A few random things....go figure!

So, the thing about having kids is they eat and they grow. Continually. It seems every time I turn around I am feeding them. It also seems every time I turn around I am buying someone the next size up in clothes and shoes. And I have four boys. Boys are rough on shoes!



Jonathon has been complaining that his shoes were worn out. He said he had six holes in them. SIX. The shoes aren't that old. I think maybe 4 months at most. Yesterday he made the comment again that he needed new shoes. He was going on a field trip today and the teacher reminded them all to wear good shoes. I took a peek and was quite embarrassed I have been sending my son to school in these shoes! He said, "Mom, I bet people think we don't have any money or a decent home or anything." Now, that is a lot to assume from a ratty pair of shoes, but obviously his shoes were a source of embarrassment for him. (and rightly so. )

I was in for quite the shock when we sized him! I had to buy him (remember he is 12!!!!) a mans size 10 1/2! Wow.....his current shoes were 8s! No wonder his feet hurt and they had holes, he was busting out of them! I can only imagine what size they will stop at? Blake wears a 12, so hopefully that will be it for him. He better get the height to match the feet is all I am saying......

Next, why do people think they are more important than anyone else? I know we live in self-centered world, but I almost choked at the Y today. My friend, Janna, and I got to the Y a little late today. We went Monday right at 8, but her son Collin had swim lessons at 11:15, so we decided to meet at 10:15 today. They have nursery from 8-11, or so we thought. Evidently, on Tuesdays, they close at 10 or thereabouts (they close as soon as the moms from the 9 aerobics class pick up their kids). Since we didn't realize this and were planning to put the boys in the kid care, we decided we would just do the track. I had to refill my water, and as I was at the fountain this is what I heard from the nursery:

Most Important Mom in the World: (asking Nursery Grandma) So, how did she do?
Nursery Grandma: Fine, she played. Had a good time.
Most Important Mom in the World: Oh, good. She has been SOOOOOO sick, but I just couldn't stand it anymore and HAD to workout. She has had the flu shot, so we are sure it isn't that, but we don't know what it is. She just is so sick.

I stared at the woman (who couldn't see me, as I was kind of behind her at an angle) and thought she must be kidding. The nursery grandma seemed kind of taken back too. WHO brings a known sick kid to the YMCA nursery b/c you just HAVE to workout. I am sure your child hates that she is sick as much as you do, but to drag her to the Y and expose the other 12 or so kids who were in there is just plain rude!

I walked out to Janna, who was waiting at the track for me. I told her to be glad we got there late, and told her what I had heard. If I were the Nursery lady, I would have banned her for life! I know I am guilty of taking my sick child to WalMart, but not to a CHILD CARE place. I am sure the moms of the kids in there will be scratching their head by the end of the week trying to figure out where their little one picked up whatever it is The Most Important Mom in the World's little girl had. But hey, at least she burned some calories, right?

And finally, what is it with my house!!? You know, I think I am going to have to call the builder. We got lots of "upgrades" on our house, and for the most part are VERY happy with it. I am not a huge fan of the flat glass stove top, but I try not to cook much, so no biggie. However, I have a sneaking suspicion he didn't tell us everything we should know about our house. I NEVER, and i mean NEVER would have bought it if I had known. I hope it is not something we have to disclose when we sell it, or we will have big problems! And I am just not quite sure how to fix this! Evidently, our home is a "self-dirtying" model. And, not only that, but it is an energy efficient self-dirtier. Very little energy is expended in the "get dirty" mode. It happens nearly instantly. I am still trying to figure out how to override this feature. I checked the buttons on the stove to see if the self cleaning stove might do it, but nope. I considered where the self-clean is on my front loading washer, not there. So, if anyone out there has this "amenity" built into their home, if you can check you manual and let me know how to turn it off, I'd appreciate it. Just can't seem to find that page in my homeowners book........

Tuesday....the new Monday?

My Tuesday this week began normally enough. I woke up (early, which is not my favorite! I think they should move school to start at 10 so I can sleep till nine). Got the kids off to school rather smoothly. It was another cold morning, so Sam and I had hot chocolate while we watched Curious George. We got showered and dressed, and it was time to go to brunch bunch. Start the car, it isnt wanting to start. Seems not to like the 19 degrees. It cranks, but the oil pressure light stays on. I turn it off, call Blake. He said crank it again, it is probably just too cold. I tried to pop the hood, but it was frozen. Wouldn't even pop. I get back in the car, and crank it again, no lights, no problem. I tried to get the hood to open so i could close it, but it wont budge.

