids from wearing a certain team jacket? Mine wear camoflage. its a twofer. they have to have them for hunting and need a jacket for school. So I buy them a camo jacket and they are set.

Can they not wear a dallas cowboys jacket? Or their hoodies? sometimes its not real cold,(or they loose their jackets) they just throw on a hoodie. So they cant wear them anymore?

and as far as if they all look the same they wont pick on each other, are you telling me the rich kids shirts wont have a horse and rider? or an aligator? their pants wont have that little tag that makes them cost 60.00 a peice? Bull crap. They WILL.

I have already bought next years clothes on clearence. thats how I do it. All I have to buy is their jeans. WRANGLES. 14.00.

I am sorry, I am just so pissed about this, I cant belive that someone else is taking it upon themselves to dictate the colors my kids can wear. I am all for a dress code. Dont mind the silly little rules, but a uniform is going above and beyond. I want to know if the teachers have to wear it too? or do they get to wear their cutsie little skirts and appliqued shirts? Do they get to wear the multicolored scarfs and pinks and reds?

or do they have to pick from the drab colors? The lack of fashion and comfort. Are they still going to get to wear jeans all week? while my kids are having to wear those stupid slacks?



Anyway, Bow is doing great. He is such a sweet baby, but he WONT get still, he NEVER sits still. you are constantly wrassilin him. But I am realizing (as I do with each kid) that I miss remembering so much. I dont remember Brett being this small, or Matt, or Rayley. I dont even remember Bow as an infant. He is bound and determined to walk. He hasnt gotten very far. But he keeps trying to let go of the furniture. And he has his top two teeth coming in.

Rayley is enjoying her big brothers being home. Most of the time. It doesnt matter what they do. She is going to be right in the middle of it. ANd when they go outside and get hot and take off their shirts, she takes hers off right along side them. I just let her. She will realize soon enough that she cant. But right now it makes her feel like she is one of them.
Of course they always take them off outside and loose them. I have to send them back out to get them all the time.

Today was the first day in weeks that I didnt battle fireants here in the house. I saw one or two. But didnt trace them. I just wasnt up for it. every day I have found them in a differnt place. Its really driving me crazy. We put out poisen under the house. I sprayed all the grass/weeds around the house to kill them, maybe with out the grass/weeds, they wont have a place to hide. I have ant traps to put outside once I get the weeds/grass dead. and I swear I have sprayed poisen on every baseboard and ceiling board that I can find.

Oh and I am going to be painting Rayleys room soon. Hot pink, Lime Green and purple. I cant wait. well I can. I hate to paint. But it will be so cute. I am fixing to have to paint all the walls here. They are light tan. it just drives me nuts. I want it to reflect US. like our clothes do. Not be nuetral and 'fit everyone'.

I would like to fiqure out a way for me to get her room done and her not be here to see it in progress. Maybe I can get her at someone's house the day and night I do it. Of course I know it will take more than one day. Especially with Bow. He wont let me do anything for more than 10 minutes with out deciding he needs to nurse, or just needs to be held. He is quite the little monster that way.

Maybe I can talk someone into coming and help me. I know better than to ask BR. If I did he would end up telling me what all I am doing wrong. and what I should be doing. and blah blah blah. :)

Remembering to Remember by forgeting how to forget.

Well, Today was Matts Baseball party. BR decided to go with me. I am glad he went. He does work alot and we dont get to see him very much.

I have spent the last few days fighting fireants still. Everytime I get them all cleaned up and killed I find a new place where they are coming in. Its a never ending battle.

Yesterday at 9am I told the kids to get their rooms picked up. I couldnt even walk in them. I told them to clean one today and then we would do the other later.

At 9:30 last night I finally sent them to bed. The rooms are SEMI cleaned. There is a clean path. Thats about it. They just kept playing. OR they would get something done and then end up mad at the other one and trash what they had already gotten done.

I swear, sometimes they astound me. an hour tops would have gotten done what they actually got done and they could have played the rest of the day. Instead they made all our lives miserable. BR says I should just let them go outside and play. He never had to clean his room as a kid and neither should they. (not cleaning your room as a kid carries over into adulthood. I promise). He says that its their stuff, I shouldnt care. And its just a waste of my time. Well, even if I could go with this therory, I cant get to Bows dresser when their room is like that. Not with out something causing me bodily harm.

