Time, Is Not On Your Side….Not On My Side…

Time, Is Not On Your Side….Not On My Side…
I have been “busier than a one legged man in a butt kicking contest” lately and neglecting my blog, terribly. There are times when I think I can blog a little but then I realize it is midnight.

Here is what has had me so busy lately.

At the office, My work load has tripled.

Auntie D’s Birthday dinner where the family meets her boyfriend and Aunt C shows how angry crazy she is.

My Name is now a curse word in 7 countries

The search for ManSon’s car.

I had a visitor from Germany! A fellow business woman on her first trip to the US. She is so much like me in business and as a Mom.

ManSon brought home a stray…Person.

Special meeting at Snow White’s school - She might have special needs.

Yeah! I have a new co-worker to help lighten my work load. Well, he will be very helpful after I train him.

A trip to plan for Oldest Daughter & ManSon’s Birthdays

Snow White’s Birthday - Trying to keep it simple may be more work for me than last year and actually cost more! UGH!

Oldest Daughter’s Senior Prom

Oldest Daughter’s Graduation

Super Weekends with Grandma and Grandpa

Insurance Companies may start to look at me sideways

The IRS Thanks me. And Says Hurry Up! We need to give you Money!

Disney Trip coming and I need advise…lots of advise!

Brownies - Loving it!

Death in the Family

Why people wear onions on their ears

Shopping for a new car - Again

No professional can fix my electrical problems (still going on today!) Scratch that it was fixed by me today

I get kicked out of a craft store by their knee cap breaking bouncers

All of this along with my normal day ….

I have not disappeared off the face of the earth. I will return with details on all the above. Hopefully this week. I am sure no one missed me but I truly miss all of you. I have tried to comment in between the time I sleep and bathroom breaks. Don’t worry, I did wash my hands before the few comments I did manage to leave.

The Week Before Christmas

Doing a little bit of catching up....

Monday work, some things went well but some did not. Brownies - the girls painted glass ornaments, had a little party which involved a gift exchange.

Tuesday, technical difficulties all day at work. This was also the day of the company pot luck lunch. I was first to sign up on the sheet. My dish would be pasta salad. This year I would not need to tote around my large crock pot. Lunch time for me now consists of driving ManSon to his job. Before rushing off to pick up ManSon at home I dropped off my pasta salad in party room. To my surprise 4 other people had decided to bring in pasta salads. Oh well, at least they did not all look alike. (copy-cats)

ManSon woke up sore from working the previous day. He could hardly lift his arms let alone get out of bed. He explained that he was going to call in to work and explain his pains. I knew that this was a seasonal job and they would likely let him go for not coming in. When he called they pretty much said come in now or don’t bother to show up again. ManSon was stunned. “Mom, I really liked my job. I mean I really liked it. If I go there and I am not able to work, they would sit me in the corner and I would be Looser Dude.” I tell him that if it were me I would take a few Advil and go anyway. He slumped down and the sad look on his face told me everything. I gave him some Advil and he went back to bed.

Since I did not have to take him to work I decided to finally mail Auntie D’s Christmas present along with her cell phone charger (she left it here on Black Friday). Well, I have been extremely busy lately.

Back to work, then pick up Snow White and do a little shopping. I never seem to have enough time alone to purchase presents. Tonight I was determined to buy a TV for ManSon and hope that Snow White could keep it a secret. I kept it in the back of the van since ManSon always seemed to be around when I had a few minutes to bring it in. My idea was to hide it under the kitchen table. No one eats at the kitchen since the dining room table is bigger.

When we arrive home there was a lot of cooking to be done… 17 chicken legs, 8 chicken breasts and 12 hamburgers. This may sound like it would last awhile but I have teenagers and they have friends. This “vast” amount of food would make a few casseroles, lunches and snacks.

Wednesday was a normal morning. Lunch time came and went home to take ManSon to work. I had explained to him the night before that it was the right thing to do. Either they would let him resume his job or they would tell him how to pick up his last paycheck. In stead of just dropping him off I waited to see what happened. He came out of the office happy. They wanted him to stay on.

He expected someone to yell at him and a few to give him a hard time but no one did. One fellow co-worker did tease him about missing work due to soreness. He was only kidding with him and explained it takes time for your body to adjust. I was extremely happy for ManSon. He so wanted to keep this job even though it is only seasonal.

That night I picked him up and apparently there was a bit of excitement that went on during his day. He always chatters on about how his co-workers carry on such. Tonight was a little different. Someone was caught steeling! From the packages! Apparently a few companies ship ipods and iphones by the truck loads through the facility. Someone was taking a few and stuffing them in their boots or socks or something. They eventually became greedy and started taking boxes and tossing them over the fence to pick up later. They were caught only after two days.

ManSon said he wondered why they had to be searched on their way out rather than their way into the facility. Now he knows. He said, “I don’t understand why they had to steel. They have jobs and everything. It’s Christmas time after all.” I agree with him. I have heard of much stealing and thievery on the news over the past few weeks. People feeling the pressure to have the latest and greatest gifts under the tree. It isn’t even for necessities. Not that it would be ok if it were for necessities. Now they have no job (income), were arrested and sitting in jail awaiting their court dates. They are being sued not only by FedEx but also by the company sending them and the companies who were to received them.

Thursday came and I tried to get everything at work taken care of before my vacation next week. My supervisor would also be off next week and he wanted to make sure to perform my annual review and advise me about the yearly bonus. Just before the meeting the school nurse called.

Apparently they had a second out break of lice in Snow White’s school and unfortunately she had been infected, AGAIN!. At first I freaked out!! This was the second outbreak in a matter of months! I had never heard of such things happening but after all this is the country. Since it was not an emergency I told the nurse I would pick up Snow White in an hour. This would give me time to go through my review without upsetting my supervisor first.

On my way to the meeting I stopped by the IT department to have a little work done on my laptop. This would allow me to work from home. My review went very well! A promotion, raise and a bonus. When he said “If there is anything you ever need, or anything I can ever do for you, just let me know.” I took that opportunity to tell him the school nurse called and asked me to pick up my daughter. I added that IT was already making additions to my laptop which would allow me to continue my work from home. He was pleased to hear I had a solution and happily wished me a Merry Christmas.

Off to school to pick up Snow White and then take ManSon to work. On our way I made a doctors appointment for Snow White. They cannot take her until Monday. Surprisingly, they will be open on Christmas Eve.

Friday I take Snow White to daycare but they wont let her stay due to the lice outbreak at her school. What do I do? I take her to work with me until school opens. School will allow her to attend as long as there is nothing walking around in her hair.

ManSon did not have to be at work until 2 PM today so I attended the Christmas Lunch. Every year the company has a catered lunch of prime rib, potatoes, corn, breads, cheese cake and other deserts. When you are finished they give you a grocery gift card, calendar and a cute little flash light.