Off we go the back way to a friends house. About 3 miles into the trip, the hood pops open. I knew (or suspected) that would happen. It catches on the latch, that you reach under and slide before it pops up all the way. So i pull over, unlatch it and close it. Man it is COLD outside. We go to brunch bunch. Play, eat and talk. Getting time to go, and Sam mentions he has something white on him. Anyone who knows Sam knows it is not unusual for him to have something on him. Quite the mess maker! I look him over, see nothing, kiss his head and off he goes. I am gathering up my things and he comes and stands next to me. I see something white on the floor next to him. Oh my, the innards of an overly full diaper. Lovely. My kids diaper has just exploded at my friends house. (This happened before at her house, so it was doubly embarrassing!) It isnt that I hadnt changed him. I changed him right before we came over. Evidently, LUVS diapers SUCK!
We clean that up, and I hear my cell phone ringing. It is Blake. "Did you get the messages?"
Me, confused, "no?" Blake "the school has been trying to call, Bryce broke a tooth and is in the nurses office". My heart sank. Please let it be a baby tooth. I call the school nurse. He is up there, still in pain. Was eating lunch and broke a tooth.
I grab Sam, our food, and we are off to the school. I am hoping our insurance is finally figured out, as I have to take Bryce to the dentist. Get to the school, and out he comes. Smiling, nearly skipping. Hmm.... One of his primary molars had broken. We go home, it is 1pm now. I call the dentist at the top of our list. They close at two, but will work him in if I get there quick. We grab our things and go. The office is lovely. Has only been opened for 6 months and has a spa-like atmosphere. They have a free beverage and snack bar. There is also an Internet bar and an xbox room. The office staff are very friendly.
I sit with a magazine after filling out all the paperwork. The receptionist call, "Mrs. Lunsford, can I ask you a few more questions?" Me, "Sure." In the back of my mind, I know this is about to derail. "What was your husbands social again?" I repeat it to her. She looks at her paper, then pauses, "The insurance company is saying you are not one of their clients." I laugh, look at her and say, "Ofcourse. " Ya know, that was just the kind of day I was having. Alot of phone calls and an hour or so later, we figure out they -the insurance company-haven't processed all of our papers, are closed (they are in the VA/DC area) for the inauguration. The office there very kindly agrees to see Bryce and hold the papers till the insurance stuff is fixed, since they confirmed we were covered from Jan. 1. We wait again. The kids have each had a juice, played xbox, drew a picture, and are now playing on Starfall.com. Finally we are called back. They close at 2, so they just saw him after they had finished everyone for the day. The staff was all so nice to him, made him feel really special. He got in the chair and found the TV on the ceiling, remote control, and spongebob and he was happy. Really, he was. They x-rayed and found the permanent molar was growing up under and had positioned itself just under the roots of the primary molar at an angle. When he bit down, it was just he right angle and pressure that the permanent molar acted as a wood splitter does a log, and snapped his tooth right up the middle. They gave me the option of capping it, and still loosing it more than likely in a few months; or just having it pulled. We opted to have it pulled. They numbed him up. He was a little nervous. So the dentist says, "lets get Bryce some nitrous." Boy, that was all it took. He had a ball. The dentist comes in and asks if he is ready to get that tooth pulled, and Bryce said:"This is the best day EVER! Can I stay here forever!?"
The tooth gets pulled without any major drama. We found a new dentist we LOVE! Off we go back home. Kayleigh calls on my way home and mentions the toilet won't flush. I told her to leave it alone and I would fix it when I got home. Weird....the boys must have played with it!
Pull into the house, and in we go. Bryce has his lovely tooth in a cool case from the dentist. It is 4:20. A little over three hours at the dentist. Fun. So, Kayleigh says, "Mom, I hate to mention it, but I have achievement days at 430."
Off to the church. We get there about 10 minutes late. They are making cute fleece blankets. She jumps right in. I leave to run a few errands. Pick her up, and we go to Target so she can finally spend her gift card she got from her Grandparents for her Birthday. Blake calls while we are at target. "Ginger, is there any reason the water isnt working?" Me, dumbfounded, "No, not that I can think of." Off the phone with a hurry request to come home. We go grab some Motrin from the pharmacy for bryce. Stop by Zaxby's and pick up dinner to take home. I had already made some chicken earlier, but was going to make noodles when I got home, but with no water, not happening. So we grab Zaxby's.

