Once Upon a Time, at the Park...

Once upon a time, there was a little boy & a little girl & a beautiful fall day.

There was a request to go to the park, so their momma obliged.

There were tears when the momma pulled up & the park was "broken".

So all the boy & girl could do was stand & watch the big machines at work.

"Momma, the park is broken!"

So... what to do?

I guess we'll have to make our own fun.

"Look over there! At that GIANT tree!!"

"Think we could climb it?!"

"Mom, why does this tree grow sideways?"

"Well, look what it's growing toward?...what is that way?"

"The sunlight?"

"That's right....plants grow toward the light, they need it to grow & live."

"Oh yah, the moon is always that way & the sun is always that way!"

(pointing to where the sun rises & the moon sets)

"I'm going to climb it.

Come on Bubs!"

Not as easy as it looks.

Definitely taller than it looks though.

"Guys, look at me & smile!"

Really high.

"Let's play follow the leader!"

"Flap your arms like a bird."

"Into the meadow!"

"Look at all the butterflies!" (moths)

And then the momma led the children down a path & told them she had a surprise for them...

A creek!

"Can we throw rocks into the water?"

"Yes, just not at each other."

And then the momma let them choose a path to take, which wound around dark shadows & skinny trees.

And when every corner & nook seemed the same, the momma & her children pretended they were lost.

The momma asked the children to find their own way back to their car,

"Quiet! Listen to all the sounds around us, what do you hear?"

"'nakes" said the little boy.

"The machines!" said the little girl.

And so the momma reminded them that the car was by the machines....so they followed the sound of the machines. And through the clearing, they spotted the shine of their car.

"We found our way!!" said the proud little girl.

"Hurray!!" said the little boy (at least, that's what the momma thinks he said).

And so, as they headed to their car & their forgotten pbj's, the momma smiled,

she was glad the park was broken.

You Know It's a Recession When...

...your title on your last post, totally meaning 'financial predicament' as your own, is completely (understandably) interpreted as the country's

...you're planning to make "breakfast" for dinner (which hot hubs hates)

...you look at your account online & give the warning, "Don't spend any money 'til payday"; but payday is over a week away

...suddenly garage sale'ing, flea market'ing, & consignment shopping is in style

...more people you know are UNemployed vs employed

...you wish they'd give foodstamp income requirements another look

...Martha Stewart is making wreaths out of bread twist ties

...you think, 'Wonder if anyone on eBay would bid on my old nursing bras?'

...you consider pimping out a lemonade stand & giving your kids 1/8th

...you get caught "counting" the money in the kids' piggy banks

...you & your hot hubby spend evenings in the garage trying to convert wet soggy pull ups into fuel

...you see absolutely nothing wrong with pop-starting a car

...you hope your kids think the mini dvd player in their dark room really is just as good as the $8.50 per ticket movie theater

...you're kinda glad your almost 5 yr old girl can still wear a 2T

...frugality is the new black

If I Win, It Will Certainly Help Our Financial Predicament

nuts@crazy.us

Our phone / internet bill recently took a drastic increase, like by $30. That's nuts.

So, we're switching to charter. And with this change comes one of my most dreaded deals: changing email address.

Did you know?, we used to be "pairoperrys" when we were first married. Pretty funny, as we were only just a pair for 17 mos (would've been longer if said bun didn't pop from the oven very early).

I think an email address says a lot about a person. Especially when it's your main mode of communication & you'd MUCH rather shoot an email versus a phone call (who me?!).

Any ideas on what our new email address could be? I'll give you a hint, the current one is heyperrys @ ____ . While I found that really hard to explain/spell, to people, it served us well.

The following email addresses are out of the running:

stillblamingbabyweight@onthe3yrold.com
losingpatience@neveryellatyourkids.us
sick&tiredofbeingsick&tired@vitaminsdontwork.com
queenoftempertantrums@icanscream&kick.too
myhouseisneverclean@lysolwipesarentjustforcounters.ick
supernannywhereareyou@iwasjudgementalbeforekidsofmyown.us
whatextramoney@hubbyscar.lemon
stillinpjsat9am@hatewearingabra.saggy

These addresses have already been taken:

seymourbutts@underthebleachers.com
rustysprings@ipnightly.com

Hahaha... I'm so immature. My uncle said those (as titles/authors of books) when I was about 12 & I still think it's funny (in that sleep-depriving kind of way).

Okay, suggestions?

Oh the Questions

"Mommy, why does God make some people with allergies?"

I Heart You, "Room Time"

Yesterday afternoon, the kids had just kind of had it with each other (to put it lightly). And when they start picking at each other, I start picking at them. It wears on me to see them hating on each other (but then, why do they LOVE to be right next to each other?...and me!).

