I hate the carol "We Wish You a Merry Christmas". Seriously? You are going to show up at my house uninvited, demand food and then refuse to leave until you get some? STFU!
Just one more reason that I'm not a holiday fan
Showing posts with label rants. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rants. Show all posts
Monday, December 14, 2009
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Negligent parents
I get that not all parents are interested in being "helicopter parents" I get that many of them feel like I'm crazy because I do hover. However, there is a line between "hands off" and full on neglectful. Tonight, I observed (yet again, I see it far too often in this town) the latter at the park. TB has soccer practice at a local park. RF is helping coach so while the boys run around, I've been taking MT to the playground. While were there tonight a little boy, probably 3 or 4 came out of his house, which borders the park, and came over to the playground. The first problem is that his parents were no where to be seen. The much larger problem was that it was 55 degrees, the sun was setting so it would only get colder and the kid was wearing NO PANTS! He had on a jacket, shoes and just his underpants. While I have no issues with kids who don't want to wear clothes, there are limits to that and a time and a place for everything. On to the rest of the evening. This kid was horribly behaved! He was pushing the other kids, sliding down the slide into them, grabbing them as they came down the slide, etc. There was another little boy who was not even two and twice this kid came flying off the slide and nearly kicked him in the face. The other mom and I both told him to knock it off and both times he ran a little bit away and then came right back, only to start over again. I finally told MT that if he touched her again, she had my permission to stop him, however she felt necessary. Those of you that know MT, know she doesn't take well to being pushed around and I have to say that she showed admirable restraint in not ending his behavior right away.
Finally his dad came out of the house and sat on the park bench talking to his dog. Eventually, the boy ran off with another boy. His dad didn't seem to notice that he was gone. I could see him from where I was at and he was clear outside the park, playing IN THE STREET, in front of the houses that border the park on the other side. Several minutes passed and finally the dad noticed that the kid was gone and he gets up and says to the dog "gee i wonder where they ran off too" He looked around the rather small playground and then said to MT "did you see were the boys went?" She turned her back and ignored him. By then, practice was over and we headed out. I have no idea if he ever found him. I have to assume that at some point, the boy would have found his way home, because it seemed like he was turned loose to roam the neighborhood on a fairly regular basis.
Finally his dad came out of the house and sat on the park bench talking to his dog. Eventually, the boy ran off with another boy. His dad didn't seem to notice that he was gone. I could see him from where I was at and he was clear outside the park, playing IN THE STREET, in front of the houses that border the park on the other side. Several minutes passed and finally the dad noticed that the kid was gone and he gets up and says to the dog "gee i wonder where they ran off too" He looked around the rather small playground and then said to MT "did you see were the boys went?" She turned her back and ignored him. By then, practice was over and we headed out. I have no idea if he ever found him. I have to assume that at some point, the boy would have found his way home, because it seemed like he was turned loose to roam the neighborhood on a fairly regular basis.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
The long and short of it
*Have you heard about Michelle Obama's shorts? She had the NERVE to wear SHORTS in AUGUST at the PHOENIX! How could she ever think that even a little bit acceptable? Thank all things holy that she finally had the sense to put a t-shirt on over her tank top! She is the first lady, for crying out loud! We all know that means that she is never allowed to "dress down" or be comfortable while traveling. She should always be dressed as if a state dinner could break out at a moment's notice.
Everyone can tell that this is a far better outfit for a First Lady to wear while hiking with her family, in the desert.
The thing I don't understand is why people aren't jumping on her tennis shoes. I mean, OMG, they are so not stylish and aren't portraying the proper image for a world wide fashion icon. How DARE she!
*In case you can't tell the whole above rant is pure sarcasm.
Everyone can tell that this is a far better outfit for a First Lady to wear while hiking with her family, in the desert.
The thing I don't understand is why people aren't jumping on her tennis shoes. I mean, OMG, they are so not stylish and aren't portraying the proper image for a world wide fashion icon. How DARE she!
*In case you can't tell the whole above rant is pure sarcasm.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Biker Babe
After getting my scooter, then wrecking my scooter, I finally got around to getting licensed to actually RIDE the scooter today. Shortly after I got it, I went to DMV and got my permit. It allowed me, much like a driver's permit, to ride with another licensed rider. I figured that was ok and not that big of a deal until I started wanting to go places and didn't have an escort. I couldn't take it to Weight Watcher meetings, I couldn't ride it to trivia or to the library or anywhere. Kind of a PITA since I'm not comfortable riding with a passenger yet and we always had to wait until someone else was home to watch the kids so we could take the bikes out. Since I wrecked, I've been back on it several times and I haven't had a problem. I had not been near DMV and I was ok with that too. RF has been encouraging me to get back over there and get it done. I kept putting it off for this reason or that and today, I finally just had to suck it up and do it. I posted to FB last night that I was doing it and I knew that would hold me accountable because I knew people would be asking me if I had done it. So I did.
I got up at 6:30 this morning so that I could get everyone up and fed and out the door in time to be at DMV when they opened at 8. RF rode the scooter over for me, since I couldn't, and I followed in the van with the kids. I was in line and ready to go when the doors opened at 8. I was the second person in and the only one taking a motorcycle exam. I handed over my info, visited the cashier (I didn't have to pay because I paid when I got the permit) and waited about 5 minutes before the lady called me out to test.
