Mom to the Screaming Masses

So, it's a new

So, it's a new template. Whatta you think???

It's a do-over! Uh,

It's a do-over! Uh, NO!

Yesterday was a day that I never wish to repeat again. The first part of the day was good. All was well, up until about 5. Then, the phone rang - it was the Hubster. Over the weekend, he had a tooth abscess, and required an emergency root canal on Saturday. He was in extreme pain and given a prescription for both Vicodin and Percocet for the pain, as well as an antibiotic. The antibiotic must not have worked, because he went back on Tuesday for the second part of the root canal and was givan a different antibiotic. He was still taking the vicodin, though, as the tooth was no longer bothering him but his ear - oh the pain! And it's slightly swollen. So, he called me, from work, to go and fill the scrip for the Percocet. Ok, no problem. I'll just put all the kids in the car at 5 on a weekeday, drive across my city to the next, during rush hour. He couldn't go, because he was the only manager in that day and there were customers lined up for hours. I get to the job, get the scrip and go to the drive thru pharmacy. Where I'm told that the wait will be one hour. One HOUR. Ok, I can deal with this. I drove to Sonic and got the kids an incredibly unhealthy fast food dinner, where I encountered my first problem of the night. Oldest son just came back from a trip with neighbors, where all he apparently ate was pizza and burgers, and he wasn't about to eat another burger. He wanted a milkshake. Being mean, and not wanting to deal with why he got a shake and no one else did, I said no. So, he got huffy and asked for a plain burger and a water. Whatever. I tried to give him other choices, like chicken or a salad, but he was just huffy enough that I didn't try too hard. We killed that hour, without too much stress and went back to wait out the last ten minutes at the pharmacy. Finally, it was ready, and the fun began. Baby Riley decided that the trip back to hubsters work was the perfect time to cry. And cry. And CRY. On our way home, she thought we couldn't hear her, so she cranked it up a notch to shriek. And then the two year old had her first diarrhea, which made oldest child start to scream about the smell and the noise, and utter the crowning glory of all comments. "I hate having all these people in my family! I HATE IT! It's too noisy and too smelly! I HATE big families!" These words are the ones that always set my blood to boil, at warp speed. Then he opens the window and sticks his head out, while I'm driving, because it's all too much for him. At this point, two year old starts to cry, because she has stuck her hand in the poop running down her leg and she can't stand dirty hands. And she goes again.

So, make a mental pic in your mind of me, driving down the road screaming at oldest child - told you I wasn't very patient - with oldest crying in the front seat, and two crying babies. The other kids knew enough to be quiet. We got home, got everyone cleaned up, after another accident, and all went to bed.

Brriiing!!! The phone - at 2:23. In the morning. It was the hubster, who was STILL AT WORK, trying to finish the heat sheet - a daily tally of work done, used at the next day's meeting. His printer wasn't working, so he wanted me to tell him how to email the heat sheet to his computer so he could print it off in his office. I'm trying to wake up, and explain how to either a) highlight, cut and paste and email, or b) make an attachment and email that, when four year old son comes in. He begins to have a freak out, because he wants to know What is that thing hanging on the door knob that looks like a lock and it has a green eye and a red eye and he wants to know NOW!!!!!! After explaining three times that it is the baby monitor, hanging on the door for better reception, I go back to trying to figure out the printing dilemma. Finally, hubster gets annoyed that I don't know how to make it work and decides to do it himself. Thank you. I get off the phone, get everyone settled, and can't sleep.

Today better be a good day. I deserve it!

This is so funny

This is so funny to me, being a huge Starbucks schmuck. Watch out for the language - turn it up so you can understand the squirrel, but be certain your kids aren't around.......

Back to life. Back

Back to life.  Back to reality. 
 
I had such a great time on my trip.  I was thrilled to see some of my bestest friends, to sit around and chat with other mommies, go out to lunch with Fiona, dye playsilks, drink mojitos, and eat chocolate cake, warm right from the oven. 
 
Now, it's back to laundry, and cooking, and cleaning.  My husband had SUCH an appreciation for me when I came back.  "It's hard to make everyone happy all the time, and get all the housework done!"  Um, yeah.  Haven't I told you that before???  And he didn't even do any laundry!
 
I have out of town company, leaving today.  It's my dad and his wife and their child.  I swear, I think I'm gonna end up on Jerry Springer one day.  I am a step mother, I have a step mother, I have step kids and I am one.  I have children, a half sister and my husband's grandkids all the same age.  I am covered in girls from ages 6-9.  Not to mention my own kids, and then my nieces and nephews.  My step mother and step daughters are all within ten years of my age.  Christmas time is fun around here!
 
This summer has been great, though.  We've done all of our visits - one to see my husband's kids, one for me to see my friends, my dad was here, and my son went away to scout camp for a week.  My daughter has done two weeks of her three summer classes, and that just leaves my oldest sons classes in math and english.  Neither one of the kids failed any classes, I just want them to have a bit of brush up before school starts again.  I think it's also good for them to have time with the teachers that they will have next year - to familiarize the teachers with the student.  Although, that kind of backfires for my son, as his teacher for the summer classes is the nun that he had during the year.  But, she's a great teacher, probably one of the best I've ever known, and he really likes her.  I really wish she could move up and be his teacher next year - I'm not in love, or even in like with the 7th grade teachers.  I can see that this will be a tough year. 
 
