Buy Stock In Benadryl!!!!
My family is single handedly raising the price of that stock I'm sure.
We are at 3 people and counting now who have had some mysterious rash and or hives in just over a month. 3 out of 6! Those odds aren't good....unless you are holding stock in Benadryl and then well, good for you and you can send me a bit of your profits.
June 25..... I wake up with a few hives, itch my way through the day as my hives spread to include a red 'heat rash' on the bottoms of my feet and by the morning of the 26th I'm swollen like a balloon with even more hives and swelling eyes, lips, ears and quite possibly my throat. An ER visit later I'm taking Benadryl, Prednisone and I'm a drooling lump on the couch till the next day.
July 25 (notice that....exactly one month later) Tyler's out with his aunt watching a parade, having a bbq in her yard and he starts itching. 3 hours later he's covered head to toe in a red rash. visit to the walk in clinic (just happened to see the same Dr I saw in the ER) later and he's taking Benadryl, Prednisone and he's a lump on the couch for a few hours and itchy for a few days but at least he wasn't glowing red.
July 28 Owen comes in from playing outside for supper and he's got the beginnings of hives on his face, neck and back. Liquid Benadryl into him and he's asleep for the evening an hour later (man that stuff rocks!) and he seems better the next day - a few stray hive spots but nothing he's itching and scratching over BUT...... July 30 Owen's covered in spots again.
WHAT THE HECK!!!!!
I'm finding it hard to think it's just coincidences that I have a sudden mystery allergy and a month later Ty gets a wicked rash and a few days later Owen's got a weird rash/hive thing going on. I just don't know what to think now....except to wonder who will be next.....and hope this isn't something viral and/or contagious.
For now it's just plain bizzare!
~K
Showing posts with label are you kidding me?. Show all posts
Showing posts with label are you kidding me?. Show all posts
Friday, July 31, 2009
Friday, June 05, 2009
More Surprises
My life is just full of them.
Usually I don't like them.....but sometimes they can be unexpectedly sweet.
I've had my fair share of un-sweet ones today and more than one made me cry slightly but the last one made me tear up with tears of joy it was so sweet.
I've covered in my previous post most of the unexpected not-so-nice surprises but there's one more that really frosted my cookies today.
Other than taking mom for a very short and sweet flower shopping trip the only other errand that we managed to squeeze into my day off was going to the pharmacy to pick up her box of prescriptions.
Your read that right. Box. Cardboard. Size - Large. I really wonder some days if I don't need some sort of license to carry that much pharmasuticals but hopefully I don't......I'd forget to renew it for sure.
Now prior to heading to her place I did stop by the post office and pick up her mail which she opened before we headed out on our errands. One of the letters in the mail informed her of how much her annual PharmaCare deductible was ($500 give or take) so she had a pretty good idea how much money she'd have to pay out when we went to the pharmacy to pick up her meds.....and for the record, she's hit her deductible limit already in one day so the rest of the year is covered by provincial health......right? Wrong!
Seems that she's also as of today reached her maximum allowable number for one of her inhailers --- as in the medication that makes it so she can breath. Apparently, according to the pharmasist the provincial medical plan covers 14 of these inhailers annually. There are 25 doses per inhailer so she's covered for one puff per day. Wonderful - except that last fall when she was having so much trouble breathing her dose was increased to 2 puffs, up to twice a day. Now my numbers aren't always the best but that means she's taking up to 4 puffs of this inhailer per day so an inhailer last her between 5 and10 days depending on how she's feeling. That's roughly 3-5 inhailers per month.....and 5 months into the year she's used up her annual amount. I guess breathing is optional the other 7 months of the year! If she 'wants to continue using this medication' she'll need to dish out $115.66 per inhailer. Multiply that by 3-5 per month and that equals way too much math and some serious cash.
So who do I talk to about this because this sucks. My goal here is to keep this lady as healthy as possible to give her some decent quality of life and now she's been denied coverage for one of her meds that allows her to breath. Last I checked that whole breathing thing.....kind of important.
Of course this is also the same health care system that has a friend of mine paying out $800 every two weeks for supplies for her son's insulin pump....a pump she had to pay for with the help of many family, friends, fundraisers and local charities, out of her own pocket since the government refuses to pay for pumps for insulin dependant diabetic children even though a number of other provinces do. ooooop...climbed up on that soap box there for a minute didn't I. Well.....that's because it sucks!
That pretty much coveres the unpleasant surprises for the day although I will say that while I was not happily surprised with not having a nice quiet evening at home, I did enjoy the band concert -which I knew I would - I just didn't feel like going especially because I knew we wouldn't get home till late and that makes getting the kids to bed extra hard.
Once I did get them to bed though, I ignored the dinner dishes and sat down to catch up on some blogs and while doing that I read a comment on my post from earlier in the week. That's when I came across one surprise of the day that made me cry because it was so sweet and kind.
I'd been so worried about making the deposit for a trip my son really wants to take to Normandy next spring and my sis leaves a comment that the cheque is in the mail. Just like that. No questions asked. Talk about a sweet, unexpected surprise......and an unnecessary one since Ty does get a paycheque this week that should be enough to cover his deposit. Now I just have to read the really really fine print of this trip and have the courage to fill it in. Paris, Normandy, Amsterdam....very very far away and in the grand scheme of things the total price tag of this trip is going to be more in the neighbourhood of $4000 by the time we add in passport costs, insurance and spending money and at least one additonal tour that is not included....because there is no way they can go all the way there and not go to Vimy.
Now I have 4 days to decided if it's financially possible to committ to being able to pull together that amount of money.....which is extremely scarey considering I was concerned with just coming up with the dang deposit....but we do have 9months yet so is it do-able?
4 days to sign on the dotted line and committ to letting my son go half way around the world for 10days.
4 days to come to terms with the fact that my son is old enough to take a trip like this.