We went through the standard light checks then she had me set up for the course. The first test is a sharp left hand turn. You have to stay inside the lines, not knock over any cones and not put your foot down. As soon as I entered the shoot, I knew I was going too slow and wouldn't be able to make the turn in the space. I ended up putting my foot down but completed the rest of the test fine. After that was weaving and U-turn (we had been doing the U-turn in the wrong area and it was a lot harder the way we were doing it), which I was confident about. Following that was stopping. I had no issues with that because if I can do anything on that scooter, it is make it stop! There is a foot break pedal on it and when you hit it, it stops NOW! After that was the swerve. I freaked out to no end about the swerve because that was were I wrecked before. I told RF that I sort of wished that I had passed on breakfast because I felt pretty sick at the thought of having to swerve again. On the one hand, I was pretty panicked at the thought of wrecking again. On the other, I knew I wasn't going to do it so it didn't matter. She showed me how to complete the test and I found out I was doing it ALL wrong. Not as wrong as I thought I was doing but wrong enough. Basically, you start at the same point as the stopping test, ride through the shoot and swerve around the red "stop" line. We were starting right, just trying to swerve around the outside boundary line instead. I pulled around, fairly certain that the foot down had failed me. I've heard other people talk about getting their license and most of them that failed the first time failed because they put their foot down somewhere they weren't supposed to. Imagine my surpise when she told me that was only worth 1 point and the only point I missed. If I had kept my stupid foot up (something we worked and worked and worked on while we were practicing), I would have had a perfect score!! Back inside to wait a few minutes and now I'm the proud owner of a shiny new license, listing me as class DM. Ask to see it sometime, it is pretty neat looking, with holograms and two pictures and stuff :)
Most people have been pretty happy that I was able to pass fairly easily. The notable exception to that is my mom. Since I first started riding the little scooter a year ago, she has wanted me to take the U of I motorcycle class. I felt (and was obviously right), that I didn't need the class to get my license. The class is not without virtue and merit, it just isn't for me. It requires 4 hours, 4 different days, pre-committed with no exception. It is rain or shine, hot or cold, doesn't matter. First of all, I would like to know where I was going to fine 16 hours to devote to the class? My weekdays are open enough (although still busy) but I have the kids and my weekends are packed! We had to cancel a trip a couple of weeks ago because it was simply too much. Had we gone, we would have had 6 solids weeks where we weren't home either day of the weekend, then a week off and then vacation. Too much. I'm also nothing if not a fair weather rider. I don't want to do it when it is raining or cold or too hot or anything else. Committing to taking a class in July sometime in April just didn't work for me. Had I needed to learn to ride a motorcycle (motorcycles have manual transmissions and require clutching and shifting and what not. Scooters are automatic and a much smaller learning curve), the class probably would have helped but it still just wasn't me. So basically, I practiced the course for maybe 2 hours and rode it for maybe an hour and passed just fine. That is 13 hours I saved by doing it my way
Anyway, my mom took the class a couple of years ago and really struggled with it. She ended up sick all 4 days from the heat, she struggled and struggled to pass the test and just generally didn't do well with it. Then she bought a bike she didn't really want, dropped it a few weeks later trying to park on gravel (she was stopped, the kickstand just slid on the gravel) and sold it last summer. I think she really wanted someone else to have as hard a time passing and riding as she did. Of course that isn't the case because RF and my brother basically breezed through the class and I never took it. And I don't think she was in anyway happy when I wrecked but I sort of got the feeling she was hoping it would put me off riding. Since I had just bought the bike, I had to get back on it or it was a HUGE waste of money. And I didn't wreck it riding it, I wrecked it at DMV. Basically the same difference but a huge divide in my mind. Her attitude today was "oh, isn't that nice, well anyway" and I think she was irritated that I did as well as I did without the class because that meant I was right. Getting a license isn't rocket science and I didn't need a class to teach me how to do it.
My first motorcycle ride is this weekend too, which is part of the reason I decided to get my license today. Although I was perfectly legal to ride in it, I felt better knowing I had a real license and not just a permit. My mom is following the ride with my van and a trailer in case anyone has problems. She will also have MT with her and since TB is riding with my dad, she will be available if he wants to get off before the end of the ride. Last year, this ride was plagued by busted bikes. 2 guys never made it out of town. One guy blew a tire, one guy had something else happen to his bike, it was crazy. My dad worded his statement about the trailer very carefully. He said "your mom is going to drive the van and pull a trailer in case something happens to one of the bikes or if you decide you don't want to ride anymore". My mom was not as careful. She told me "I'm driving your van with a trailer so when you decide you can't do it, you have a way to get home" Well, by God, I'm finishing it now, if just to show her. I don't care if my ass is on fire, my arms are completely numb and my head is pounding, I WILL finish that ride!
If you see me around town, feel free to wave. I'm getting better about waving back because I'm more comfortable than I was last summer and my new scooter is heavier and less squirrely so I don't have to have quite such a death grip on the handle bars :)
I got up at 6:30 this morning so that I could get everyone up and fed and out the door in time to be at DMV when they opened at 8. RF rode the scooter over for me, since I couldn't, and I followed in the van with the kids. I was in line and ready to go when the doors opened at 8. I was the second person in and the only one taking a motorcycle exam. I handed over my info, visited the cashier (I didn't have to pay because I paid when I got the permit) and waited about 5 minutes before the lady called me out to test.
We went through the standard light checks then she had me set up for the course. The first test is a sharp left hand turn. You have to stay inside the lines, not knock over any cones and not put your foot down. As soon as I entered the shoot, I knew I was going too slow and wouldn't be able to make the turn in the space. I ended up putting my foot down but completed the rest of the test fine. After that was weaving and U-turn (we had been doing the U-turn in the wrong area and it was a lot harder the way we were doing it), which I was confident about. Following that was stopping. I had no issues with that because if I can do anything on that scooter, it is make it stop! There is a foot break pedal on it and when you hit it, it stops NOW! After that was the swerve. I freaked out to no end about the swerve because that was were I wrecked before. I told RF that I sort of wished that I had passed on breakfast because I felt pretty sick at the thought of having to swerve again. On the one hand, I was pretty panicked at the thought of wrecking again. On the other, I knew I wasn't going to do it so it didn't matter. She showed me how to complete the test and I found out I was doing it ALL wrong. Not as wrong as I thought I was doing but wrong enough. Basically, you start at the same point as the stopping test, ride through the shoot and swerve around the red "stop" line. We were starting right, just trying to swerve around the outside boundary line instead. I pulled around, fairly certain that the foot down had failed me. I've heard other people talk about getting their license and most of them that failed the first time failed because they put their foot down somewhere they weren't supposed to. Imagine my surpise when she told me that was only worth 1 point and the only point I missed. If I had kept my stupid foot up (something we worked and worked and worked on while we were practicing), I would have had a perfect score!! Back inside to wait a few minutes and now I'm the proud owner of a shiny new license, listing me as class DM. Ask to see it sometime, it is pretty neat looking, with holograms and two pictures and stuff :)
Most people have been pretty happy that I was able to pass fairly easily. The notable exception to that is my mom. Since I first started riding the little scooter a year ago, she has wanted me to take the U of I motorcycle class. I felt (and was obviously right), that I didn't need the class to get my license. The class is not without virtue and merit, it just isn't for me. It requires 4 hours, 4 different days, pre-committed with no exception. It is rain or shine, hot or cold, doesn't matter. First of all, I would like to know where I was going to fine 16 hours to devote to the class? My weekdays are open enough (although still busy) but I have the kids and my weekends are packed! We had to cancel a trip a couple of weeks ago because it was simply too much. Had we gone, we would have had 6 solids weeks where we weren't home either day of the weekend, then a week off and then vacation. Too much. I'm also nothing if not a fair weather rider. I don't want to do it when it is raining or cold or too hot or anything else. Committing to taking a class in July sometime in April just didn't work for me. Had I needed to learn to ride a motorcycle (motorcycles have manual transmissions and require clutching and shifting and what not. Scooters are automatic and a much smaller learning curve), the class probably would have helped but it still just wasn't me. So basically, I practiced the course for maybe 2 hours and rode it for maybe an hour and passed just fine. That is 13 hours I saved by doing it my way
Anyway, my mom took the class a couple of years ago and really struggled with it. She ended up sick all 4 days from the heat, she struggled and struggled to pass the test and just generally didn't do well with it. Then she bought a bike she didn't really want, dropped it a few weeks later trying to park on gravel (she was stopped, the kickstand just slid on the gravel) and sold it last summer. I think she really wanted someone else to have as hard a time passing and riding as she did. Of course that isn't the case because RF and my brother basically breezed through the class and I never took it. And I don't think she was in anyway happy when I wrecked but I sort of got the feeling she was hoping it would put me off riding. Since I had just bought the bike, I had to get back on it or it was a HUGE waste of money. And I didn't wreck it riding it, I wrecked it at DMV. Basically the same difference but a huge divide in my mind. Her attitude today was "oh, isn't that nice, well anyway" and I think she was irritated that I did as well as I did without the class because that meant I was right. Getting a license isn't rocket science and I didn't need a class to teach me how to do it.
