Poor Jon and Kate

yes that is sarcasm... sorry but our actions have consequnces..when we decide to put our lives on public display we can't complain when the public intervenes. There is a difference between say being an actor or singer and demanding that our children received the privacy they deserve but when they put their children on display and make money from being a family then complain cuz now you are being exploited... grow up!!

Of course poor jon and kate reminds me of a story from when my children were little...

I diligently did mom and me with each of my kids making sure they had that time with me. When Blond Girl was a baby (still in the infant seat) I attended said classes with Word Girl. Of course I dragged blond girl to classes with us. Hair Boy was in kindergarten and Pita Boy was in preschool so my time had to be very scheduled. There was this family of triplets that came to the meetings and along with mom came grandma, grandpa, uncle louie, aunt marie, etc, etc.. I swear they brought every single extended family member they could.

One day Word Girl had picked her spot she wanted to sit (no one was there as of yet) she placed her craft there and went to get the rest of her stuff.. Sure enough along came this family and MOVED my child.. she was in tears when I confronted the mother and yes I confronted her.. Her answer was well I have triplets and it is so hard... whine whine whine.. and we need to stay together... I need all the help.. I just about came apart.. Here I was alone, with an infant, an 2 yr old, a 4 year old in preschool who had to be picked up and gotten home fed and ready for his afternoon bus pick up and a 6 year old who would be coming home from school. My mornings were scheduled to the minute.. I must admit I raised my voice..

Sorry Lady, yes you have three kids but every friggin member of your family is here to help.. I have to be in three places at the exact same time, have FOUR kids and no one I repeat no one is helping me.. so granny can get off her fat ass and let my daughter have her spot..

For some reason they never came back...

giggles really I am a reasonable and patient person....

Remember What I Said Yesterday??

So if I take the teenagers out and put them on the corner with a sign.. free to a good home do you think I stand a chance???

Honestly, I praise them.. I put it in writing how fantastic they are and then they turn back into the hormonal, insane teenagers that they are..

I can only wonder what they are going to turn into tomorrow??

Life Isnt Fair but the Kids are Great!!

Life has been really really hard on my kids.. and yet they just keep stepping up.. making it, surviving it.. being just great. The oldest three have really worked hard to find a way to help pay for our situation. Each of them is willing to work and to put in what they can in order to help make ends meet.

I am blessed to have kids who almost get it.. Who almost understand that well we are broke and frankly life isnt always that easy. I say almost because I have managed somehow to make looking poor be easy..sometimes they don't get it and sometimes they resent helping out.. but most of the time even when they resent what they are doing they step up and help out.

Right this minute we are in a horrible downswing.. pretty much standing on a precipice.. now it will get better it always does but my kids God love em have all pretty much said.. when the summer hours pick up they will give more..

Sometimes a mom just has to be grateful..

A Memory I Wish I Could Forget

Today is my older brother's 50th birthday. Now that is not a memory I wish to forget even though somewhat estranged from him these days.. but on this day 9 years ago I got the phone call I never wanted to get..

Shaughnessey, he is going to be alright but you need to call the hospital.

I was on a Girl Scout Camp Out and Hair Boy had been staying with a friend he had of course forgotten to take all of the emergence contact information it was sitting all pretty on out dining room table. Pita Boy was with another friend they had the info but they were out visiting friends.. Anyway.. Hair Boy and his friend were riding double on a bike without helmets where they shouldn't have been and were hit by a car. Hair Boy did a Bo Duke across the hood of the car before being tossed to the ground. The driver being of the scum of the earth backed up (so he wouldn't run over them again) and went around them. Speeding off... A man and his girlfriend on a motorcycle saw the entire thing. In the amount of time it took for the girl to get off the bike to check on the boys.. the driver had disappeared never to have been caught.

Once the police arrived Hair Boy had them contact our friends who had Pita Boy.. but it was midnight before I got the call.. to this day I have nightmares about him dying not in the accident but in those 6 hours before they caught up with me.. alone wanting his mom.. anyway, his friend had a broken femur a clean break that required surgery because it was so close to the artery, he got a plate and has recovered just fine. Hair Boy broke his tibula and fibula.. they were like two jagged puzzle pieces the doctors seriously thought pins were going to be needed. They weren't by the grace of God they were able to refit the bones.. but since it wasnt life threatening he had to sit in the emergency room until I gave permission.. well actually my friend called them and said she was me and she gave permission..

anyway I may not remember this exact date had it not been my brother's b-day so gee thanks Doug.. but I did learn it isn't impossible to hate really hate until someone threatens your child. Hair Boy is fine he wore a full leg cast for the 6 weeks, a short cast for 4 and an air cast for 2 but by winter swim season he was back in the pool like nothing had happened.. but me well it is a memory i will never forget..