I guess that's easier to come to terms with than the question I had to answer for my van's insurance regarding if there was anyone other than myself and Al as it's primary users at which point I realized that at this time next year the answer to that question will quite probably be yes....that my son is also a regular user of the vehicle.
I guess that's one more surprise for the day. My kids are growing up.....way too fast. I think that's considered a sweet surprise.....although after listening to my sister-in-laws talk today about potty training Luke and cuddling baby Sarah for a few minutes it's a little bitter-sweet. I miss those days.
Besides - Pre-school field trip permission forms were so much easier to deal with.
~K
PS.... Sis, you didn't need to but thank you. Love you!
Usually I don't like them.....but sometimes they can be unexpectedly sweet.
I've had my fair share of un-sweet ones today and more than one made me cry slightly but the last one made me tear up with tears of joy it was so sweet.
I've covered in my previous post most of the unexpected not-so-nice surprises but there's one more that really frosted my cookies today.
Other than taking mom for a very short and sweet flower shopping trip the only other errand that we managed to squeeze into my day off was going to the pharmacy to pick up her box of prescriptions.
Your read that right. Box. Cardboard. Size - Large. I really wonder some days if I don't need some sort of license to carry that much pharmasuticals but hopefully I don't......I'd forget to renew it for sure.
Now prior to heading to her place I did stop by the post office and pick up her mail which she opened before we headed out on our errands. One of the letters in the mail informed her of how much her annual PharmaCare deductible was ($500 give or take) so she had a pretty good idea how much money she'd have to pay out when we went to the pharmacy to pick up her meds.....and for the record, she's hit her deductible limit already in one day so the rest of the year is covered by provincial health......right? Wrong!
Seems that she's also as of today reached her maximum allowable number for one of her inhailers --- as in the medication that makes it so she can breath. Apparently, according to the pharmasist the provincial medical plan covers 14 of these inhailers annually. There are 25 doses per inhailer so she's covered for one puff per day. Wonderful - except that last fall when she was having so much trouble breathing her dose was increased to 2 puffs, up to twice a day. Now my numbers aren't always the best but that means she's taking up to 4 puffs of this inhailer per day so an inhailer last her between 5 and10 days depending on how she's feeling. That's roughly 3-5 inhailers per month.....and 5 months into the year she's used up her annual amount. I guess breathing is optional the other 7 months of the year! If she 'wants to continue using this medication' she'll need to dish out $115.66 per inhailer. Multiply that by 3-5 per month and that equals way too much math and some serious cash.
So who do I talk to about this because this sucks. My goal here is to keep this lady as healthy as possible to give her some decent quality of life and now she's been denied coverage for one of her meds that allows her to breath. Last I checked that whole breathing thing.....kind of important.
Of course this is also the same health care system that has a friend of mine paying out $800 every two weeks for supplies for her son's insulin pump....a pump she had to pay for with the help of many family, friends, fundraisers and local charities, out of her own pocket since the government refuses to pay for pumps for insulin dependant diabetic children even though a number of other provinces do. ooooop...climbed up on that soap box there for a minute didn't I. Well.....that's because it sucks!
That pretty much coveres the unpleasant surprises for the day although I will say that while I was not happily surprised with not having a nice quiet evening at home, I did enjoy the band concert -which I knew I would - I just didn't feel like going especially because I knew we wouldn't get home till late and that makes getting the kids to bed extra hard.
Once I did get them to bed though, I ignored the dinner dishes and sat down to catch up on some blogs and while doing that I read a comment on my post from earlier in the week. That's when I came across one surprise of the day that made me cry because it was so sweet and kind.
I'd been so worried about making the deposit for a trip my son really wants to take to Normandy next spring and my sis leaves a comment that the cheque is in the mail. Just like that. No questions asked. Talk about a sweet, unexpected surprise......and an unnecessary one since Ty does get a paycheque this week that should be enough to cover his deposit. Now I just have to read the really really fine print of this trip and have the courage to fill it in. Paris, Normandy, Amsterdam....very very far away and in the grand scheme of things the total price tag of this trip is going to be more in the neighbourhood of $4000 by the time we add in passport costs, insurance and spending money and at least one additonal tour that is not included....because there is no way they can go all the way there and not go to Vimy.
Now I have 4 days to decided if it's financially possible to committ to being able to pull together that amount of money.....which is extremely scarey considering I was concerned with just coming up with the dang deposit....but we do have 9months yet so is it do-able?
4 days to sign on the dotted line and committ to letting my son go half way around the world for 10days.
4 days to come to terms with the fact that my son is old enough to take a trip like this.
I guess that's easier to come to terms with than the question I had to answer for my van's insurance regarding if there was anyone other than myself and Al as it's primary users at which point I realized that at this time next year the answer to that question will quite probably be yes....that my son is also a regular user of the vehicle.
I guess that's one more surprise for the day. My kids are growing up.....way too fast. I think that's considered a sweet surprise.....although after listening to my sister-in-laws talk today about potty training Luke and cuddling baby Sarah for a few minutes it's a little bitter-sweet. I miss those days.
Besides - Pre-school field trip permission forms were so much easier to deal with.
~K
PS.... Sis, you didn't need to but thank you. Love you!
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Teen Drama Queen Strikes Again - footage at 11
Okay so there's no actual footage but believe me it would have been hysterical watching her get all hysterical. Is it wrong that I find the trauma in my daughters life so darn giggle-worthy some days. Believe me, a sense of humor is the only way I keep from loosing my mind.
Why was she hysterically pitching a fit you might ask. Well, generally she needs not have a particular reason because she will freak out at the drop of a hat anytime she feels there has been some sort of injustice, real or not, that has been inflicted upon her.