My first motorcycle ride is this weekend too, which is part of the reason I decided to get my license today. Although I was perfectly legal to ride in it, I felt better knowing I had a real license and not just a permit. My mom is following the ride with my van and a trailer in case anyone has problems. She will also have MT with her and since TB is riding with my dad, she will be available if he wants to get off before the end of the ride. Last year, this ride was plagued by busted bikes. 2 guys never made it out of town. One guy blew a tire, one guy had something else happen to his bike, it was crazy. My dad worded his statement about the trailer very carefully. He said "your mom is going to drive the van and pull a trailer in case something happens to one of the bikes or if you decide you don't want to ride anymore". My mom was not as careful. She told me "I'm driving your van with a trailer so when you decide you can't do it, you have a way to get home" Well, by God, I'm finishing it now, if just to show her. I don't care if my ass is on fire, my arms are completely numb and my head is pounding, I WILL finish that ride!
If you see me around town, feel free to wave. I'm getting better about waving back because I'm more comfortable than I was last summer and my new scooter is heavier and less squirrely so I don't have to have quite such a death grip on the handle bars :)
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
You know they die, right?
So I like the song "Love Story" by Taylor Swift
If you don't know, the lyrics are
"Little did I know
That you were Romeo; you were throwing pebbles,
And my daddy said, "Stay away from Juliet."
And I was crying on the staircase,
begging you, 'Please, don't go.'"
And I said,
"Romeo, take me somewhere we can be alone.
I'll be waiting; all there's left to do is run.
You'll be the prince and I'll be the princess
It's a love story - baby just say 'Yes.'"
The other day, it was on the radio and RF says "Uh, how far do you want to go with this Romeo and Juliet theme? You know they die right?" But the thing about Romeo and Juliet is that it is supposed to be the ultimate love story. They were willing to die instead of be apart.
Personally, I think that it is the ultimate in stupidity. I remember reading it in high school and how all the girls were ga-ga over the the thought of someone loving them enough to kill themselves. I always just rolled my eyes at them and maintained my low opinion of the idiots I went to school with.
I never understood the motivation of R&J. Why did she take the fake poison? If she was old enough to marry, why didn't she tell her parents to suck it, she wasn't marrying Paris? Or why didn't she just suck it up and marry him and have a wild affair with Romeo like every upper class person in the world? (if you've read either "Sex with Kings" or "Sex with the Queen", you'll know what I'm talking about).
And when he thought she was dead, why was his only course of action to kill himself? Had he never heard of grief and maybe suffering through and getting on with his life? I get it. He couldn't bear the thought of life without her but dude, could he be anymore melodramatic?
The only death in the whole thing I even sort of understood was her actually killing herself after she took the fake poison and he died. It was totally her fault that he died (obviously, he did it to himself but if she hadn't been stupid and taken the fake poison, he wouldn't have felt compelled, thus her fault) Dying was an acceptable punishment for her stupidity in the whole thing.
Big thanks to Quigs for correcting my memory about the sequence of events in the story. It has been awhile since I read it (either Freshman or Sophomore year of high school) and obviously, I didn't like it much so I didn't retain the exact details
If you don't know, the lyrics are
"Little did I know
That you were Romeo; you were throwing pebbles,
And my daddy said, "Stay away from Juliet."
And I was crying on the staircase,
begging you, 'Please, don't go.'"
And I said,
"Romeo, take me somewhere we can be alone.
I'll be waiting; all there's left to do is run.
You'll be the prince and I'll be the princess
It's a love story - baby just say 'Yes.'"
The other day, it was on the radio and RF says "Uh, how far do you want to go with this Romeo and Juliet theme? You know they die right?" But the thing about Romeo and Juliet is that it is supposed to be the ultimate love story. They were willing to die instead of be apart.
Personally, I think that it is the ultimate in stupidity. I remember reading it in high school and how all the girls were ga-ga over the the thought of someone loving them enough to kill themselves. I always just rolled my eyes at them and maintained my low opinion of the idiots I went to school with.
I never understood the motivation of R&J. Why did she take the fake poison? If she was old enough to marry, why didn't she tell her parents to suck it, she wasn't marrying Paris? Or why didn't she just suck it up and marry him and have a wild affair with Romeo like every upper class person in the world? (if you've read either "Sex with Kings" or "Sex with the Queen", you'll know what I'm talking about).
And when he thought she was dead, why was his only course of action to kill himself? Had he never heard of grief and maybe suffering through and getting on with his life? I get it. He couldn't bear the thought of life without her but dude, could he be anymore melodramatic?
The only death in the whole thing I even sort of understood was her actually killing herself after she took the fake poison and he died. It was totally her fault that he died (obviously, he did it to himself but if she hadn't been stupid and taken the fake poison, he wouldn't have felt compelled, thus her fault) Dying was an acceptable punishment for her stupidity in the whole thing.
Big thanks to Quigs for correcting my memory about the sequence of events in the story. It has been awhile since I read it (either Freshman or Sophomore year of high school) and obviously, I didn't like it much so I didn't retain the exact details
Monday, February 9, 2009
That action is not affirmative
Today was NAAPID at local schools. This dy irritates me to no end. Where is Asian American parent involvement day? Or Mexican American parents? Or any other sub-group of parents? Isn't it important to have ALL parents involved in schools?
Last year, the school raffled off a bike to to all students whose parent(s) came to school that day. I was so angry about the whole thing last year that I didn't even read anything that came home about it this year so I don't know what was being done.
What about the rest of us that are there all the time? I got a little drawing and a notepad thanking me for my time. And it isn't just me. I'm thinking of people like our PTA president, both past and present, who have put in innumerable hours to make our school a better place. I'm thinking of the parents who are in the classroom, every week, working to make the school better. What about those people?
I've talked to other parents at other schools who said that they made certain to point out that everyone was invited but I didn't see that on anything that came home from our school. I also haven't talked to a parent yet that actually supports this program. Why can't this be promoted as "Parent Involvement Day"? Part of the consent decree complaints are that things are unequal and unfair between the races. The district is spending millions of dollars a year to change the issues that brought about the concent decree (millions of dollars that could be spend on building improvements, increased teacher salaries, more support staff etc) which is all about inequality and then they throw up this HUGE dividing line.
Last year, the school raffled off a bike to to all students whose parent(s) came to school that day. I was so angry about the whole thing last year that I didn't even read anything that came home about it this year so I don't know what was being done.
What about the rest of us that are there all the time? I got a little drawing and a notepad thanking me for my time. And it isn't just me. I'm thinking of people like our PTA president, both past and present, who have put in innumerable hours to make our school a better place. I'm thinking of the parents who are in the classroom, every week, working to make the school better. What about those people?