This morning, 10 minutes into our day, they started to argue.

No way, Jose.

So, after breakfast, I announced, "When the timer goes off, we will have ROOM TIME!"

"What's ROOM TIME?"

"ROOM TIME is time that we spend in our room. All by ourself. Momma will have two things out for you to play with. Two things you haven't played with in a while."

So, while the timer ticked away its last few seconds, I quickly straightened each little's room & sat out two game/activities/toys they hadn't seen in a month or so.

That was 10 precious minutes ago. Thankfully it's worked out, as I've been on hold for 9 minutes waiting for an at&t representative.

Looks like we'll be having ROOM TIME a couple of times each day, from now on!

This Scares Me

I just watched this & it frightens me horribly.
I have to admit, when I think about our society, the media, the celebrities, our country, our president (both current & future), I will pray. But I shamefully haven't made it a priority.
This scared me into making it a priority.

Insomnia (again)

What is wrong with me? (besides a head littered w/ a bajillion things)

One good thing about insomnia (should good + insomnia be in the same sentence?),
I get a lot done, as there are no little fingers in my way, no little feet under mine, & no one saying, "MOM, look!" every five seconds. :)

Everyone's clothes are lined out for tomorrow (in addition to outfits to change into throughout the temperature-fluctuating day), everything is ready to roll for Sunday.

Too bad I'm going to be so exhausted, it will all be a blur.

We're leaving at 7 am to begin our day. Wow, if I go to sleep right now, I'll get under 5 hours of sleep. But, five hours of sleep is better than nothing!

So I just need to go to sleep now.

Right now.

Okaaaay, NOW.

Go.

Bow Chicka Wow Wow

That's what Gabe just said to me. Peanut butter (his food of choice) spread from smile's end to the other.

But he said that AFTER we watched a squirrel scamper from one side of our patio up to the playset & climb across the wooden A that supports the structure. It delighted Gabe. And he looked at me & said, "Tee the quirrel Momma?"

We both laughed while we watched the top of the bushy tail from behind the playhouse. All I could think of is the squirrel who drowned in our pool last year - which of course, made me laugh harder (mmmmwwwwoooohahaha).

That's when Gabe looked at me & said, "Quirrel Happy."

Just to be sure I heard him correctly, I said, "The squirrel is happy?"

"Yep."

And I am too buddy. You & the cute things you say everyday make me a very happy momma.

Busy Bees

That's been us. Hence my lack of blog.

I'm working on a post from yesterday...which includes photos (therego my delay.) Yes, I just said therego. And the line before I said hence.

We've been working hard with church stuff, trying to enjoy the fall weather, missing daddy during soccer season, & preschool.

The other day, Flynn said, "We talked about Autumn at school. Autumn is the same thing as Fall. Why does it have two names?"

I told her, "Lots of things & people have more than one name. Like you call me Momma, but you could also call me Mother. Or Daddy could be Father."

She totally got it, "And I call Gabe, Bubby!"

Soon we'll be switching closets over to the new season. This has to be one of my most grueling tasks. Because my kids closets consists of 95% hand-me downs & garage sale duds, this takes serious organization. Add to that, my girl grows at an incredibly slow rate. Some of the clothes in her closet are 2T. And she's four. She has been wearing some of these outfits for two years. She knows how to stretch her dollar like her momma.

She still insists that I refer to her as Gum Drop. And she already has a game plan for her birthday party. Apparently, she's having a DANCE BIRTHDAY THEME. Dance Birthday? Come again?
Yes.
"Momma, remember last day when I was showing you, 'Step-step-cha cha cha'?"
"I do remember, you made me do it."
"Well, that's going to be one of the things we do at my dance birthday."
Do you think she'll have a lesson plan like I had for her party last year?

The other day, I had to take kids to a doctor's appointment with me. The nurse asked if they are twins.
This is the same appointment which proved itself stressful (& not just because I had to make an appointment for hernia repair surgery).
But because I took the little dvd player. I made Flynn carry it in its case. Which she dropped in the parking lot.
And Gabe fell asleep & I had to carry him (that's why Flynn was carrying the dvd player).
And then I waited in the wrong waiting room (why would a dr's office have TWO waiting rooms? and if so, why wouldn't you tell me when I signed in?).
So then I was a few minutes late for the appointment I should've been early for.
And then, there was no outlet for me to plug the dvd player in. And the battery [I thought] had broken off when Flynn dropped it.
And there was only one chair.
And Gabe head-butted Flynn. And she cried really hard.
And my sister had forewarned me that this surgeon was getting a little older, losing his bedside manner, & getting a tad crabby. (he was actually fine) Which made me nervous about the kids being in there, and crying. So I started to panic.
I was trying to finish filling out the paperwork I got there early to fill out (but remember, instead I sat in the wrong waiting room?).
And the kids weren't having just sitting there doing nothing.
So I feverishly began a search in my purse for something.
I almost gave them an altoid.
Instead, I found 2 pens & 2 scraps of paper.
The surgeon came in. He was examining my abdomin (which is a lengthy examination these days, ugh).
Gabe got really quiet.
I looked over.
He was writing ALL OVER himself.
I didn't care. Because he was quiet.
And --
hairspray really does get ink out of clothing.

