Well They Are Off To See The Mouse

After much hustling, bustling and last minute screaming we got to the bus this morning.. ok, after they start looking for last minute laundry as late as 9:00 pm.. and after a trip to WalMart that made sure they had suffecient snacks for the trip and much arguing on who was taking what.. and of course pita boy opening the trunk that never closes AFTER I said use the back seat..

Finally, they were on the bus and on their way... they left the school at 9:07am this morning. Alls well, I won't hear from them again (my kids never call when they are traveling) then about 20 minutes ago I get a call from Pita Boy, telling me to call the girls.. Oh, no!! did Blond Girl hurt herself already? Was there an accident? I call and Word Girl lost/didn't bring/can't find her wallet which means neither girl is going to eat as she has the gift card and the spending money.. I just about went through the phone!!

I was told it was ok as they had plenty of snacks and such (not even remotely decent meal food McDonalds would be healthier). So I hang up, think for a moment and call her back... she had better make sure her sister eats!! If she has to beg borrow or steal her sister eats.. I hang up.. 5 minutes later oh it's ok mom I found my wallet.

Tell me, did I really need that heart attack??

Word Girl Gets a Hair Cut

I think there is a gene that all of my children have inheirited.. I am sure my mom would say I gave them a terrible disease and now I can understand her stance...

First blond girl went about her merry way, died her hair red and cut it off, then Hair boy shaved his head (not to the skin but really short). He went from these gorgeous ringlets that women drooled over to no hair.. and Pita Boy.. well he finally had a nice cut but decided nope he needed to do the close cropped thing..

Now Word Girl goes and does it.. this morning she cut off 12" of hair.. OMG!! While it is absolutely adorable. I love it way more than she does.. she thinks they went a bit too short. She wanted shoulder length and got chin length but that would have been about 10". And no she could not do locks of love as her hair has been colored.. Which she felt very bad about.

I will have pics as soon as I can sneak one of her..

Pita Boy Confuses Again

As you all know I went on a mini vacation over the weekend, it was an amazing time filled with not a single moment of teenage angst.. That in and of itself is an amazing thing BUT.. Pita Boy totally blew me away.

I am an ice chewer.. yes I know it is bad for my teeth, annoying, socially unacceptable, acerbates my tmj.. the list goes on.. but I chew ice and I get weird about it. In order to make sure I always have ice when the trays are full and I don't need any I empty them and put the ice into zip lock bags. I can never get the kids to even empty out the trays.. they are always like we still have some why do we need to there is still some there.

Anyway while on my trip I pretty much figured.. no ice when I come back.. no way were they going to do anything.. are you ready for this?? Pita Boy not only filled the ice trays he put the ice in baggies.. now he didnt go crazy cuz then I would have ice coming out my ears but there was some there.. waiting..

I know this sounds so very minor, such a little thing but for him to think of me in such a simple day to day way while I was gone made my heart swell. It is this kind of thoughtfulness that reminds me what a great kid he is..

Well I am Home and They aren't Dead

It never ceases to amaze me the way they all pull together when I am not around. The way the work as a unit to get things done, to be better people, to just have fun. Things that they would never consider are done. This past year has been especially difficult on them and I seriously wondered at the wisdom of leaving them to take care of each other.

But they rose above difficult situations, they got up and got to school on time (a major, very major accomplishment for blond girl). So I am home and I know the camaraderie will stop, they will go back to needing me to wake them up get them moving.. sheesh.. i do wonder... maybe I should go back on vacation!!

Just an Update

It is nice to know that you know your children. Yesterday morning I got up and Word girl being my early to bed early to rise child had of course beat me to it but sitting there on the table was her camera and charger.. with a smile this darling daughter of mine said, here mom enjoy!!

Now Hair Boy is no more, well He is but the hair is gone!! He tells me he cut it all off and yesterday while on the phone with blond girl who now has red hair.. she informed me he was next to bald. Gotta love kids and their forms of self expression. Anyway Hair Boy got up early yesterday to drive me to the airport. Not of course O'Hare which we live 5 miles from but Midway which is about 45 min. away.. But he got up and off we went.. When I got out and said thanks for bringing me with a smile on his face he said.. It's ok mom think of all those trips to the airport you have made for me over the years.. The rat made me cry I was so proud to be his mom at that moment.

Just to make sure to mention them all Pita Boy is being nice to his sisters this weekend.

So in closing and to clarify,,, Hair Boy has no hair, Word Girl.. well she had the last word.. Pita Boy is not being a pain in the ass and Blond Girl has red hair.. Kids gotta love em

Ok, Consider This

I am going away for a couple of days and Word Girl wont lend me her camera, forget the fact that before she had one I let her use my much more expensive one (which is wonky and I need a new camera) whenever she wanted.. Forget the fact that hey I am her mom and will be gone for a measly four days. No I am gonna get her on the guilt factor..

Some friends who wanted to make sure she was able to go on her spring trip paid a huge amount of her fee.. and guess who I am going to see? So, I am going to say very sweetly how incredibly embarrassed it will make me to have to tell them that the girl they went out of their way for could not be moved enough, was so incredibly selfish that she would not loan me her camera.. hey guilt works..

No, seriously she will loan it to me in the morning because in general she is a nice girl.. but my way is way more fun

Happy St Patrick's Day

Now please understand I live in the Chicago suburbs, Chicago is one of the three cities in the US (Boston and New York being the other two) that treats today as a national holiday. We die our river green for pete's sake!!

So forgive me if I treat today a little different. What is funny is the way my children treat it.

Hair Boy, doesn't get it. Refuses to even acknowledge it... says we aren't Irish so what is the big deal.. Now let me tell you my name is Shaughnessey... I am morally obligated to celebrate this day.. and my children should too..

Pita Boy, well for once he goes with the flow.. he can take it or leave it but it is an excuse to party.. so he does like this day.

Word Girl, will search high and low for the perfect green outfit,then decide a pair of socks will do... cuz she waited too long to find what she wants.

Blond Girl, I am thinking this holiday was meant for her. It is hard to find something in her closet that ISN'T green. That girl has more green clothes than anyone I know.

Fortunately they are all under 21 so we know there will be no drinking or carousing.. hey... one can dream..