The little darling has been grounded since Monday. All electronic possessions confiscated, all computer, tv and gaming rights revoked (I did leave her with use of her clock/radio...I'm not totally without mercy) plus the first two nights she was confined to her bedroom unless otherwise instructed for matters involving chores or family committments - it's not like I could leave her home alone with free access to fun while I attended a school concert with the other children so she was given a 2-hour pass to socialize and be free while we were there.
To make matters even more unbareable for her I, in my evil, I've-got-all-the-power ways allowed her brother the use of her beloved Ipod. Bwwwaaahhhhhhaaaaahhhhhaaaaa.
Slowly she's been receiving priviledges back. One thing at a time. She was scheduled to receive her Ipod back today (Saturday) only she felt the need to argue that point due to some project she's working on for school and the particular song she needs to practice for this presentation is on her Ipod. She presented her case and wasn't thrilled with my decision that the day was almost over anyway and since she was the one who did stupid things and got herself grounded that she'd just have to wait till the next day and since it's a long weekend she'd have 3 days to practice so I wasn't budging and she wasn't happy.
Of course then I pointed out that it really didn't matter because her brother went to a friends house after school and since he was in possession of the repossessed prized possession she couldn't have it back anyway. This pushed the injustice just a little too far and she was miffed to say the least.
Oh it was fun.
Almost as much fun as why she was grounded in the first place.
Caught the little darling on the front step Monday afternoon smoking a cigarette - apparently not her first either. My mind exploded at that point and I lost the ability to speak for awhile.
It's been a glorious week.
One I hope to not have to repeat anytime soon.
Being grounded was hard on her......harder on the rest of us.
By Monday, if she doesn't push her luck she may just have all rights restored.
~K
Why was she hysterically pitching a fit you might ask. Well, generally she needs not have a particular reason because she will freak out at the drop of a hat anytime she feels there has been some sort of injustice, real or not, that has been inflicted upon her.
The little darling has been grounded since Monday. All electronic possessions confiscated, all computer, tv and gaming rights revoked (I did leave her with use of her clock/radio...I'm not totally without mercy) plus the first two nights she was confined to her bedroom unless otherwise instructed for matters involving chores or family committments - it's not like I could leave her home alone with free access to fun while I attended a school concert with the other children so she was given a 2-hour pass to socialize and be free while we were there.
To make matters even more unbareable for her I, in my evil, I've-got-all-the-power ways allowed her brother the use of her beloved Ipod. Bwwwaaahhhhhhaaaaahhhhhaaaaa.
Slowly she's been receiving priviledges back. One thing at a time. She was scheduled to receive her Ipod back today (Saturday) only she felt the need to argue that point due to some project she's working on for school and the particular song she needs to practice for this presentation is on her Ipod. She presented her case and wasn't thrilled with my decision that the day was almost over anyway and since she was the one who did stupid things and got herself grounded that she'd just have to wait till the next day and since it's a long weekend she'd have 3 days to practice so I wasn't budging and she wasn't happy.
Of course then I pointed out that it really didn't matter because her brother went to a friends house after school and since he was in possession of the repossessed prized possession she couldn't have it back anyway. This pushed the injustice just a little too far and she was miffed to say the least.
Oh it was fun.
Almost as much fun as why she was grounded in the first place.
Caught the little darling on the front step Monday afternoon smoking a cigarette - apparently not her first either. My mind exploded at that point and I lost the ability to speak for awhile.
It's been a glorious week.
One I hope to not have to repeat anytime soon.
Being grounded was hard on her......harder on the rest of us.
By Monday, if she doesn't push her luck she may just have all rights restored.
~K
Friday, May 15, 2009
Okay - so I threw out his winter boots but
THIS IS NOT MY FAULT!
Just because, as I was tossing them in the trash yesterday, I said aloud...."watch, we'll get 3ft of snow now" does not make me responsible for what happened overnight.
Honestly, if I thought I had that much control over what goes on around me I'd be buying a lottery ticket and saying something like....."watch, we'll win 3million dollars now".
I'll let you know if that happens and if it does then yes, I will take the blame for the snow but until then, this one ain't on me.
~K
Just because, as I was tossing them in the trash yesterday, I said aloud...."watch, we'll get 3ft of snow now" does not make me responsible for what happened overnight.
Honestly, if I thought I had that much control over what goes on around me I'd be buying a lottery ticket and saying something like....."watch, we'll win 3million dollars now".
I'll let you know if that happens and if it does then yes, I will take the blame for the snow but until then, this one ain't on me.
I personally blame the school.
And field trips.
The field trip scheduled for Wednesday was cancelled due to weather - in the form of massive, ark worthy amounts of rain.
It was rescheduled for today and I doubt the grade 1 classes will be heading out to the snake dens to see the red-sided garter snakes today either. I'm pretty sure snakes don't dig the snow anymore than I dig them.
This is my 4th child to make the annual 1st grade trek out to the snake dens and each year they ask "mom, will you be a parent volunteer on the field trip" and each year I pass on the opportunity. Actually it's more like an 'over my dead body' sort of reply. Sorry. Not my thing kids. Go watch Anaconda with your father and leave me alone.
I get the heebie-geebies just thinking about wigglie little snakes. When Emily went on her trip to the dens one of the father's took amazing photos and I was fortunate (?) enough to receive a bunch which I scrapbooked. That was hard enough seeing my little girl holding a snake in a photo. Don't think I could have handled it in person.
Enough about snakes. Ewwww. Ick.
Back to the weather. Ewwww. Ick.
So there's this creek in my backyard. Flooded like crazy this spring. It's been a couple weeks since I'd taken a walk down there so I went wandering Tuesday night and took some updated water level pictures. I'm so glad I did because the sky opened up in the wee hours of that night and it poured buckets for a good portion of the day on Wednesday.
The "before" on the left, taken on Tuesday afternoon and the "after" on the right taken on Wednesday afternoon following about 12hours of heavy rainfall.
Aside from the weather sucking so did pretty much everything else.
