Category: Daily Life

Ramblings, often stream of conscious, journaling the events of my life.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Assume the negative; unless they call

Yesterday Sarah’s bus was 20 minutes late. I thought Sarah pushed her luck and missed it. Regardless, I drove her to school arriving 2 minutes late. When she came home and explained that "the bus was 20 minutes late and I arrived before the bus students so they counted me tardy" I was dumbfounded. I called the school and received no answer.

Today I called, was transferred to another office where another person tracked down the authority to whom I needed to speak. Before I could finish my explanation, she chimed "all fixed."

Some number of tardies equals an unexcused absence; 3 tardies I think. Some number of unexcused absenses lands a parent in court; 5 I think (but the school can suspend a student for no reason for 10 days I think). So, shouldn’t the school be proactive and not mark the students from this particular bus tardy? This mirrors the wicked insurance industry with the practice of automatically denying a claim and then laying the burden of proof on the exhausted patient. Sometimes it is easier just to say "I’ll take the screw." I wonder how many parents fail to even ask "were you counted tardy" much less follow-up with a phone call to the school.

Posted on by — 1 Comment

Cooking!

Dad: "Noah, what do you want for dinner?"
Noah: "Steak, taquitoes, or McDonald’s."
Dad: "Will you eat [fill in any fruit or vegetable here]?"
Noah: "No."

Dad: "Sarah, what do you want for dinner?"
Sarah: "I don’t know. Mac and cheese."
Dad: "Will you eat [fill in anything here]?"
Sarah, with disgust: "Well, nooo!"

Dad: "Tommy will you eat?"
Tommy: "As long as it isn’t spinach."

Dad: "Amy?"
Amy: "I’ll start with this then change my mind to that but I’m largely influenced by Sarah even though I really like to eat like Tommy."

Dad: "Evan?"
Evan: "Say it with me Dad.. Jugs! Oh, and pretty much anything Mom is trying to eat. Oh! Of course, I am 15 months and can clearly say ‘candy.’"

Dad: "Mom?"
Mom: "No onions! No peppers!"

Dad: "Self? Gourmet!"

In case you lost count, that’s roughly 3-5 different meals per sitting. We have dropped to least common denominator for so long that I have started to forget how to cook. The LCD? That would be chicken breast (plain), chicken nuggets (preferrably from McDs), spaghetti (but that leaves Noah with a peanut butter, maybe jelly, sandwich), steak, and hamburgers (but that leaves Sarah with ezmac).

I have decided to return to cooking. I am focusing on meals that create leftovers and hopefully satisfy a quorum but if the only people that eat are Cathy and I then so be it! The rule at this house is eat what everyone else is eatting or fix your own.

Posted on by — 4 Comments

Don’t treat the symptoms

Our society has a propensity to treat symptoms and not problems. Our commercials promote the quick fix. The prevalent attitudes toward recycling and environment show a tendency for thinking only about now. Even our government acts as if tomorrow does not matter.

Ocean Nasal Mist

A runny nose is a symptom, not the problem; however, our doctors are quick with antibiotics, and mothers rush to the pharmacy for an antihistamine. The runny nose is your body’s attempt to fix a problem. By drying up the symptom, we deminish the body’s natural ability to fight the problem.

Nose sprays are very effective at clearing up a running nose or opening blocked sinuses. When you feel congested there is nothing more relieving than to use some 4 Way Nasal Decongestant and moments later blow everything out to be able to breathe again. Nose sprays are also addictive. If you use too much, days after your cold is gone you can find yourself needing the nasal spray just to breathe. I try to limit myself to one squirt from a nasal spray per day and focus instead on a saline nasal spray. Ocean (manufacturer site) is a great product! The saline nasal spray keeps your nasal passages moisturized and helps minimize nasty stuff from coming out of your nose. Saline nasal sprays are not medicine like 4 Way or Afrin but a natural way to help your nose.

Evan has been fighting a cold and hates having his nose wiped. On a whim, I started giving him minor squirts of Ocean after cleaning his nose. He liked it! So much in fact that he fights the nose wipe less and asks for the Ocean. He helps me hold the bottle, leans his little head forward, directs it to the nostril, and smiles big when I squirt then he moves it to the other nostril and smiles more. Kids are a riot! Oh, and his nose is better for it.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

From the mouths of babes

While driving Noah to karate we notice a portion of Food City’s parking lot blocked off with what appears to be jumping balloons, tents, and a big cow and lots of orange.

Noah: "Dad, what do you think they are doing over there?"
Dad: "I don’t know but I see a jumping balloon, cute girls, and a big cow. Looks fun!"
Noah: "Don’t you have an affair Dad!"
Dad: "Noah, I would never have an affair. What makes you say such a thing?"
Noah: "You called them cute girls."
Dad: "Oh. Well I can notice they are cute or pretty without having an affair."
Noah: "Oh I see! You mean cute like little girl cute."
Dad: "Uh."