And my mother in law called, she wanted the kids to go to daycare today, they were going to the park to play and wanted them to get to go. Nice of her. Except I had to get them all up and dressed by 6:30 to go to work with her.

I woke up at 6:33. she has been showing up around 6:40 the last week of school, so I ran in and tried to wake them up. Rayley bounced up and got dressed. No fighting, no whining, no arguing about wearing shorts and tennis shoes and not a dress and flip flops. The boys were a little harder, I had begged them last night to go to bed. They never would listen. They did get up, but wanted to drag. I told them they didnt have time for that. They got dressed pretty quickly, then Matt couldnt find his other shoe. They havent worn shoes since school was out, (they go outside barefoot) and when they cleaned their room they lost it.

I went in there and destroyed their room trying to find the damn shoe. guess they will have to reclean it. It wasnt like they did a good job to start with.

I had to be in town before 4 for a mystery shop. But first I had to go to my grandfathers to help him put up squash. Come to find out we wernt doing it on halves this time. It was all for me and my mom, BUT he thinks I dont do it right, so he wanted to be in charge. LOL

He insists on cooking them 12 minutes, then you keep them IN the basket you boiled them in, put them in cool water, then in ice water, then you have to lay them out on the towell side by side, not touching. Then you get another towell and you pat them dry.

Then you fill up a 2 quart bowl and dump it in a bag.

it takes forever. When I do it here at home I just boil them 3 minutes, dump them in a sink full of water, put more squash in my basket and throw it back in the pot to start more cooking. Then when those in the water are 'shocked' I throw them out on the towell, try to make sure they are not in one huge pile and let them cool till they are cold. (you cant bag and freeze warm squash, they will sour in the freezer.)

I end up with all my squash done, and cooling pretty quickly, then go back a little while later and bag them up. Just putting in handfuls till I reckon I got it right.

Where as honey ( thats what I call him) only has ONE basketful on the towell at a time and it is bagged before any more is dumped. I never could convince him that we end up putting all of that one batch in a bag. he kept saying "but one time it might be more than 2 quarts". It never was. Apparently, the full basket of raw squash equals 2 quarts of cooked squash.

Once BR and I got to town and I did the mystery shop we had to go and get the kids from daycare.
We had to go to Lowes and get a 4 x 4 and when we got back out to the truck both boys piled in before I could even get the back doors open for the little ones.

I explained to them again that I needed help sometimes getting everyone in and they were going to have to start helping me. I had to get Rayley in, Bow in, both buckled and the stroller in the back.

I told them that anytime we leave a store they are to each pick a kid, make sure the door is open for Rayley, make sure she gets in and if I am dealing with Bow to buckle her up. If I am dealing with groceries, to buckle up Bow and I would check the seatbelts before we left, but they were NOT to just load up and leave all the grocery packing to me. They had to start helping. Its starting to get hot and getting everyone and everything into the truck (that I start the second we get out there) before we have a heat stroke or the meat goes bad is paramount. Not them fighting over who sits up front. It wont hurt them to help a little and will keep them out of trouble. Plus it keeps Rayley out of the parking lot standing by her door.

Then we headed to the park to wait on the time for Matts party to start. It wasnt bad. I got a coffee out of it. A friend of mine runs a coffee shop in town. she got me hooked on latte's or some such. I dont really know what they are called. I just know its called a 'speCHELLE" or somesuch. She says that even the most hardcore coffee drinkers cringe when she tells them whats in it.. There are 5 or 6 expressos, 1/4 cup of sugar and 1/4 cup of steamed milk. in a med sized cup. its pretty good, but I have found that you cant order it at other places. They tend to look at you like you are crazy and make somthing with more milk, and less sugar and coffee.. Stupid people.

Anyway, I really enjoyed the coffee. :) They got their trophies and got to play at the park for a while. And got to eat Pizza and have fun. Of course Rayley fell asleep while we were waiting for everyone to show up. It took 15 minutes to get her to wake up. I kid you not. She had played her little heart out today. I almost didnt get her OUT of daycare. She hates to leave.