Insomnia

Dates, names, to-do lists...
all littering my brain.

Traffic jam of
things to remember...
ideas...
worry.

Added to
caffeine.

Makes it
impossible to sleep.

Hannah's Hair

Before:After:

Hair Donor!

I'm so proud of my nieces. Hannah is the third niece to donate. KK was the first, Mattie donated 2 years ago, & now Hannah.

Wonder who is next in line? wink-wink

Just 'Cause

she's
so
cute

What's Up?

I couldn't resist posting this...

Totally Random Park Pictures

May 08

April 08

June 08

Have I Mentioned That I Love Fall?

It's that time of year....

my favorite time of year.

Fire Drill

I learned early on in Flynn's 'preschool days' not to ask her an open-ended 'what did you do today?' question when I pick her up at the end of her preschool morning.

So now, I narrow it down & say, "What was your favorite thing today?"

And so, yesterday when I asked that question, I didn't get the usual, ummm, ehhh..

I got a very enthusiastic "WE PRETENDED OUR SCHOOL WAS ON FIRE, it was so fun!!!!!"

Questioning God

My whole life I heard people say not to question God. Don't doubt Him. Don't second-guess Him. And certainly never be mad at Him.

But sometimes I ask Him why...

A few days ago, a very close friend of my cousin & his family, lost her battle against cancer.
But not before she beat it several times. Each time she'd received healing, she never failed to give God His due honor. She was a true respresentative of a Christ-following Christian who could have turned bitter, but instead praised Him through each storm. She even began a ministry to be a support to those fighting illnesses.

She & her husband had one daughter who she was very close to. And that daughter was married this past summer.

When Laura got ill again last year, her daughter understandably wanted her mom to be present on this earth for her wedding, for the birth of her first child.

So, it's my understanding that they moved up their wedding, and even were successful in a honeymoon baby.
Who is due in just a few months.

Due to complications from a hospital stay, combined with cancer spreading through her body, Laura's family knew her days were numbered.
When it seemed that she would no doubt pass before the baby girl making her entrance to the world, all began to pray she could at least last until a 4-D could show her the baby she'd never meet.

We all prayed God would once again heal her. Another miracle so that she could at least rejoice in photos that would allow her to count toes, count fingers, see long baby eyelashes, & recognize a feature or two that she admired in her baby 20 or so years ago.

But it didn't happen. God decided not to heal her here on earth. Her life cut short in her forties.

And when I read the email, all I could do was cry. And feel slighted on her daughter's behalf.

"God why? Why couldn't You just leave her here just a few more months??"

And I thought about it the next day, and today...

Isaiah 55:8-9
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD.
"As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."

So, what does that mean?

I'm a teacher. And there's nothing I think about, ponder on, that I don't try to understand. And just as I used to do with ALL the content I taught my students, I apply it. And as I liken everything to real life, I usually liken the words & promises spoken by our father, to my life as a parent.

And I thought about the countless times I have asked my kids to do something, taken something from them, forced them to do something... against their will, against their pleading. Because I wanted to be a mean mom?
Of course not.
But because I know the bigger picture. I know what's best for them. They can't even begin to understand what I know to be the best for them. Flynn can't even fathom what would happen if I let her eat what she wanted. And before she knew what ramifications came from unsafe food, she didn't understand why she couldn't eat what others were eating. She would cry or beg. But I knew. I knew what was best. Even if it wasn't what she asked for. It was the best for her.

And those we pray for. Those we beg for God to keep here on earth. God knows the bigger picture. And if we truly knew what heaven held for us, had just a morsel of an idea of the incredibleness (is that a word?) of eternity in heaven, we'd never pray for someone to stay here on earth.

When we pray for God to be glorified, do we really consider that his glory could come from someone being made whole in heaven?

I am constantly praying, 'God I don't understand.' But God never promised us understanding. The wisest person in the world could never even be in the same realm as God's thoughts.

So, when I ask God, question him why this or why not that, I have to remember that as my Father, He really does know the best for His children. Whether or not it hurts. Whether or not it's what I asked for.

Of course, this understanding coming to me fourth degree from the hurt. It's not my child. It's not my mom. So perhaps my conclusion is easier to settle on. And I pray that those facing the direct hurt can feel God's peace.