Ok so the Man gets revenge!!

After yesterday's blog I will be eternally grateful that I refrained from saying anything to the teacher involved..

Blond Girl was late coming home from school today, she had an interview with him as she was applying to be either section leader (highly unlikely due to her age) or ambassador to the middle schools. She said the interview went great and she came out feeling really good about it.

One of the questions was about her academics.. she was honest and said.. knowledge good.. grades bad (my children suffer from extreme homeworkidess) anyway he said.. yes all four of you seem pretty smart and always have a book in your hands.. each of you can be counted on to carry on an interesting discussion about books..

WOW!!! can you imagine how stoked I am!! what a huge compliment!! I mean my kids are readers.. yay!!! They have found the joy in life that only reading can bring. They have discovered where one can go and what one can do all while in the pages of a book.. I am so very very pleased...

Rip Out My Baby's Heart... Then Ask Me to Fundraise...

Well awards nights are ever interesting.. Blond Girl as many of you know is very active in band and choir.. She enjoys both extensively. She is in swing choir and jazz band both extracurricular activities where she gives up plenty of both school and personal time. For jazz band she even learned a new instrument in order to participate..

Tonight was awards night and I wasn't able to make it but halfway through it I got a phone call from a friend.. her son and Blond Girl were the only two members of jazz band not to letter. Now you have to know these two.. they are charming, articulate and bright. saxophone boy changed from the alto to bari sax (which he HATES) for jazz band and blond girl learned the trombone. These are kids who wanted to be there.. made the sacrifice requested and yet still got left on the side like yesterdays trash..

Fortunately I have dealt with this particular teacher before I can shrug my shoulders and just give her a hug.. but my friend?? can we say ballistic?? I had to talk her down she was ready to make some anatomical suggestions as to where the bari sax could be placed.. This is the man who designed an entire song around my son in marching band... had him play his tuba for 12 measures alone while the rest of the band faced the OTHER way and yet refused to acknowledge it as a solo as it was for all the tubas in the band (of which he was the only one) and he didn't audition.. no you made him the friggin showcase but nope not a solo.. growlss that was errr 4 years ago one would think I was over it by now!! Anyway, I know arguing won't win any battles with him.. He is right.. we are wrong.. do not get me wrong the band is 500 times better now that he has stepped in.. but the kids are finding less and less joy in his presence.. how do you expect to continue such a program when the kids hate it?

Now my kids since they are all extremly musical pretty much have to participate in band I can't afford lessons and face it.. Blond Girl alone plays three instruments, officially... She loves music but what happens when she just gives up? when the teacher becomes the greatest enemy.. Hair Boy suffered many of the same problems (we won't go into the years of grief he gave this man and deserved much of the attitude he got) but musically he was and is brilliant. So now when Blond Girl comes home I get to pat her shoulder give her a hug and ask her what is more important? The joy of being in the bands she loves or not getting credit? My poor baby...

Oh yeah, and my friend, the psycho mom? she is next year's booster's VP.. I think.. if she doesn't go totally off the deep end.. I am off to send an email to see what parameters my child did not meet.. I am sure he will have sufficient grounds he isn't an ogre he just is rigid and inflexible...sighs.. sometimes it is hard to not just rip off someone's head..

oh well if life were fair I would be living the white picket fence life...

ps... Blond girl just came home all bubbly and happy because she won the most improved in Concert Band and a $100.00 scholarship.. by the time she came home she was over her anger and ready to prove herself next year.. sheesh makes me proud..

In Honor of Blog Back Thursdays..

I know we are blogging about summer vacations but I did that one on my Shaunispeaks blog today I thought I would just share a pic of Hair Boy seems He has been forgotten of late..

This was taken a couple of years ago downtown.. goodness knows what they were up to... but it looks like they were having fun..