A glutten for punishment

Today was one of those days where I wonder why I even get up.

But I did...

It started off by me getting all the kids dressed and going to town. I dont know what in the heck was wrong with them, but when we went to walgreens they almost drove me crazy. I mean I was literly to the point of yanking down one of their pants and beating them with in an inch of their lives right there. I had to get the pictures out of my camera. We are talking 332 pictures that I hadnt devoloped. well this takes a little while. They got tired of watching Bow IN the buggy so they turned him loose on the unsuspecting public.

Yes, he is cute, until he starts running, squealing, and sampliling all the food on the shelves.

I did manage to get a few good deals, but was NOT able to do my 'shopping'. When we finally left there I was using every threat I was capable of using to settle them down.

It did work, for the most part. We went to walmart next, and they were fairly good. Although Rayley did whine the whole time that she was hungry. I am NOT one of those moms that lets her kids get fast food everytime we go to town. for one, its not good for them, but mostly, do you know what it costs to feed 4 kids at a fast food joint? GEEZE!

So, through walmart we went, with 2 buggies. I have one that I put groceries in, and my coupon binder sits on the part the kid is supposed to sit in. ( I have a nifty little dish drainer I bought to hold my binder there.. I will have to take a pic) The other buggy is to hold the 2 kids that I dont trust to walk. A boy pushes each buggy. This is so I can shop, and to keep them busy.
Matt does have to be in front, because he suffers from HIA and will ram Brett EVERY time we stop. He isnt doing it on purpose, he just doesnt pay attention..

They were pretty good like I said, I got some good after Christmas deals, and it wouldnt have been a bad expeireince had it not been for the whining about food. Both boys would chime in occasionally to ask to eat too.

Now, to preface this next part, both boys have savings accounts. I try to take their money from birthdays and such and put it in there, cause if I dont they will spend it every dime, QUICKLY. or give it away. Right now they both have 50. or so dollars. Matt also has a 10.00 bill floating around here somewhere that he got for Christmas. Brett spent all of his on fireworks. Matt only spent 3.00.

Well the other day I noticed for the 27th time that my laudry detergant was going missing at an alarming rate. So, like all moms, I explained to my kids that I KNEW they were putting in ALOT more than they were supposed to, and knew WHY. They were just doing it to be an ass cause I was making them do laundry. THey both nodded at me, but would never give me an explination. Well I explained to them, that even though I only spend about 2 cents a load, I still dont appriciate them wasting it. (no, I wasnt that nice about it). And I told them that if I caught them doing it again, I would go back to using tide and make THEM pay for it. (1 cup borax, 1 cup baking soda, 1 bar grated ivory soap- use 1/8 cup per load)

AND, I have a 'mommy dearest' pet peeve. I ONLY use plastic hangers. I HATE wire hangers. HATE them. (BR's uniforms come on them every week and he never remembers to take them back, they are all over the place and I am constantly begging him to take them back. )
Anyway, back to my hangers, my children have an absolute disregard for my hangers. THey throw them on the floor, use them as projectiles, step on them, use them to do heaven knows what with, and they break them at an alarming rate. And I told them the other day that I was going to start charging them for each hanger they broke. Actually, I have been saying this for years. But on the marthaton laundry and cleaning day we didnt even have enough to hang up what we did manage to get clean.

Well, the whole time we were shopping Rayley was asking for food, and Brett asked a few times, and Matt took me VERY serious when I said before we got out of the truck that they had one chance to redeem themselves in the store, that if I had to say their names I was going to beat the living daylights out of them when I got them home.

Anyway, Brett finally said that if I would buy him some McDonalds he would pay for my groceries with his money that was in the bank. well, at least once a day I hear him want his money to buy something he saw on TV, or buy something that he and Matt were needing to build some weird crap, or get his money for him so he can buy this or that for someone. It gets old. VERY old.

So, I decided to see if he was bluffing. I told him fine, I would do it.

So, Matt said to me, that if I would buy him McDonalds, he would buy me laundry detergant makings and hangers.

I took them both up on it. The bill was 165.00. So I wiped Brett clean out. and I got 12.00 worth of hangers and only really needed baking soda at 2.50. Matt came out a little better than Brett. And yes, I really am taking their money. They will have to learn. I am not bluffing.

I had told them to make sure and eat before we left. and to bring along a snack. Now, there are times when I will buy them a treat of a fast food meal, BUT, like I said, its expensive. ANd not healthy. ANd they had pissed me off so much at walgreens that I almost could have cared less if they ate for the rest of the day. Possibly lack of nourishment would have kept them functioning at a tolerable level.