Choose It or Lose It

Jeff sent me this fun easy quiz, which takes quotes from the candidates & uses those as your choices. So, I doubt there could be a spin.

Plus, it's funny.

PS If you aren't registered to vote, you better hurry up. You only have 2 more weeks to get registered.

Night at the Cardinal's Game...

Another One of Her Questions

We were riding home late last night.... Gabe rode with Daddy & Flynn with me.

We were looking at the dark, streaky night.

"Mom?" she always starts her questions out, like she's questioning me first, "Who is bigger?....God? or Jesus?"

I'm Sure He Misses Them Too

Flynn's the one who verbalizes it the most.
But I'm sure he misses them too.

Bubs at the Norris farm, 2 mos before they left MO for CA
Flynn soaking in the fresh country air
Gabe, attacking Mattie, one of the things he does best

Gum Drop

Hey Mom, I have a new name.

Gum Drop, Uhh.....

Just Gum Drop.

Learning Something New Everyday

Mom, doesn't that look like a rhino up there?
Hmm, Mom, is that cloud moving? Do clouds move?
Huh, I didn't know that before.

Bad News First

Bad news:
I got an oil change on the van this morning at Walmart --
It took 90 minutes and the tv in the waiting "area" was broken. No crayons. No books. My bag of tricks was left behind, as I never dreamed it would take 75 minutes for our car just to be pulled into the bay.
Good news:
Gabe likes milk duds.

Rule Following

Do you ever get tired of following rules, pain-stakingly forcing your children to follow them, only for another child to be able to skip right through the policies - with your child watching them do what he or she wasn't allowed to do?

Great Balls of Hair

That is actually, precisely what my hair looked like in '89. Except black.

DJ Tanner would be jealous at how perfect my hair is.

Oh wow.

The only thing better than curtain bangs is a fake blonde who should stick to her natural color.

And, sleeveless denim.

I promise, that's the last time I torture you with yearbook photos. :)

Romans 8

And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

I don't claim to know any more answers than the next guy (or gal). As a matter of fact, sometimes I ask God why we still struggle with certain things.

There are a lot of mountains in my life. While it is a great life, rich with blessings & abundance (of the things that matter), there are certain hills, that I pray all the time for God to just move (or smash with His giant foot).
There are a couple that I pray for all the time. I won't be specific, as several people I know personally, read my blog. Enuff said about that. But, I'm sure you would guess that one of them is Flynn's allergy to milk.
It's not an inconvenience, more like an affliction. To know that at any given mistake, Flynn could die; well, that isn't small fries.

There are some people who think that if you have just enough faith, or the right kind, you will never have to suffer.
And -- just so we're straight, I completely whole-heartedly believe in healing. The kind produced by faith in God. I absolutely know that the moment He decides to take Flynn's illness from her, that He will.
But I also know that when we pray for Him to show Himself glorified, that it might not be in the form of taking that from her.
His glory might be shown THROUGH what we go through. Heck, it might be enough that there were people who heard her talk about God when she was having a reaction. Or who know that she's only four, but has a power-packed punch full of faith. The girl knows her Jesus.
And if those reasons are the ones God Has while He chooses to allow us this type of suffering. So be it. I want Him to be glorified however he chooses.

Before I sound like I'm whining, you must admit that you have moutains in your path. Ones you must face each day. What might really be a molehill to someone else is your Mt Everest. For one person it's a hangnail. For the other it's a broken marriage. And to each person, their mountain is huge.

I know that sometimes God chooses to move the mountain. Some people are healed. Some have a miracle baby or see their spouse come to Christ.
But sometimes God lets us dwell. And learn. And change. And eventually He might step on our ant hill & smash it. Or other times we end up with enough of His strength to smash it on our own.
Some people even hang a wreath on their mountain & call it HOME.

I hope I have enough faith to accept whatever He does with the hills & mountains in my path.

Things That Go Bump in the Parking Lot

I think I'm a fairly forward person -- who typically speaks my mind & stands up for myself. But today, in the parking lot of Flynn's pre school, I didn't quite know what to do.

Because we don't use Flynn's school as a day care, as some of the families must do, I get her there much later than everyone else. Actually, as late as possible, because I hate getting my kids up at the crack of dawn. Our commute is a pretty lengthy one (compared to the others) & I'd rather not leave the house before 7:30 am with them.

So, when I pull into the parking lot, we're usually the only ones in the lot. With millions of spaces to choose from.

So, I was a little surprised, when after dropping Flynn off, Gabe & I return to the lot to see a car parked RIGHT NEXT to ours. Oh well. No big deal. Except, their door was completely resting ON my car. It was open as far as it could be, completely making contact with mine. And the mom looked like she was fixing the little girl's hair, belt, backpack, etc. She was straight getting the girl ready IN THE PARKING LOT. Her business, but I always find it rude for someone to allow the end of the door to be making contact with yours (& no doubt scratching it, etc.).

