Where to begin??

Sorry to have been so scarce. Been spending a lot of time trying to de-clutter the house and organise things.

Lots has been going on. Yesterday morning as I was walking back from Curves, moisture was hitting my face. It was not rain, but not snow. Seems like it was trying to decide if it was going to sleet or hail. I was all happy and grinning the entire walk home. I was happy for varying reasons.

I had finally hauled my fat butt out of bed and gone to Curves for the first time in over a week.

The idea of snow or anything close to it always makes me incredibly peaceful and happy.

So, I got home, showered and loaded up wee Brommy to take him to the Vet for his castration. Poor guy, but it must be done, right???


I had set out clothes for Princess and Stud was left in charge of getting her to school. I had been too tired the night before to help her count out 100 chocolate chips to take for yesterday. Today is their 100th day of school and they were to count out 100 snack items and were planning on making a snack mix with all of the donated items. Which confuses me since we are not allowed to bake home made items or take unwrapped candy or anything, but we can take loose goldfish crackers, raisins, chocolate chips, etc?? Seems pretty illogical to me.

So Stud was to help her count those out and get her off to school, since I would be taking the boys to school on my way to drop Brom off. Then I needed to get some groceries since I was near the grocery store anyway.


I drove Jock and Cryptic to school and then took my little boy to the place where his "doghood" as Cryptic calls it, was to be torn from him. I took him back and got him settled in his little cage. I also gave them his ear ointment. He had an ear infection a few weeks ago. I had been instructed to put ointment in his ears once a day and gently pluck his ear hairs, little by little. I never even attempted to pluck the ear hair, it was an absolute fiasco just to get any ointment in his ear. The Vet demonstrated for me when I was there and Brom sat and let him do it. Totally different story at home. He goes out of his mind, BERSERK. So I knew that I was most likely not getting enough in there and had given up fighting with him, that he likely still had the infection and asked them to put the ointment in while he was under for the surgery, as well as pluck some of his ear hair. I left him with his blanky and favourite stuffed toy to chew on and was really upset at the thought of him being there all alone and sad, whining and whimpering and not understanding what was happening to him:(


Then it was off to the grocery store for some groceries. I started talking to a woman in the pudding aisle. We ended up talking for half an hour! She just moved here from Florida in August and we talked about home schooling (she has her kids in private school, says there is no way they will ever attend public) and our kids and their interests, weather in the south and how I can't stand it, etc. Her daughter takes dance at the same place as Princess, but the reason we have never met is that even though her daughter takes three different dance classes, she is never there on a day that Princess is. We agreed that perhaps we will see each other at the Spring recital. Her kids are in the local Theatre and I have been thinking of getting Jock and Princess in there. I am glad I spoke with her, she couldn't say enough good about this group. Her kids have always done theatre, but of all the places they have done it, she said this particular one was the best, most organised and well run, etc.

Back home to unload the groceries and discover that our little Clown had finally emerged from bed and was getting himself some breakfast. He helped me put groceries away and then it was time to get Princess from school. We had lunch and she opted to stay home with her Dad and watch a movie while he worked, while Clown and I went for essentials at Target.

I LOVE shopping with this child. He and Cryptic are so similar in many ways. One of them is the fact that they save money very well. This child is 7 years old and has had almost $70 cash in his wallet for the past few months. The reason he got dressed and ventured out of the house was because I was going to buy him a $15 gameboy game and he wanted to be there to choose it.

Princess wanted one, since she doesn't have any truly girl ones. Problem is, she has no money. I suggested she use her bonus points that they earn for good behaviour. When we went to look at the chart, she discovered that she has under 100 points (new gameboy games cost 400) and Clown had almost 500! LOL He saves those very well too. She spends them on various privileges that they choose out of the "Pick a Privilege" container. So she had spent most of her well earned points. Once she realised that it will be a long time before she can afford a new game, she decided to stay home and do one of her favourite things ~ watch a movie. She and Cryptic would sit in front of movies all day long if allowed.

