Big families should use the buddy system and we do. In the parking lot, before entering a store, Cathy chimes out the buddies: "Amy, you’re with Dad. Evan is with Sarah. Noah is with me." (Tommy is at the border of Kentucky and Tennessee) As the children have grown older, they gain a little independence. For instance, in Target, Noah in the Middle is allowed to hang out at the video games on his own leaving him buddyless. Unfortunately, this hasn’t worked out too well for him. Today we shopped at Target for Amy’s homework supplies to decorate a pumpkin as Fancy Nancy. After checking out and loading the car, Sarah questions, "Uh, where’s Noah?" We forgot him! Again! One day Target is going to gain a night employee. Sorry Noah!
Category: Family
Happenings in a 5 child, 2 adult household.
From the mouths of babes
Dad: "Sarah and her boyfriend are going to hang out at the park today."
Mom: "It’s too cold for anything. They’ll be fine."
Dad: "You’re funny."
Mom: "No. You’re funny!"
From the mouths of babes
I’ve been ratted out regarding this tweet.
From the mouths of babes
Ring, ring.
Dad: "Hello?"
Amy, 6 years old: "Mom won’t buy something for me!"
Dad: "Didn’t you just go to Young Chefs?"
Amy: "Well, yeah but I want her to buy something just for me."
Dad: "But Young Chefs was just for you."
Amy, whining: "But Daaad. I want her to buy me something."
Dad: "Amy, you’ve been temper tantruming and whining a lot lately and that makes it awfully hard to…"
Phone becomes quiet and a distance voice is heard, Amy: "Here, I don’t want to talk to him anymore."
From the mouths of babes
Amy: "I don’t want spaghetti for dinner."
Dad: "Good. We aren’t having spaghetti for dinner."
Amy: "Well, Mom said we are having spaghetti."
Dad: "I am cooking something different."
Amy: "Well, whatever it is, I want something else."
Today’s Forecast
100% chance of suckage
Last night’s severe storms have attracted a large tropical depression. Clouds of gloom rolling in. Pervading darkness spreading throughout.
Of Being Dad
Dora the Explorer trumps Sunny Patch..in case you were wondering.
I have been trying hard to limit the children’s television time these past couple of days. Evan…rather I…am getting a break while he watches some tv.
SuperDad!
This sippy had chocolate milk in it yesterday so we can just rinse it out and put more chocolate milk in it right?
I took Evan to the IRS office today in the John Duncan Building and we played with cannons, walked a maze in the courtyard of one of my favorite downtown churches, played on benches, took pictures with statues, and generally had a nice little adventure downtown. Almost got our paperwork turned in too! Time to call the levy department and beg one more day then get back to coding.
From the mouths of babes
My son has a love/hate relationship with our Roomba. He loves to start it and watch as long as someone else drags it out of the Roomba hiding spot but he still finds it the robot scary. This morning, the brisk air outside and the full moon made the dogs extra frisky so as they wrestled they simply ignored the Roomba trying to join in the game by bouncing off their feet.
Evan: "Robot clean Molly and Dharma!"
Now why did this child wake up at 7:15am? I was really hoping he would sleep in! Thank goodness he does self-play really well. He and I will have an adventure today as I will take him to the IRS office in the John Duncan Federal Building. "And Homeland Security detained a local man after his feral children ran rampant through security…"
And they throw me curve balls
I woke this morning to be reminded we were out of milk. How does a single parent buy milk without being negligent? Fortunately the house was still asleep. Before slipping out, I woke Amy to let her know that I running to Weigel’s and back (5 minutes). The moon was very full and beautiful this morning! As I returned with milk, the check engine light on the dashboard lit. Looks like Evan and I will be slipping in a trip to Autozone for a free reading of what the computer is telling as well as an air filter. I walked in the door to find Amy fed and dressed!
Evening Status
We survived the day without much of a productivity hit to my coding. After getting 3 children off to school, I hit the keys. Recovered the pre-schooler and did an errand on the way. Let the tv do some babysitting until the 6 year old came home and then she babysat fought the 3 year old. Then the 12 year old came home, the tv was turned off, and he was placed in charge of his siblings until it was time for dinner. Everyone ate and the 12 year old was ushered off to bathe and prepare for scouts. I slipped in some more programming while the two little ones played nice upstairs. Noah’s ride took him to scouts. I bathed and jammied the two little ones. And now I’m debating just how horrible it would be to take a 3 and 6 year old in pajamas into the Weigel’s to buy milk for the morning.
From the mouths of babes
Dad, downstairs: "What is burning?"
Noah, upstairs: "Should I let the dogs out?"
Blogher Report
The girls are having a blast. They were treated to dinner at an expensive steakhouse, and my daughter ordered Mac and Cheese! If dumbfounded could take a solid form, it would look a lot like me right now. Big day for them tomorrow.
The scream was like a banshee in pain
The house quieted. Evan declared, "Give me bop. I go bed now." And with a little reluctance, he put himself to sleep. Noah coaxed Amy to bed but she sprang back after he slipped out to read a book. In the meantime, I took the dogs outside and sat on the porch, shirtless to enjoy the cool evening air with no mosquitoes and chant. Shortly into chanting, the peaceful neighborhood with its waxing gibbous moon (96% full) being sung to by crickets erupted into a cacophony of barks and howls. I continued to chant and Dharma and Molly, my German Shepherds, sat silently alert. Then there was the shriek! Altogether to close! Thanks to our camping in the Okefenokee, I am quiet familiar with the sound of fighting raccoon and I do not want my dogs tangling with one of those. Chanting ends. I usher the dogs inside to find Amy having trouble sleeping so we go to her bed and chant together until she is calm enough to sleep.
And the girls are gone!
Cathy and Sarah along with Missy took off this morning in a decked out Saturn Vue loaned to them by GM to attend BlogHer in Washington, DC. Today was also my deadline for getting my IRS paperwork straightened out before they begin levying bank accounts again. Despite my pleas for one more week, they wouldn’t budge. Fortunately since today is a Sunday and tomorrow is a federal holiday, I have until Tuesday to turn the papers in. For a variety of reasons from "I didn’t feel like it that year" to "Cathy’s name didn’t match the records at the Social Security Department," I had missing or rejected IRS tax returns from 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2006. This makes Uncle Sam not like you. And when Uncle Sam doesn’t like you, he takes away a bunch of your money in fees, interest, penalties, and brute force.
The paperwork is straightened out. Amy has been to a birthday party. Evan and Noah to the circus with the grandparents. Noah is nursing a migraine. Amy and Evan are playing. And I’m programming (think I’ll slip some dinner in somewhere).