When it came time to leave I was talking to a friend and got Bow and Rayley all buckled in. I asked the boys to put the stroller in the back and to load up. BR had to go to work. The boys started fighting over who got to ride up front. THey do this all the time. One of them HAS to ride up front. we dont have a choice. I drive a truck. its a 4 door. I have 4 kids. thats 3 in the back and one in the front and BR and I are of course in front. Rayley BEGS to get to sit up front. But she is just too young. and the boys fight over it.

BR came to get in and both boys were sitting up front. I was in the back buckiling up Bow and Rayley and he asked them what the hell they were doing. I told him they were arguing over who got to sit where again. He finally said "isnt it first one then the other?" I said "yes" so he pointed out that BRett had been up there since we left daycare.

This resulted in Brett smarting off. He mumbled something, I dont know what, I was still trying to buckle in that contortionist that I gave birth to. He will NOT sit still. and DeSPISES having to ride turned around. I cant blame him. I know he wants to face foward. poor thing.

I am not sure what saved Bretts life. I really dont think BR heard him mumble. Either that or it was the full parking lot. I gave him a look and he shut up. I would just have to deal with it later. I wanted to go home.

We came home and went out to the backyard looking around at what BR had bushhogged today. He couldnt sleep even after working all week and so he had played on the tractor while I was at Huney's. (we really dont have a yard, just land. but its behind the house, so its the backyard... )

We came inside and he started getting ready to go to work. BR asked where Rayley was. Brett said "in her room asleep". For some reason this didnt ring true to me, so I asked him to go and make sure. He said "I know she is" and then started back to the kitchen.

BR decided to go look and was about 2 steps ahead of me. He went to her bed (after wading through toys and clothes and chairs and pillows, and toys, and buckets, and toyboxes, and toys that are about a foot deep (during which he asked "dont you ever make them clean their rooms?", I didnt say a word. NOT a freaking word. )

He threw back the blanket on her bed. No Rayley. So we started outside. I had seen her get out of the truck. I know I did. He told me to head out behind the house, the dogs were still back there, and he started in the other direction. We wernt worried about her being hurt or anything, just about her getting a little lost in the underbrush and sulling up and not answering when we hollered. She tends to sull up when she gets mad. She goes outside and plays by herself sometimes, just staying in the front of the house where the sand is. I dont worry about her wondering off.

Well, We both started in opposite directions and she walked out from behind the truck. She was back there playing in the sand and didnt even know we had went inside. She thought we were still behind the house looking at the stump that BR had worked out of the ground today.

Brett was schooled in the mistakes he made. and told to ALWAYS go and check when he is told to.

BR finally was able to get dressed and go to work, and I came in here and settled in. I told Matt to go and get his unifrom shirt ( I had taken it today for him to wear at his party, cause he had forgotten, and instead of listening to me and taking off the shirt he wore all day he put this one on over it. So when he got hot he took off the uniform shirt and threw it down. I had made him to go get it while we were there.)

He went out and came back in a few mintes later. He couldnt find the stroller and he had put it in the basket of the stroller. I was on the phone, so I got up, disengaged Bow, and put on my shoes and walked outside to show him that if it was a snake it would have bit him. He kept insisting that he had looked in 'both backs' the seat and truck bed.

I went and looked. there was NO stroller. NONE. NOTHING but my plastic box (for keeping baseball stuff in) and a couple of tool boxes. that was IT.

Then it dawned on me. I made all the kids get in the truck and we had to drive ALL the way back to town.

BR will kill me when he finds out. talk about a waste of deisel. But sawdust for brains has put his shirt in there, his trophy and it was my ONLY stroller.
I could have gladly pinched a little head off.

20 miles into town. 20 freakin miles. and the first 3 of them were spent following a guy that used to come in the store when I worked down there. I hated him then and I can tell you that had I not been in a hurry I would have followed him home and let him know just how I felt about him to this day.