I've talked to other parents at other schools who said that they made certain to point out that everyone was invited but I didn't see that on anything that came home from our school. I also haven't talked to a parent yet that actually supports this program. Why can't this be promoted as "Parent Involvement Day"? Part of the consent decree complaints are that things are unequal and unfair between the races. The district is spending millions of dollars a year to change the issues that brought about the concent decree (millions of dollars that could be spend on building improvements, increased teacher salaries, more support staff etc) which is all about inequality and then they throw up this HUGE dividing line.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Worst toy ever
A few months ago, my MIL said she wanted to buy the kids a trampoline for Christmas and she wanted my mom to go in on it with her. Fine, the kids would love that. Then my mom decided that she didn't want to get them a trampoline for Christmas because it would kind of suck to have this cool new toy but be unable to play with it for several months until it got warm enough to be outside. Fine that makes sense. My MIL asked what they would like for Christams since she wasn't getting the trampoline anymore. I told her that The Boy would like to have a Star Wars, The Clone Wars, Elctronic Battleship game. I even sent her a picture of the one we found at Toys R Us so she would know exactly what to look for. She called me a few days later and told me that she wasn't getting him that, she was getting him a remote control helicopter. I told her that was a VERY bad idea, that I wouldn't let him fly it in the house and that she should pass and get what I suggested. It was then that she told that she had already bought and I pointed out that stores accept returns because it was NOT A GOOD CHOICE for a gift.
So today was Christmas with the ILs and it went about as predicted. The kids ran around and made grandma and grandpa quite crazy. BIL and SIL were grumpy that they even had to be there and I was ready to tear all the freaking heads off. Of course, they insist on eating before opening presents, which is practically a hanging offense in our house. The kids refused to eat and then my MIL told them they couldn't have their presents if they didn't eat. That was when I stepped in and told her to back off, that wasn't going to happen. So eventually, everyone got done eating and the kids opened their presents. TB got a helicopter and MT got a "bounce back" remote control car. You run it forward, it runs into the wall, flips over and comes back. Whatever, not driving it in my house. H (RF's niece) a zero gravity car that runs up the walls. None of the toys were charged and the kid whose toy just took AA batteries was told she could drive her because it wouldn't be fair to the older kids who couldn't play with their toys. Good call, get kids toys with batteries, don't charge them and then don't let them play with them either. Super fun Christmas all around, thanks for playing!
The worst toy EVER award goes the helicopter that TB got. First of all, it is tiny, probably not bigger than the palm of my hand. Second, you put 6 AA in the control and hook the heli up to it to charge. You have to let it charge between 30 and 40 minutes and then let it cool for 10-15, so you are looking at nearly as hour of charging time. That's fine, you probably get a couple of days use out of like with the DS and the portable DVD players, right? WRONG! Way wrong, as a matter of fact. For every hour that you charge it, you get 5-6 minutes of flight time!! What a waste of $50! He was bitching and whining about how long it was going to take before it ever got plugged in. After about the second time, I'm going to be done with listening to that crap and I'm going to throw the whole toy in the garbage. Way to get a great a toy, grandma!
I told RF next I'm telling his mom buy only the gifts that I tell you to buy or don't bother buying anything. She can't make good choices on her own so I will give a list of approved items and that will be it. I will not have another year of this!
So today was Christmas with the ILs and it went about as predicted. The kids ran around and made grandma and grandpa quite crazy. BIL and SIL were grumpy that they even had to be there and I was ready to tear all the freaking heads off. Of course, they insist on eating before opening presents, which is practically a hanging offense in our house. The kids refused to eat and then my MIL told them they couldn't have their presents if they didn't eat. That was when I stepped in and told her to back off, that wasn't going to happen. So eventually, everyone got done eating and the kids opened their presents. TB got a helicopter and MT got a "bounce back" remote control car. You run it forward, it runs into the wall, flips over and comes back. Whatever, not driving it in my house. H (RF's niece) a zero gravity car that runs up the walls. None of the toys were charged and the kid whose toy just took AA batteries was told she could drive her because it wouldn't be fair to the older kids who couldn't play with their toys. Good call, get kids toys with batteries, don't charge them and then don't let them play with them either. Super fun Christmas all around, thanks for playing!
The worst toy EVER award goes the helicopter that TB got. First of all, it is tiny, probably not bigger than the palm of my hand. Second, you put 6 AA in the control and hook the heli up to it to charge. You have to let it charge between 30 and 40 minutes and then let it cool for 10-15, so you are looking at nearly as hour of charging time. That's fine, you probably get a couple of days use out of like with the DS and the portable DVD players, right? WRONG! Way wrong, as a matter of fact. For every hour that you charge it, you get 5-6 minutes of flight time!! What a waste of $50! He was bitching and whining about how long it was going to take before it ever got plugged in. After about the second time, I'm going to be done with listening to that crap and I'm going to throw the whole toy in the garbage. Way to get a great a toy, grandma!
I told RF next I'm telling his mom buy only the gifts that I tell you to buy or don't bother buying anything. She can't make good choices on her own so I will give a list of approved items and that will be it. I will not have another year of this!
Monday, November 24, 2008
Going to the dogs
Seriously Reelz Channel needs to quit showing "behind the scenes" Twilight stuff because they are being shown inter-mingled with Bolt stuff and I know WAY TOO MUCH about that crazy dog and his friends now.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Are you kidding/
WTF is up with all the Christmas music on the radio today? I HATE Christmas music* at Christmas but it is enough to make me sick. It isn't even freaking Thanksgiving. Play the crappy pop music I tune in to hear, not Christmas music.
*The notable exception to this rule is Trans Siberian Orchestra which is awesome, no matter what they play!
*The notable exception to this rule is Trans Siberian Orchestra which is awesome, no matter what they play!
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Grouches and Gripes
I decided when I started this blog that it was going to be generally positive but it seems lately to have fallen off course. This is another post along those same lines. Maybe it will get better, maybe it won't but that is the way it is.
First issue, the SAGA continues. J's mom asked me yesterday morning if he was ok (because she is a super nice person) after the issue on Friday. I told her that he was fine and she went about trying to explain J's behavior. She said that he wants to be friends with C but not play with him all the time. That sounds fine because as an adult, I have yet to find anyone that I want to spend that much time with, without a break. But then she said that he said that he doesn't want to be play with C at school when there are other kids around but wouldn't mind playing with him at their house. I know I probably completely over reacted but that comment felt like "well, he is a good enough friend when no one else is around, but if anyone cooler is there, then he is too good to play with C" Probably not what she meant but the whole thing left me feeling icky. I stand by my ban on playing with him right now.
Next up, scouting. They are signing new Cub Scouts up for next year. They sent home all this paper work, flyers for things, etc. C is DESPERATE to join but I have issues with the politics of the BSA and I'm not sure I can support an organization with the internal policies that they have. Dh was a scout and his dad a leader so they think it is great. My brother was a scout and my mom a leader and they think it is fab. I'm not sure how I feel about it. :( Plus, J wants to join which means more opportunity for him to push C around :( :( I'll probably let him go to the picnic and open house and we'l see if I can get past my issues. The other problem I have, I hate pretty much everything that Boy Scouts do. Hiking is terrible, camping is worse and those tow are huge parts of scouting. Normally, I would say that dh would have to do those things with him, but with his schedule, he isn't around for those types of things very often. We'll have to see after he goes to the open house Thursday night (I have a district PTA meeting that night so he will probably go with DH).