But, above all else, I decided that I was all for teaching them a lesson. His 4.00 happy meal cost him 50.00. and yes, it was worth it. Now I dont have to hear him talking about HIS money all the dang time.

My sister in law had called, she asked me to bring her something, so I drove over there once we left walmart, I told the kids to sit tight, not get out and I would be right back. I went up to her room and wasnt up there for 5 minutes. when I came back down I could see Brett running through the yard. My Mother in law, Martha had told them to get out. and then wanted to know if they could stay for a few hours. I told her no. They had groceries to unload, and I was still not sure if I was going to let them survive or just duct tape them up and hide them in the closet for the night.

She had even unloaded Bow. He was PISSED cause I made him get back in the truck. Rayley was crying, Brett was crying, and Matt just was asking if he was still being the best one.

We got home and they helped to unload, I had explained to them on the way home that even if an adult comes out and tells them to get out, unless I tell them, especially after I had already told them NOT to get out they they DONT get out. Once they got done helping me, they took Bow out, cause he refused to stay in and they played in the yard.
Their 'tent' thingy was still set up out there, so they decided they wanted to sleep out there. I said fine. and out they went.
They came in once and I let them have a snack, then they came back in once to get sleeping bags. I told them no. That the tent floor was filthy, and the best I would let them take out there was their jackets. and what they had on.
The next time I saw them it was 7:30. Brett and Matt had on their jackets and underwear. Rayley had on her sweatpants. I asked why they were nekid. The floor was wet, so they used their clothes to wipe it up. They wanted me to turn back on the light. I told them fine, but I wouldnt be leaving it on for long.

BR got home around 8 and they were on the porch laying down. They said the tent was too dark. Rayley was mad, cause she was tired and was trying to sleep in the tent, but they were too scared. So she was in there by herself. They were laid up on a bag of deer corn.

Finally she came inside and said she was 'tired of messing with them, if they were that dumb she was just gona sleep inher tent in her room. I went out and told them at 8:30 to either get in the tent or in the bed. They were NOT sleeping on my porch, under a light.

It took them about 2 seconds to get in the house. I made them go back out to get their clothes and they wanted a flashlight. Finally Rayley went out and got hers. She was tired of messing with them.

they came in, got on some pj's and are currently asleep. I told them they wouldnt last. and since they couldnt even stay 4 feet from the house (you literly trip over the tent when you walk off the porch) to not even ask again.

I also made them put all their clothes in the washer before they went to bed.

Hopefully this will end them begging to sleep outside. They wont even sleep in their rooms half the time. Just the boys, Rayley will use the "I dont feel good" card to try and sleep with me, but never the "I'm scared" card. She has no problems in the dark. Just the boys. and they sleep in the same room!

I asked them why they had the Hoe in the tent. it was to protect them. I reckon incase a really big skeeter decided to attack. The 'rooms' on the tent are maybe 3 1/2 feet. there is NO way they could have swung a hoe. as it was, they had to leave the handle sticking out....

Bow has been asleep since around 6:30. He will wake up occasionally, get in my lap and doze right back off. He didnt get a nap today, so he is tired.

I had tried to get their hair cut today, but the barber shop is closed till the 6th. they go back to school on the 5th and look like wooley mammoths, so BR said he would come home early tomorrow night and cut it for me. I just havent felt like dealing with it lately. They wont sit still and whine while I do it.

I will cut Rayleys though. Although she wants it to stay long. We are still having to try and camoflauge where she cut it a few months ago. I dont know why hers grows so slow and is soooo thin, while theirs grows so fast and is SOOO thick. Its really sad.

Oh and in refrence to a few of the emails that I have gotten today. Yes, that really is me driving the tractor. BR wasnt even home. :) and Yes, its a pretty good tractor, I would recomend it. And the contraption on the back is a log splitter. It was something BR just HAD to have after the huricanne that never was. Since we had over 40 trees down. I think he cut up about 5 of them. The boys were using it the other day to cut up that tree. But I do prefer it to be on there instead of the bushhog. That thing makes more racket than a bucket of bolts rolling down a hill.

And Thanks to those that emailed Dave. Or better yet, those that are calling him. My friend is having a bad time of it right now. They literly have no money coming in. and things are starting to be turned off. If he could get back on the road they could save themselves from ruin. I know that we all know someone in their shoes, circumstances are killing everyone. But this is a perfect example of what happens when business' are allowed to thumb their nose at people.