I got RIGHT in front of the store, and he pulled out in front of me. Then proceeded to drive 2 of the 3 miles to his cutoff at 50 miles and hour. and there was NO going around him. then when we were less than a mile from his house he slowed down. I didnt know a vehicle could go that slow. He had to have been doing it on purpose. I was SOO glad to get around him. and I waved that special wave to let him KNOW how glad I was.

I just knew that by the time we got back to the library the stroller would be gone. (the park is behind the libary and beside the volunteer fire station, we dont have a real firestation, its not a paid posistion. you just have a radio, if there is a fire you try to leave work, or home nad get to the station, get the truck and get it put out. )

I finally got to the parking lot and sure enough there was no stroller.

So I drove back out onto the street and went to the fire dept. next door. There were a few guys sitting there shooting the bull.

I asked them if they had seen a stroller. This guy walked over and looked at me funny. I told him that my stroller had gotten left behind when we were paking up and wondered if they had seen it.

He said yes, and told me they had put it in the alcove behind the library. OH thank GOD!

He then proceeded to tell me that they had looked all over the park for the baby. They thought some one had abandoned it.

Yep. I abandoned my child, his stroller, and the baseball trophy that has my baseball age sons team name, full name and year on it. OH and plus his uniform shirt.

I do understand. Really I do. But I assured him that no, I had NOT left the baby. and I pointed to the backseat. He looked and nodded his head. I told him that I had asked one of the boys to put the stroller in the back and they had forgotten. He started back on how they had searched all over and this was not the best neighborhood at night and that he had hidden it behind the library.

I assured him again that no, I didnt leave the baby, and wouldnt. The 8 and 9 year olds though were debateable.

I appologized and thanked him for taking the time to hide it. I drove back over there and got it. Both the shirt and trophy were in there.

And I got back in the truck to start home. all 4 kids were asleep. ALL of them. I was pissed, wasting deisel and they were sleeping like babies.

I got them home and told them to go strait to bed. Nope, all 4 were wide awake and wanting to play and talk.

I did convince them that for their own safety they might want to go on to bed. and they were promptly asleep.

I know that I should have double checked to make sure the stroller was in the truck. But thinkin back I remember that I got Bow in his seat, Rayley in hers, she needed a drink so I found her one, and then as I was asking the boys to quit arguing over the front seat and to put up the stroller (BR was talking to another dad by the truck) one of the moms walked up and needed some stuff I had brought for her. When I leaned in to get it I went ahead and got in so I could give Bow something to keep him occupied. I sat there and talked to her for a few minutes, BR was on his side and in the meantime the kids settled in their seats.

I just got sidetracked. But I will say when BR got in and shut his door I went down my list.
Brett-check
Matt- check
Rayley- Check
Bow- check
looked behind me to see all were in seatbelts.. Check
Coffee- check
Purse- check
Diaper bag- check
Bow's toys-check
Keys-still cant find (nto the one in the ignition, the one with my fob)
gave Kristie the dress-check
Got the sizes for the shirts to make-check
did everything for the mystery shop-check
cell phone-check.

we were ready to go.

I just didnt think of the stroller.
But now its on my mental checklist.
I am sure this means something else will drop off...

The cool things we dream of

I came in here to write up some of the stupid crap my kids have done today.

Then BRett comes running in here. (they had been counting their change on the kitchen table).

"if I have enough money can I buy myself a cell phone?"
"Brett, you are 9. What in the world do you need with a cell phone?"
Matt Says "To call a lawyer, I think you abuse us."
"cause they are cool" Brett says.
"pleeeeaaaassssssseeeeee let them have cell phones momma" chimes in Rayley.
then he says "so I can let Matt call Britney"
I wont let Matt call her. I told him to get her address and write her a letter. He thinks I should let him email her. He's 8. Does she really have email?

I kept asking why, they kept saying cause.
I told them that cell phones didnt even work here.
But they work from town is the answer I got.

I told them there is a monthly bill.
They said they would just put it with mine.


Brett finally says "most of the kids in my class have them"
Truthfully? in 3rd grade?
then Matt says that kids in his class have them too.