I spent a lot of time - just me, myself and my gamecube on the couch this week avoiding everything, everyone and the endless phone calls from 1-800, credit card companies, the dentist, the truck leasing company etc. Adding to my crappy week was Al repeatedly saying things like "Are you going to get dressed today? Are you going to go to town today? Ae you going to call about that job today? Are you going to call back about that job today? ARGH!!!!
I did call. I did talk to someone and things looked good but when she didn't call back the next day or the day after he started again "Are you going to call again about that job today? Maybe you should call so and so about a different job"
Add to that the phone calls from people telling me about all the new people being trained at the store where I've been hoping to get hired or worse yet going into the store and seeing for myself all the trainees. It was depressing and I didn't want to leave my couch......so I didn't unless absolutely necessary. That's right. I admit it. I spent alot of time on the couch looking for spaceship parts and trying not to get all my little alien friends killed in the process. Nintendo Pikmin is WAY addictive. 4:30 in the morning addictive. Opppps. Kinda slept in and the kids missed the bus once ---- okay twice (the 2nd time it wasn't because of the gamecube though) this week.
Anyway. The week was kind of a bust. Laundry. Pikmin. Ignoring phonecalls. Moping around and feeling like crap. Even last night I was in no way thrilled at being forced off my couch to attend a bowling banquet but since Al was working I had no option.
BUT
While picking up a few things at the store for the banquet the week suddenly got a whole lot better. The girl from the store who I'd talked to early in the week and was supposed to hear back from and didn't spotted me and came over to talk. And just like I thought - she'd been really busy and just hadn't had a chance to get back to me (and all Al's fussing and stressing and making me feel 2 inches tall and like I wasn't going to get this job at all was for nothing) and right then and there we made arrangements for me to start probably wednesday of next week.
Whoooo Hoooo!
I'm so excited.
I still don't know what exactly I'll be doing or what sort of hours I'll have but I'm ((((this close)))) to having a job and the relief is just unbelievably wonderful.
And today...... I still spent some time on the couch playing gamecube and I've realized it's not because I've been in a funk and didn't want to get off the couch.....it's because the game is just so damn fun. I can't wait till the kids go to bed so I can have my turn again....and Al works till 2 so I won't even have to share the tv with him. Heeeheeeheee.
Gonna go see if the kids want to go outside and make a snowman now. Anyone know where I packed the mittens?
Have a wonderful long-weekend.
Tuesday, May 05, 2009
Suggestion Duely Noted and Taken Into Consideration
It's another one of those "I'm speechless" moments in my life.
I hate when the school calls and puts me on the spot and I can't think of how to respond without sounding all snarky (although I probably did anyway) and I'm sick of being called about the stupidest things and being made to feel like I've just been scolded like a child and told what to do.
As I've stated before, I'm not the worlds best advocate for my kid. Mostly I think because I just don't have the answers and I'm at a loss for what to do most of the time to begin with so when challenged on things I freeze up.
I've been getting increasingly frusterated by the situation at school with my oldest (who turned 17 yesterday and I'm still dealing with the reality of that....and the grey hair I found even though I just coloured my hair last week. UGH!) and it's come to the point where a couple weeks ago I had a dream that I pulled her out of school completely and decided that I would homeschool her. In my dream it totally worked and we had the most amazing success with the plan. In reality I can't see it working well at all for numerous reasons such as....we don't get along --- at all and we'd probably kill each other. Not to mention the fact I'm totally disorganized and wouldn't know what to do or where to start.
Today is another one of those days were I have the disillusioned idea that I could and should do it.
Today's call from the resource coordinator was about our daughter not bringing a lunch and I guess she was trying to be constructive about the situation but her tone and words were so condescending that it just got me all defensive and I'm completely put off by her attitude. We've actually discussed this issue a few times over the year and really, I don't know what to do about it. I can't force my daughter to take a lunch and I'm not at the school to monitor her and make her eat her lunch if she does take one. She's left on her own during lunch (which I've expressed concern with) so what do they expect me to do. Well I guess they are getting complaints regarding Aarica asking for money or food from students (again....we went through this in the fall too....and then she was even asking teachers/staff for money). So the coordinator offered suggestions such as us sending in money for her to have in her account at the caffeteria - wasn't an option in the fall and it's definately not an option for us now. She seemed a bit annoyed that I couldn't accomodate this and then she suggested we bring in food such as a loaf of bread and lunch meat or cup of soup etc that can be stored there and our daughter can make herself a sandwich or whatever to have for lunch.
Now forgive me if I'm way wrong in my thinking here but my child has special needs but that doesn't make her so special that the rules don't apply to her (even though she likes to think that way) and there is absolutely no reason she cannot take a lunch made at home each morning just like her brothers and sister do. NO reason at all....except that she's a stubborn thing and refuses to take a lunch. Period. If she can't have money for the cafeteria she doesn't want anything at all.
So I told the coordinator I would see what I could do and ended the call as quickly after that as possible. I couldn't figure out a way of telling her I didn't see that suggestion working for me either and I was really tired of having to justify my reasons to her. I'm struggling hard enough to squeeze the basics out of our food budget without having to purchase a seperate loaf and package of meat that will be kept at school on the off chance our daughter might get around to eatting it....which I'm almost positive she wouldn't.
When Aarica got home I pulled her aside and told her I'd gotten a call from the school and asked her what was going on.....who she'd been mooching money and food off of etc....and she lied and said she wasn't and then said her friends 'offered' and I'm not buying it one bit. I told her she doesn't have a choice and would be taking a lunch from now on and her responses were "I'll just forget it here" and I told her I'd duct tape it to her damn forehead if I had to but she was taking a lunch. She says she won't eat it and well...I guess that's the chance I will take - and the food I will waste - but I sure as heck am not treating her any different than the rest of my kids who survive quite fine on the packed lunch made at home that they take to school with them every day.....and sometimes they even eat it.
