Yesterday was the LAST day of school! GAH! The school year just seems to last so LONG here! But now I'm faced with my first ever summer home with the kids! OH NO!
Well, we've already signed Mary and Keith up for swimming lessons at the Y, and Keith is also going to take Karate (wonder if that's a good idea?).
We will miss the first two lessons due to our upcoming trip, but at least we'll have something to keep us somewhat busy the rest of the summer.
Today I wanted to pick up the house a little, but I decided to be nice to the kids for their first day of summer break. We went to the park this morning and then I let Mary and Keith play the Wii while Izzy took her nap. Keith and Izzy and I were back outside after she got up. Mary decided to stay inside (Is she MAD? It was GORGEOUS out there!) and READ. Great. I guess I'll have to work on getting my little bookworm outside....
Actually, Mary and I did go camping this weekend, and she absolutely loved it. Well, except for that sleeping-in-a-tent-in-the-middle-of-a-rain-storm part. She spent most of the weekend stalking butterflies, moths, lightning bugs, and bunnies. So, she's definitely a Nature Girl--just not when she's in the middle of re-reading the fifth Harry Potter book.
(I've let her read Book Six. I'm still debating on whether or not to let her read the seventh. I figure she won't understand most of it anyway....?)
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
THE NEW ROOF IS HERE!
Last Monday I heard a strange noise. It sounded as if someone was walking around our house. I kept expecting John to walk upstairs, but he never showed--and the footsteps kept getting louder. And THEN I heard a big, big boom. Hmmm.... I opened the garage door, and there was a huge truck backed up to our house with two guys throwing shingles onto our roof. OH! The roofers are finally here! (Let's just ignore the fact that we'd been trying to get a confirmation of the exact day they'd show up, and kept only getting a vague "maybe next week," or "we'll call and let you know." So....surprise! Time to get the roof done!
The roofers finished dropping off their tools on Tuesday and then went to work on Wednesday. I took this opportunity to start using our renewed Y membership in earnest and spent most of the mornings in water aerobics while the kids played in the child care center. (LOVE water aerobics, BTW!) In the afternoons, I tried desperately to get Izzy to take her usual nap, but with all the horrific tearing-off-the-roof and nailing-down-new-shingles sounds, it just wasn't happening.
The guy in charge thought they would be done by Friday, but John and I looked up on Thursday and had our doubts. Then on Friday, we had a little workman's drama right in my driveway. One of the workers showed up late every day (When I described the guy to John, he didn't even recognize him--John hadn't seen the guy all week since he hadn't shown until John had already left for work AND the guy was leaving early, too). Well, apparently he got "talked to" on Friday. His excuse was that he had to take his baby to the pediatrician because the baby-mama was sick--and he even brought the mom and the baby along to collaborate his story. Dude--that's all fine and good, but if you didn't clear it with your boss first AND because you were late EVERY OTHER DAY THIS WEEK, you're boss isn't going to fall for that! How did I know about all this drama? Because while I was going in and out of the house packing up the car for my impending GS camping trip, the guy kept talking to me and trying to me into his sympathies. With a few more trips to the car, I got to hear the boss's replies. The worker was finally sent home. The other workers, seeing that they were NOT going to get everything done, finally packed up and left around 4:30. Not 15 minutes later, he comes Johnny-come-LATEly looking for the crew (with his gf and kid in tow). THEN I got to hear a whole diatribe about how these guys are trying to get out of paying him, blah, blah, blah. "Um, well, they are supposed to come back tomorrow," I tell him. "Yeah, well, that does me no good. The mortgage is due tonight, I gotta have my money tonight." The guy was STILL working his mouth the whole time they were waiting to back out of the drive-way. Good grief.
The roofers didn't come back on Saturday; they came back on Sunday instead. They finished up the roof, but then they had to come back on Monday to do more clean-up. I didn't see the guy, but John told me our Mortgage Man was back with the crew on Monday. Well, good. I'm glad he's still got a job, but....DUDE! You need to open up those lines of communication with your boss if you want to work for him much longer!
Despite the drama, all of our roofer were actually quite nice and courteous. Even the neighbors were impressed.
And the roof looks GREAT. I guess we'll see how great it REALLY is after we get our first big rain--and first big snow.
