A Crazy Day, part 1

Cats and dogs sleeping together, we had good service at Walmart.  I know, the shock... it is overwhelming.

Let me start by saying that yesterday, I went to Toys R Us to purchase a bike for Hannah.  I had gotten an email stating that all bikes (this was how I remembered it), were 25% off.  So I decided, lets go get her a bike.  We look around and pick one out.  I ask the sales associate about the sale, and he says to me that he doesn't know anything about that, but all character bikes are going to be 25% off tomorrow, which would be today.

Bright and early I load the kids into the van and we head off to buy a bike for Hannah.  Everyone is pumped.  We walk into the store and lo and behold, the character bikes are NOT 25% off.  I ask the speak to the manager and he tells me that they will be 25% off tomorrow.  Always a day away....

I ask he what is going to do for me to keep me from getting in my car and driving the block down the street to Walmart to purchase a bike there.  He said, I was welcome to do that, and he wasn't going to do anything for me.  What he said he would do is price adjust the bike if I bought it today.  But I would have to come back into the store another day next week to do that.  I didn't like that option.  As an aside, the way he should have pitched that to me was, when you come back to pick up the bike after it is assembled I will price adjust it for you.  Then I would have focused on the fact that I had to come back anyway, but that didn't occur to me until I had left the store.

At Walmart, the aisles were clear and the store was clean.  It was weird.  I hate that store and it was actually nice to walk in.  Usually there is trash everywhere and it is disgusting.  I go over to the bike display, and it is neat and orderly.  I know, freaky.  I asked to for help.  The woman calls someone to come and help and when he doesn't come fast enough she goes and gets him.  I feel like I am in a parallel dimension.  This very helpful salesman comes and helps us.  They have the same princess bike that they had at Toys R Us, for the price it was going to be tomorrow, but that price was good TODAY, amazing.

Seems like Toys R Us will NOT be getting the bike sale after all, or the add on sale of the helmet.  Guess their sales are so good they can offend customers.  I won't be back for a while.

Thinking this was the end of our crazy day, we continue on to the orthodontist... but we were wrong.  The most wild and crazy thing was yet to happen.  But more on that later!

Some Days

Ever have a day where you just need a hug?  Well, today was one of those days.  It all started out when Hannah and I had, what will probably not be the last, battle about what she was going to wear.  Since we tipped 85 ONE day this month, she has decided it is summer and she can wear her dress with no back.

Stupidly, I put the dress back in her closet after washing it, rather than letting it marinate in the laundry.  So there it was, in her closet.  She pitched the tantrum to end all tantrums.  I told her it is going to snow today, so we can not wear this dress, but she persisted.  So, I told her to put it on and go outside.  She did, and insisted that she was warm enough.  Ok...  So, 3 houses down on the walk to school, she melts into a quivering mass of hysteria and screams about being cold.  She literally ceased walking towards school, turned around and ran home to change her clothes. 

I took a deep breath, we went back and waited for her to put on warmer clothes.  During which time the boys freaked out about the fact that they were going to be "late."  Fortunately, we had left a bit early because the kids were agitated and I needed to have them doing something productive.

Dropped them off... whew.  All is well right?  Yeah, but I have to pick them up.  Apparently there was some difficulty with school that I had to sort out.  It is never ending.  So after a long day of dealing with screaming, whinny kids, I needed a break.  So, we went out to eat.  This was a bad idea.  The kids could not, would not stand still while we were awaiting the delivery of our food. 

I am cooked.  But, guess what, they are still at each other... I need a hug and a Mike's.

Almost over?

I have got my fingers, my toes, heck even my eyes crossed hoping for a good outcome.  I don't know what the best outcome is, but I have an opinion on the one I want!  It seems like after a million phone calls, emails, prayers and papers, this thing is finally going to happen. 

It feels like the boat is leaving the dock, train is pulling out of the station, the car is loaded and we are heading out on vacation.  The time has come, the time is now. 

For the most part, things are out of our hands.  Not that they were ever in my hands, per say.  I hope to post balloons and confetti on the 13th, but will probably just say things are still in process.  But for now, we breathe for just a minute and wait.  Just a few more hoops to jump through.

Thank you to everyone who has helped out.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart.  While this is not my story, I watch from the side lines, praying and hoping, and well, crossing things!

More soon... I promise.  But for now, I keep all that out of the blog-o-sphere.  Just pray for my family please!

Thoughts for Tuesday, published on Monday

• Me, an internet stalker researcher?  I owe it all to a good friend.

