Reality Me

Amy after an extended stay in the tub and holding hands up with fingers spread: “Look at my fingers! They’re grandmas!”

Don’t look at me. I’ve never said it!

I just removed the old toilet seat and throughly scrubbed the toilet. While the lid was off and I was out, Noah (almost 9) steps in and uses the commode and leaves. I step back in to find my nice shiny ivory puddled with pools of yellow. I call him in and give him the lecture about cleaning up and he rebutes “but I didn’t miss.” I insist he did and have him clean up the reasons I believe so.

I get the new toilet seat afixed to the commode and moments later Tommy (14) wanders in. Not until after he leaves for school do I happen into the bathroom to discover my nice shiny ivory puddled with pools of yellow. Had I called him on it I know for certain he would have whined at me “but I didn’t do that!”

How do you get two boys that either don’t care or just are that oblivious to aim their weapons? Ah! This will not go over well but I am going to make them clean the toilet everytime they use it so that they become aware. I have suggested to the older one that he sit not stand and he took offense at that. It also doesn’t solve the problem as slight aiming is still required.

I am now managing my time by the music to which I am listening. After each album I should be reaching a milestone. At the end of each album I take a moment to ask myself if I’m in Quad I, II, III, or IV and I review the items I’ve marked for completion on that day.

Overall I’m feeling better and more organized. Despite the adversity in front of me I really feel that things are coming together.

“What a big kick daddy!”
“Molly jumped over the weeds!”
“I used my hands as ‘noculars.”

Amy has also started telling stories:
..and I was in the room…and Molly came in the room…and Molly came in the room…and Molly stepped on me..and Molly…and I hit Molly…and Molly left.. and…

First long phone call. What a waste of time.

This week is ending quickly. We lost an important utility but hopefully will have it back this afternoon. Our annual event to support Children’s Mental Health Week is this Saturday at the zoo from 10am – 2pm. I have to put in as many programming hours as possible. I have dozens of phone calls that will all have long hold times. Doctors appointments. Meetings to try to establish insurance. Preparation for that meeting. Boy Scout pack meeting Thursday. Camping in a cave Friday night to drive from the cave to the Zoo for several juggling performances as I failed to get the 4 entertainers we normally have. If you know 2 variety type entertainers in the Knoxville area that will each do a 30 minute show on short notice please have them contact me! Oh, and I haven’t practiced so my routines will be raw. Oh, and the organization that has supplied our decorations for the past 4 years isn’t returning my calls.

This morning at 7:30 I wrapped up a fun project. Certainly there may be a minor change or two and some support issues but the challenging part is done. What a relief! Onto the next project.

At 4am the air is crisp.
A lone dog barks
As the cat brushes my leg, meows.
The stars ultra luminous against their purple background.
Each one trying to upstage the other.
The trees, more like shadows, frame the sky.
I live in a diorama and adore its display!
Look a faerie! Or was that a firefly?
I listen in the silence for the fluttering wings.
I hear only silence and the occasional bark.
It is bliss!
Through jeans and a sweat shirt
The chill begins to overcome.
Goodnight sweet night!
Morning begins soon.
The sun will rise and push away your peace
Beginning a beautiful Day.

Flabbergasted, Flustered, Frustrated, Fatigued, Fretful…

I made major strides on my coding project this morning.
After lunch the bureaucracy kicked in so it was into the car for a trip out west then a u-turn to go almost all the way downtown. The some phone calls to creditors to work things out.

The end result is maybe, just maybe, we will have some insurance for this delivery!

Now its time to set schedules with my clients and get back to programming

So my final words to Sarah this morning were “bad choice of shoes.”
To which she replied “I know!” as she ran through the puddles to the bus.

That sums it up quite well.

So yesterday Amy threw Molly’s Kong Air Dog Tennis Yummy Donut and Molly picked it up and returned it to Amy who immediately laid hand on it and barked “mine!” Apparently Molly didn’t agree and decided to place herself on the other side of the room (hardwood floors remember). Amy refused to let go and in a swift, almost unnatural, motion that couldn’t have been put together better by a famous movie director Amy in her sleeper went to the floor with righthand still on the dog toy which was still in Molly’s mouth and was drug without complaint around the room in a Superman flying style. Amy was not crying, yelling or fussing. And Molly’s head was up and proud. It was a sight to see. Makes me wish I had cameras going 24/7.

Yesterday I had a hot deadline. Meet the deadline and other wonderful things regarding money could happen. Well, Tommy‘s IEP was scheduled for 10:30am yesterday but we had a call asking if it could move to 11:30am but then the paperwork came home noting the meeting was at 10:30am so in the morning (8:17) I called the classroom, no answer, so I called the prinicipal and left a voicemail asking for a confirmation on the meeting time. Then I called the school receptionist and was put on hold for a long time then I was told the meeting is 10:30am. Cathy arrives there and the meeting is 11:30am.

Noah was sent home sick and I managed to get him a doctor’s appointment for 12:45. Slipped in a trip to the DMV after that to renew the tags on the Jeep which had expired in January.

Tommy had to be picked up from school at 3:15pm to make his 4-5:30pm group therapy. During that time I was supposed to go pick everyone else up from the house but circumstances changed the plans. I picked everyone else up at 6ish, Sarah choosing to stay home and work on "vote for me" posters, then we headed out to slip in some dinner at IHOP before moving on to get Tommy to his riding class from 7-8pm.

Since I had been up since 1am I crashed soon after arriving home. Needless to say, my deadlines were not met.

When your wife says, “I’m just trying to talk. Why won’t you listen?” she really means that she is trying to talk. Keep your lips closed and listen!

Click here for the related article Things You’ll Never Hear From Your Wife with the infamous quote "I’m just trying to have a conversation!" (you really didn’t think that was a link did you?)

Quad II!