The roofers finished dropping off their tools on Tuesday and then went to work on Wednesday. I took this opportunity to start using our renewed Y membership in earnest and spent most of the mornings in water aerobics while the kids played in the child care center. (LOVE water aerobics, BTW!) In the afternoons, I tried desperately to get Izzy to take her usual nap, but with all the horrific tearing-off-the-roof and nailing-down-new-shingles sounds, it just wasn't happening.
The guy in charge thought they would be done by Friday, but John and I looked up on Thursday and had our doubts. Then on Friday, we had a little workman's drama right in my driveway. One of the workers showed up late every day (When I described the guy to John, he didn't even recognize him--John hadn't seen the guy all week since he hadn't shown until John had already left for work AND the guy was leaving early, too). Well, apparently he got "talked to" on Friday. His excuse was that he had to take his baby to the pediatrician because the baby-mama was sick--and he even brought the mom and the baby along to collaborate his story. Dude--that's all fine and good, but if you didn't clear it with your boss first AND because you were late EVERY OTHER DAY THIS WEEK, you're boss isn't going to fall for that! How did I know about all this drama? Because while I was going in and out of the house packing up the car for my impending GS camping trip, the guy kept talking to me and trying to me into his sympathies. With a few more trips to the car, I got to hear the boss's replies. The worker was finally sent home. The other workers, seeing that they were NOT going to get everything done, finally packed up and left around 4:30. Not 15 minutes later, he comes Johnny-come-LATEly looking for the crew (with his gf and kid in tow). THEN I got to hear a whole diatribe about how these guys are trying to get out of paying him, blah, blah, blah. "Um, well, they are supposed to come back tomorrow," I tell him. "Yeah, well, that does me no good. The mortgage is due tonight, I gotta have my money tonight." The guy was STILL working his mouth the whole time they were waiting to back out of the drive-way. Good grief.
The roofers didn't come back on Saturday; they came back on Sunday instead. They finished up the roof, but then they had to come back on Monday to do more clean-up. I didn't see the guy, but John told me our Mortgage Man was back with the crew on Monday. Well, good. I'm glad he's still got a job, but....DUDE! You need to open up those lines of communication with your boss if you want to work for him much longer!
Despite the drama, all of our roofer were actually quite nice and courteous. Even the neighbors were impressed.
And the roof looks GREAT. I guess we'll see how great it REALLY is after we get our first big rain--and first big snow.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Grade A Prime WUSS
I took Mary to the dentist this morning for her poor toothache. And proceeded to WUSS out beyond belief.
We got there, they called her name, and she went back by herself. First act of wussiness--not going back with her to make sure I knew what was going on. In my (lame-ass) defense, I had the other two kids with me. I know they can sit quietly in a waiting room for a little while unsupervised, but it truly is hard for the mother duck to walk away from her ducklings--especially when there are other folks in the waiting room. Besides, I am a smart enough parent to know that my kids can handle hair cuts and dentists much, much better when I'm not hovering around. Anyway, I figured the dentist and his team would understand my duckling predicament and just come and see me after they checked out the offending tooth and tell me my options.
Well, no one came and got me, and I was kind of distracted keeping the other two some-what quiet and off the floor and from ripping pages out of magazines and out of other folk's hair, so I just dismissed it. I mean, John told me to just go ahead and get the tooth filled, so I decided to just let them do their thing and not pry my nose in. Wuss act #2.
Well.....when Mary was done (and she was a brave, little soul right up until she saw me in the waiting room and then just burst into tears), I actually had to ask, "Um, what did you do?" Oh! So the hygienist took me into another room and explained that they had to do a pulpectomy and that if the tooth gets infected, they will just have to remove the tooth and put in a spacer(!). Then she mentioned that they also filled the tooth next to it.
Wuss act #3: Here's where my brains/emotions got a bit scrambled. I got so hung-up on that "have to pull and put in a spacer" message for a while in my head and how upset I was that I didn't just have them DO that in the first place that nothing else really registered.
At first.
But then it started sinking in.
Wait. They performed this procedure on my kid, and DIDN'T EVEN ASK ME whether or not I wanted it.
WAIT! They ALSO filled the tooth next to it and DIDN'T EVEN ASK ME whether I wanted it!