~K
I hate when the school calls and puts me on the spot and I can't think of how to respond without sounding all snarky (although I probably did anyway) and I'm sick of being called about the stupidest things and being made to feel like I've just been scolded like a child and told what to do.
As I've stated before, I'm not the worlds best advocate for my kid. Mostly I think because I just don't have the answers and I'm at a loss for what to do most of the time to begin with so when challenged on things I freeze up.
I've been getting increasingly frusterated by the situation at school with my oldest (who turned 17 yesterday and I'm still dealing with the reality of that....and the grey hair I found even though I just coloured my hair last week. UGH!) and it's come to the point where a couple weeks ago I had a dream that I pulled her out of school completely and decided that I would homeschool her. In my dream it totally worked and we had the most amazing success with the plan. In reality I can't see it working well at all for numerous reasons such as....we don't get along --- at all and we'd probably kill each other. Not to mention the fact I'm totally disorganized and wouldn't know what to do or where to start.
Today is another one of those days were I have the disillusioned idea that I could and should do it.
Today's call from the resource coordinator was about our daughter not bringing a lunch and I guess she was trying to be constructive about the situation but her tone and words were so condescending that it just got me all defensive and I'm completely put off by her attitude. We've actually discussed this issue a few times over the year and really, I don't know what to do about it. I can't force my daughter to take a lunch and I'm not at the school to monitor her and make her eat her lunch if she does take one. She's left on her own during lunch (which I've expressed concern with) so what do they expect me to do. Well I guess they are getting complaints regarding Aarica asking for money or food from students (again....we went through this in the fall too....and then she was even asking teachers/staff for money). So the coordinator offered suggestions such as us sending in money for her to have in her account at the caffeteria - wasn't an option in the fall and it's definately not an option for us now. She seemed a bit annoyed that I couldn't accomodate this and then she suggested we bring in food such as a loaf of bread and lunch meat or cup of soup etc that can be stored there and our daughter can make herself a sandwich or whatever to have for lunch.
Now forgive me if I'm way wrong in my thinking here but my child has special needs but that doesn't make her so special that the rules don't apply to her (even though she likes to think that way) and there is absolutely no reason she cannot take a lunch made at home each morning just like her brothers and sister do. NO reason at all....except that she's a stubborn thing and refuses to take a lunch. Period. If she can't have money for the cafeteria she doesn't want anything at all.
So I told the coordinator I would see what I could do and ended the call as quickly after that as possible. I couldn't figure out a way of telling her I didn't see that suggestion working for me either and I was really tired of having to justify my reasons to her. I'm struggling hard enough to squeeze the basics out of our food budget without having to purchase a seperate loaf and package of meat that will be kept at school on the off chance our daughter might get around to eatting it....which I'm almost positive she wouldn't.
When Aarica got home I pulled her aside and told her I'd gotten a call from the school and asked her what was going on.....who she'd been mooching money and food off of etc....and she lied and said she wasn't and then said her friends 'offered' and I'm not buying it one bit. I told her she doesn't have a choice and would be taking a lunch from now on and her responses were "I'll just forget it here" and I told her I'd duct tape it to her damn forehead if I had to but she was taking a lunch. She says she won't eat it and well...I guess that's the chance I will take - and the food I will waste - but I sure as heck am not treating her any different than the rest of my kids who survive quite fine on the packed lunch made at home that they take to school with them every day.....and sometimes they even eat it.
~K
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
At the top of my list today....
is laundry.
Well it's at the top of most of my lists anyday but today is laundry of a different sort.
Dance costume laundry.
Oh the stress. Do you know how scarey it is to put dance costumes in the washing machine?
VERY SCAREY!
Because what happens if the washing machine eats them (don't laugh...it's happened)
But before I could even get the dance laundry into the washer I had to switch the load that was in the washer into the dryer and before I could do that I had to turn the dryer back on to fluff up and unwrinkle what was sitting in there from yesterday.....because that's just how I roll with laundry. It's one of my quirks. I hate wrinkles...... in my clothes. Not particularly fond of the ones around my eyes either but I don't think tossing myself in the dryer will even those out.
I push the button.
Huh.
Nothing happened.
Huh.
I push the button again.
Again nothing.
Huh.
Well doesn't that just plain suck.
Huh.
Just so happens, when friends of ours moved last fall they dropped their old dryer off at our place (because my backyard is a graveyard of old appliances....hope the price of metal goes up soon because now that all the snow is gone it's just plain ugly out there).
Next thing I know Al's hauling said old dryer into the house and I'm thinking....Really? You expect a dryer that's been sitting outside for nine months to actually work?
But you know what.
It does......and I'm so damn happy.
I can't even begin to tell you how happy I am.
Earth Day or not I am just not the kind of person who can live with drying clothes on a laundry line because even if I dry them on the line, they still have to go into the dryer for a few minutes after they come off the line. Another quirk.
So after having visions of line drying pre-road trip laundry.....or more than likely hauling a couple loads to town and either tossing a couple bucks into one of the jumbo dryers at the laundry-mat or using my mom's dryer - crisis averted. Whooo hoo!
And now, the shirts, blouses and slips for dancing are in the washing machine and I'm a nervous wreck.
I did find all the pieces for the new blouse I'd started to make Emily last year and never got a chance to finish. The trim is all attached and the body is together and the sleeves are ready to attach. All it needs is the neck piece pinned on and if I had three functioning brain cells I could probably whip up a finished blouse in about an hour (give or take four) but something tells me, if I haven't finished the damn thing in over a year, I'm not going to get it done in the next day.....so she will wear her old one, that's a touch on the small side, and has a slight tear in one shoulder (where the washing machine tried to eat it).
I also found the shirt I have for Owen that just needs trim....but I don't have any 'boy' trim in the house and I don't think I could get away with 'girl' trim so I guess he will wear Garrett's shirt again this weekend. Eventually though we are going to have to return it because one day this little guy is going be big enough to fit his daddy's old dance shirt.