Anyway, once at the store, Clown discovered some shirts that he liked. I was buying Cryptic some new jeans (he is finally growing and is now about an inch taller than me. His waist is about that of an average eight year old, but his height in the pants is a size 16. ) This poses a huge problem! So I was searching for jeans and new trunks for swimming at school in PE class. We recently discovered that his new trunks from last year are WAY too small. This is hard to get used to. This child used to wear the same clothes for three years running and I could not understand when people said they cannot keep their kids in clothes. Like the Doctors always told us, he is finally catching up. I found a new shirt for Cryptic and a cool one I knew Jock would LOVE. So I told Clown I would buy him a new shirt too.

Well, this turned into a twenty minute ordeal. He LOVED the dragon one that I chose for Cryptic, but also wanted one that said "I love video games". I told him I would buy one and to chose. He finally decided that he would get them both and he would pay for one himself. Fine, off we went to look for light bulbs for Cryptic's Lava Lamp.

On the way, the word "Beethoven" caught his eye. He has always been interested in pianos and wanted to have one and learn to play. Even though Stud's mother is a pianist and taught in their home all during his childhood and he and all his siblings play, he has no interest in encouraging this in our children. Clown has begged and asked for his own miniature piano for years. I found one online this Christmas but Stud would not let me buy it.

So what he had seen was the CD sampler thing. He wanted to listen to Beethoven. So he pressed the button and once the music started, he got this precious look in his eyes. Like total rapture or something. He just loves this stuff. We ended up standing there for THIRTY MINUTES, listening to various CDs. I told him I would buy one and to try and narrow it down. He ended up loving the Celtic ones and could not decide between "Celtic Flutes", "Celtic Passion" or "Celtic Hymns". He finally settled on "Celtic Passion" and of course we found out that they were out of that one. We ended up purchasing "Celtic Hymns". You can tell he is Irish/Scottish. He LOVES this stuff and can't get enough of bagpipes. That's MY BOY!

Finally, I was able to pull him away from that and we went to the video game section. I told him 400 points would get him a $15 game and I was not buying a $30 game. The only one he wanted was $30, so he decided to buy it himself and save his points for other treats at a later date.

Then we were off for cereal, canned goods, etc. I told him to choose a treat for he and his siblings. We have a large bowl in this one cabinet in which we store granola bars, fruit snacks, and the like. Sometimes we get Little Debbie cakes, and things as a treat. I told him to choose one of those. He decided that he wanted a particular kind. He put it in the cart and then he was choosing "Sweet Cereal". We get some gooey cereal that they are only allowed to eat on Weekend mornings. We had been out for a while and it was time to get more. He was thrilled to see "Fruity Pebbles". He put them in the cart and as we made our way down the aisles to look at the Easter stuff, he suddenly stopped.

"Wait a minute. How much was that bigger box of 'Fruity Pebbles'?? Is that a good buy?? I can't remember, how many ounces it was. We need to go back and see, Mum."

So off we went as he calculated in his head if we were saving money with the cereal he chose. I loved watching as he worked out in his mind and came to the conclusion that it was about the same. Then he took the snack cakes out of the cart and put them back. I asked what he was doing and he said we didn't need those, it was fine. We have enough junky cereal, we don't need those cakes also.

Then as we got to the check-out, he asked which shirt he had to pay for. He pointed out that one was on sale and I could pay for that one and he would buy the regular priced one. I told him that the ones I was buying his older brothers were the same price as his regular priced one, thanks anyway but he can just buy the sale priced one. He asked if I was sure, and I said of course, I am the parent and I have more money anyway. He is SUCH A HOOT! I just loved that time with just him:) We must have taken two hours in that store and it was such a nice time, especially for people like us, who hate shopping! LOL

So, we went on to the Pet Store where the groomers are and made an appointment for Brom to get groomed in a few weeks, after his incision heals. We chose him some toys for being so brave. It was snowing and sticking to the ground by then, looking very pretty.