I guess part of the problem is that Mary was so upset that I was kind of focusing in on her....and honestly not wanting to cause a scene. But THEN, the hygienist looks at my poor crying daughter and says sweetly, "So! No more candy and soda, right?" I instantly retorted, "Um, she hardly EVER has candy OR pop! I contribute this all to just poor, rotten luck!" And then I got all apologetic and make a feeble remark about how she DOES need to floss more often. (Somewhat wussy act #4--I retorted, but wussed out at the end.)
I got out of the wussy vapors just long enough to stop the receptionist while she was trying to make Mary an appointment for ANOTHER filling that they want to do. Then I paid and left. While seething.
My problem (or curse) is that I've always been the type of person to look at BOTH SIDES of an issue. Anytime someone says or does something, I don't always react, I chew on it for a bit and try to see where that person was coming from. The good part about all this is that I get along with most people. Even really emotional, tough-to-manage people I can usually be on friendly terms with. I've been in a few pretty hostile work arrangements and have managed pretty well--always the peacekeeper, always the middleman, and always the person others knew that they could "vent" to and I wouldn't gossip or necessarily hold it against them.
The problem is that I can be taken advantage of. This used to hurt quite badly when I was a kid. Now I'm smarter about seeing it coming and avoiding it. I may get used, but I wise up and get out of it quicker.
My rationalization (and wuss act #5) through this situation was that this dentist has been wanting to fill this tooth--and the others--for six months now. He already had a plan of attack built in the computer. SO when I finally called, the office assumed I was OK with what we tentatively discussed last winter, and just set it up and hit the "go" button.
SO, I only have MYSELF to blame if they did work I didn't necessarily want performed. I should have followed dear Mary to the back and TOLD THEM my expectations and INSISTED that they tell me if other issues were at stake (like the baby tooth NEXT TO the offending tooth). Can I honestly call and harass those nice office people (cause they really are all nice folks--well, except for the stupid "candy/soda" comment--and I really contribute that to stupidity and her not thinking before she spoke), when *I* was the one who dropped the ball here?
John says maybe it's time we switch dentists, but I don't think so. They all seem to be about the same to me. And despite my rage at this hygienist pushing me into doing a procedure that I didn't think necessary, I know that this dentist has been honest with me before. I've had cavities that he did not fill and just "kept an eye on." If he was that much of a blood-sucker, he would have insisted on filling them anyway (and guess what, at least one of those teeth never got filled, because my tooth actually did get better).
So, in my wussy, rationalizing ways, I'm willing to give the guy another chance (besides I didn't even talk to him today--just the hygienist). But I think that maybe when I go in for Mary's cleaning next week, I just may go back there (three kids and all) and mention that from now on, whoever does work on my kids needs to discuss it and GET PERMISSION from me before they do it.
Let's hope I don't wuss out.
We got there, they called her name, and she went back by herself. First act of wussiness--not going back with her to make sure I knew what was going on. In my (lame-ass) defense, I had the other two kids with me. I know they can sit quietly in a waiting room for a little while unsupervised, but it truly is hard for the mother duck to walk away from her ducklings--especially when there are other folks in the waiting room. Besides, I am a smart enough parent to know that my kids can handle hair cuts and dentists much, much better when I'm not hovering around. Anyway, I figured the dentist and his team would understand my duckling predicament and just come and see me after they checked out the offending tooth and tell me my options.
Well, no one came and got me, and I was kind of distracted keeping the other two some-what quiet and off the floor and from ripping pages out of magazines and out of other folk's hair, so I just dismissed it. I mean, John told me to just go ahead and get the tooth filled, so I decided to just let them do their thing and not pry my nose in. Wuss act #2.
Well.....when Mary was done (and she was a brave, little soul right up until she saw me in the waiting room and then just burst into tears), I actually had to ask, "Um, what did you do?" Oh! So the hygienist took me into another room and explained that they had to do a pulpectomy and that if the tooth gets infected, they will just have to remove the tooth and put in a spacer(!). Then she mentioned that they also filled the tooth next to it.
Wuss act #3: Here's where my brains/emotions got a bit scrambled. I got so hung-up on that "have to pull and put in a spacer" message for a while in my head and how upset I was that I didn't just have them DO that in the first place that nothing else really registered.
At first.
But then it started sinking in.
Wait. They performed this procedure on my kid, and DIDN'T EVEN ASK ME whether or not I wanted it.
WAIT! They ALSO filled the tooth next to it and DIDN'T EVEN ASK ME whether I wanted it!