Time to go check on the items in the washing machine. Oh please let them all be in one piece. I can't take anymore laundry chaos today.
Or any chaos.
When the kids get home they have to try everything on before I pack it up. I sure hope everything fits......but I have a feeling Owen's sash is going to be ifffy.
Note to self.....self.....don't forget to pick up a pack of safety pins.....I think we are going to need them.
~K
Well it's at the top of most of my lists anyday but today is laundry of a different sort.
Dance costume laundry.
Oh the stress. Do you know how scarey it is to put dance costumes in the washing machine?
VERY SCAREY!
Because what happens if the washing machine eats them (don't laugh...it's happened)
But before I could even get the dance laundry into the washer I had to switch the load that was in the washer into the dryer and before I could do that I had to turn the dryer back on to fluff up and unwrinkle what was sitting in there from yesterday.....because that's just how I roll with laundry. It's one of my quirks. I hate wrinkles...... in my clothes. Not particularly fond of the ones around my eyes either but I don't think tossing myself in the dryer will even those out.
I push the button.
Huh.
Nothing happened.
Huh.
I push the button again.
Again nothing.
Huh.
Well doesn't that just plain suck.
Breaker's fine. Dryer's not.
Huh.
Just so happens, when friends of ours moved last fall they dropped their old dryer off at our place (because my backyard is a graveyard of old appliances....hope the price of metal goes up soon because now that all the snow is gone it's just plain ugly out there).
Next thing I know Al's hauling said old dryer into the house and I'm thinking....Really? You expect a dryer that's been sitting outside for nine months to actually work?
But you know what.
It does......and I'm so damn happy.
I can't even begin to tell you how happy I am.
Earth Day or not I am just not the kind of person who can live with drying clothes on a laundry line because even if I dry them on the line, they still have to go into the dryer for a few minutes after they come off the line. Another quirk.
So after having visions of line drying pre-road trip laundry.....or more than likely hauling a couple loads to town and either tossing a couple bucks into one of the jumbo dryers at the laundry-mat or using my mom's dryer - crisis averted. Whooo hoo!
And now, the shirts, blouses and slips for dancing are in the washing machine and I'm a nervous wreck.
I did find all the pieces for the new blouse I'd started to make Emily last year and never got a chance to finish. The trim is all attached and the body is together and the sleeves are ready to attach. All it needs is the neck piece pinned on and if I had three functioning brain cells I could probably whip up a finished blouse in about an hour (give or take four) but something tells me, if I haven't finished the damn thing in over a year, I'm not going to get it done in the next day.....so she will wear her old one, that's a touch on the small side, and has a slight tear in one shoulder (where the washing machine tried to eat it).
I also found the shirt I have for Owen that just needs trim....but I don't have any 'boy' trim in the house and I don't think I could get away with 'girl' trim so I guess he will wear Garrett's shirt again this weekend. Eventually though we are going to have to return it because one day this little guy is going be big enough to fit his daddy's old dance shirt.
Time to go check on the items in the washing machine. Oh please let them all be in one piece. I can't take anymore laundry chaos today.
Or any chaos.
When the kids get home they have to try everything on before I pack it up. I sure hope everything fits......but I have a feeling Owen's sash is going to be ifffy.
Note to self.....self.....don't forget to pick up a pack of safety pins.....I think we are going to need them.
~K
*I Wonder Why?* Wednesday
Here's an *I Wonder Why?* from last Wednesday. I think I was so stunned that I just couldn't put it into words at the time.
I wonder why......
my almost 17year old daughter is standing behind me
in the grocery store
when she should be on the school bus
on her way home.
Actually, I wonder why wasn't really my first thought.
It was more of a What the hell are you doing here?!?! kind of moment
followed by a What the hell was the bus driver thinking?!?! kind of moment.
I was literally speechless, probably because my jaw was on the floor, and it took a few moments before I'd regained my ability to speak and then ohhhh baby did she get an ear full.....and then her father took her to the van and she continued to get an ear full while I finished picking up a few groceries.
From what I was able to piece together, one of the girls on her bus works at the grocery store and the bus driver was dropping her off at the store. My daughter, convinced that she saw our van in the parking lot and that we were in the store shopping, decided she was going to get off the bus too. Now technically, since she found us in the store, she wasn't wrong in her assumption that we were there BUT considering there are at least 3 steel blue/grey Uplander vans in town (I know because I've almost climbed into at least one of them by mistake) it could have easily not been our van she'd seen in the parking lot.
Her quick thinking brother, armed with his new cell phone sent me a text message asking where I was and I assured him that I was indeed at the store and in the company of his sister and that I was NOT happy with his sister OR the bus driver and thanked him for checking in with me about the situation. At least he realized there was a problem with the whole deal. The bus driver sure as heck didn't.
I was and actually still am quite floored.
Whatever possessed the bus driver to allow our daughter, our 17yr old with the critical thinking skills of a 6 yr old to get off the bus. I'm not one for labels and such but come on! The term "Special Needs Child" has to count for something and in my world it means at all times someone responsible must be watching out for my daughter because she is in many ways incapable of being responsible for herself. And the bus driver KNOWS this! She's 'pulled the wool over his eyes' once before when he first became our driver like two years ago. He knows not to believe her.....and yet he let her get off that bus.
When she was asked what she would have done if we hadn't been at the store she didn't have a clue. What-If questions are way too abstract. She eventually came up with a couple not completely wrong answers but definately not the correct response in that situation. Her ideas involved walking about a mile either in one direction or another to either of her grandparents' houses on the off chance that someone would be home and in all likelihood she would have either become lost along the way or more believable she would have been sidetracked and become totally lost. Never did she consider asking to use the telephone at the store or asking any of the dozen or more people that she knows who work there for help.