Then they got back on the email thing. They said that when they asked their friends for their address' the last day of school they were given email address. And wanted to know why they didnt have email address'. Or phones in their rooms. And pointed out how mean I was to not let them call their friends on MY phone.

What are they going to talk about? Spiderman? The smelly kid that used to sit behind them? or the same things they talk about between themselves. farting, what they can blow out their nose when they laugh and how much coke burns? finding creepy crawlies and how to sneak them into the house?

I do remember being in about the 5th grade talking to a friend. matter of fact it was the summer before 6th grade. I was at my grandparents house. They had a HUGE house and phones in every room. I was talking on the phone and could put someone on hold and then go to another room. I remember it getting late and needing to take a bath and told my friend that I wished there was a phone that didnt have a cord. Wouldnt it be neat to be able to just walk around and not be tied to a cord? I remember us sitting there talking about how cool that would be and how when we grew up we would try to invent one. Where you wernt tied within 2 feet of the phone, that was stuck on the wall. And I am not that old.

Now all I own are cordless phones. I do have a corded phone. but its never hooked up till the lights go out. The other day I was searching for a phone and Brett told me "mom, at walmart I saw a phone that has a cord on it. Its really neat. You should buy one of those and you wouldnt ever loose the phone again. I bet they arent that expensive. You could just hang it on the wall and always know right where it was."

I just laughed. When I was their age I dreamed of a cordless one, they think corded ones are neat.

I even remember asking my grandparents when I watched Annie (I was in the 3rd grade and we got a VCR) about the phone line being attached to the car when they made that phone call. Then I asked if they thought there would ever really be anything like that. They just laughed and said no, it just wasnt possible. I told them that I was gona be rich one day and get a phone in my car. They patted me on the head and smiled. I might not be rich, but I do have a phone! If I just had service out here in the woods I might have it made! :)

oh, back to the kids.....
They actually do have friends that call here. But its always someone wanting to come over. Now I will admit, I dont like kids. and I dont want kids at my house. I gave birth to enough kids so mine dont need 'playdates'. And I sure as HELL dont want to have to entertain mom or dad. Thats why my kids dont go to other peoples houses. I have seen how their kids act. I dont want mine to go there and act like that. AND I dont want to have to reciprocate. NoWAY noHOW!

oh sorry. I got off on a tangent there.
But seriously. I have had a kids dad come up to me and tell me "we drove up to your house the other day, Little Steven didnt want to go with us to grandma's and wanted to come see matt instead. But y'all wernt home.I fiqured they could play in the woods or ride y'alls horses." First of all, I live in the STICKS. You HAVE to go out of your way to go to my house. Most people that come here are lost or were invited. with a map. My own sisterinlaw, who I love dearly and invite to come and see me, wont. cause my drive way almost requires a 4 wheel drive. there's a reason for this. It cuts down on the riff raff. This same kid, called here on mothers day. MOTHERS DAY. and wanted to come over. uhhhhhhh nope. This is supposed to be the day I am pampared (yeah... right...) why in the hell would I want someone elses kid here for me to have to deal with?

As far as us not being home.... Its a good thing. I would have had to hurt their feelings. I wouldnt EVER have the audacity to just drop off my kids. ANYWHERE. Heck, my inlaws, grandfather and mother get mad at me cause I never ask them to watch my kids. Its not that I wouldnt LOVE to grocery shop with out all 4. Its just that I dont want to inconvience them. if they wanted them, they would call and ask.



Anyway. Back to the cell phones. I told Brett that his 11 bucks and some change wasnt NEAR enough to buy one. He swore it was. I told him that if all it costs was eleven bucks to get a cell phone I would have replaced mine that I ran over on Christmas eve. (its a sony ericson, z5something or other. not a bad little phone, but its kinda crooked now, but it did stand up to a truck running over it and mushing it...)

I do want to get them those 'chatnow' phones. They are cell phone thingys that are 2 way radios. But you can text message. I plan on teaching one of them to text message pretty soon. So I can give dictation while I am driving.

heck earlier today I was printing some things and was on the floor messing with my printer. I asked one of the kids to push enter. it took him 5 minutes to calm down enough to push it. He was so excited that he was getting to touch my 'puter.

