Webkinz Crazy

Can we talk? Since when do I have to fight my kids for use of the computer? Since when is their excuse to get on the computer "mom, I have to feed my Webkinz!"? Since we caved and bought them one, EACH! I don't know why we were in the mall a couple weeks ago. I haven't been in the mall, you know walking around checking out the stores, in over a year. But we were there as a family and we wandered into Limited Too. There they were WEBKINZ! These little animals were on sale buy one get one free and we figured we would buy one and get one free and well we bought them each one. They get home and want to put their codes in the computer. Little did my husband and I know what we were doing but he helped them set up their account and then it started. At first I thought "oh this is cute" but now (sigh) I am just over it.

The day starts with the Wheel of Yum or the Mega Wheel of Wow (yeah, you know what I am talking about) and then breakfast and school. They return home from school and immediately one asks to get on. We have to set the kitchen oven timer for 15 minutes and they rotate all evening. Every 15 minutes the alarm goes off and they switch. We have rooms (yes, mulitple), clothes, games, furniture, and Caroline has just recently sold everything to get an "outdoor room". This poor dog has no food and his food line is down in the 50's but she's got that outdoor room now!

The other day I couldn't get one of the kids to take a bath and finally I had to enforce punishment. "No Webkinz for two days!" Yup, I did it. You would have thought I had taken out a live pet and shot it in the backyard! Let me tell you, that was a torturous two days for me having to hear all about how this virtual dog was starving to death, lonely, needing to get put in a bed, etc, etc!

Oh, you ask how can I be on the computer posting this? I am on my husband's work computer. Shhh, don't tell!

Sorry People

for not updating the blog sooner. We have been plugging along here very nicely. Nothing major to talk about and I think that is just why I haven't updated in a while.

My older daughter is taking horseback riding lessons now. She is actually learning on a pony. So do we still call it horseback riding lessons or ponyback riding lessons? Anyway, she looks very cute in her black helmet and her paddock boots. It is giving her more confidence and something to do that her siblings aren't doing too, yet. Yes there is that yet there. You saw it too. The younger daughter will be taking lessons too as soon as she turns 6 and that is in 6 weeks!! She is very excited but that birthday just can't come quick enough.

On a crafty note, I have been working on scrapbooking our Disney trip. I think we took way too many pictures but you tell me what you think. On average we took between 135-200 pictures a day and we were there for 7 days. I developed over 800 pictures and so far have only weeded out about 40 and I am on the start of day 4. I just can't seem to leave out any cute smile. And since they are my kids' cute smiles and it is my album I am putting them all in there. God help the person who says, "can I look at your pictures from Disney?" LOL I will be bringing out three huge albums and plopping them on their lap.

Okay for all of you faithful readers, you are probably wondering about my garden. Well we have two rows of potatoes in the big garden and they are doing quite well. They have been there for about a month now and have nice little green leaves coming out. Thankfully the deer leave them alone. We are so distraught at the fact that all our hard work will go to the deer that we have been thinking up ways short of shooting the whole clan to keep them out of the garden, hence the garden hasn't really started yet. I did plant some peas a while back and they are about a foot tall but they are in our little garden here at the house and the deer don't know of this lovely place. I also planted a fe cabbage plants but they turned out to be broccoli and they all bolted (grew really tall really fast and have little yellow flowers on them). I sware the label on them said cabbage. Oh well.

Check back again soon as I will post some great pictures of ponyback riding and the garden.

Toodles!

Summer Camps

It is way past time to begin thinking of summer camps, however, I have just begun to think about it for the kids. I am not sure why I wasn't on top of things a few months ago but I have found that this summer the registration for camps have been slow around here which is in my favor.

So far here is the run down:

Son, sailing camp and then a craft camp maybe and a sailing camp revisit at the end of summer, reading tutoring all summer.
Daughter #1, horseback riding camp and craft camp
Daughter #2, bug camp, craft camp, and maybe horseback riding.

They will all be swimming on the swim team for our pool as well. We have opted out of the summer enrichment program at the school this year. It just seemed like too much and I didn't see any real benefit from it in the past couple years.

Did you notice the horseback riding? Yes, daughter #1 has been saying she wants to take lessons so my mother, bless her, took her up to check out the stables. Now this is the daughter who doesn't like dogs or other animals much. Before I signed her up for this expensive camp I wanted her to look at a live horse face to face, eye to eye and see a real horse. So my mother took her to the stables yesterday and daughter #1 was a bit timid (if that is the right word) with the oldest horse out there and while she touched the horse she used her sister's hand to pet it. Yes it was like hand over hand petting. Daughter #2 isn't scared. In fact she is mad because you have to be six to start lessons. Because of this timidness with the horse it was suggested that she start lessons right away and not wait until summer. So they signed her up for private lessons starting Saturday! No time like the present, right?

A little Disney for you

I have been very good and not really posted anything about our Disney trip back in December. But today I need a little Disney magic! It has rained non-stop for the past two weeks straight every day except two, today and last Wednesday. I am becoming a sun junkie. Today it was cloudy all day. I need some sun. No, I NEEEEED some sun! I need to feel it on my face, in my bones, I need to be warm. I have been cold to the bone for the past several days. One of those colds that just doesn't go away. I almost ache from being cold for so long.