BUT, she was so into her morning preparations (hurriedly & impatiently with the little girl, or so I could overhear), she had NO CLUE that I had gotten to my car & was actually in the process of buckling Gabe in (which was on the side opposite of her; the side closest to the school).

I thought, well, no biggie I guess. I will just make plenty of noise over here so she hears us & maybe will move her door.
Lots of noise.
No movement of the door.
matter of fact, I'm still pretty sure she had no clue we were there. Because at one point, the little girl lost her footing & fell into her OPEN DOOR (resting into my car side),
CREEEEAK. Went the door. It even moved my vehicle. I could tell it was just lodging more into my car. And so, the mom quickly grabbed her daughter, slammed their door shut & WITHOUT EVEN SO MUCH AS LOOKING AT MY CAR, ran inside.
I was dumb-founded.
WHAT DO I DO??? I had no idea if I should call after her for us to look at my car together (which I have done to people before). I don't know the family personally, but know each family by family name & by their child. It's a very small school & very family-oriented.

As I rounded the corner, a quarter-sized pink mark remained on the side of my car. (their car is red) I licked my finger (eeww, germs) & started to swipe at the mark. After lots of elbow grease, I managed to get most of it off, but there's a mark there, probably a scuff, that I was unable to get off.

I was just so shocked. Not only that an adult would do something to someone else's property, but in front of their child, be so careless. Swinging a door accidentally open into another person's car is one thing -- that happens a lot I know. But to know your child/you did something that had to have damaged something of someone else's & show no remorse or responsibility.

I feel like I gave her lots of chances for ownership. I even sat in my car with my window down as she returned. She just seemed to be in a hurry to get to work.

It really bothered me. Probably more than anything, that I wasn't able to be honest & call her on it. But in that moment, I just didn't feel right about it. It would've been ackward every morning, three times a week.

What would you have done?

Worth a Good Laugh

I hated to blow the whole wad of them -- but I thought the laugh you'd get, from me posting ALL of these 60s & 70s photos, would be worth it.

ESPECIALLY, if it makes you wet your pants, like I almost did looking at this one:
Because it kinda looks like me when I straighten my hair.

He looked a little Drew Carrey'ish on that one.

I think I've found my look. And, I look pretty great in that turtleneck.
But, there's a part of me that liked being a blonde just then.
SHAGGADELIC!
Oh stop, my beating heart...
for a minute, I thought that was Shaun Cassidy (my first kiss....yes, it was a poster, on the wall over Angie's bed, but - still!)

You Know It's Fall When -

• There's that smell in the air, and I don't mean little boy's pee
• I'm frantically searching for everyone's jackets
• The Zustiaks have fans in their windows
• I'm instantly cheerier, even when it's overcast (what I mean was BECAUSE it's overcast!)
• I'm counting down the soccer games LEFT
• I'm sad each time I slide on my flip-flops, thinking that their days are numbered
• Flynn tells everyone, "It's almost Fall! That means, after that, it's WINTER. And winter has CHRISTMAS. AND THE GIRLS ARE COMING HOME AT CHRISTMAS!!!"
• Flynn has lined out, her costume for the next THREE HALLOWEENS
• On the shelf at Dierbergs, candy corn is strategically shelved RIGHT NEXT to the peanuts
• Suddenly, I'm not the only fan of orange with brown

I [Heart] Wags...Or Do I?

There is a moral to the story, maybe...

I do rebates through Walgreens.
It's definitely a pain in the neck, but it saves my family so much money. I can't remember the last time I paid for shampoo, excedrin, hair gel, lipstick, nail polish, the list goes on...and on...
I have to be organized about it, or I end up losing money (the products purchased are actually quite expensive) & it's lots of money out of pocket at first (until you reach the point where you're getting gift cards on the last rebates, which pay for the following months).

If you so much as purchase the incorrect ounces, you lose your money. If you buy the wrong color, the wrong scent, the wrong strength, you're out of luck.

But master the system & you have not only enough maxi-pads to last you 'til menopause, but you have yourself a fun hobby! (if you enjoy 'cheap thrills'!)

This past couple of months, I've tried to venture out even further & use more coupons, to actually make money.
And for whatever reason, this irritates the employees at wags. I guess it's straying from the norm of the regular, cash-using, coupon'less tender.
But those who make the $ at walgreens, have to know, us rebate-users, are the butter on their bread.
I easily drop $100 each month at walgreens. Compare that to $50-75 at target or $5 at kmart. Regardless of the reason you enter a store, you inevitably spend more, buy more, once you're in there.
So, they're smart to have the rebates.