I guess part of the problem is that Mary was so upset that I was kind of focusing in on her....and honestly not wanting to cause a scene. But THEN, the hygienist looks at my poor crying daughter and says sweetly, "So! No more candy and soda, right?" I instantly retorted, "Um, she hardly EVER has candy OR pop! I contribute this all to just poor, rotten luck!" And then I got all apologetic and make a feeble remark about how she DOES need to floss more often. (Somewhat wussy act #4--I retorted, but wussed out at the end.)
I got out of the wussy vapors just long enough to stop the receptionist while she was trying to make Mary an appointment for ANOTHER filling that they want to do. Then I paid and left. While seething.
My problem (or curse) is that I've always been the type of person to look at BOTH SIDES of an issue. Anytime someone says or does something, I don't always react, I chew on it for a bit and try to see where that person was coming from. The good part about all this is that I get along with most people. Even really emotional, tough-to-manage people I can usually be on friendly terms with. I've been in a few pretty hostile work arrangements and have managed pretty well--always the peacekeeper, always the middleman, and always the person others knew that they could "vent" to and I wouldn't gossip or necessarily hold it against them.
The problem is that I can be taken advantage of. This used to hurt quite badly when I was a kid. Now I'm smarter about seeing it coming and avoiding it. I may get used, but I wise up and get out of it quicker.
My rationalization (and wuss act #5) through this situation was that this dentist has been wanting to fill this tooth--and the others--for six months now. He already had a plan of attack built in the computer. SO when I finally called, the office assumed I was OK with what we tentatively discussed last winter, and just set it up and hit the "go" button.
SO, I only have MYSELF to blame if they did work I didn't necessarily want performed. I should have followed dear Mary to the back and TOLD THEM my expectations and INSISTED that they tell me if other issues were at stake (like the baby tooth NEXT TO the offending tooth). Can I honestly call and harass those nice office people (cause they really are all nice folks--well, except for the stupid "candy/soda" comment--and I really contribute that to stupidity and her not thinking before she spoke), when *I* was the one who dropped the ball here?
John says maybe it's time we switch dentists, but I don't think so. They all seem to be about the same to me. And despite my rage at this hygienist pushing me into doing a procedure that I didn't think necessary, I know that this dentist has been honest with me before. I've had cavities that he did not fill and just "kept an eye on." If he was that much of a blood-sucker, he would have insisted on filling them anyway (and guess what, at least one of those teeth never got filled, because my tooth actually did get better).
So, in my wussy, rationalizing ways, I'm willing to give the guy another chance (besides I didn't even talk to him today--just the hygienist). But I think that maybe when I go in for Mary's cleaning next week, I just may go back there (three kids and all) and mention that from now on, whoever does work on my kids needs to discuss it and GET PERMISSION from me before they do it.
Let's hope I don't wuss out.
Friday, June 06, 2008
I'm not sure about this new template.....
But I KNOW most of you are NOT surprised by the new blog title! I just think it was ordained by the stars, ya know?
Slacka
Er, Um....Hi! Guess it's been a while, huh? Didja miss me? Wait! Don't answer that!
Where have I been? Well, I was a bit "off-color" and not feeling well for a while and then I got busy with errands and then we got this horrible heat wave which makes me want to just sit in my quiet and cool den doing absolutely NOTHING. So, yeah. I've been slackin'. Sorry about that.
In case you were wondering, I got the house quite sparkly for my mother's visit. And it only took a few days for it all to get all non-sparkly again. See reasons for non-blogging for explanations....
I went on a field trip with Mary. We saw the community college's production of "School House R o c k Live." I felt exhilarated and OLD all at the same time! It was quite fun.
Keith gets to go to school ALL DAY today, and his class is taking a field trip to the local H u m a n e S o c i e t y. Keith was super-excited about getting on the bus this morning with Mary.
John and Izzy and I met the bus at school this morning for Mary's "Portfolio Day." Mary got to show us samples of all the work she's been doing all year. AND they had coffee and doughnuts. Mary was so proud.
My GS troop is going camping in two weeks, and so I've been forced to turn on the computer to finally start getting messages out about the permission forms and menu and foods we will need for the trip. SLACKA. Should be a fun trip. It's being sponsored by some older girls, so at least I didn't have to do most of the planning!