Get home, and after some research, and me SWEARING i had paid the dang water bill. We realize I have forgotten to pay the dang 35 dollar water bill and they shut our water off! Why is it so easy to forget the water bill! YIKES! How stupid and embarrassing. Blake volunteers to go get some bottled water from Walmart. he has been pretty good through all of this. If I hadnt had a craptastic day, I am sure we would have been yelling at each other, but I was nearly on the verge of tears just with the car, diaper, and dentist stuff.....the water was just a final straw! While he is gone to get the water, Andrew tells me he has his 100 day poster due. In fact, it is now a day late. So we grab some poster board, and get to work. I hadnt eaten yet, so I leave my food on the counter and instruct the other four children to bed. Blake comes home while we are working on the poster. We finally finish the poster, and I go tuck my two little ones in bed. Get my hugs, kisses and say goodnight. Finally, I can sit, eat my dinner and absorb the crazy day. I go to get my food, and it is gone. I am not even kidding. I mutter, "dang kids, they ate my food! I didnt even get to eat dinner."
Blake, in the living room says, "Oh, was that your food?" He has eaten my dinner, thinking it was what was left over. Nice. No dinner either. I pop a bag of popcorn, have that for dinner and put myself in bed.
Nothing alone was really terrible. Just the combination of all twenty million little things sure added up to a really long, really bad day. Thankfully, the rest of the week went MUCH better! Got the water back on Wed morning, after paying the 35 due, plus a 50 fee. Nice.....I immediately logged onto our bank website and set up a autopay even though I dont know the amount until it comes in, at least then I wont completely forget to pay it. I really was SO embarassed. Oh well! Now you guys all know what a ditz I am, if you didn't already!

Is it time to potty train Sam? What do you think???

Disclaimer: Just because this post may make me seem like a lazy, distracted mom....well, never mind the disclaimer.

So this morning was kind of rushed. Our mornings always are. For one, I do not like to get up in the morning. Also, it was freezing this morning. The two of those together, added onto a monday, and things were running a little slow. Got the kids off to school, and I turned on PBS as usual for Samuel. He LOVED Curious George. Quite fitting too, as he is a rather curious little rascal. I usually use the 30 minutes he is watching George to eat my breakfast, check my email, and start a load of dishes or laundry. Very exciting stuff in this house. This morning was no exception, only i added in a glass of hot chocolate to see if I could defrost myself. I let Sophie out to do her business and noticed ice on the deck. It was COLD. Sophie didnt seem to mind, and after doing her business, stretched out in the sun. Every few minutes or so I would check on her to make sure she was behaving. The cows were in the field behind us, and we only have cattle wire across the back. Sometimes she likes to role-play and pretend she is a cattle dog. Those mornings are not fun to talk her into coming home. She too is a curious little dog.

Finally this morning, after trying to reason with the dog, I decided to just watch her through the window. If she started trying to escape, I'd just call her back, and just like the kids, she'd ignore me, then I would have to bust out the "mean" voice, and unlike the kids, she'd listen and come home. I sat down to check my emails, and Sam came and told me he needed a diaper change. In one ear and out the other. I usually change his diaper after Curious George goes off, before I get in the shower. I glance out of the window and notice Sophie is edging ever so slowing into the field. I get up to go tell her to come back, and notice a sight unlike any other.

ME: SAM, WHAT are you doing!?!?!?!
Sam: I'm changing me diaper. (very matter of fact)
ME: WHY?
Sam: I have poo poo.

I stand there for a second to take it all in. There is Sam. On the Floor. One side of his diaper opened. There is Sam's poop (still in the diaper.....mostly). There is a wipee-in Sam's hand.

He proceeds to try to do what I can only call a baby sit up, as he is looking at what he is wiping. (He is making a mess too!) There is a reason 2 year olds do not change their own diapers. There is a reason 2 year olds have diapers. There is a reason 2 years olds are to be still on their back will an adult wipes the remnants of Poopapalooza.

I un-freeze and disrupt the mayhem.
ME: Sam, you know you can't change your own diaper. You need to let mommy do it for you.
Sam: No, i do it myself.
Me: If you can change your own diaper, you can use the big boy potty.
Sam: No, i poop in me diaper, then change me diaper. It's easy mommy. I not use the potty.
Me: I think you can. Do you want to try?
Sam: (after looking at me like I am stupid) Mom, I just went poop, i dont need to use the potty.

I finish (with him still trying to help and wipe his own butt while laying down...) and get him dressed and ready to go for the day. I decide to hop in the shower. I put the movie Curious George on for him to watch while i shower (yes, i was totally using the TV as a babysitter, sue me-though it didnt seem to work so well). I come back into the living room, and Sam is running through the living room, carrying a diaper, wipes, and his diaper is half off. He had pooped again and was about to change his own diaper again.

Now, I dont know if it is just me, but if you are smart enough to gather all the needed supplies twice, and to unlatch the diaper, is it too far fetched to think he could recognize what is going on ahead of time and use the toilet???? He seems to think it is a unreasonable request. I talked him into wearing a pull up today. That was quite an accomplishment. However, we got to Target, and he proudly announces: Mom, I just peed in my Pull Up, nah nah...... (really, he said Nah nah)

So, how do you convince a 2 (almost 3) year old that using the toilet is the thing to do when he seems to have the diaper thing down pat???