So many times on the plane - so many chances to watch the saftey video.  I was playing a different, sarcastic version in my head.  It was cracking me up, thinking about people inflating their lifevests onboard the plane, and doing a butt bounce on the evacuation shute.  But, I highly doubt, after 9-11, that anyone would touch my version with a pole.  Nor should they.  But, it was still funny, in my own (warped) mind.
 
Hello, out there! I'm glad to be back!

Color me INSANE I'm

Color me INSANE

I'm going away again. This time, it's for me. Although, on my girlfriends weekend, the time supposed to be just for me, how in the hell did I end up taking three kids???

Of course, I can't leave the baby. I'm nursing her, but even if I wasn't, I'd feel really weird going away without her. I left a baby under a year old once, and I hated it. I'm also taking Emma, who will be two tomorrow (!!!!) and that's pretty much a given as well. She is really a Mommy's girl, and wouldn't be happy if I was gone. At least, I like to think so! It's all about me, of course.

No, the one I'm questioning is my 6 year old. The one who is the ONE. You know, I've talked about her before. She's the energetic one, the one who causes all the messes - or at least 90% of them. She's the one who spills her drinks, drops her food, breaks the plate, colors on the wall accidentally, of course. She is a really happy child - she dances whenever music is on, she sings and dances to tv shows, and she is usually full of excitement for life. She just causes so much mess and aggravation. I find myself getting annoyed with her, and lately I've been making a real effort not to. I try to let her be herself, and just accept and deal with it. I get very very annoyed when other people don't see her through good eyes, and get upset with her for just being herself.

I decided to take her on this trip to give her some time with me. I think she gets lost in the shuffle sometimes, and I'd like her to feel important and special. But, I think I'm nuts! Two plane rides, with three kids, and an hour in a car. Then five days at the beach. At least I'll be with my girlfriends, and one of them has a daughter her age. It should be fun. I hope.

Anyone want to guest blog for me???????

These are a few

These are a few of my favorite things

Just for kicks, some more minutia, in no particular order:

Movies: While you were sleeping, Sweet Home Alabama, My big Fat Greek Wedding, Yours Mine and Ours, My Cousin Vinny
Magazines: Good Housekeeping, Redbook, Parenting, Real Simple, Oprah
Clothing stores: JJill, Hanna Andersson, Title IX, One Hot Mama,(yeah, they are all internet/catalog, but whatever - ever try to shop with 6 kids??)
TV shows: Food Finds, The Cosby Show, Good Eats, Unwrapped, Birth Day
Books: Pierced by a Sword, The Outlander series, anything by LaVryle Spencer, (I am such a sucker for her books!)
Candy:Hershey bars (plain or almond), Reese's cups, Smore's bars
Cars:The new Ford Thunderbird convertible in teal, Chrysler Pacifica, Jeep Wrangler
Shampoo: Aveda's Rosemary Mint, or Clove
Dance Company: Alvin Ailey
Music, in my cd changer now: Josh Groban (does his Italian sound authentic to natives??), Norah Jones, soundtrack to Revelations (Alvin Ailey), Alan Jackson
Way to spend money: Cloth diapers, wool covers, clothes for my kids, coffee

An ode to Coca-Cola

An ode to Coca-Cola

In my quest to, well, not lose weight, but not gain soo much so fast, I think I need to lose the liquid refreshments. I LOVE a good Coke. I could have one every meal, and twice between. I don't like Pepsi, or any of those fake types. It's strictly Coca-Cola, the classic kind. None of that "New Coke" crap, and definitely not that C2 business, their low carb effort. That stuff tastes like feet. Nope, Coke, with lots of ice, and a straw. I love the bite, the way the drink hits the back of your throat just right, the way it quenches the thirst like no other. Remember in the movie The Color Purple, when Oprah's character spits in Mister's lemonade? I'd probably still drink my Coke, if you did that. God, I hope not. But, I'm a Coke slave.

When my latest child was born, I saw one of the ped's in my practice, who wasn't my normal one. He questioned how much caffeine I was consuming, and if it was keeping the baby up, or making her fussy. I promised him that, if I was kept from the caffeine, she'd fare far worse, as would the other kids. He laughed, and said it was fine.

So, I cut my dinner coke out, and all went well. I'm doing decaf iced tea. Man, I'm tired at night! The other day, I had three sips of soda all day. I was busy and kept drinking water. So, I know it can be done. But, hmm, do I really want to? What would life be like without soda?

As a funny, my father in law is obsessed with the endtimes. He is constantly reminding my hubby that we need to have food stocked. I'm not sure how I feel about the endtimes, but I think that having a full pantry probably wouldn't be the thing that would save me. Anyway, my hubby had me make a shoppng list, of what we'd need to get, if we wanted to have enough food for two months, like my father in law suggested. First on my list - more than boxed milk, canned meats, or vegetables? More than anything - a couple of cases of Coke.

I suck.