Mary's cavity that I refused to pay money to fix (as it was on a baby tooth) has finally gotten deep enough that it's starting to bother her. So now I had to try to get her in for an emergency appointment to get it taken care of (the best they could do--one week). This just goes to show everyone at that office what a bad mother I am, I suppose. I AM going to try to get the dentist to pull the tooth and put in a spacer instead of filling it. I just don't see the sense of filling a tooth which will be GONE in two years. (Then again, two years IS kinda a long time.....maybe I'll just see what the cost is....hmmm.....)
FAMILY: We ARE planning a little trip to IN the week of the fourth. We will head to Indy on June 28th and go from there. I'm also trying to figure out a way to convince John to stop outside of Cleveland on the way home to visit a cousin I haven't seen in 7 years who will be there visiting HER in-laws. It's going to be a tight trip again. I'm already exhausted just thinking about it.
Let's see, what else?
Mary is doing pretty well in mini-league. She is catching and throwing well, but she needs to work on her batting. They've starting pitching to the kids now, and we're hoping she'll get a chance to pitch this weekend--she has a pretty accurate, strong throw (she even struck a kid out at practice last night). We warned her she'll walk more than she strikes out, though....part of the learning process.
Keith is just ENJOYING his tee-ball. It's nice to watch him play because he doesn't get all frustrated and upset if he messes up like Mary does. (She's just too hard on herself.) It will be interesting to see what his attitude is like when he's gets into the tougher leagues.
We've contracted someone to put up a new roof (finally), and he's hopefully going to start next week. That will be ONE LESS thing to worry about....
Where have I been? Well, I was a bit "off-color" and not feeling well for a while and then I got busy with errands and then we got this horrible heat wave which makes me want to just sit in my quiet and cool den doing absolutely NOTHING. So, yeah. I've been slackin'. Sorry about that.
In case you were wondering, I got the house quite sparkly for my mother's visit. And it only took a few days for it all to get all non-sparkly again. See reasons for non-blogging for explanations....
I went on a field trip with Mary. We saw the community college's production of "School House R o c k Live." I felt exhilarated and OLD all at the same time! It was quite fun.
Keith gets to go to school ALL DAY today, and his class is taking a field trip to the local H u m a n e S o c i e t y. Keith was super-excited about getting on the bus this morning with Mary.
John and Izzy and I met the bus at school this morning for Mary's "Portfolio Day." Mary got to show us samples of all the work she's been doing all year. AND they had coffee and doughnuts. Mary was so proud.
My GS troop is going camping in two weeks, and so I've been forced to turn on the computer to finally start getting messages out about the permission forms and menu and foods we will need for the trip. SLACKA. Should be a fun trip. It's being sponsored by some older girls, so at least I didn't have to do most of the planning!
Mary's cavity that I refused to pay money to fix (as it was on a baby tooth) has finally gotten deep enough that it's starting to bother her. So now I had to try to get her in for an emergency appointment to get it taken care of (the best they could do--one week). This just goes to show everyone at that office what a bad mother I am, I suppose. I AM going to try to get the dentist to pull the tooth and put in a spacer instead of filling it. I just don't see the sense of filling a tooth which will be GONE in two years. (Then again, two years IS kinda a long time.....maybe I'll just see what the cost is....hmmm.....)
FAMILY: We ARE planning a little trip to IN the week of the fourth. We will head to Indy on June 28th and go from there. I'm also trying to figure out a way to convince John to stop outside of Cleveland on the way home to visit a cousin I haven't seen in 7 years who will be there visiting HER in-laws. It's going to be a tight trip again. I'm already exhausted just thinking about it.
Let's see, what else?
Mary is doing pretty well in mini-league. She is catching and throwing well, but she needs to work on her batting. They've starting pitching to the kids now, and we're hoping she'll get a chance to pitch this weekend--she has a pretty accurate, strong throw (she even struck a kid out at practice last night). We warned her she'll walk more than she strikes out, though....part of the learning process.
Keith is just ENJOYING his tee-ball. It's nice to watch him play because he doesn't get all frustrated and upset if he messes up like Mary does. (She's just too hard on herself.) It will be interesting to see what his attitude is like when he's gets into the tougher leagues.
We've contracted someone to put up a new roof (finally), and he's hopefully going to start next week. That will be ONE LESS thing to worry about....
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