Go back to Aug 30th. It was the first day you could buy the Sept products which were great this time around. Tons of great stuff: nail polish, chapstick, body wash, etc. So, I went on the first day possible, to avoid the products selling out before I could get them (which happens usually). I dropped $50+ & went on my merry way...happy at my savings, UNTIL a $10 off $50 coupon was emailed to me. Effective the following week. UGH. I could saved another $10. THAT is worth it to me. So, I just re-bought what was available (all but about 2 of the items) w/ my $10 off coupon with the intentions of returning the stuff I bought the previous week (WITHOUT the coupon).
Only, when I went in today to return the $30 worth of stuff I had re-bought, I was treated possibly the worst I ever have at a business.

At Wags, they have some type of management handle returns. So, when I came in & only one register was working (I'm guessing something electrical from yesterday's horrible storm), the employee had me use her line & called a manager over. There was no one in line yet, or I would have given them "ups". And when the manager came over, the look on her face could've made snakes hide.
"YOU'RE RETURNING THE FREE AFTER REBATE ITEMS?"
"Um yes, I bought them weeks ago without the coupon, so I re-bought them last Friday w/ the 10-off coupon."
"You can't do that."
"Uh-why?"
"Because you maybe sending these in for a rebate after you get your money back."
"But I'm not doing that, you can't do that anyway."
"Well, I'm marking these out on your receipt."
"That's fine, I'll be the only one to see the receipt, I submit my receipts online."
"BUT I THOUGHT YOU WEREN'T GOING TO GET YOUR MONEY BACK ON THESE ITEMS. YOU SAID YOU WEREN'T GOING TO DO THAT. THAT'S CRIMINAL ACTIVITY."
"I'm not going to."
"Good, because you wouldn't be able to online. It won't work now."
"It won't?.... Well, I still have bodywash on there that wasn't available last week. That I'm obviously not returning. I hope I can still get a rebate on that?"
"BUT YOU SAID YOU WEREN'T GOING TO GET YOUR MONEY BACK ON THESE ITEMS??"
"Not these that I'm returning. The thing I didn't return that's at home."
"Well, I will return your money this time, but it's a rule. You can't return items that are free after rebate."
"Really? Is that a new rule?"
"YES, it is."
"Is that corporate-wide? Or just your rule?"
"Yes, it's a walgreens rule."
"That's really strange....
so, let's say I'm not a rebate user, but I buy a vacuum-seal bag (which were F.A.R. last month), but get home & it's the wrong size.
So I won't be able to return it?
I don't think that's really the rule."
"You won't be able to do that anymore!! (by this time, I've clearly provoked her to anger, I don't really know why) FILL THIS OUT!"

And I wasn't really willing to deal w/ someone like that any longer. I filled out the form, but not before I very obviously wrote her name down. And on the ride home, I called the manager, who informed me that she had already told him about the interaction.

And the bottom line I told him was that if that's how the employees there talk to the customers, I'm happy to go down the block to one of the other GAJILLION (yes, I said gajillion) walgreens to shop.

BUT,
that's not even the part that aggravated me the most. It was that when I got home minutes later, I didn't happily greet everyone. I was mad. My blood pressure was up. I found myself snapping at the kids instead of giving them a few chances.
I let some snotty girl, who was having a bad day (or year or life) effect my mothering. I allowed that to take a few precious moments from my precious kids.

And I hope to not let that happen again.
Free toothpaste isn't worth that.

My Puddin' Likes Her Puddin'

She really digs her ZEN banana pudding.
Straight soy,
oh boy!

Move That Bus!

And check out my new header.

Not as if she has time, but my pal, 'MCKMama', awarded me such a prize!
You didn't think I knew how to do such magic, did you? Sheesh, it was a hard enough job to get those photos taken!

She can set you up as well too! Head over to her blog if you are so inclined.

The Best Laid Plans...

Well, our evening didn't go as we had planned.
Despite an offer from Nana to babysit -- we didn't plan to head to town. We decided to hang around our sleepy town. Cash in a bandana's birthday giftcard from Aunt Stuf. Then to head home with a movie for the bigs & a movie for the littles.

Well, not being one of spontanaeity, and, of all of the dumb & stupid ideas, we decided to head to a little (newish) ice cream shop down on Main St.

As we walked into the cute (orange & yellow tiled floored, which I LOVED) soda shop look alike, Flynn was lit up like Christmas. We'd never done anything like this. But deceived by our good fortune lately, we thought we might branch out.

We immediately addressed the person who appeared to be the most 'in charge'. She seemed knowledgeable about this one particular sorbet & swore it to be milk-free. She obliged us when we asked to read the ingredients. And, I quickly gave my order to another employee to go help the littles find a 'clean' place to plop down.