AND......she is completely oblivious to the fact that she did anything wrong.
And a week later......I'm still floored!
~K
I wonder why......
my almost 17year old daughter is standing behind me
in the grocery store
when she should be on the school bus
on her way home.
Actually, I wonder why wasn't really my first thought.
It was more of a What the hell are you doing here?!?! kind of moment
followed by a What the hell was the bus driver thinking?!?! kind of moment.
I was literally speechless, probably because my jaw was on the floor, and it took a few moments before I'd regained my ability to speak and then ohhhh baby did she get an ear full.....and then her father took her to the van and she continued to get an ear full while I finished picking up a few groceries.
From what I was able to piece together, one of the girls on her bus works at the grocery store and the bus driver was dropping her off at the store. My daughter, convinced that she saw our van in the parking lot and that we were in the store shopping, decided she was going to get off the bus too. Now technically, since she found us in the store, she wasn't wrong in her assumption that we were there BUT considering there are at least 3 steel blue/grey Uplander vans in town (I know because I've almost climbed into at least one of them by mistake) it could have easily not been our van she'd seen in the parking lot.
Her quick thinking brother, armed with his new cell phone sent me a text message asking where I was and I assured him that I was indeed at the store and in the company of his sister and that I was NOT happy with his sister OR the bus driver and thanked him for checking in with me about the situation. At least he realized there was a problem with the whole deal. The bus driver sure as heck didn't.
I was and actually still am quite floored.
Whatever possessed the bus driver to allow our daughter, our 17yr old with the critical thinking skills of a 6 yr old to get off the bus. I'm not one for labels and such but come on! The term "Special Needs Child" has to count for something and in my world it means at all times someone responsible must be watching out for my daughter because she is in many ways incapable of being responsible for herself. And the bus driver KNOWS this! She's 'pulled the wool over his eyes' once before when he first became our driver like two years ago. He knows not to believe her.....and yet he let her get off that bus.
When she was asked what she would have done if we hadn't been at the store she didn't have a clue. What-If questions are way too abstract. She eventually came up with a couple not completely wrong answers but definately not the correct response in that situation. Her ideas involved walking about a mile either in one direction or another to either of her grandparents' houses on the off chance that someone would be home and in all likelihood she would have either become lost along the way or more believable she would have been sidetracked and become totally lost. Never did she consider asking to use the telephone at the store or asking any of the dozen or more people that she knows who work there for help.
AND......she is completely oblivious to the fact that she did anything wrong.
And a week later......I'm still floored!
~K
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
*I Wonder Why?* Wednesday
I wonder why.......
I hear water running?
My first thought was that someone....probably a child of mine, left a tap on in the bathroom but upon inspection I found the taps securely in their off position.
But I can still hear water running.
I follow the sound.
It's coming from the basement.
I don't go into the basement....it's icky!
But I figure I should check it out so I venture down the stairs.
The sound is getting louder.
I have visions of a leaking pipe or hose in my head.
I turn on the light.
Well look at that. Not a pipe or hose at all.........
Just all the melting snow outside leaking into the basement.
And not just seeping in through the cracks....no, it's an actual stream of water in places.
Wahhhhhhhhhhhhhaaaaaaa!
Why does this house torment me so? Why?
What's even better is all that snow that melted last week and made it's way inside my basement will soon be joined by even more because we woke up to another yard full of snow this morning. Oh goodie!
I really believe Mike Holmes would have a heart attack if he ever saw my house. I don't think even Mike could 
~K
Friday, March 27, 2009
About Me
You see that About Me section.
The one over there.
<------------------
On theright I mean left....and yes I really had to think if it was right or left cuz I'm directionally challenged like that.
It's been bothering me lately. Well not really bothering me but it just keeps staring at me. Mocking me. Saying things like. "Liar" and "I'm inaccurate you know." and "You should update me." And I know I should but it's hard. That's been my About Me since I started this blog and I'm not sure what to change it to. Change is hard. Change is scarey. I'm not changing it today. Maybe tomorrow, or next week but not today.
***************
My public is being very demanding these days. Very demanding. I'm no longer getting text messages saying things like. What's new? You know what's not new....your blog. Update it so I have something to read. Oh no. No messages like that anymore.
I've been trying to write a new post each day and it's getting easier to do. If I know I'll be busy on a certain day I'll even go so far as to write one and schedule it to post the next day. Only I've learned that blog posts are like anything else....you give em what they want and they just want more.
and she says to me........" You need to write TWO posts per day. One in the morning and then another one so I have something new to read in the afternoon."
Ya. Getting right on that.
~K
The one over there.
<------------------
On the
It's been bothering me lately. Well not really bothering me but it just keeps staring at me. Mocking me. Saying things like. "Liar" and "I'm inaccurate you know." and "You should update me." And I know I should but it's hard. That's been my About Me since I started this blog and I'm not sure what to change it to. Change is hard. Change is scarey. I'm not changing it today. Maybe tomorrow, or next week but not today.
***************
My public is being very demanding these days. Very demanding. I'm no longer getting text messages saying things like. What's new? You know what's not new....your blog. Update it so I have something to read. Oh no. No messages like that anymore.
I've been trying to write a new post each day and it's getting easier to do. If I know I'll be busy on a certain day I'll even go so far as to write one and schedule it to post the next day. Only I've learned that blog posts are like anything else....you give em what they want and they just want more.
and she says to me........" You need to write TWO posts per day. One in the morning and then another one so I have something new to read in the afternoon."
Ya. Getting right on that.
~K
Sunday, March 22, 2009
He's doing his part but REALLY?
Let's just take a quick look at how Al's helping out with our financial woes shall we.