I rushed through mine a bit since I had a few projects to finish. I was so engrossed with my work that I almost forgot to take ManSon to work. Before I knew it I was again engrossed in my work and almost forgot to pick up Snow White after School. Due to the holiday and nearly everyone leaving early (most had already left for the day) and Snow White could not return to daycare…well, I left work an hour early.

We went to pick up ManSon at work and had the funniest conversation on the way home. I am not sure how it started but ManSon said something about Mary and Joseph’s last name being Christ. “Because Jesus’ last name is Christ.” Snow White quickly agreed with him. I laughed so hard I cried! I laughed and laughed the whole way home! Eventually ManSon said “Well, if that isn’t his last name then what is it.” This stopped me from laughing briefly to think. I could not think of Mary or Joseph’s last name. When we arrived home everyone went for the Bible. We flipped through different books of the Bible but only saw Mary, mother of Jesus and such. I explained that people did not have last names way back then. “When you mention Jesus everyone knows who you are talking about.” To which ManSon replied “What about Mary Magdalene?” I thought for a moment then I remembered that Magdalene was not her last name it was a description of her “occupation”, prostitute. Christ is also a description meaning Messiah or Savior. I reminded ManSon of the lists of begats - so and so begat so and so then there were the references such as Name son of Name. A simple question turned into a nice Bible lesson. My parents and Auntie D all had a great laugh when I told them the story. Friday night with his friends he asked each of them what they thought was Jesus’ last name? They all thought it was Christ. This lead to a lengthy discussion and the use of a Bible. Not how you would think today’s typical teenagers spent a Friday night.

Saturday Pup wanted to go out at 4 AM! Due to all of his whining I figured he must really need to go so I got up. I set about doing various household chores. When the children woke up I made breakfast and we chatted about this and that. Eventually I started to run down. It was Saturday and there was nothing that had to be taken care of so I did the unthinkable. Something I vaguely remember from years ago. I took a nap!

Later I woke up more tired than before I fell asleep. Why does that happen? Was my body protesting, trying to tell me I need more sleep? I fought the desire to crawl back into bed and resumed my Saturday routine.

Snow White and I went out in search of a new TV for ManSon. Apparently the one I purchased from Walmart was damaged. A two inch wide band of purple and green shows up on the right side of the screen. The very helpful employees of Walmart informed me they have no more of these TVs nor do they expect any more to come in. I will bring the TV in after Christmas for a refund and in the mean time I need to find another TV. ManSon suggested that he be allowed to pick out the new TV and include money of his own to upgrade to the TV of his choice.

After dinner Snow White and I put on our coats and grabbed the gifts for our neighbors. We rang door bells and sang each one a Christmas carol then handed them their gift. It was fun! Well, at first I was a little nervous about singing in front of them but Snow White did not hesitate. Her fearlessness gave me the courage to sing right along with her. She truly enjoyed herself. As she skipped back to our house she gleefully said “Mommy, we made so many people smile tonight. It is a good feeling to make people happy.”

Sunday ManSon had to work today. They held a meeting earlier in the week and decided to work Sunday so they could have off for Christmas Eve. I had completely forgot until he reminded me. This meant we had just enough time to get there.

During the evening I was in the kitchen washing dishes when Snow White came in to ask a question. “Mommy, what would you like for Christmas?” I know exactly what I want for Christmas “I want everyone to be happy, healthy, jumping around laughing. I want to see the wonderful expressions on your faces Christmas morning.”

No Mommy what do you REALLY want?

Honestly honey, that is what I REALLY want.

What about jewelry or a new toy or maybe I don’t know…something fantastic.

I have the greatest kids, a loving family, a dog, a nice house, and a great job.

Oh! I know! I know! What about more money Mommy? That would be a good one.

My boss gave me a raise and a bonus so that is already taken care of. See God has been very good to us. We usually have every thing we need and a lot of what we want.

Really, I already have everything I want. The best part about Christmas Day is seeing everyone’s happy smiling faces. Your happiness give me great joy.

I remember asking my mother the same question, each year. Her answer was the same as mine. When I was a little girl I did not fully believe her. Now, I understood exactly what she meant. I hope my children understand that I truly want their happiness.

Side note Gas was at a high...$2.95 per gallon

Remember to Refuel and Recharge Yourself

Last week ManSon decided to take a seasonal job with FedEx. I am all for my teenagers making their own money. Since his car is no longer with us, (it died in Tennessee) I drop him off at FedEx during my lunch hour. After work I pick up Snow White and we head straight to FedEx to pick up ManSon.

In the morning rush to get Snow White and myself out the door I also try to take care of as many things as possible. Apparently this week that does not include eating breakfast. I make sure Snow White has her breakfast while I am in the shower but I cannot seem to slow down enough in the morning to actually sit down and have a bite to eat before starting my day.

The hustle bustle routine of my lunch hour is mimicking my morning. I go home, let Pup out in the back yard and take ManSon to work. I forget to bring lunch to work or grab something to eat at home. After I drop off ManSon I rush back to my office. This has happened all week.

Yesterday, after work I picked up my children and went straight home. Since I have been too busy in the morning and during lunch my body was starving for fuel. As soon as we were home I slid a full plate of sliced roast beef in the microwave. My arms and legs were shaking from lack of substance. Finally I was able to sit down. I inhaled my dinner. Almost immediately I felt both dizzy and relieved, ill and satisfied. It was a very strange feeling. My poor body.

Last night while getting ready for bed I promised myself I would make sure to eat breakfast and lunch tomorrow.

Morning came a little later than usual. I must have hit the snooze button when my alarm went off. So much for my promise to eat breakfast. I will make sure to slow down and have lunch. Even if it means eating at my desk.

Lunch time rolls around and I am in other peoples’ offices when I should be wrapping up things at my own desk. When I finish up with the other people I RUN to my van and head home to pick up ManSon. Remember that steep hill I slid down during the very small snow fall? I was on my way up that very same hill when my van started to sputter! I glace over at the gas gage and realize I have not only neglected to refuel my body, I also forgot to fuel up my van. Yes, I was running out of gas on that very steep hill! Again I made it to the top of the hill. I thought maybe I could make it to the gas station but no such luck. The van stopped dead just as I turned on to a semi-main road. I thought how lucky I was that it stopped here since it looked like a pull off area. Wrong. There was a no parking sign right next to my van so I tried the ignition hoping to go a little further up the road but the engine would not turn over.

Instinctively I picked up my cell phone to call ManSon to make him aware of the situation. Oh my, this was just not my day. That’s right, my cell phone battery was dead. I remember reading about a number you can punch in to get emergency power but could not remember what that number was. I grabbed my little purse out of my enormous bag and started walking towards home.