• Just keep hopin', just keep hopin'

• You said you wouldn't but you did.  I might cry.  I might have to hug you.  I can't thank you enough.

• Ridin' along in public transportation... 

• I don't need law school, but my 9 year old... that is an entirely different story.

• I didn't like it.  So, I decided to not do it.  I am doing something different, and I like it.  If you don't tough.

• NO you can not use my potty.  NO!  And I am going to scream about it.

• All three kids in my bed.  Great, just great.

• If there are no snow days, there are definitely not thunder days.

• No, it isn't snow in the yard, it is hail.  No there are not hail days either.

• Knitting makes everything better.

Spring Break

Back to school.  Having Spring Break over Passover takes some of the joy out of both events.  The kids want to go out and have pizza with their friends, and well, they aren't supposed to.  Everyone looks forward to matzoh pizza, but if you are sneaking real pizza, the matzoh pizza,well it looses something in the translation.

As we sit here, facing the last night of Passover, I have to admit, we weren't good.  I can not imagine being an actual Israelite and having to flee.  My kids couldn't hack it.  Ok, I admit it, I couldn't hack it either.  We can not even give up the good life for one week to eat unleavened items.  It is not like we are not eating.  There is still plenty.  But as soon as you eliminate one item from your diet, it sure is the only thing you want to eat.  Guess that is why elimination diets don't work.

I imagine our trip out of Egypt would have Sam complaining because there was nothing good to eat.  As he lives on quesadillas and pb&j exclusively, he would most likely die.  He would eat matzoh for one day and then demand that we stop at burger king for dinner.  When he realized that was not an option, as we are fleeing, he would then curl up into a ball and starve.

Hannah, she is a bit more resilient, and since her middle brother will die of starvation early, there is a chance that she might survive, she would get his ration.  But, she does tend to scream when she does not get her food the minute she mentions that she is hungry.  As for Mac, he was probably the best at keeping kosher for passover, but even when tempted with pizza he caved.  I imagine, he is just obnoxious enough to get Moses to stop, and leaven the dang bread already.

This week, where we did all sorts of activities that require money, and were told to avoid leavening, I learned that basically my family is pretty spoiled.  I think we are probably too weak to survive the conditions that the Israelite's did.  I like to think that if we were slaves first it would have toughened us up, but today.... nope, Moses would leave us in a quivering mass on the corner.  If we made it that far.

Cancelled due to sun

The weather has been amazing the last couple of days.  I think our weather has been better than in California.  This happens about 3 weeks a year.  I suppose it is to balance out the fact that our weather is crappier than California the other 49 weeks a year.  I don't think it is really a fair trade.  I will give 3 weeks in January in Chicago for 1 week in California.  That seems good right?

For right now, right this minute the weather is perfect.  What do you do when the weather is perfect?  GO OUTSIDE.  But, my kids want to play Wii, in the basement, underground.  I worry that I might be raising moles or groundhogs or something. 

I forced them out of the house.  I used the ever popular rouse, of the house is on fire, if you don't leave the basement now you will be cooked.  This seemed to make them want to leave.  It was supported by the fact that I set the fire alarms off just for additional credibility.  They hadn't risen from the basement for so long it took their eyes a while to adjust to the blinding light of the sun.

Once outside, just to ensure that they had not become vampires, I made them stay out in the sun.  Once out, and recovered from the shock of light on their skin, we began to play a little with the round orb.  It took them a while to realize that the controller was their foot.  We were playing soccer.  Eventually, they awoke from their winter induced stupor and began to frolic in the sun.  I was reassured that they had not become vampires.

It was lovely.  My kids took in fresh air and got muddy, but also had fun.  I am not sure who was more surprised, me or them.  It is raining now, so they are in the basement.

Evening

The past few days Bob has been playing hoops with Mac and kicking the soccer ball with Sam.  While these events are not notable to most people, this is one of the first times that Bob has had a job where he was able to just chill with the kids on a weeknight. 

Last night was gorgeous.  It was in the 70's, no bugs yet and just a lovely evening.  After dinner the kids and I went out to play a little and we were joined by their Dad.  I think it is really important for the boys to do stuff with their Dad, to just hang with him.  When he was traveling all the time, this was just not possible.  Sure they still did stuff with him when he was home, but in his current job, it really seems that he has enough time to be around for the kids in an unplanned way.

We de-thatched the front lawn, played around the world and let the kids play with the neighbors.  It was a perfect evening.  We may not be able to afford much any more, due to the sizable pay cut Bob took to take this job, we do have him back.  Last night the scrimping and corner cutting seemed worth it.