So, If I can't have some sun then let me think about something nice and fun. I relayed this story to my sister today. It is a bit ironic because as much as I neeeeed the sun and warmth right now, this was the coldest day we had at Disney World and while the sun was out it didn't warm you much.

We were at Animal Kingdom for the day and then going to have dinner at Narcoosie's at the Grand Floridian Hotel and then see the huge gingerbread house they make every year in the lobby. We left Animal Kingdom two hours early in hopes to get to our campsite and clean up a bit before our fancy dinner. It took us an hour to get back to the campground and another half hour to get the bus to take us to our campsite. We decided we didn't have enough time to get to our campsite and then change clothes so we would just go as we are. We were clothed enough for them to let us in. Men had to have a collared shirt and women no flip flops or shorts/t-shirt items. So Kenneth had a collared shirt on and the kids looked mostly presentable except their hair needed to be done. So we stayed on the bus that took us to the boat to take us to the Magic Kingdom to catch the monorail to get to the hotel for dinner.

We have to wait for the boat and it was a 15 minute trip across the lake to the Magic Kingdom. So by the time the boat docked it was 5 minutes until our reservation. they say that if you are 10 minutes late for the reservation then they give your table up to others waiting. We were worried that we wouldn't make it and I didn't know how crowded it would be. We get on the monorail and end up that the monorail only goes one way and the hotel we need is the last stop. So we stop at three other stops before ours.

We get to the hotel and I find the reservation desk for the hotel and ask where the restaurant is. The lady says it is on the other side of the pool in the round house on the other side of the grounds. Oh no!! We aren't there yet?

Caroline (our youngest with right sided muscle weakness caused by a stroke in-utero - long story...) can't walk anymore she is tired, hungry, and her little legs just can't make it. I pick her up and ask the lady if she could call to the restaurant and tell them we are on our way and not to give up our table. We are now 10 minutes late and have at least a 5 minute walk before we get there. She says no she can't but I could ask the concierge at the end of the desk. We go down to the concierge and looking quite haggard we tell them the story of calling down to let them know we are coming. The head concierge says we will do better than that, we will drive you down there. So they pick us up in an 8 person "station wagon" golf cart and drive us to the front door of the restaurant. The manager of the restaurant opens the front door and speaks to us by name. Mr. and Mrs. *******? Your table is ready for you.... now that is service.

This is a picture of my husband's dessert. It was a cheesecake with whipped cream and the back is a piece of candy that has Cinderella and Prince Charming and the castle on it and says "2007 Year of a Million Dreams"

Why I don't go to the Mall anymore...

Not that there is anything wrong with this....

We went to the mall this evening to eat at our favorite restaurant Qdobas. The entrance to the restaurant is outside of the mall. So by going to this restaurant you are not technically 'going into the mall'. It is sort of like lurking on the outside. Anyway, while we are eating I tell my husband that I want to go in the mall and go to a store that is closing/moving and they are having a big sale. He agrees and after we finish eating we walk to the entrance of the mall and walk in. We aren't in there more than 50 steps and I see two young men(not teen agers more like early 20's) walking towards us both wearing khaki pants and pink polo shirts. They are holding hands and talking to each other as they walk by. I at first notice that they BOTH wearing pink shirts and then I notice that they are holding hands. Then the next thing that pops into my little pea brain is that it must be a blatent joke and that someone put them up to it. But then quickly realize that, no, they are a couple and just enjoying each others' company as they are shopping. They walk past us and my husband quickly gives me a knowing glance and I give him 'eyes' back letting him know that yes, I saw them too. Then my middle daughter says, "mommy, did you see those men?" (uh oh) "yes" I say and she says, "they must work at the same place because they were wearing the same uniform." (whew) "yeah, I guess they do", I reply.

I am NOT ready to have THAT conversation with her yet...

When to stand your ground

I love the fact that I am not in the classroom right now. I desperately needed some time away from teaching and this position, though temporary, is beginning to give me just that 'vacation' I craved. However, I can't believe how some teachers are quickly seeing how far they can go. I know that when kids are growing up they are constantly testing the limits. They don't come when you call them the first time, second time, and then learn that when you get to the third time they are in trouble. Kids try to not wear a coat outside when it is cold just because you told them they needed to and when their little hands and noses are bright red with cold and they are shivering and you mention that coat again to them they say, "nope, not cold, don't need it." They push their curfew as they grow older and see if they can get out of their regular chores. All these tests are lessons they learn and help them move into adulthood. But then why do adults push the envelope too? I mean, really, didn't they learn when they were younger that the babysitter told the parents everything anyway and that they would just get into trouble later?

I come to my point: two of the teachers today tried to push the envelope. One said to me,

"You were so busy this morning that I didn't have a chance to tell you that I have to leave early on Friday, so I asked Mr. So and So to cover my last period class."
I respond, "oh, okay, thanks for asking him. Sometime today fill out a leave form and stick it in my box."
"It is just 45 minutes!", she screams at me(more tone than volume). "It isn't even enough time to put in for. Mr. (principal out sick) wouldn't have worried about it and just let me go."
"Fine", I say, "just fill out the form and I will ask him what I should do about it. If he says rip it up I will but if he says send it in I will need the form to do so."
"No, I will just take a half a day then", she says. "Just fill out
the form", I say.