As I walked I thought, “This wont be so bad. It really isn’t that far, right?” Sure, there are no sidewalks but drivers will surely notice my bright flowing pink blouse. In my rush to leave the office I thought why would I need my coat? I will be in my van the whole time right? Wrong again. When I thought I was nearly halfway to my house I realized I had not even made it to the entrance of our development and my legs were starting to hurt. One and a half miles later I see my mail box. For a brief moment a feeling of great pride washed over me. I had walked briskly just over 2 miles in 30 minutes. As soon as I saw my Lincoln in the driveway I decide there is no way I could possibly walk all the way to the gas station and back to my van.

I should have junked or donated the Lincoln back in June but I just could not part with it. The Lincoln has been sitting in my driveway for 6 months. Just sitting there. The tags expired back in July and I never registered it here in our new state. The reason it is still with me is the seats. They are by far the most comfortable seats ever made.

ManSon saw me walking up the drive way. By the look on his face I could tell he was confused. All I could manage to say was “Out of gas. Get gas can.” When he came back with the gas can I opened the driver’s door and slid into the seat. “Ahhh. I. Love. This car.” ManSon laughed at me but I had another thought pressing me. Would the Lincoln start after sitting for so many months? Thank God! (literally) It started! YEAH!

Before pulling out of my driveway I said a little prayer that I would not be caught by the police. The tags are expired! A cab? It would take an hour for a cab to make it’s way out here to our house in the country. Everyone I know is either at work or out of state. The Lincoln was the only choice that did not involve ManSon and I calling our supervisors to say “We wont be coming (back) to work today.”

First stop, gas station to fill up the 5 gallon gas can. Next I drive to my van and who do you suppose is right behind my van waiting for me? A friend? Not exactly. It was a State Trooper! I park the Lincoln on a side street and run with the gas can over to my van. The Trooper, still in his car, motions for me to come to his driver’s side window. “Is this your vehicle? You are not permitted to park your vehicle here. We have received several complaints about this situation. Do you realize you even left your purse in the vehicle?” I explain that I did not purposely park my van here, that I simply ran out of gas and could do nothing about where it stopped. As to why I left my purse in the car? My purse is a tiny little thing that fits into my carry all bag (they match perfectly). Not wanting to go in to all of that with the Trooper I played up the Poor damsel in distress by saying “Oh! I didn’t realize. I was so flustered about the whole ordeal.” I was cheerful though my explanation. I smiled and I remember waving my hands around a lot.

Finally, the Trooper smiled back and said he would void the ticket. He also stepped out of his car, picked up the heavy gas can and poured the contents in to my gas tank. The Trooper made sure my van started and even followed me back to my house. How gallant.

After the Trooper drove away we dashed off in a hurry. Halfway up the highway it occurs to me that ManSon must call his supervisor to say he would be another 15 minutes. My cell phone is dead and his is in his bedroom. I laughed as I said “We are really getting back to basics today. First I end up walking to where I need to be and now we are without a cell phone looking for a payphone. “Do they still have payphones at gas stations?” We did find a few non working payphones and eventually found a working payphone. ManSon’s supervisor said it wouldn’t be a problem since today they were not starting until 1:30 pm. Thank you God, again! Instead of being late he would arrive on time.

ManSon was at work, on time and I was rushing back to my office. Apparently no one missed me. I was all set to tell them my sad little story and how everything still worked out in the end.

Well, nearly everything worked out. Not only did I miss breakfast but now I had completely missed out on lunch as well. The rest of the afternoon I was exhausted and felt like I was sputtering, just like the engine of my van when it was running out of gas. Tonight was a repeat of last night…heat up dinner, inhale, feel ill and full all at the same time.

Having my van run out of gas was suppose to be a wake up call to remember to refuel and I still forgot to eat.

I MISSED ALL OF YOU SOOOO MUCH!!

Hello Again! I missed all of you! I hope to have a few free moments here and there to catch up with each of you on your blogs. I am so far behind in my reading and commenting.

I finally made it back to my semi-normal self and ready to get back in the swing of things. During my illness I tried to keep on top of things like taking Snow White directly to school. What?

School: Why was she late this morning?
Me: I am sick.
School: Sorry, that does not excuse her for being late.
What I wanted to say: You are so right. I should have just shoved her out the front door and said ‘Hope you figure out your way to the school even though you have never walked there before.’
Me: Ok, she can use the first of her allowed 5 unexcused absences.
School: You should have called to let us know she would be late.
Me: I cannot call if I am not awake.
School: You should make better plans in order to be prepared in the morning.
Me: I am sick. I did not plan to be late.

The lady at the front desk was still chattering about something or other but I was done. I walked away to allow her to continue her ridiculous conversation alone. Rules shmules I giggled on the way to the car. When you are this sick and the only parent something has got to give a little.

My meds were a bit strong. I was waking up late if I took them at night. They completely knocked me out which prevented me from taking them during the day. So I had to skip taking them during the week which only allowed me to take them during the weekends. This is why it took so long to recover from my illness. When you are the only parent in the house it gets a little tough to stay on the normal schedule like school and work. There is no one else to back you up. I am not saying this only happens to Single Moms. Military wives are home alone taking care of everything much of the time as are women who’s husbands travel for work.

During my illness I did do a few good Mommy activities. Snow White did not miss one Brownie meeting, school activity or outing. I even managed to Trick or Treat with Snow White and a few of her friends. The cool air felt good on my steaming hot forehead. Everyone around me said it was actually pretty warm outside. One of the houses in the neighborhood put on a really great haunted house! Our little troop of Trick or Treaters were anxious to see this house until we were right in front of it. Snow White could not persuade her friends to join her inside so she and I went in alone. It was just spooky enough to get a good rise out of her and tickle her to bits. Even the big kids got in on some Halloween fun. No, they did not go out Trick or Treating. They had a teen function that started after Trick or Treating. The picture below was taken just after Snow White and I returned home when Trick or Treating ended. ManSon and his friends were just on their way out.




Hot Topic Chick, The Crow, Hermione, Faceless Hippie, Dog no likie Hippies



Snow White’s Brownie Troop had a badge ceremony and a Juliet Lowe party. Mrs. Lowe is the founder of Girl Guides in the UK and Girl Scouts in the US She was born on Halloween so many of the Girl Scout troops have a party on or around Halloween to celebrate her birthday. The ceremony was so cute. There was a little skit about what goes into making a Brownie then each of the new Brownies crawled out of an oven made of cardboard. After which they were presented with the badges, pins and patches they have earned up to date. After the ceremony and before the party started I asked her to let me hold on to her badges, pins and patches. She didn’t know what I was talking about. I explained “Let me hold on to what ever was given to you on the stage.” Her loud reply “I didn’t get anything on stage. I got SQUAT!” Then she ran off happily to decoupage her pumpkin with the other girls. The troop leader assured me it was a mistake she will rectify soon.