Finally, reunions. My high school reunion is coming up in a few weeks. I hated the people that I went to school with when I went to school with them. I still hated them at my 5 year reunion 5 years ago, although less since I only had to spend a couple of hours with them, instead of 4 years. Enter the 10 year reunion. I wasn't going to go and a friend (the only one from my grade) sort of pushed me into it. I got the invitation and RSVPed yes because of her. We talked about getting together with the few people that we didn't hate and going together and stuff. When I emailed her the other day to see if she had talked to those people (she is closer to them than I am) and see about ride arrangements, she said she hadn't talked to them and her and her boyfriend were going. Apparently, they intend to go alone and visit her parents and make a day of the whole thing, leaving me to drive down by myself. Honestly, it is a long way to go, by myself (dh has to work), to see people I couldn't give 2 craps about. I'm thinking about not going after all. I'm waiting to hear back from the one person I emailed before I decide for sure. Since she has someone to go with, I don't think I'll regret not going. The only reason I might is if the one or two people that I was friendly with decide to show up (unlikely since they hated our school more than I did) and I'm not there to see them. That would be disappointing, but not the end of the world. I still have a couple of weeks to figure out what I'm going to do so we shall see.
First issue, the SAGA continues. J's mom asked me yesterday morning if he was ok (because she is a super nice person) after the issue on Friday. I told her that he was fine and she went about trying to explain J's behavior. She said that he wants to be friends with C but not play with him all the time. That sounds fine because as an adult, I have yet to find anyone that I want to spend that much time with, without a break. But then she said that he said that he doesn't want to be play with C at school when there are other kids around but wouldn't mind playing with him at their house. I know I probably completely over reacted but that comment felt like "well, he is a good enough friend when no one else is around, but if anyone cooler is there, then he is too good to play with C" Probably not what she meant but the whole thing left me feeling icky. I stand by my ban on playing with him right now.
Next up, scouting. They are signing new Cub Scouts up for next year. They sent home all this paper work, flyers for things, etc. C is DESPERATE to join but I have issues with the politics of the BSA and I'm not sure I can support an organization with the internal policies that they have. Dh was a scout and his dad a leader so they think it is great. My brother was a scout and my mom a leader and they think it is fab. I'm not sure how I feel about it. :( Plus, J wants to join which means more opportunity for him to push C around :( :( I'll probably let him go to the picnic and open house and we'l see if I can get past my issues. The other problem I have, I hate pretty much everything that Boy Scouts do. Hiking is terrible, camping is worse and those tow are huge parts of scouting. Normally, I would say that dh would have to do those things with him, but with his schedule, he isn't around for those types of things very often. We'll have to see after he goes to the open house Thursday night (I have a district PTA meeting that night so he will probably go with DH).
Finally, reunions. My high school reunion is coming up in a few weeks. I hated the people that I went to school with when I went to school with them. I still hated them at my 5 year reunion 5 years ago, although less since I only had to spend a couple of hours with them, instead of 4 years. Enter the 10 year reunion. I wasn't going to go and a friend (the only one from my grade) sort of pushed me into it. I got the invitation and RSVPed yes because of her. We talked about getting together with the few people that we didn't hate and going together and stuff. When I emailed her the other day to see if she had talked to those people (she is closer to them than I am) and see about ride arrangements, she said she hadn't talked to them and her and her boyfriend were going. Apparently, they intend to go alone and visit her parents and make a day of the whole thing, leaving me to drive down by myself. Honestly, it is a long way to go, by myself (dh has to work), to see people I couldn't give 2 craps about. I'm thinking about not going after all. I'm waiting to hear back from the one person I emailed before I decide for sure. Since she has someone to go with, I don't think I'll regret not going. The only reason I might is if the one or two people that I was friendly with decide to show up (unlikely since they hated our school more than I did) and I'm not there to see them. That would be disappointing, but not the end of the world. I still have a couple of weeks to figure out what I'm going to do so we shall see.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Buyer beware!!
Since C has started skating, we have been going 2 or 3 times a month. In all this time, I have been renting skates. Unfortunately, the skates don't fit well, they never roll quite the same and are just generally old and starting to wear out. I decided that I wanted a pair of skates of my own and found a pair that was exactly the amount of my b-day money. I finally got around to ordering them over the weekend, thinking I would have them by this weekend or early next week. I placed my order, got an invoice emailed to me saying that I would be getting my skates, green laces and a bearing upgrade, plus free shipping. I ordered the green laces because the skates are black on black and the only color that didn't cost extra was the green and I thought it would be fun to have some color. I didn't order the bearing upgrade but I assumed it was a promotion or something and didn't worry too much about it.
Side note, I ordered speed skates because regualr skates are so hard to find at a reasonable price. I couldn't give a flip less about the bearings because it isn't like I race or anything. Just round and round the rink at Skateland with a 6 year old.
Monday, I got a call from them telling me that it was a database error and if I really wanted the upgraded bearings, I would need to pay an additional $20. I told the girl that wasn't acceptable, it wasn't my error and I wasn't paying for their mistake. She insisted that she couldn't do anything so I asked to speak to a supervisor. She put me on hold and then came back and said there were no supervisors available, but that she would leave a message and have them call me.
By Tuesday afternoon, I still hadn't heard from anyone so I opened a support ticket at their website, giving them a copy of the invoice I got from them as well as stating my desire. I told them I simply wanted what I was told I was getting for the amount that I had already been charged. This morning, I got an email back from them saying "to shorten this arguement, your order has been cancelled and your card is being refunded. You can re-purchase the skates when the database error is fixed"!
I emailed them back and told them it was the worst customer service I had ever seen anywhere and that I would most certainly not be ordering from them and I would be telling everyone I knew how poor their customer service was. All over some stupid $20 bearings. Lame, Lame, Lame.
Long story short, do not order anything for skates.com. They are shady and provide poor customer service.
Side note, I ordered speed skates because regualr skates are so hard to find at a reasonable price. I couldn't give a flip less about the bearings because it isn't like I race or anything. Just round and round the rink at Skateland with a 6 year old.
Monday, I got a call from them telling me that it was a database error and if I really wanted the upgraded bearings, I would need to pay an additional $20. I told the girl that wasn't acceptable, it wasn't my error and I wasn't paying for their mistake. She insisted that she couldn't do anything so I asked to speak to a supervisor. She put me on hold and then came back and said there were no supervisors available, but that she would leave a message and have them call me.
By Tuesday afternoon, I still hadn't heard from anyone so I opened a support ticket at their website, giving them a copy of the invoice I got from them as well as stating my desire. I told them I simply wanted what I was told I was getting for the amount that I had already been charged. This morning, I got an email back from them saying "to shorten this arguement, your order has been cancelled and your card is being refunded. You can re-purchase the skates when the database error is fixed"!