We gingerly gave Flynn a nibble, from one of those tiny sampling spoons. We made her wait a few minutes before another nibble. And after not an inkling of a reaction, we allowed her to go hog-wild (or would that be cow-wild?!).

Two minutes into our seemingly pleasant ice cream visit. Jeff, who was sitting across from her at a table for two, calls over to me, "Honey, look at her lips!!".
So, she comes running to me & jumps in my lap (which is a tail-tale sign that it's not going well & she's feeling that feeling of strangeness). Sure enough, a mouth full of welts surrounding her even poutier pouty lips.

Jeff grabs her medicine bag, we give her a dose of benadryl. And watch her response. I decided to run to the car w/ her (tired of the staring), and on the way she started wheezing. This would've typically freaked me out, yet she's been having asthma flare ups with our poor air quality (thanks Hurricane Ike).

Jeff & Gabe were shortly behind us. I asked him to jump in the back with the kids while I jumped in the driver's seat & headed away from our one-horse hospital toward the city (& the reputable medical places).

We knew it wasn't a bad one. Her breathing didn't seem affected (save for the normal asthmatic wheezing), her tongue wasn't swollen. She wasn't drooling & her digestion didn't seem affected. But, it was a Friday night & I didn't want to wait all weekend for her to be seen. It just feels better to get a medical opinion.

As we were passing an exit, about 20 minutes from here, which has an urgent care, I felt like we should just go there. Knowing the severity (or lack of) of this particular episode, I figured this might do the trick. Nothing committal or heavy duty. Just an on duty physician who can check her & someone to get her vitals.

Jeff agreed, so we took her there.

Thank goodness it wasn't an emergency (urgent, my behind!). We were immediately taken to a room, where we waited for another 15 or so minutes. Saw a nurse, then waited another 5 or so for a doctor. When the dr came in (who couldn't have been any older than me), she listened to her lungs, said they sounded fine, then started writing the discharge papers.

"Um, could you at least check her mouth, her airway?"

"Oh. Sure....
Yep, looks great. Good job Mom."

Okay. ?

Then, patted us on the back & said, "See you later." (hope not!)

And that my friends, was the first & last time we visit an ice cream shop.

Count Gabe

I know that beneath that baracade of non-communication lies a very intelligent boy.

Much like his father, who fought attention problems through school, who has very much proven himself brilliant; Gabe is smart.

Just now, as I was delivering laundry to the correct rooms & closets, I hear him in the livingroom, playing solo (as he does so well).

I'm not sure what he was counting -- if anything at all -- but he very fluently (at least according to his momma's ears) sang, "One-two-three-four-five-six-seven-eight-nine-ten" & then back down again, "Ten-nine-eight-seven-six-five-four-three-two-one."

I was just as impressed that he kept pitch as he perfectly went up the scale in his number song!

A Parenting Low

I feel like I am at an all-time low w/ my parenting. My children are misbehaving, they seem unyhappy with the other, and worst of all, I'm reacting to them exactly like I shouldn't.

I'm sure it's a combination of Jeff's long hours, me being sick, me being tired & then in turn - superimpatient.

I do not like to tell them something more than once. If I repeat myself, I feel like I am making a major parenting error.

Jeff & I had a beautiful black lab, Marley (yes, named after Jeff's favorite reggae singer, Bob). Marley was given all sorts of opportunities (other than growing up into an adult dog) to behave. One of them was obedience training.
One of the things we learned was to say 'no' ONCE.
If he didn't obey at that ONE TIME of saying 'no' (or given a command), he was punished -- more like redirection. (you say sit once. he didn't sit that once. we MADE him sit.)
While going through this training, I vocalized how similar this was to child-rearing. And as unflattering as it sounds to be compared to a dog, it's the truth.

I saw this confirmed in the episodes of supernanny & nanny 911 I saw.

But this is real life. And Jo Frost isn't in the next room observing me. I have life to do. And places to be at a certain time. And I don't always feel like keeping a low tone or squatting down & speaking to them at their level.
I feel like yelling, "I said to put on your shoes!" Or getting mad when Gabe grabs Flynn's hair. Because life gets in the way. And I am not perfect. Much less than actually.

But that is not my kids' faults. And this is their only childhood. I want it to be as perfect as it can humanly be. When we don't have a good day & I didn't even come close to exhibiting Christ-likeness, I kneel beside their bed & ask them to forgive me. And when we pray, we ask God to forgive us both.

That's forgiveness.

I need to get back to being proactive.

Each day this week, I've said to Jeff (the one time I get to talk to him during the day), "Tonight, can we have a family meeting & make a chart?"
Then, the kids are either in bed, or we're all too tired to make it happen.