The girls and their families all seemed to have such a wonderful time. Each parent brought in some sort of food or party item which made a terrific super sweet banquet. All the tasty sugary goodness a child could imagine and then some. ManSon made three large batches of brownies and he even wanted to come along. He helped us set up the tables and took care of the heavy lifting. When it came time to decoupage the pumpkins he was the one who helped Snow White. I was a little taken aback and felt a bit jealous at first. Sort of “Hey, that’s my job.” You could tell he was truly enjoying his time with Snow White. This allowed me to help more with the party and take many photos.

I brought a veggie tray with ranch dip. After seeing all the yummy treats I thought for sure I would be taking home 98% of the veggies but I was wrong. The tray was filled 4 times and then….“Where are the veggies? Mrs. Momma didn’t you bring more?” Even ManSon was disappointed. By the time he made it through the food line there was only one carrot stick left. Snow White walked up next to him and gave him a great big smile. Jokingly he said “Go head. Take my one and only veggie.” Which she quickly grabbed then skipped off with her friends. All he could do was laugh.

We helped with Snow White’s Math Game project. It turned out fairly well considering I had a fever, she is only in 3rd grade and thank goodness for ManSon’s artistic ability. He painted the die and wooden box. His ideas were really clever. He painted the 1 on the die as a Pokeball and the box would have looked just like a Pokeball if it were round.





I hope to catch up with a few of you tonight and more of you this week.

Shopping Marathon

Friday. Well, I cannot remember much from Friday other than we rushed here there and everywhere. It started at the crack of dawn rushing around the house to get ready for work and school. All day at work I rushed to get things done then waited for this and that to come back with important information.

During my lunch hour ManSon said "My wallet was stolen." Oh My Gosh! When? Where? What happened? "Well, it was at so and so's house." But that kid lives in another state. You haven't seen him since..."Yes. I know. Since May." Why are you...What do you mean..Are you pulling...Your Social Security Card? License? WHAT?! {deep breath} How is it that you waited this long to say something?

I make phone calls to the State License agency and Social Security Office. Apparently you need a utility bill in your name if you are over the age of 18. What the heck? What about college students? Surely there must be some college students at the local University who live with their parents so the parents can save some money. You also need a birth certificate and your Social Security Card. No surprise there. The list of items needed to identify you for your Social Security card is just one...a Doctors Note.. A birth certificate doesn't do a thing for you. Thank goodness a dentist note will do. ManSon has not been to a doctor in the last three years since he has not been injured or seriously ill (thank God).

After work I rush home, make dinner and a lot of rushing about to get things done around the house, homework and such. I was dead on feet by 10:30 pm but did not get to bed until much later.

Saturday morning we had a basic breakfast then it was off to the Post Office to pick up a certified package addressed to ManSon. We think it was the Cobra paper work from my employer. Unfortunately it was addressed to him so we could not pick it up due to ManSon having no ID.

After the Post Office we decided to go on a shopping spree for ManSon. He was in need of a whole new wardrobe. Really, this boy has specific taste. He becomes really attached to the clothes he buys and wont let them go until they are about to fall apart. Unfortunately, he has very good taste so it takes a very long, long time for them to wear out.

Another problem with purchasing clothing for ManSon is his size. He is 6 feet tall, has a 29 inch waist and likes about 2 inches of his pant cuffs to rest on the top of his shoes. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to find a pair of Man's dress slacks with a 29 inch waist? It is like finding a needle in a hay stack and I really truely mean that.

We went to the big mall which is nearly located in another state. We split up into groups to scour the stores for 29 inch dress pants. After three hours of blinding ourselves looking at every size of ever pair of pants in the two story mall we met up at the food court for a break. When I sat down I swear my muscels let out a huge sigh of relief. I had mannaged to find 3 pairs of imported dress slacks with a 30 inch waist. Hey, that beats out the rest who only found 34 inch waists. ManSon even tried on JEANS! He has never worn jeans in his intire life. I had to laugh at the thought of him wearing jeans. It would be like putting ice cream on pizza and not being pregnant. Well, I said to ManSon "You in jeans is like watching Escaflowne without subtitles." It is like nails scraping on a chalk board to hear Escaflowne in English. Weird.

Ok so we are all worn out. We take a 15 minute break and rush off to the one store which actually has pants ManSon size. He tries them on since they are imports and hip hurray they fit! ManSon looks over the jackets and swears one of them would be the coolest item he owns. Lucky for him the matching jackets are half price if you buy the pants. He was beside himself when I said we would take both of the jackets he liked. The pants were on sale for $75 each then bonus buy (purchase jacket) made them $45 each add on $64 for each jacket.

Oh my gosh Pup is whining at the moment. Snow White has her bedroom door shut so she can change her clothes. Pup is outside her door whimpering, howling and barking. He thinks she is going to bed without him.

Ok back to the shopping spree from this weekend. ManSon's girlfriend "Corkie" was part of our shopping possy. She dyes her hair different colors but seems to be down to earth with a strict mother. Really nice girl trying to figure out where she belongs with a mom who can reel her in. I could not be happier for the moment. She was very helpful with the shopping, quick to get tasks accomplished and a joy to be around.

While ManSon was trying on the pants she helped me look through the many, many long sleeved sweater shirts. ManSon wanted long sleeves with a collar but not dress shirts and goodness knows how he dislikes logos. We found one shirt in the whole store and it was a Men's Medium. In this particular brand the medium was a tad bit long but he really liked it so that was added to our purchase at that store. We still needed 4 more pairs of pants and a dozen shirts. By this time the stores were closing so we gave up for the day...so did our legs.

Sunday afternoon we decided to tackle another mall and check out their stock. The same store that had his size pants but in a different mall. They had clothes ManSon really liked but way too big. "No one carries that size. It's just not done. " ManSon's response "In a world of obesity concerns no one stocks small sizes. Maybe I need to start eating those 'can my butt look any bigger' meals. We all laugh and walk away leaving the sales lady looking perplexed.

Snow Whtie was telling me about two cartoon theme songs she thought were the greatest. She really doesn't watch too much tv. I told her to ask her brother if he still has his Pokemon sound track from when he was in 2nd grade (remember ManSon is 19). He knew exactly where it was and handed it right over to her. He knew how excited she would be! I can hear Pokemon Master blasting in the background.

We finally went to Macy's and they HAVE mens' shirts in size Small!! We bought up a full lot of shirts but may have to go back when they replenish their stock. From now on we will shop at Bonton for pants and Macy's for all of ManSon's clothing.