OH and thats another thing. BRett wants to play games on the cell phone. He isnt even capable of playing shrek 3 on the PS2. But in his defence that might be 'cause I never let them play it.

But even if I wanted to get them phones I couldnt. I already have 5 on my plan. BR and I, my mother and father in law and my mother. There will come a day when I have to get them one. And I dont know what I will do then.

Did I tell y'all that they made the AB honor roll for the entire year? BOTH of them!! I am SOOO happy!

And I swear Rayley is eating me out of house and home.
Last night I made banana bread. I made 24 mini muffins and 18 large muffins. I ate 4 mini muffins while they were still warm. (they broke when I was taking them out, I had to eat them....)

BR ate 3 big ones when he came home and took 2 to work.

There are 3 big ones left. I was ONLY gone to town for 4 hours. I had to go and get groceries. My mom called and offered to watch the kids over here. So I hauled butt.

While I was gone I dont know what all she ate. tuna fish I know. Since I have been home she has had 2 peices of pizza, a ham sandwich, a PB&J, muffins, 3 glasses of milk, another PB&J and .....
I am going to have to sell blood to buy groceries for this kid.
And the boys are twice as bad.

I really could just pinch their little heads off. As soon as I get Bow to sleep they will come in here and wake him up. One time it was by all of them spinning around in circles trying to get dizzy. Then as soon as he is good and awake, they will leave the room. I will make them come back and play iwth him, and they will inevitably piss him off so no one but me can make him happy.

And He has a new game.

He will go to the end of the couch, stand up and peer over it and look into their rooms. Then when he sees or hears them coming he will drop down, squeal, and crawl real fast to hide behind me. And will just laugh his fool little head off. As long as his head is hid he thinks no one can see him. you call his name and he laughs harder and squeals.

And did I tell you he was cruisin?? Yep. EVERYWHERE> if he can stand up and hold on he will follow till there aint nothin else to hold on to. Then he hits the floor crawlin.

The kids sat in the floor for about 30 minutes today taking turns playing peek a boo with him. He just stared at them at first. Then would laugh. Then he decided to take away the blanket. He would crawl over to who ever was covered and pull down the blanket. Then he started biting on them. Matt will let him bite and slobber all over him. I am really scared he will catch something.

This child eats ANYTHING. and EVERYTHiNg. I thought Matt was bad. that is why we call him Hoover. But he wasnt nothin compared to this thing. I tape his ears at night, cause they kinda stick out. well he was sitting here trying to not go to sleep and I heared the tape coming off. I look over and he is eating it. He wont even suck on a binkie cause it keeps his mouth too occupied to put things in.

So far today I have taken away : Tape, a hair bow, 5 differnt shoes, 8 differnt peices of paper, my remote 3 times, my toes 7 times, matts nose and ear. Rayleys hair, Rayleys MP3 player, my mouse, my shirt, 6 wipes ( he knows how to hit the button and open them), the cat twice,(yes, I have to take away the cat. she will just sit there), my cell phone, various toys the kids brought in, and he has bit at least everyone of his own toys a few times. I also made him quit chewing on the couch, the coffee table, my computer desk, and the cow the kids and BR rope.

I did make a mistake today, since I was gone most of the day the kids never really were made to go outside. My mom let them watch TV. they were wound up tighter than an 8 day clock. It didnt matter what they were doing, they would end up wrassilin, fightin, bouncin, spinnin, jumpin, throwin somethin, you name it I threatened their lives over it in the last 5 hours. I sent them to bed at 8:40. At 10 I can still hear them. No TV, No lights, no nothin. Just them talkin, and tossin somethin around.

tomorrow they will be awoken early and sent outside. with strict order to NOT come in with threats of bodily harm.

I will have them BEGGIN to go to bed.

Summer has officially started.

Well Friday was fun. I had to get up and cook refried beans for Matts party. No biggie, at least it wasnt 7 dozen homemade tortillas! I got there and his party went really well. It was a Mexican Feista. The kids really liked the pinata.