I emailed them back and told them it was the worst customer service I had ever seen anywhere and that I would most certainly not be ordering from them and I would be telling everyone I knew how poor their customer service was. All over some stupid $20 bearings. Lame, Lame, Lame.
Long story short, do not order anything for skates.com. They are shady and provide poor customer service.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Library
Seriously, we have a VERY PRETTY new library. I desperately want to like it but everytime I go in, there is another problem and it makes it hard for me to appreciate it. My orignal complaint, before it even opened, was the book drop being a pain. It is automated and you have to put things on the belt one at a time and if anyone on the other side (inside if you are out and outside if you are in) is using that belt, your belt stops for up to several seconds. I thought make this was a small kink in the system but it appears to be a perpetual problem, although I'm the only one that seems to have a real problem with it (possibly that is my type A++ personality that can't stand to wait for anything but whatever). Other people notice it but I'm the only that it makes want to scream and throw my stuff at the damn slot before stomping off in a huff. When I'm outside, I just put all my stuff on the belt at once and forget about it. Inside, I let the kids load the belt and they operate at about the speed of the belt so it is all ok.
My next problem is the parking issue. Parking as been a joke since they started construction on the new building. The parking lot is too small, the drive is too narrow and no one can seem to figure out that the parking lot is one way in a counter clockwise pattern. To compound that problem, now you have to park in this awful lot and walk all the way around where the old building used to be. When it is 70 and sunny or I'm by myself, it wouldn't be the end of the world. When I'm dragging 2 kids along and it is 13 degrees or raining, it is a huge PITA. Add to the fact that the corridor between the new building and place the old building was is the worlds fastest wind tunnel, I almost don't like going to the library anymore because it so difficult. I've been parking across the street in the scrapbook store lot because it is a little closer, but then I have to cross the street with 2 kids so it is far from an ideal option.
My dad has decided to go to the other library because he objects to the idea of self checkout. I'm seriously considering following in his footsteps because I object to the reality of the self check out. Typically, I don't mind it. At most places, I actually prefer it. Not so at the library. The scanners don't work half the time and even when the do, a lot of the books aren't tagged to be read by it. Why do we need those pad scanner things anyway? Why can't we have the mounted barcode scanners like they used to use at the old building? We can figure them out at grocery store, what makes them think that library patrons can't figure them out. No, they give us these janky pads and books that aren't tagged so not only do you have to wait in line to USE the self check out, then you have to wait in line AGAIN to see a librarian to check out half o your books. I fully understand the people that refuse to use the self check out and I think I'm going to become one of them. Unfortunately, they have like 1 person working the counter at any given time trying to check out all the people that won't use the self check and helping all the people brave (or dumb) enough to try.
My final complaint deals with the automatic check in again. When things are put in the drop box, they are automatically checked in. When things are checked in and you have it on hold, a notice is automatically generated telling you your item is in. It matters not that your item is actually sitting in a hold bin somewhere waiting to be tagged with your name and card number (another thing I don't like. Put my name on, don't make me rifle through everyone's stuff looking for mine because I can't remember the last four digits of my card unless I'm sitting at the computer and then I don't really remember it, I just know the keystroke sequence). They've gone from a 7 day hold to a 3 day hold (yet another complaint of mine, although I understand that it is because the hold room is tiny, yet another problem, you build a whoel new building and you can't make a hold room big enough to hold all the holds, and they can't keep everyone's junk for a week at a time) and when you book scans in, it starts your hold time. Nevermind the fact that it could be 2 days before your hold actually makes it to the shelf. So I get my email, I deal with the bad parking to go get it, only to find out it is no where to be found and I have make another trip a day or so later and deal with the hassle of getting there all over again. I'm going to start being a PITA. When I get my email, I'm going to call and have someone confirm that my holds are on the shelf before I go in.
All of this automation is supposed to make less work for the library staff and makes things easier for patrons. What has actually happened it has probably doubled the work for the staff because they are running all over looking for stuff that isn't where it is supposed to be and fixing the self check outs all the time. And it has made the library completely user UNfriendly and down right unpleasant for the people forced to deal with it. I completely freaked today while trying to use the self check out. I slammed the CD on the pad, snarled at the computer and yelled at my mother (who was with me) that I "would most certainly not calm down. This was the biggest piece of crap that I had ever been forced to endure and I was freaking done" Then she suggested that maybe I should go to the other library for awhile and responded loudly, right in front of the children's librians desk that "I fully intend to use Urbana exclusively because Champaign was like a supermodel, pretty but completely freaking useless besides that"
I just want this stuff fixed. I LOVE the library. After all, where else can I get my minions? I love all the stuff it has to offer, I really like the new building and it has so much potential, and the children's department is super. I HATE that I'm having such issues with a place that should be so much better than this. However, I do think that for the time being I will be using Urbana. I'll have to be strong and refuse the coffee (Lizzie calls them "the coffee library" and "the regular library", I haven't mentioned they will both be coffee libraries eventually) and I'll have to get over my objection to paying for parking but that is a minor annoyance compared to all the issues I have with Champaign right now. Maybe, in a couple of months they will have some of the kinks worked out and I can go back to enjoying the library again. :(
My next problem is the parking issue. Parking as been a joke since they started construction on the new building. The parking lot is too small, the drive is too narrow and no one can seem to figure out that the parking lot is one way in a counter clockwise pattern. To compound that problem, now you have to park in this awful lot and walk all the way around where the old building used to be. When it is 70 and sunny or I'm by myself, it wouldn't be the end of the world. When I'm dragging 2 kids along and it is 13 degrees or raining, it is a huge PITA. Add to the fact that the corridor between the new building and place the old building was is the worlds fastest wind tunnel, I almost don't like going to the library anymore because it so difficult. I've been parking across the street in the scrapbook store lot because it is a little closer, but then I have to cross the street with 2 kids so it is far from an ideal option.
My dad has decided to go to the other library because he objects to the idea of self checkout. I'm seriously considering following in his footsteps because I object to the reality of the self check out. Typically, I don't mind it. At most places, I actually prefer it. Not so at the library. The scanners don't work half the time and even when the do, a lot of the books aren't tagged to be read by it. Why do we need those pad scanner things anyway? Why can't we have the mounted barcode scanners like they used to use at the old building? We can figure them out at grocery store, what makes them think that library patrons can't figure them out. No, they give us these janky pads and books that aren't tagged so not only do you have to wait in line to USE the self check out, then you have to wait in line AGAIN to see a librarian to check out half o your books. I fully understand the people that refuse to use the self check out and I think I'm going to become one of them. Unfortunately, they have like 1 person working the counter at any given time trying to check out all the people that won't use the self check and helping all the people brave (or dumb) enough to try.