So, after 9 hours of running (litterally) here and there for ManSon's wardrobe we made a dent in what he really needs to replace. Shoes...well he wants Vans but the shoe stores here do not sell Vans! Well, they sell the slip on multi color/deco Vans at the skater shops but not the Vans he has become acustome to. I see an out of state shopping expedition in a big city in our near future.

A Girl Named Bunny - The Last Day

Sunday

Sunday morning Pup woke up early intent on defending the house. I opened the back door and let him out. After he barked for more than 5 minutes on the back deck I went out to carry him back in. It was Sunday morning and some people do sleep in. I noticed the house seemed a bit cold. Fall is just about here with cool mornings and hot afternoons. I don't know if I should turn on the central air to heat or cool.

Given that it did seem a tad bit chilly, I went upstairs to see if Oldest Daughter and Bunny needed extra blankets. What I discovered was Oldest Daughter was in her room alone. I checked ManSons room and there he was sitting in his bean bag chair watching TV....and Bunny was asleep in HIS BED!

My blood went straight to boiling point! WHAT IS SHE DOING IN YOUR ROOM?! IN YOUR BED?! I am a mild woman even in the worst moments but I was ready to start knocking both of their heads together! "Mom, I promise. Nothing happened. She basically kicked me out of my own bed. I let her sleep there and I staid up all night watching movies. She is just an annoying little kid and she is Oldest Daughter's friend."

I start yelling at Bunny "You are only 16 years old! Sixteen years old! You are NOT old enough to sleep in a boys room!" She smiled and batted her eyes at me which made me want to grab her by the shoulders and shake her! I didn't but I really wanted to. "Get up! Get out of this room!" She took her sweet time getting off the bed and walking past me. I could see she still had on the same clothes as yesterday.

I went back down stairs to cool off. I practiced what I was going to say to Oldest Daughter. My reasons for why this little pain in the butt can never come back to our house. She is NEVER coming back to our house. Not for birthday parties, an afternoon or just to stop by and say hello.

Snow White was still asleep but I heard movement going on in Oldest Daughter's room. ManSon came down stairs to talk with me. I told him she was never coming back here. He thanked me. "That would be great. I can sleep in my own bed. She thinks like Snow White and acts like a little kid. I am surprised you didn't take her home right after dinner. She was rude." He went on to explain other things "She is my sister's friend. I don't want to be rude to her.

He also mentioned how it seemed like such a long time since he and his sister really hung out together. "It would be so much better if we didn't have to deal with such a fussy girl in the middle of it all. I forgot how much fun it can be to just hang out with my sister. We don't even have to finish a sentence before we both start laughing. It is like we have a secret language all our own. Other people get it but you have to explain a little. With my sister I don't have to explain anything. If she weren't my own sister I would still like to have her as a friend."

In our house it is normal to have half a dozen to a full dozen teenagers all at once. I suppose it has been awhile since ManSon and Oldest Daughter were together without each of their entourages.

I thanked him for talking to me now but scolded him as well. "You should have come to me. I would have picked her up or woke her up and made her to go to the room she was suppose to be in! This was a dumb move on your part. If there is ever a next time make the girl leave. It is not rude. If she takes it that way then she definitely has moral issues and you don't want to deal with that can of worms."

Oldest Daughter and Bunny pretty much staid in Oldest Daughter's room all morning. Eventually Oldest Daughter came down stairs. I explained to her this was Bunny's last visit with us. She was no longer welcome to come over to our house. Oldest Daughter also expressed some relief. "So I can tell her the reason she cannot come over is because you said so right?" "Yes, I am definitely willing to be the meanie."

The whole trip back to Bunny's house she and Oldest Daughter slept in the very back of the van. We even brought Pup with us. Snow White was put to sleep by the CD Oldest Daughter selected for the trip back.

On the long return trip home Snow White read out loud one of her Tinker Bell books. When it was too dark for her to read any more we sang along to the Girl Scout CD she picked out at the Girl Scout Council shop.

We are home and I am just glad to know ....I will never have to see Bunny again.

The Good Life

We picked up ManSon from his friends house and brought him home. On our way back to our house ManSon was reminiscing about when he and Oldest Daughter were little tikes. I love it when my children look back on their lives and revel in how wonderful their lives are. He realized his ability to tune into others so quickly was largely due to Oldest Daughter’s acute shyness. Since she used him as her interpreter, shield and protector he could pick up on exactly what she was saying or wanted. Sometimes it was just a look on her face. With this revelation he said “Remind me to thank my sister for teaching me this wonderful trait.”

On our short 15 minute drive back to the house ManSon talked joyfully about many things from when he was little. “It has been a long time since I have seen a new Disney animated movie. I wonder why they haven’t come up with a new one recently? The last Disney animated movie I remember seeing on the big screen was The Lion King. Do you remember we saw it with Auntie D? You even bought me that outrageously expensive Simba at the toy store just outside the movie theater.” We laughed about the stuffed Simba and took turns mimicking the phrases it spouted off when you pushed various parts of his body. When you squeezed his tail he gave out a baby growl “Roaarrr. I’m working on my roar”. After giggling for awhile over the other funny phrases he asked me where Simba is now? I think we gave him away when we were packing up to move. We all gave out a little sigh.

ManSon proclaimed that although we endured many hardships over the years, our lives were pretty great. There were some days full of large and small wonderment. Even during the bad times we resurfaced with something positive.

All of this makes me tear up. Here is my son looking at all that has gone on in our lives and he is grateful. It makes a mother so proud. Maybe I didn’t screw up as much as I thought I had. Over these past 19 years I have had days when I wondered if I was a complete failure as a mother. Most Moms feel this way from time to time. I just wanted to say it is ok to feel like that but don’t let it bring you down. Some day your children will realize what a wonderful life you provided for them.

Grosser Than Gross Give Away

There is a wonderful website called Adventures in Babywearing. I enjoy reading her blog and guess what? She is having a contest for a Dirt Devil KONE. My old dust buster is from 1991 so I could really use a new one. I have really worn it out over the years. Think of all the ease of cleaning up Crafts, crumbs, Crafts, pets and little ones!

For the contest she wants to hear about our Grosser Than Gross stories like when Snow White hid an apple in the garment bag for three months before Mommy discovered it.

***GROSS ALERT *** GROSS ALERT***
I must warn you this could get really ugly. If you are eating lunch right now…come back later, when you do be prepared to run from the computer.

Years ago when my son was about a 1 ½ years old the Man said he was in the mood for Taco Bell. Since there were no Taco Bells in our town we drove to another city about 45 minutes away. I had never been to this other city so Taco Bell or not I was game.

It was a bit after dinner time, the restaurant was not exactly busy but it was far from empty. We ordered our food, picked out a highchair and found a table. While we waited for our food I went to pick up napkins, straws and such with Man and son at the table. As I walked toward the table something struck me as odd …Oh, ewww. Someone smells and needs a diaper change.