I dropped Clown at home and walked to the school to pick Jock up. He was nowhere to be found. Cryptic was mad because I made him go back to his locker and get the winter coat that he stores there, instead of wearing. So he shoved that on in a mad frenzy and ran home. I went to the office to have them page Jock. Normally if he is paged, he shows up within a minute or two. Ten minutes later, he was still not around. I was not sure what to do. I called home and Stud said Cryptic was home, Jock was not. I went home and called his friend K's house. His grandmother answered. They are from India and this poor woman doesn't speak English very well. I knew the only words she would recognise were her grandchildren's names. So I said them and she just said their names and then "school" after. Meaning they were still at school. Not much help.

I was late to get Brom, still had not unloaded the car from shopping and had to leave. I asked Cryptic to get Princess ready for dance class, feed her something, etc. So I got to the Vet's and they charged me $274 for this?!?!?! I am SO LIVID. This is the thing that gets me, though.

They charged $14 to pluck his ear hair and then the woman says something about how we shouldn't do that and it is not necesaary!?!? Then why did YOU GUYS tell me to do it!?!? And why did you do it, if you don't think we should!?!?!?? And why charge me for it anyway? The puppy was out of it, under anesthsia, can't you take 20 seconds and pull some hair out of his ears??? RETARDS. I am so looking for a new vet.

By this time, I had begged Stud to go look for Jock. He calls me and says Jock was at school, in the home-ec room, making cupcakes!?!?!?! WTH!?!?!? The teacher said there were 30 kids in there, it was loud, they did not hear the page from earlier. Well, I wonder if you could think to ask the kids if they have permission to even be there!?!?

That kid is truly UNREAL. When he pulled that crap a few weeks back, we made clear that he CANNOT stay after school again and we set up a place that he is to meet me EVERY DAY immediately when he is dismissed. When I met him on Tuesday, he had the nerve to start begging and ask if he can PLEASE stay and play a bit of football?? I reminded him that he can't stay for anything, NOT to ask again and not to be late when I am there to meet him, I have enough to do and am not pleased that I have to drop everything to be there to walk him home from school. He grumbled a bit and dropped it.

So then he pulled this junk yesterday and had the NERVE to act shocked and wonder why he is being punished YET AGAIN. He claims he didn't hear any of this news before and had no idea about any of it!!!!!!!*sigh* He has also tried acting amazed and "out of the loop" when we reminded him that he is not going on the band trip? Read the February 4th post titled "Exhausted" if you do not know what I am talking about. The nerve of this kid!

Stud said he thinks he is brain damaged. I reminded him it is called "selective memory" and "selective hearing" and that they both have it! Jock does totally get it from his Dad. Truly, and no offense to Stud, it is just a fact. They are both just incredible at convincing themselves that something did not happen or was not said. It causes quite a bit of problems, obviously.

I won't continue with the rest of the day, this has taken long enough and people are wanting lunch. Obviously, the kids are home from school today because of the snow. I will save this and add to it later!

Ok it is now later at night and I want to get this posted. I already put out some photos from last night. Poor Brom had to go to the bathroom, but I was worried about his incision. We had no choice and had to take him out in it.

He LOVED the snow and we got a few seconds of video of him running all through it, it was SO CUTE! Then we realised that he was forming small snowballs in his fur and we had to put him in a bath with warm water to melt those off, then use the blow dryer and set him on a blanket on the heating pad. Every time we took him out last night, this happened and back into the bath tub he went. He was getting tired of it and honestly so was I. Man did he look cute out there bounding through the snow!!

LM, I just got the comment from you about him not looking happy about his coat of snow! LOL How right you are!

There is so much more to share, so much going on. Jock got a job working in the kitchen at school, Cryptic wants to quit school (well, actually all of the one who atrend are wanting to quit) on and on it goes. Of course I can't share everything and this is long enough anyway.

I will close for now, since I will be amazed if anyone even read to the end anyway:) Hopefully I will update this a little more often in the future! I really want to do a post dedicated to our Brommy Baby soon:)

Peace out!