My final complaint deals with the automatic check in again. When things are put in the drop box, they are automatically checked in. When things are checked in and you have it on hold, a notice is automatically generated telling you your item is in. It matters not that your item is actually sitting in a hold bin somewhere waiting to be tagged with your name and card number (another thing I don't like. Put my name on, don't make me rifle through everyone's stuff looking for mine because I can't remember the last four digits of my card unless I'm sitting at the computer and then I don't really remember it, I just know the keystroke sequence). They've gone from a 7 day hold to a 3 day hold (yet another complaint of mine, although I understand that it is because the hold room is tiny, yet another problem, you build a whoel new building and you can't make a hold room big enough to hold all the holds, and they can't keep everyone's junk for a week at a time) and when you book scans in, it starts your hold time. Nevermind the fact that it could be 2 days before your hold actually makes it to the shelf. So I get my email, I deal with the bad parking to go get it, only to find out it is no where to be found and I have make another trip a day or so later and deal with the hassle of getting there all over again. I'm going to start being a PITA. When I get my email, I'm going to call and have someone confirm that my holds are on the shelf before I go in.
All of this automation is supposed to make less work for the library staff and makes things easier for patrons. What has actually happened it has probably doubled the work for the staff because they are running all over looking for stuff that isn't where it is supposed to be and fixing the self check outs all the time. And it has made the library completely user UNfriendly and down right unpleasant for the people forced to deal with it. I completely freaked today while trying to use the self check out. I slammed the CD on the pad, snarled at the computer and yelled at my mother (who was with me) that I "would most certainly not calm down. This was the biggest piece of crap that I had ever been forced to endure and I was freaking done" Then she suggested that maybe I should go to the other library for awhile and responded loudly, right in front of the children's librians desk that "I fully intend to use Urbana exclusively because Champaign was like a supermodel, pretty but completely freaking useless besides that"
I just want this stuff fixed. I LOVE the library. After all, where else can I get my minions? I love all the stuff it has to offer, I really like the new building and it has so much potential, and the children's department is super. I HATE that I'm having such issues with a place that should be so much better than this. However, I do think that for the time being I will be using Urbana. I'll have to be strong and refuse the coffee (Lizzie calls them "the coffee library" and "the regular library", I haven't mentioned they will both be coffee libraries eventually) and I'll have to get over my objection to paying for parking but that is a minor annoyance compared to all the issues I have with Champaign right now. Maybe, in a couple of months they will have some of the kinks worked out and I can go back to enjoying the library again. :(
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Child support
Ug, I hate child support. Dh has to pay support for dsd, which is fine with me. He helped make the baby, now he has to help pay for the baby (who isn't a baby at 11). It comes out of his check every week and we never see and barely even think about it. Every few weeks we get a notice telling us that he is behind by a couple of hundred dollars because the state is off a little bit from his pay so they say "he is behind" and then they process the payment and we get a letter saying "oops, you have a credit" Mostly we ignore these updates since they change like every other day.
Today, we got a notice in the mail telling us that they had frozen our checking accounts because he is TWELVE HUNDRED DOLLARS behind!! So, Monday he has to call the child support enforcement people and tell them that he has a statement dated Oct 17 that says that he was $21 behind. He also has a check stub dated since then showing that he paid the amount plus the "back support" (which was another error and we get periodic rebate checks from them because they take out the extra and then realize the were wrong and send it back).
Ugg, I hate dealing with these idiots. Part of me is thrilled that I don't actually have to deal with them (I'm a non-entity as far as they are concerned nevermind that I handle all the money so I'm the one completely stressed when crap like this happens) and part of me hates that I can't just deal with them.
Today, we got a notice in the mail telling us that they had frozen our checking accounts because he is TWELVE HUNDRED DOLLARS behind!! So, Monday he has to call the child support enforcement people and tell them that he has a statement dated Oct 17 that says that he was $21 behind. He also has a check stub dated since then showing that he paid the amount plus the "back support" (which was another error and we get periodic rebate checks from them because they take out the extra and then realize the were wrong and send it back).
Ugg, I hate dealing with these idiots. Part of me is thrilled that I don't actually have to deal with them (I'm a non-entity as far as they are concerned nevermind that I handle all the money so I'm the one completely stressed when crap like this happens) and part of me hates that I can't just deal with them.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
School supplies
I LOVE LOVE LOVE school/office supplies! I could go to Staples and easily spend an hour, lusting after pens and markers and paper. However, I don't like HAVING to buy school supplies, especially when you are hunting the sale. Normally, sale shopping is the only thing that makes sense to me. I refuse to pay full price for nearly anything.
Walmart has school supplies on sale crazy cheap this week (glue for 20 cents, markers for 88, etc) and I thought "C is going to need all this stuff in a few weeks, might as well get it while it is on sale" What a pain that turned out to be. We went on Sunday afternoon (the day the sale started) and found that they were out of markers and scissors and only had one suitable backpack (everything else was either pukey pink or 14.96, instead of 6.96) Fortunately, C digs Spiderman so it was ok and the one he actually picked out. Also fortunately, there was another brand of blunt nosed scissors that was regularly priced, cheaper then the sale scissors. So I was able to get those and all the glue (he needs 12 craploads of glue for school) he needs. We went back today and bought the last box of classic color markers they had (they had some pastels, but only one box of them). Major PITA.
A secondary rant to buying school supplies is the supplies I'm expected to buy. They are asking for Ziplock bags, Clorox wipes and Kleenex. IMO, those are things the school should supply. The bags, I sort of get because they do the "book in a bag" program and the bags are to protect the books and keep everything together. I imagine they get beat up fast. But Clorox wipes? I really don't think so. I'm sending some because dh practically begged me not to start out as a trouble maker. The other thing? The supply list wants several bottles of glue, glue sticks etc and then says "don't put your name on this stuff, we'll share" Again, I think not. I'm labelling EVERYTHING, including individual markers. I bought decent stuff for MY CHILD and I'm not having him using crap because someone else decided to buy junk. Selfish? Maybe, but I don't have a ton of money to spend and I am providing for my children, not everyone else.
Walmart has school supplies on sale crazy cheap this week (glue for 20 cents, markers for 88, etc) and I thought "C is going to need all this stuff in a few weeks, might as well get it while it is on sale" What a pain that turned out to be. We went on Sunday afternoon (the day the sale started) and found that they were out of markers and scissors and only had one suitable backpack (everything else was either pukey pink or 14.96, instead of 6.96) Fortunately, C digs Spiderman so it was ok and the one he actually picked out. Also fortunately, there was another brand of blunt nosed scissors that was regularly priced, cheaper then the sale scissors. So I was able to get those and all the glue (he needs 12 craploads of glue for school) he needs. We went back today and bought the last box of classic color markers they had (they had some pastels, but only one box of them). Major PITA.
A secondary rant to buying school supplies is the supplies I'm expected to buy. They are asking for Ziplock bags, Clorox wipes and Kleenex. IMO, those are things the school should supply. The bags, I sort of get because they do the "book in a bag" program and the bags are to protect the books and keep everything together. I imagine they get beat up fast. But Clorox wipes? I really don't think so. I'm sending some because dh practically begged me not to start out as a trouble maker. The other thing? The supply list wants several bottles of glue, glue sticks etc and then says "don't put your name on this stuff, we'll share" Again, I think not. I'm labelling EVERYTHING, including individual markers. I bought decent stuff for MY CHILD and I'm not having him using crap because someone else decided to buy junk. Selfish? Maybe, but I don't have a ton of money to spend and I am providing for my children, not everyone else.