We did have a few errands to run and so I went and got BRett from school. I had to pay his lunch bill before I could get his report card. 27.00. This kid takes a lunch EVERY DAY! come to find out, he will get in line and get parts of a hot lunch too. The ladies told me this. Said they are always telling him that his momma was gona tan his hide. Oh yea. PLUS, he gets snacks. I was LIVID! I told him that until he 'paid' me back he wouldnt get any snacks at home. It was water and meals. I dont let them drink Soda's and eat alot of junk, but I do buy them raman noodles, and vienna sausages and such. Plus I give them kooliade and juice things. I told him that I would 'deduct' the price of what I would have bought until he paid me back. He could have what ever I made for the family and that was it.

I am trying to learn the coupon game. Its taking me a little while, but I have to do something. Deisel at 4.67 a gallon is eating into every budget I have. Food, lights, etc.
I did manage to buy a few things at walgreens and got to use a 10 dollars off a 30 dollar purchase. I was so proud! :)
Then I had to go to the lumber yard. I HATE having to go to the lumber yard. I end up with some idiot that thinks a girl cant buy nails with out a note from her husband.

I needed material for stairs. ours broke again. My only problem is I cant make a stringer (that 2x10 that is cut like stair steps and you lay the boards on.) BUT you can buy them. So I got 3. The guy I got told me I only needed 2 for 36 inch steps. I wanted 3. we need the extra support. Actually I wanted one, just for the pattern and then to buy a 2x10 tht was 8 foot long. cause stringers are 11.98 each. I could buy a 2x10 tht was 12 feet long for 19.89. but I didnt need 12 feet, just 8 or even a 10 would work. Unfortunatly they didnt have but the 12. and I couldnt find one that wasnt bowed. So I broke down and bought the 3 stringers.

Then I went to get the lumber for steps. I knew I had 5 steps. 36 inches per step. its a no brainer. Three 12 foot boards. And I needed a 2x4 for the handrails. I found a 16 foot 2x4. This would be perfect. I could buy two 12 foots, but thats wasted board and almost twice the money.

Of course all the 19 men that walked by and smiled at me, or talked to the kids didnt stop to help me, a woman just a little over 5ft, with 2 elemetary school kids and an infant, get these boards onto the cart thing. Apparently they wanted to see if I would ask for help. Not a chance.

I went and got my dry wall screws and went to check out.

"are you sure you dont need anything else?"
"pretty sure, its all I can think of"
"what are you makin?"
Matt says "steps"
He just looked at him like he was rude. heck, it aint the kids fault the man is dumb as a box of rocks.
"ahhhh. are you sure you have enough boards?"
"yes, pretty sure. 5 steps, 3 feet each, 3 one by six boards at 12 foot. That means each board will make exactly 4 boards and I need 2 for each step so thats 10. plus a little left over. "
"wont work"
"and why not?"
"lumber is not true."
"its not true on width, length its a little longer"
"what ever you say"
Smile...
"whats the 2 by for ? "
"handrails"
"as in plural?"
"yep. only two."
"you sure its long enough?"
"fairly certain"
"How you gona attach it to the porch?"
"excuse me?"
"how are you going to make the steps stay against the porch or house?"
"tonail it in there?"
"do what?"
Okay, I knew I wasnt dealin with a rocket surgeon to start with, but a lumberyard person that dont know what toenailin is needs to go back to flippin burgers.
"you need a hanger."
"a what?"
"let me go get you one."
so he brings back a metal bracket. and an instruction sheet. It nailes to the existing structure and you set the stringer in it to hold the steps close. With my rambunctious kids it might not be bad.
"cute idea! I didnt know they made these. I had heard about the celing joist things, but not these"
"what do you mean 'heard abotu the ceiling joist things?'"
a guy standing behind me in line said "those havent been around all that long. Used to we had to actually CUT the rafters to fit, not lay them in something. And had to attach stairs with out a thingymabob"
I love it when someone knows what I am talkin about!
I asked how much those were. He told me 87 cents. I took 2. not a big deal.

