It's Liquid Gold!

Mike and I sent to the grocery store last night.  After spending the afternoon with Zach's class doing "Johnny Appleseed Day" activities, when I saw the gallons of apple cider, I just had to have one.  Now, I remember last year, I thought the price was high at $4 per gallon.  I have heard about how hard the drought was on the apple crop this year, but I just about choked (I certainly thought twice abuot buying it) when I saw the $6 price tag for a gallon of cider.  Wow!  Steven, in his typical teenage moments of clarity, said, "That's more than a gallon of gas costs!"  He's right, and I complain about gas prices to Mike fairly often.  When we got home, Mike wrote all over the cider jug not to touch it under penality of death.  Pete asked me why this morning (from the boy who opened a 2 qt bottle of juice one afternoon and it was gone soon after).  Pete, it's so one person doesn't drink it all, and we all get some.  Oh, why would you think that would happen?   yeah, I wonder.

And The Award Goes To....

Hmmmm, wonder who will get that Mommy of the Year award.....not me. 

Yesterday I took Zach up to the Children's Hospital for some tests he needed to have done under anethesia.  Zach is still afraid of doctors, tests, and hospitals, so I did not tell him until the night before that he was having tests done on Monday.  So Monday, after our 3 hour drive to the hospital, I decided to tell him as we were walking through the corridors that he would be going under anethesia.  Now he's only 7, so I tried to put it in terms he would understand.

Zach, remember I told you that you are having tests done today by the doctor?

Yes

Well, the doctor is going to give you some medicine to put you to sleep while he does these tests

Why?

Because they don't want anything to hurt you while you have tests.

After that there was no more conversation about it and I assumed he was fine- Until........

Mom, are they putting me to sleep like our kitty was put to sleep?

Damn, I have the child worried that he's going to be put down, because I chose REALLY BAD words to try to explain something,

No, Baby, you are just going to take a little nap and after you wake up we will take you home tonight.  Lots of hugs, kisses, and reassuring was done by me and Grammy.   Think next time, Amy, think!!!!

What A Weekend!

This was a very busy weekend for us.  First, Friday night, Steven had a home football game to march in.  Molly came decked out in the school colors to cheer for her brother playing his trombone.  She liked the football game too.

 

 UUUGGGHHH.  The sun was right in our eyes behind the band at the begining of the game, so I could not get a good picture of Steven when he was right in the front row with no marchng hat on.  At half time it was dark and hard to get a good picutre of the band, let alone find my son and get his picture as he was marching around the field.

Then on Saturday night Molly and Zach were baptised into the Catholic church.  Jenny and Shane are Molly's Godparents and Jenny and Tim are Zach's.

Sunday started with celebrating Steven's birthday since he was gone all day Saturday, his actual birthday, at a band practice, then competition - they came in second, less than 3 points behind the band placing first!  Go Raider's Band!!

Immediately following Steven's party, we had an open house to welcome Zach and Molly into our family, and let people meet Molly.

After my mom fed Molly Chocolate pie and Mike fed her white cake, I wonder why she did not sleep well last night???  Today, I am exhausted!!

Taxes

I was in tax class Monday night, and we had to look something up in our government tax code, under hobby income.  As I was looking for the right information, I saw something that stopped me in my tracks as I re-read it.  The government requires that you report under income all BRIBES you receive.  Ok, nothing like some self incrimination, but hey, at least you won't go to jail for not paying taxes on all your income!  As I kept reading, looking for the right information that we were told to find, I see that all KICK BACKS also must be reported as income on line 1 of your 1040.  Alrighty then.  Keep looking for the right information, Amy, and stop laughing at the tax code.....  WAIT A MINUTE!!!  THE FAIR MARKET VALUE OF ALL STOLEN PROPERTY must also be reported as income.  As you can imagine, I am now laughing out loud pointing these things out to my 3 classmates, as they have all diligently been looking for (and found) the answer that Thelma had asked us for.  Not only do I find it ridiculous that the government says to report this as income, it is also classified as HOBBY INCOME.  Yes, sir, my hobby is being a cat burgerler, I need to deduct my hobby expenses of rope and gloves, and report my income of $ XXXX.

Is he sick?

Oldest son was mad at me yesterday - what's new, you ask, he is almost 15 afterall....  He woke up dizzy yesterday and was barely moving when he came upstairs for breakfast.  He said he had a headache and asked for asprin.  After he took some he also told me his skin hurt all over.  That's it, he wasn't looking good, so I made him stay home from school.  He was mad about missing his honors history class and band.  So we made a deal that if he felt better at lunch he could go in for the last half of the day.  That would get him to band and he could stay after for his band practice.  Nope.... he fell asleep on the floor while he was playing with his sister, then looked all over for a blanket (even though he knows where we keep them in the living room... can you say disorientation?)  Soon he was back to sleep in the chair until his brothers got home from school.  Then he didn't want to eat or drink anything at dinner time - now everyone was convinced he was sick!  After a hot shower he came back upstairs wearing a sweatshirt and burrowed back under his blanket.  That's it, Steven, off to bed.  After he sent Mike a text saying he felt like he might throw up, I decided not to wake him this morning for school, if after he woke up he felt ok, I would take him in.  Well, he woke up on his own in time to get ready for the bus, his old, perky self.  Glad he stayed home yesterday so his body rested when he was first getting sick.  I think he's not so mad anymore.

Back to Normal

So, we have all recovered from our jet lag.  And it was actually much easier than I anticipated to switch Molly's days and nights around.  She now even sleeps either all through the night, or just gets up once.  Life is beginning to settle into normal for us now.  The family has begun to realize just how much a baby changes a family dynamic.  In fact, right now, Molly is looking at me with a loving smile, holding out her arms wanting me to pick her up.  She has a cracker in each hand and her pink panda jammies on.  She wasn't nearly so cute from 4-6 this morning when she was up, inconsolable, with big tears and a snotty nose.  Or when the two times I did manage to get her to sleep she woke up as soon as she was put in her crib.  Or when at 6:15 this morning, Mike took over, and in 10 minutes had her sleeping in her crib.  Or just a minute ago when as the last of the  kids left for school and I was anticipating a nap of my own, she decided it was now time to get up and start the day.  She has to go with me later this morning to the hair salon, so I hope she stays happy.