Posted on by — 3 Comments

How did you learn to shave?

In days of yore, packets of razor blades came with a blank. As a child, I had my own razor. Dad would put a blank on it. I would lather up from that blue can with the red and white stripes. Then clear my face of foam by Dad’s side.

One day hairs poked out of my face. Coincidentally, I had one distinctly red hair on my mangy chin. Dad handed me a real razor and my own shaving cream. Then he left. I was on my own. Fortunately, Bill Cosby taught Theo how to shave on an episode of The Cosby Show so I felt I had some guidance.

Now-a-days, children do not need parents for anything. Everything is available on the Internet! No Bill Cosby re-runs to teach my children. They can learn to shave from YouTube!

Posted on by — 3 Comments

Late to school! Alzheimers warning signs.

I woke this morning at 7:10. The panic set in immediately. Noah had missed his bus! I rushed upstairs muttering, "where had Sunday gone?" I thought of the hellish schedule for today and how I had hoped to make a little progress on the client’s work Sunday. The construction project also had no changes from Saturday. I make mysef do something to it everyday. I guess Sunday had been too busy. I distinctly remember yesterday’s travels in the car, the trip to the grandparents to pick up the children. The quality time with Cathy during the day and in the evening. I guess Sunday was a good day and I will deal with today.

Noah is not in his room. He normally wakes me if I am not up. I guess he got himself to school. Sarah and Amy are missing! Oh. Wait a minute.Today is Sunday!

Posted on by — 2 Comments

Odd Ball Out in a Big Family

Target last night was quite the adventure. After leaving a stench in their bathroom we casually wrapped up our shopping by dividing and conquering. The bulk of the crew went for the remaining items and I headed to the pharmacy for their very cool prescription bottles. The crew joined me at the pharm and we played with the blood pressure test machine, laughed and shopped happily. At the checkouts, Cathy, Sarah, Amy, Evan and myself started the checkout process. Out of the blue, Noah appears behind us! "Uh. Were you going to leave without me?" Cathy replies, "yes!" We look at each other and laugh asking, "Did you know he was here?" to which we both replied, "I forgot."

There goes our shot at parents of the year! A big family teaches self-reliance and independence!

Update: Target provides 6 colors for their medicines which assumes you will never have a family larger than 7. The bottles could be improved for larger families by allowing more than one color ring per bottle or using some striped rings.

Posted on by — 3 Comments

Dear Target, sorry about the stink in the bathroom…

I love having a big family! Big families teach self-sufficiency and team work.

Last night in Target I heft Evan up on my shoulders as he giggles maliciously. Seconds later the smell hits me. That familiar smell of a runny diaper filled to capacity with sludge. Microseconds later he is off my shoulders and being held in that non-loving pose at the end of my outstretched arms using only my finger tips as if carrying hazardous waste all too aware that squeezing the diaper could make John Belushi’s zit seem tame.

I pass Noah playing demos in the video games. I speed past aisle after aisle knowing I could easily be walking right past Cathy and crew. Then I see a cute little Amy peek out. I alert Cathy that I must go to the car and she deftly produces "equipment" from her purse.

Wordlessly I grab the diaper and wipes and rush to the nearest restroom. One thing parenting has taught me is that stores abound with hidden restrooms. Some are singles; some are family; some are "employee only"; but if do not have children, these secret water closets are invisible to you! In Target, I was nearest the rear one located in toys. The men’s room is a single shooter graciously outfitted with a changing table with a broken safety belt. Not having the belt means one hand holds the baby, while another hand handles the wipes, another hand keeps the baby’s hands from helping, another hand removes the diaper, another hand guards the clothes from sliplage and overflow, two hands bag and seal the toxic waste, and two hands put the new diaper on the baby.

I plop Evan on the table and open the diaper. Huggies should be proud! Evan immediately goes for the flip and almost simultaneously throws in the helping hands. I am off to a bad start and recognizing I misjugded the diaper threat level I know I need reinforcements. Evan at this point is in full scream and sending a text message sos is out of the question. I dial Cathy’s number and put the phone down as I attempt to salvage the situation. Assuming I went to voicemail. I slap the phone shut, hit redial, and return to mud wrestling. Moments later, a 4 year old girl opens the men’s room door. Then a 13 year old girl opens it slight further. My reinforcements have arrived!

Suffice it to say that with Evan now outnumbered we won the battle with minimal damange. All hands, including Amy, pulled their weight. The 13 year old deserves a purple heart for casually stepping into the men’s room. From Cathy’s perspective, when the phone rang she could hear the baby screaming in stereo and knew to deploy the more mobile of reinforcements. Good choice on the special ops!