Please, lady. Do you really think I am going to just let you go without any documentation? Did you think because you had already gotten the class covered that I would say "oh thank you for doing MY JOB and I will let you go early and just keep my mouth shut."? PLEASE, give me a little credit here. I am not new to this position or the authority. I am NOT going to just let you do what you please and turn a blind eye. AND if I HAD let her do that then who else would be trying to take advantage of me.

Well, I knew I would be tested and I was prepared but what blew me out of the water we when she half stomped into my office to fill out the form, she said, (and I quote), "don't worry about it. It actually works out better to take a half day and it isn't like I don't have any time to take I have 92 days sick and annual leave." OH MY GOODNESS! You did not just say that you had 92 days leave and you were bitching about a freaking hour!

So it doesn't end there. We had parent/teacher conferences tonight during visitation so we are all there this evening and one teacher is complaining because he had to get up and go have blood drawn today and he is so tired because he couldn't sleep in like he had previously arranged to do (another story all together) and come in late to work today. So his sleeping in time was taken up by going to get blood drawn. He says that because of this he will just not set his alarm clock tomorrow and wake up when he gets up and not worry about it. So I say,

"you'll be late then." He doesn't really respond so I figured I was correct. Then he goes on to say something about writing in a kid's file on Friday when he gets here and I say "you mean Thursday (tomorrow) when you get here."
And he says, "no, Friday! I am not coming in at all tomorrow."
"Oh", I say, and then say, "just fill out a leave form when you get in on Friday then."
He says, "oh no, I have a deal with [the sick principal] that he doesn't turn in those forms to human resources because they wouldn't give me all my time I didn't use when I had my heart attack in the fall."
Oh here it goes again. "I remember you saying something about that and I will ask [the sick principal] what he wants me to do with it."

And then he moves on to say that when he gets home tonight he will take his water pill and then until 4 in the morning he will be running back and forth to the bathroom and he won't have any sleep at all and he isn't coming in. I asked him if he could take his pill earlier in the day so it doesn't keep him up so late. Oh boy did I open up a can of worms. He goes on and on and on and there was something about a little stream of yellow on the floor and on and on and on.... The whole time I just wanted to put my fingers in my ears and say "TMI!!!!! TMI TMI TMI!!!"

Just because I wanted him to follow the rules...

The People Who Make me Laugh

Today is.... National She's Funny That Way Day, a day to pay tribute to funny women by listing ways the women in our lives make us laugh (sponsored by Brenda Meridith of Winchendon, Massachusetts, 978-297-1820).

In honor of She's Funny That Way Day I will now list those who make me laugh...

But before I do that there are some that I laugh at and others that make me laugh because they are funny, girlfriend (said in a nice southern drawl). Please note the difference.

1. my sister, I totally laugh at her sometimes but most times she is just downright funny. Her blog cracks me up and the predicaments she gets herself into .... oh I just can't go on... somehow though she always comes out smelling like roses. I kid you not.
2. my youngest child, she doesn't need words to crack me up. It is her expressions that get me. All she has to do is flash those expressive eyes and it is all I can do not to laugh, particularly when I am trying to scold her. The night before Easter my husband was trying to get her to put her pajamas on and she wouldn't go and wouldn't go. So he threatened to call the Easter bunny and tell him not to come. Well, she took off like a bullet up the stairs. She gets halfway up and then comes back down and pops her head in the kitchen again and says, "you can't call him. You don't know his number!" And then runs back up the stairs.
3. Nicole. She is just so funny and well you just have to read her blog!
4. My old college roommate, Zebrafeet. She and I disagree on most things political and well, I just have to laugh. She is a great friend and I love her.
5. The "Yarn Harlet". There are times where I read her blog and laugh so hard I am crying and can't breathe. Even if you are not a knitter I think you will find her blog very entertaining.
6. Hilary Clinton. Yes, this one I laugh at! I just don't understand her sometimes, no, at all. There is just so much here, I don't know where to start. Why did she stay with Bill after the Lewinsky thing? (yes I am sure it was "political", but come one women, we would have kicked his you know what to the curb a long time ago) What was that crying thing in the pastry shop interview/speech a couple months ago? No one really believed it. Why ..... oh I just can't go on.
7. Rosie O'Donnell. I used to think she was funny and I laughed for entertainment, but in the last couple years she has just gotten weird.
8. my neighbor, she cracks me up. She is super anal about everything. Wants to be perfect and ends up being controlling in the process. We all laugh at her in our women's group. And she takes it in jest. She just can't stop and we love her for it.
9. I would be remiss if I didn't include myself in this list. ME! I make me laugh. I crack myself up in the most inopertune times. Usually it is a thought, other times it is because of something I have done or said. And...

Blessed are they who can laugh at themselves, for they shall never cease to be
amused. - Anonymous

So who makes you laugh?