He's working his second shift pumping gas (I noticed today the price of gas went up AGAIN btw) tonight and it's a full 8hour shift. He's working 4-12 which means I get to go back to town AGAIN (fuel prices people) after just having picked up the teen-boy who worked 4-9 at the competors gas station. Heehee. That just seems so funny to me for some reason, that father and son are working at competing stations. What's not so funny is they both get paid the same wage.
Sidetracked. Where was I?
Oh ya. Al's food-budget boosting techniques.
Well tonight, after picking Em up at a birthday party (for which Al will have to work an extra 3 hours this week to pay for the present and the fuel to take her to and from), the remaining children in my possession and I went to the grocery store to pick up a few necessities. Inbetween my whining that I shouldn't always be the one to think of something for supper and my vetoing their odd (icecream for supper?) and/or unaffordable (ordering pizza...while a nice idea - not budget friendly)ideas , the children and I were discussing what food was currently in the house.
We'd decided on Tacos. Not our usual fare but they'd been asking for them and I thought why not. It's been one heck of a busy weekend and that sounds quick and easy and something the late-working men-folk could heat up and eat when they got home from work. So we began picking up the few things we needed for the weeks lunches and some of the missing items for supper like taco shells and the fillings.
Is there cheese left?
No.
NO? Why not! I bought two large packages at the beginning of the month. If I buy more and get home and find a full block in the fridge you guys are gonna get it....and be eatting it for lunch for a week.
Is there any salsa sauce left?
No.
I'm sure there is...since I also just bought some and it's not something everyone likes so I'm sure there is. We'll take our chances on that one. Not buying it.
Is there hamburger?
I dunno?
Well, um....I know there was at least one package in the freezer left. What did dad make for supper last night while I was at "work" aka scrapbook day (making NO money I might add - I didn't even break even. Grrrr!) but I digress. Back to the issue at hand.
What did dad make for supper?
Nothing.
What do you mean nothing. I know damn well he fed you. There's no way my kitchen looks like that and he didn't feed you.
We went to bed when we got home and we ate at the bowling fundraiser.
Ya - I know that but you went home BEFORE the fundraiser and he fed you.....RIGHT?
Oh ya. We had spaghetti.
Okay cool. Now we are getting somewhere.
Did he put meat in the sauce or was it just plain sauce?
One kid says Yes.
One kid says No.
One kid has no opinion and is quietly sitting in the cart playing his DS - smart kid!
Ugh! So which is it? I turn to the 'reliable source' and ask...Was there meat in the sauce or not?
No there wasn't.
Okay so then by my mental picture there should still be hamburger in the freezer.
No, I mean there was no sauce.
Silence
.
.
.
.
.
.
Dead Silence
.
.
.
.
.
What do you mean there was no sauce?
There was no sauce. Just spaghetti.
What do you mean just spaghetti??????
Just plain spaghetti with nothing on it. No sauce.....unless you wanted ketchup on it.
YUCK!!!!
I'm speechless.....
But at least there was still a package of hamburger in the freezer for tacos.
~K
He's working his second shift pumping gas (I noticed today the price of gas went up AGAIN btw) tonight and it's a full 8hour shift. He's working 4-12 which means I get to go back to town AGAIN (fuel prices people) after just having picked up the teen-boy who worked 4-9 at the competors gas station. Heehee. That just seems so funny to me for some reason, that father and son are working at competing stations. What's not so funny is they both get paid the same wage.
Sidetracked. Where was I?
Oh ya. Al's food-budget boosting techniques.
Well tonight, after picking Em up at a birthday party (for which Al will have to work an extra 3 hours this week to pay for the present and the fuel to take her to and from), the remaining children in my possession and I went to the grocery store to pick up a few necessities. Inbetween my whining that I shouldn't always be the one to think of something for supper and my vetoing their odd (icecream for supper?) and/or unaffordable (ordering pizza...while a nice idea - not budget friendly)ideas , the children and I were discussing what food was currently in the house.
We'd decided on Tacos. Not our usual fare but they'd been asking for them and I thought why not. It's been one heck of a busy weekend and that sounds quick and easy and something the late-working men-folk could heat up and eat when they got home from work. So we began picking up the few things we needed for the weeks lunches and some of the missing items for supper like taco shells and the fillings.
Is there cheese left?
No.
NO? Why not! I bought two large packages at the beginning of the month. If I buy more and get home and find a full block in the fridge you guys are gonna get it....and be eatting it for lunch for a week.
Is there any salsa sauce left?
No.
I'm sure there is...since I also just bought some and it's not something everyone likes so I'm sure there is. We'll take our chances on that one. Not buying it.
Is there hamburger?
I dunno?
Well, um....I know there was at least one package in the freezer left. What did dad make for supper last night while I was at "work" aka scrapbook day (making NO money I might add - I didn't even break even. Grrrr!) but I digress. Back to the issue at hand.
What did dad make for supper?
Nothing.
What do you mean nothing. I know damn well he fed you. There's no way my kitchen looks like that and he didn't feed you.
We went to bed when we got home and we ate at the bowling fundraiser.
Ya - I know that but you went home BEFORE the fundraiser and he fed you.....RIGHT?
Oh ya. We had spaghetti.
Okay cool. Now we are getting somewhere.
Did he put meat in the sauce or was it just plain sauce?
One kid says Yes.
One kid says No.
One kid has no opinion and is quietly sitting in the cart playing his DS - smart kid!
Ugh! So which is it? I turn to the 'reliable source' and ask...Was there meat in the sauce or not?
No there wasn't.
Okay so then by my mental picture there should still be hamburger in the freezer.
No, I mean there was no sauce.
Silence
.
.
.
.
.
.
Dead Silence
.
.
.
.
.
What do you mean there was no sauce?
There was no sauce. Just spaghetti.
What do you mean just spaghetti??????
Just plain spaghetti with nothing on it. No sauce.....unless you wanted ketchup on it.
YUCK!!!!
I'm speechless.....
But at least there was still a package of hamburger in the freezer for tacos.
~K
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)