I go out to the car to retrieve the diaper bag and return to a scene of Gross proportions! Pretty much everyone is familiar with the School science project volcanoes right? Over at our table there was something that resembled a project volcano but it was much larger than any I had ever seen. The vast amounts of lava it spewed was not red but green! At the top of the “volcano” sat my little baby boy. A fast stream of green globs flowed down all four legs of the highchair into a large puddle already formed on the floor.

The Man flashes me a panic stricken look, grabs the baby and rushes past me so fast I don’t even notice he snatched the keys right out of my hand. I could not believe what I saw. How could so much come out of one tiny little person? How in the world am I going to clean this up? I seemed to have been paralyzed for minutes but I am sure it was far more brief. The Man started pulling on my arm and rushing me to the car while holding the baby at a bit of a distance. This whole scene plays out in about 4 seconds but felt like slow motion to me.

He took off his shirt and laid it down as protection for the car seat. He drove out of there so fast I had no time to think. We were 45 minutes from home and the volcano was still erupting! Finally the car stops and we are in the parking lot of a strip mall. I change the baby but there are just not enough baby wipes in a travel pack to really clean him up. We did not bring an extra set of clothes since we did not plan on being out very long. I volunteer to purchase an outfit and extra wipes at the store closest to us. The Man was not having any of that! He had to get away from the stench and fast!

As I sit in the car with the worst smell in the world I find I can still smile. All through this my baby was smiling at me as if he just performed some wonderful trick. I start to feel really bad when I think of the poor minimum wage Taco Bell employee who will be cleaning up the aftermath of the green volcano. Twenty minutes later the Man is back and I mention we should go back so I can clean up the mess. Embarrassed to the fullest he says firmly we are never going back there ever! He could not bring himself to face the Taco Bell again.

The Man bought baby wipes, a new outfit, three rolls of paper towels, and 2 cans of air freshener. All the way home he held his head out the window making gagging noises and spraying the freshener in the car. To this day he cannot look at Taco Bell without thinking of the green volcano. The car was detailed TWICE and the Man still did not want to drive that car. It was not funny the day it happened but now it makes me laugh thinking about the way the Man “handled” the whole situation.

Don't forget about the Elizabeth Arden Give Away!

TT # 5

This Thursday Thirteen was inspired by Busymom after reading her post over at Careerandkids.

Many Work Away from Home Moms work all year long. We do day dream about lazy summer days with our children but those are usually reserved for weekends only. Our week days are roughly the same no matter what the season. I did come up with a few things that do change for me when Summer comes along…

1. Clothes can be hung outside (hate it but better than standing at attention waiting for the dryer to yell at me “I’m Done!”)

2. No more notes home from school saying Snow White forgot her lunch money today (they break knee caps if you owe a $1.00 or more)

3. No more homework for me! Yes, the children have to do their homework but that means I have to do it too.

4. The school librarian has stopped our weekly phone calls (Her: Snow White has ____ book out and it is due today. Me: Large pocket of Hello Kitty Back Pack - played back via tape recorder.)

5. Summer time night light discovery on night stand. Aww Snow White collected lighting bugs for me how sweet. Closer look Where is the lid ~~runs scream out the door AAAHHH!

6. Winter: Mom where are my sneakers? Summer: Mom where are my sandals?

7. ManSon: Can I go to so and so’s house? Me: Winter - Is the snow shoveled? Summer: Is the lawn mowed?

8. Getting in to the car…Snow White: Winter - My car seat is too cold. Summer - My car seat is too hot

9. Me: Winter - Pup, it isn’t that cold out there go on. Summer - Pup, hurry up. Come inside. I have a treat. It’s time for Mommy to go to work.

10. Really fresh fruit for home made fruit smoothies and other deserts.

11. No need to use the hair dryer after a shower as my hair will be dry by the time I get to work. Love my natural curl. Pup loves this too as he is not blow dried during the summer. (I have a new couch which he makes a Bee line for after a bath)

12. More towels to wash due to pool and sprinklers during the summer

13. Better weather on walks with Pup.

A Soldier Returns Home From War

Shhhh…

You would think my posting this was a result of this past weekend, Memorial Day weekend. In actuality it was a very brief argument between my eldest (ManSon) and my youngest (Snow White) regarding what most would deem a small noise. The need to know of what made any noise in the house.

ManSon: “What is that noise? Snow White are you wearing your shoes in the house?”

Snow White: [shouts from another room] “No, I have just my socks on. ”

It was then I realized why ManSon is so sensitive to the noises in the house. It is the same reason I am sensitive to noises in the house. Simple explanation, my father served in the Vietnam War. Long, explanation below…

I was very little when my father went off to Vietnam with the US Navy as a Radar man. Sorry, I do not know what his rank was at the time or the proper name of his “job title” MOS?

The need for quiet. My Mother needed quite in the house after dinner to listen to the news and then to loose her reality in off the wall shows like Twilit Zone afterwards. When Dad home he need the quiet to distinguish the noises he heard as friend or foe. Simple little clackers (metal fish or other shape pinched together to make a clicking or metal snap noise) were forbidden at our house. I found out how intolerable they were for him after my elementary end of year fair. The clackers were given out as a prize for one of the games. So many children here and there all clicking, clacking, and snapping those metal toys sent my Dad home in a hurry. Apparently, a device similar to this toy was used by the soldiers to communicate to each other but not alert the foe who maybe near by.

I remember in the summer of 1975, my Mother screaming at my Dad when he would swerve around a soda can or any object (big or small) on the road. His focus was on that object and not the domestic road ways and surrounding object (other cars, buildings, ditches, etc). He had to avoid that can/object at all costs. When we were all clam after a scary swerve Mom explained why Dad was so “afraid” of the “can“. In Vietnam a simple item in the roadway was always a potential bomb or detonator. It may not be something that explodes in the road way. It could be a wire or something that triggers an explosion in the huts or anything near

I remember when Dad was home Mom told us to be extra quiet. When he was sleeping she would have us play outside or at a friend’s house as much as possible. Keeping three children under the age of 6 years old and a baby quiet is a great feat to accomplish on a daily basis! This need for quiet around the house at my very young age was practiced all through my adolescence. It was still present when I was a teenager. When I was out on my own in my 20s I remembered the rules of quiet in the house. When I became a Mother myself the rules of quiet became unconscious but evident today when ManSon was annoyed by the noise of Snow White running through the house.

Happy Mother's Day! & A Contest To Boot!

Mothers Day for me...

I slept in until 8 AM Woot!