Monday, July 16, 2007
More on last night
Dh's daughter has been here for the last 2 weeks. This always causes problems (partly because everyone assumes that because I'm home, I don't mind adding a third child day in and day out). Last year, I talked to her mom and told her that I didn't think that we would be able to have her this summer. Mostly, because I was supposed to be working this summer but partly because it is a real pain. Her mom seemed relieved that she wouldn't have to deal with it. Then MIL got involved and insisted that she come for 2 weeks. I was told at that point in time that MIL was taking off work for the whole time and hanging out with her. That was fine with me, as long as I wasn't involved.
She got here July 4th and hadn't been in town 10 minutes when the phone calls started. Mil was having a cow that dh wasn't there to meet them when they got to the house. She also mentioned that she and FIL had to work the next day and that they would be bringing A over that morning. Fortunately, dh put his foot down and told her that she asked to have her here, she needed to figure out what she was going to do with her. He told her that he was off between 10 and 2 (he works a split shift) and that she was welcome to come by then but outside that time frame I wasn't available. I was ready to have an absolute fit so it was a good thing he told her that.
The other part of the problem is A and C fight like cats and dogs. They can play together for maybe 15 minutes before they get violent with each other. They are 10 and 5 and really can't stand each other. Lizzie is nothing if not loyal and will take her brother's side every time so it ends up being the 2 little kids against A. She fights back harder and then someone gets hurt and I have to yell. She is also really rude and talks down to C all the time. She is rather rude to me as well but I generally ignore her. C asked her to do something for him one evening and she made a shooing motion with her hand and told him to go away. I stepped in and said "he asked you nicely to help him, he said please and you need to help him now. Thank you" She rolled her eyes and muttered "whatever" I told her "do not roll your eyes at me. That is incredibly rude and I won't put up with it. You will be polite when I'm around." What I told dh later was that if she was one of my kids, I would have threatened to smack her eyes out of her head for a stunt like that.
She is leaving today and MIL was on my ass all day yesterday about getting together and seeing her before she left. I put it off as long as I could but finally had to call MIL and ask if they wanted to come over about 6. They got here and the kids were fighting like always. C spent a lot of the time in time out because he was really having a rough time with her. A was also put in time out because she kept hitting him (he has a welt under his arm where she hit him with the sword she was playing with) and telling him to leave her the heck alone. C went in the house to go to the bathroom and when he came back out, she grabbed his arms, pulled them behind his back, twisted them and then shoved him face first into the bush stumps that we have near our fence. Then she tried to tell me that he hit her first so she did it to defend herself. That is flat bull and I told her so. After I got C settled and his cuts and scrapes cleaned (he has several cuts on and around his mouth from being forced into the bushes), I went back outside, collected Lizzie and told A I hoped she had a good trip and that it was bedtime so we would see her later and walked into the house. I know, probably petty and childish, but I was PISSED! Had C done that to Lizzie, I would have spanked his butt and sent him to bed. I do occasionally spank my children but I have said all along that I would never spank her because I know, as a mother, I would come UNGLUED if someone spanked one of my children. But last night, I was as close as I've ever come to smacking her. I was so mad that she, being much bigger, did something that mean and that violent totally on purpose.
ADSR topic is museums with amazing somewhere on the layout. I think I have a couple of museum pages all ready done, I just need to alter them to include something "amazing" Is that cheating, cause we haven't been to a museum in awhile so I don't have many recent pictures of museums.
She got here July 4th and hadn't been in town 10 minutes when the phone calls started. Mil was having a cow that dh wasn't there to meet them when they got to the house. She also mentioned that she and FIL had to work the next day and that they would be bringing A over that morning. Fortunately, dh put his foot down and told her that she asked to have her here, she needed to figure out what she was going to do with her. He told her that he was off between 10 and 2 (he works a split shift) and that she was welcome to come by then but outside that time frame I wasn't available. I was ready to have an absolute fit so it was a good thing he told her that.
The other part of the problem is A and C fight like cats and dogs. They can play together for maybe 15 minutes before they get violent with each other. They are 10 and 5 and really can't stand each other. Lizzie is nothing if not loyal and will take her brother's side every time so it ends up being the 2 little kids against A. She fights back harder and then someone gets hurt and I have to yell. She is also really rude and talks down to C all the time. She is rather rude to me as well but I generally ignore her. C asked her to do something for him one evening and she made a shooing motion with her hand and told him to go away. I stepped in and said "he asked you nicely to help him, he said please and you need to help him now. Thank you" She rolled her eyes and muttered "whatever" I told her "do not roll your eyes at me. That is incredibly rude and I won't put up with it. You will be polite when I'm around." What I told dh later was that if she was one of my kids, I would have threatened to smack her eyes out of her head for a stunt like that.
She is leaving today and MIL was on my ass all day yesterday about getting together and seeing her before she left. I put it off as long as I could but finally had to call MIL and ask if they wanted to come over about 6. They got here and the kids were fighting like always. C spent a lot of the time in time out because he was really having a rough time with her. A was also put in time out because she kept hitting him (he has a welt under his arm where she hit him with the sword she was playing with) and telling him to leave her the heck alone. C went in the house to go to the bathroom and when he came back out, she grabbed his arms, pulled them behind his back, twisted them and then shoved him face first into the bush stumps that we have near our fence. Then she tried to tell me that he hit her first so she did it to defend herself. That is flat bull and I told her so. After I got C settled and his cuts and scrapes cleaned (he has several cuts on and around his mouth from being forced into the bushes), I went back outside, collected Lizzie and told A I hoped she had a good trip and that it was bedtime so we would see her later and walked into the house. I know, probably petty and childish, but I was PISSED! Had C done that to Lizzie, I would have spanked his butt and sent him to bed. I do occasionally spank my children but I have said all along that I would never spank her because I know, as a mother, I would come UNGLUED if someone spanked one of my children. But last night, I was as close as I've ever come to smacking her. I was so mad that she, being much bigger, did something that mean and that violent totally on purpose.
ADSR topic is museums with amazing somewhere on the layout. I think I have a couple of museum pages all ready done, I just need to alter them to include something "amazing" Is that cheating, cause we haven't been to a museum in awhile so I don't have many recent pictures of museums.
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Compelled
I have a whole big entry that I'm composing in my head. Hopefully it will make it to the page. Long time readers know that I bitch about the same thing every summer and that I'm an all around bad person. Yet again, I have something to complain about. Maybe tomorrow since it is midnight.
ADsR starts tomorrow. On one hand, I'm excited. On the other, I know I that will probably mess up and not get my shit done and ruin our chances for the grand prize. I'm a big slack ass like that. Fortunately, I have lots of pictures to work with, since I only scrapped 2 days of our KY trip. That thing at the top is supposed to be my race blinkie. Apparently, it doesn't blink here. http://s162.photobucket.com/albums/t272/mom2cne/Amazing%20digiscrap%20race/?action=view¤t=Procrast-blink-3.gif There it does though and I think it is damn cute :)
Bed now, post more later
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