But tonight's the night. Late or not. Tired or not. We'll have charts all over the place. Charts for listening. Charts for being fight-free. Stickers gallore.

Maybe I should have a chart?

And Because Pictures Make it All Better...

there's something oddly familiar about this photo.

and there's something about this I like.

Speaking of Pigs Wearing Lipstick *edited to include my smoky neighbors

I think it's time -- it's hump day, which certainly merits a pet peeve list.

Ooh, oh, topping the charts instead are my hoosier neighbors who smoke within 20 feet of my open windows.
Open windows + stinky cancer sticks + my attic fan = my kids breathing my neighbors cig smoke.
AWESOME.

Topping the chart today is the misspelling of the word DEFINITELY.

It "drives on my nerves" (as Flynn says) when people spell it defiAntLy. Like a form of the word defiant.

#2. People working hard to convince you of something, just for the sake of convincing you. My vote for Obama (which is nonexistent) isn't going to make him president. I doubt it will be a ONE VOTE difference. So, don't try to talk me into it, when you know that I'm a conservative. If I've ever been coined for a cause, it's pro-life. Do you really think I'm going to vote for someone who considers it a choice for a woman to make? That sounds really great wrapped up, but the bottom line is a baby is dying.
After you lose a baby, you have a deeper understanding of the sanctity of life. And while on bed rest with Flynn, hoping she'd stay in the oven & cook a little longer, I often wondered how that life inside could be an inconvenience.
Anyway, I'm not going to get de-railed on a pro-life / pro-choice post, but if Obama had 9 points I liked (which isn't the case), a 10th of pro-choice, would knock me to the other side.
Case closed.

#3. People who should yield at a solid green (while turning left), but try to beat you off the line & turn in front of you. It's times like those, I wish our cars were rubber, so I could just bumper car the person.

#4. Long distances. And driving them.

#5. Those pesky fruit flies. That seem to be free with a bunch of bananas. And is it me, or are they everywhere right now?!

#6. Bronchitis.

#7. Hernias. No I am not kidding.

#8. How loud attic fans are.

#9. Coughing.

#10. Fat. Muffin Tops. Weighing 40 lbs more than my wedding day.

'Nuff said.

Isn't She A Little Young to be Wanting to Change Her Name?

"Mom, I don't want my name to be Flynn anymore."

"Oh, you don't?"

"Nope. Hey, since the girls are in California now, can I change it?"

"What do you want it to be?"

"Heaven Juliana.
Hey, don't tell the girls. I want everyone to guess. I will let Dad guess. I will see if Gabe can guess. And everybody."

Monday Mumblings

• It doesn't take much to leave me speechless. But apparently some type of virus, some strain, some leading worship, some yelling at my kids, and some NEVER GETTING REST will do the trick. I don't have a voice.
• Despite feeling pretty under the weather, I decided to defy my complete lack of energy & I walked a mile.
• I qualified for a market research study. $75 in one hour. Not too shabby in the least bit.
• My BFF Bday is tonight. E & I share a horoscope...no, I'm not into that, it's just my way of saying that our bdays (like my SIL) are a week apart. So, every year around this time, we carve out an evening (in tonight's case, it will be a late night) to share our birthdayness with our 3rd muskateer, Heather. We act silly, talk about sex, pimples, & days gone by and forget for just a few hours, that we won't be meeting at our locker the next morning.
• Today Flynn had GRANDPARENTS' DAY at school. And because she has the WORLD'S BEST GRANDPARENTS, her table was full. Even Bubs showed up. Wearing a collared shirt.
• I love that we live in a country where we can vote. Where we have freedom. Where we have the right to voice our opinion, debate, and learn.
• Last week & over the weekend was like a fall preview. When I said, "Oh guys! (to my 2 little guys) I just love this weather! My favorite season is almost here."
  Flynn squealed, "Fall is my favorite too! I get to jump in the leaves!!!"
• Gabe's speech seems to be slipping. He's doing lots of repeating, almost close to stuttering. He is also showing lots of ocd behavior. I know when he's looping on something, that he can't get it out of his head -- it's just as torturous to him as to me (probably more) but nonetheless, my patience!, I have none!
• I miss the girls. Horribly.
• The other day, we were at church working...and were doing a McD's run. I asked Flynn if she wanted fish or hamburger. She said, "Can I get treet pickles? Like Madelyn." I tried to understand what she was saying.... "Flynn, how can I be sure you are getting three pickles, I can't specify that you want three pickles on your burger. They don't do it that way at mcdonalds."
  "NO MOM, not THREE. TWEET pickles. Like candy is Tweet or Bubby is Tweet. Please, she wasn't calling him sweet this afternoon. For there to never be teasing allowed at our house, she sure knows how to scare him. And to him, everything is SO 'Pooky!!