Snow White had been bubbling with excitement since Friday. She could barely restrain herself from showing me her Mother's Day presents. Finally, Mother's Day was here! She bounced out of bed and sprung into action! I have never seen her produce her backpack with such speed! There were cards she made in school, in daycare and at home. The card she made in school was a cut out of a tea cup with a poem writen on the outside and a tea bag on the inside. The card from daycare had a coloring of a peachy flower in a pot "You wont kill this one mom." I loved this since Snow White hinted over and over again at the grocery store for me to give her just enough money to buy a potted flower. While in the store I said "The flowers are so beautiful here but what would happen if they came to live in our house?" Snow White sadly said "They would die and die again." A woman across the way from us laughed and laughed! She said "No worries dear, I am the same way." She smiled, hugged her tween son and went on to their shopping. Yes, I kill all house plants.

Snow White and I and I had a large breakfast of waffles, sausages, scrambled eggs and toast. She was so sweet and wanted to do everything herself including buttering the waffles and toast. She scrambled the eggs but I cooked them and the sausage. She had milk and I had my cup of tea. By the way that tea was the best I ever had and there was no name on the tea. After breakfast Snow White and I played a board game, Littlest Pet Shop, which was one of her birthday presents.

ManSon was fast asleep due to a long night of playing video games and watching TV with his friend. I checked in on them before Snow White, Pup and I went for a long walk. I did get a wonderful "Happy Mother's Day" wish. His friend was not so gracious when his mother called to say she would be over in a little while to pick him up. ManSon just rolled his eyes at him. I actually came right out and said "It is Mother's Day. Be nice."

I have driven up the main street in our neighborhood and even one or two side streets visiting Snow White's friends. I never took the time to really explore our new neighborhood. Today we were going to walk down several streets which we had no idea where they lead. It was a fun adventure. Our neighborhood seems to have some history still evident today. At one time this must have been farm land and then sold to individuals for the purpose of building houses or houses with smaller farms in the 1930s. The cute little cape cods which look so small on the outside but actually very large on the inside. I know this since we live in one. The distance between the 1930 houses and those which seem to have been built in the 1970s is a good distance but they are mingled in together. This lead me to belive in the small farming houses or maybe they were just extreamly large plots. Most of the 1970s houses are very plain in the exterior. Very flat front and pretty much looks like a rectangular box with a slight triangular top. There were a few, very few, with tall pillars attached to a porch roof but other than that they were very plain.

We had been walking for about an hour when I saw a park. I said to Snow White "Oh my! There is a park and it is so close to our house! (there is a shorter route from our house) The park had a full lit up basket ball court, a beautiful outdoor pit BBQ with a stone brick chimney and a cute half wall all around. There was even a large swimming pool with Spanish style iron works and beautiful brick half wall around three-quarters of it!

Oh, wait...that beautiful Spanish styling went all the way behind a five car garage and....a house. This was not a local park, it was someone's back yard! As we walked along I could see the front and side yards contained several breathtaking gardens. I am not talking about a typical garden you see in a neighbors yard. I mean when I walked towards the corner it was more like a rain forest and tropical garden all mixed in to one! When I saw the front of the house I could tell it was one of the 1930's houses originally a cape code but had Spanish details in great proportion.

They might have been the original land owners who sold off acreage to the rest of the neighboring houses or were the largest land purchasers in the area at that time. The house looked splendid on the outside. They had a local park as their back yard, the rest of their land was a combination of rainforests and tropical gardens and I can only imagine what the inside must look like. In this city I was amazed to see such a house. I hope on some small occasion I might have an invite to visit the inside of this beautiful gem.

We walked on a bit longer until Snow White said she was thirsty. That is when we headed back home. Other than that our day was pretty uneventful. Oldest Daughter called from Annapolis. She was out on Grandma Candy's Mini Yaht. She had attended a concert the night before as part of her birthday. I prefer her day is all about her, not Momma. We watched a movie, had lunch at home, called my Mother and ManSon's friend went home. I took a little nap and when I woke up it seemed like a new day so I cleaned house and did laundry. My Sister called while I was doing laundry and said "But it's Mother's Day! You should not be doing laundry." My response "The laundry needs to be done and guess what? I am the Mom."

Exiled in Toyland is having a contest! She is also having a baby Boy! Awww. Her contest is to come up with a blogger name for her baby boy. There is a prize but I did not take the time to read what it is. I was too excited about her new addition and thinking of names. She has a daughter known as ittybit and would like a name to go along with that but not seeming like an after thought. Think of how you refer to your children in a blog or an endearing nick name you call a friend's child then put that in a sentence like..."Ittybit and Hunk-a-doodle-baby-boy went to the grocery store with us" or "Ittybit and Hunk-a-doodle-baby-boy enjoyed the museum today." Then there is my favorite "The Great Adventures of Ittybit and Hunk-a-doodle-baby-boy!" Ok, Hunk-a-doodle-baby-boy will not be a name I am submitting. It is way too long to type over and over and over again for the long life of a blog and in an every day occurrence. You get the idea so please click the link and participate in the contest, just say hello or congratulations.

Exiled In Toyland: Happy Mother's Day! How about a contest?

Should a Mother Worry...

Today (written Monday, May 6th) when I picked up Snow White from daycare she had absorbed yet another "accent". She sounded like a "Valley Girl" from the 80s....e-x-a-c-t-ly So Totally Like them. It was only a five minute drive but I so TOTALLY um like, wanted to say uh, gag me with a spoon. Like um yeah. furrr real like. he, he, he. Yes, we live in a valley but my goodness, where does she pick this stuff up at? Daycare or school?

Her conversation was all about Justin Timberlake and how Totally Cool he is. "You know. Like. He was on the Nick Awards show and Totally Cool. He sings this song, um, I don't know all the words or the name of it but it so goes like um yeah like 'go get me go, go get me go'." {later found out the song is called Sexy Back she heard it on the school bus} I told her I believe he was married to Britney Spears but she was very admit that he was not only not married but he was a teenager who is not old enough to be married. I told her he and Britney have a baby son. Her voice grew louder in her admit position that he was not old enough to be married so he could so not possibly have a baby.

I assured her that he is around 24 yrs old. She said there is NO way he could be that old! I explained that Mommy is almost 40 so that would be about half my age and that is not all that old. It was only then she easily accepted 24 as not that old.

I also told her Justin use to compete in pageants! Yes, he actually competed in pageants when he was a young boy. She wanted proof. As soon as we were home I pulled out a VSH video tape with him doing Sportswear, Beauty/formal wear and casualwear. He was a ham back then and still rocking the stage. I had to rewind the tape twice before she really believed. He introduced himself and everything. She was satisfied and cannot wait to tell her big brother that Justin Timberlake also was a pageant boy!

Now proving that he and Britney were married and have a baby boy is not an easy task. I do not subscribe to tabloids so the only "proof" I have is from the Internet and Snow White has a definite view of on line information..."You know the Internet LIES! Anyone can say something on the Internet but that doesn't make it true." I have seen some crazy things posted on the Internet and some as opinions. I cannot say her theory is 100% wrong.