Then he says
"you forgot something!"
"oh no, what ?"
"nails..." and gets this look of glee and disdain on his face.
"nope I didnt forget them. Dont want them. I will screw it together with these 2 and a half inch screws"
"wont ever work"
"why not?"
"you dont screw together things, you nail them"
"well I screw, you nail, I dont bust boards, and I can back a screw out."
"good luck wtih that."
I paid him and told him that I was going to get my truck. He said "it will be a while, the couple after this guy (the next one in line) have alot of stuff and need to get it loaded. You can park in the lot till we get to you."

Now I had my 7 boards on a cart. theirs were half on the forklift, half on the floor and some were still being brought up.

I just smiled, gathered up my brood and hauled butt across the parking lot to my truck. I threw in the kids and got back to the doors. I wasnt movin to the parkin lot to sit in 100 degree heat with the AC runnin and getting zero miles to the gallon.

I pulled up, he told me again I would have to wait, to drive on through. I told him that I would get it myself.
and I did.

I had forgotten that this truck is a short bed and I am used to a long bed. That 2 foot does make a differnce. But I got it all home and safe.




Saturday was of course BR's day off. And my sister in law called at 7:30 am. its very obvious that she dosnt have kids. She doesnt realize that you sleep when they sleep.
She wanted to take mine to the river. they asked to go, so BR told them okay.

I just stayed asleep. or tried to. But the phone call had woken up Bow. Around 10am BR got out there to start on the steps. He laid them out and then came in to tell me that he had decided to make them 40 inches. I told him I didnt have the wood for that.
"you have 36 foot of board. thats plenty."
"no, there is exactly 4 peices of steps in each board. that is 12 peices at 36 inches. you only need 10. you will have 1/2 of one left."

"right, so adding 4 inches to each step wont hurt."
"but the boards dont work for it"
"How do you mean?"
he started to get mad and tried to explain the math to me.

I tried to explain the fact that the only way to do that was for the last 1/2 step (cause each one was 2 boards) would have to be in 2 parts.

He got mad and went and had to take apart the frame to move it in. Usually by the time I am done trying to explain anything he is agervated at me. He says that I dont make any sense. Its not my fault he doesnt talk blonde. I KNEW what I had bought, had it down to the inch.

We did get to use the new saw he bought the other day though. it does angles really well.

Unfortunatly I wasnt able to use my little metal things, the dipstick had sold me the wrong one. so much for his expertese....

Oh and right about the time we were finishing up the kids showed back up. My sisterinlaw was going to go home and take a nap.

Gee, why didnt I think of that?

Sunday was just a normal day. nothing spectacular. I tried to stay inside all day. it was hot. We watched college baseball on TV and layed around. oh and I cleaned.

today my grandfather called at 8:21. he wanted help putting up some squash. No problem. I went over and we got quite a few quarts put up. I really enjoyed spending time with him too. I had missed that. he is really getting old.

We spent the rest of the day doing not alot of everything. Cleaning up, fighting between the kids. chasing Bow, fighting and some more chasin.

I did get informed there was an escaped rapist that got away from a community service squad. I called the family, told them it was a rumour and checked all the guns. Everything is ready to go. heck I even locked my truck. I never could find anything and eventually a sisterin law called around till she found out that noone in law enforecement knew a thing about it.

I am not sure why someone called the community store and told this lie. But at least I know I am in the loop if it ever does happen.

And it has happened. Last time I was working at the store. A semi regular coustomer had came in and there was a guy with him that just kinda caught my eye. I dont know why. Strangers come through all the time. we have the lake and river. Heck I bet I saw 50 people a day that I had never seen before and would never see again.

Well a few hours later the neighboring county cops came in and asked if I had seen anyone hitchhiking. I told them No, but there had been a guy in with a coustomer that I didnt know and he acted a little weird and I described his clothes and told them the customers name and where he lived in the river bottom. I really didnt think anything would come of it, but no sense in not telling them.

They went down there and come to find out it was him. They went in with guns drawn and everything. The old man had picked him up when he saw him down the river road with his truck broke down and taken him to the store with him and then taken him home till he could get his ride to come and get him.

I didnt know anything about it till a few weeks later when the old man came back out of the river bottom and was telling me about it!

But you just never know, so its always better to be safe than sorry!