ManSon left with his friends during the Birthday party last Friday and said he would be back Sunday. Sunday night came and he called me to explain his friend was driving down a gravel road, they did not see the pipe sticking up in the road and the friend drove over it. Luckily, this only punctured one tire. His friend is awaiting payday to pay for a new tire. This means ManSon would be home in a few days. I told him to call me tomorrow just to check in and he said he would. As always at the end of any phone conversation with my children I say "I love you." ManSon is almost 19 years old (birthday in about 2 wks) and since he was officially a teenager his usual response is "ok" or "yeah." There have been a few times when he said "Me too" or actually uttered the words "I love you too Mom" but that usually involved my being away for a few months due to work and only with our immediate family present on his end. This time he was at his friend's house using his friend's cell phone. His cell phone died due to not bringing the charger with him since he was only planning to be gone until Sunday. He actually said "I love you too" while using his friend's phone and in front of his friends! I was so thrilled it almost brought me to tears.

Tuesday night during a daily call with my sister I mentioned this and her response was "Oh my gosh! Is he okay?! Do you think he is doing drugs or wanting to commit suicide?" WHAT?! Those thoughts never came in to my mind! Now I was worried.

I tried to call ManSon but his cell phone died due to not bringing the charger since he only planned to be away for two days. Oldest Daughter gives me the phone number of another friend to elevate my worry. ManSon is fine. He laughed and laughed at Auntie's (my sister) reaction. He also swore never to say it again unless 1. I am dying 2. He is home and staying or 3. In front of Auntie just to watch her freak out in person.

My Mom, Grandma, tells me she has been diagnosed with glaucoma. We had a phone call with Grammy K she tells me she has to have a hip replacement. Grammy K will see her Dr tomorrow and Grandma will see her Dr on Monday. Grandma also has an appointment with a glaucoma expert tomorrow. She said if I hear back from ManSon she and Grandpa will pick him up and bring him home.

So there is my list of worries and they all came in one days time. I know, count myself lucky this was all I had to worry about. I do.

Let’s Get This Party Started...(song by Pink playing on my mental juke box)

Before TV Star arrived the girls were too excited and played outside for a good while. This was not something I anticipated but it worked out well. After awhile Snow White gave them the grand tour of the house. I then served Pizza, fruit and veggies to start them off. Then it was on to the first craft, putting their names on their foam crowns and decorating them. This took awhile since we had to search and search for the right letters for each of their names. Snow White gave up looking for her letters and opted for just her first initial so she could help her guests search for their letters. When they were finished the girls pranced around the house wearing their crowns and introducing their dollies and stuffed animals to each other.

A little while later there was a knock on the door. TV Star had arrived! Her Aunt explained she was a little worried that everyone had started without her and all the games, crafts, cake were all done. I assured her we only completed one craft and were putting off the cake until she arrived. The girls were so full on the pizza and snacks they were not nearly ready for cake.

We all pitched in to find the letters for TV Star’s crown and the girls were anxious to start the next craft. I passed out the packages for the American Girl doll sleeping bags. Gymnast proudly exclaimed she knew exactly how to do this craft since she and her mother did a similar craft together. I was delighted to hear someone else at the party could assist with this craft. This seemed to be a very simple activity, two pieces of cloth with “fringe” cuts on three sides of the rectangular shaped clothes. All we had to do was knot two strips of fringe together until all were eventually knotted. To my great surprise Snow White, Gymnast and myself were the only people at this party who could tie a knot. How can it be that 8 year old girls do not know how to tie a knot? Don't they all know how to tie their shoes. Oh, wait a minute, Snow White refuses to wear tie-shoes because she does not want to learn the loops portion. As her mother I do give in and buy her shoes which require no tying. Partially due to her lack of wanting and part due to my "Let's hurry out of the house in the morning." Girls started pleading for us (Gymnast, Snow White and myself) to make their sleeping bags. Snow White said her fingers were getting tired from all the tying so she gave her lot to me as well. Gymnast was the only girl to actually finish her own sleeping bag. I told her how proud I was of her. Of course I did this out of ear shot of the other girls. I don't want to hurt their feelings while making note of one girls accomplishment.

Since I was going to be busy tying knots I had to move to the next craft to keep the girls busy. Out came the bird houses and paint. They happily painted their bird houses and decorated them with fake birds, flowers and glitter glue. I was impressed with their individuality and creativity. Unfortunately when they were all finished I was still working on the dolly sleeping bags. They wanted to play flashlight tag so we found a flashlight and off they went in to the back yard once again. I sat in the sunroom which is set up high above the yard and I could see everything. They giggled, laughed and chased each other with Pup right there with them.

As I finished the last of the sleeping bags we decided to play a simple game. I gathered the girls in to a circle in the living room. The simple instructions were given…put your slippers or shoes in a pile at the center of your circle. Next, show them the prize for this game and explain the first to get her own shoes on wins! WAIT! Wait a minute! Wait until I say go! ha, ha, ha. They put the shoes and slippers back in to a pile and each had their eyes fixed on their own. GO!

One girl had her toes in both of her sneakers and exclaimed "I WIN! I WIN!" I laughed and said “They have to be all the way on.” In the end we had a tie between Sweetie and TV Star so I gave TV Star the Strawberry Short Cake bath set that was on display for the prize and told Sweetie to pick a prize out of the super large princess bag. She picked a plush dolly with bath accessories. (I found out later she gave her prize to another girl saying she had too many stuffed toys...again showing how very sweet Sweetie is) The other girls moaned a bit so I assured them everyone would win something tonight. If by any chance at the end of the party someone did not win a game they would be allowed to pick a prize from the bag.

ManSon called to say an out of state friend called and would like my permission to kidnap him and bring him to his house for the weekend. I gave permission for the out of town visit. ManSon came home to pick up a few things. He burst through the front door, swept Snow White up and swung her around as he said "Happy Birthday Snow White!!" He carried her over to the dinning room window and said "Wave. Those are my friends out there." The car full of friends waved back while shouting "Happy Birthday Snow White!" ManSon stopped to talk to the little girls, give them advice on how to be good and even let them see his electric guitar. He gives her a hug and again wishes her a happy birthday. Snow White was thrilled that her super cool big brother made an appearance so her friends would see that she comes from coolness. "See, he really is super cool!" He really is a great big brother, always bestowing his wisdom on her that coolness means being yourself and not putting up with all the "bad" people. I am so glad my older children are such a good influence on my youngest. Yes, I am bragging and I have very good reason to brag. My children are not perfect nor am I but it really swells my heart to think of the times they really shine.

This party aint over yet (did I spell that right? I have never written that word before, oh well). I will have more later. Snow White is home sick so I posted what I wrote up yesterday.