Wacky Crazy Day

Our day started with the excitement and anticipation of the septic pumper coming. We talked to Dean about how all the waste from the toilets and the sinks and showers go into a holding tank in the front yard, and how the truck has to come and pump it out so we can continue to flush the toilet without it getting backed up into the house. It finally came around noon, just after Mel and the boys got back from Walmart. Mel and Dean went out front to look into the hole that the pump hose went into, I opted to stay inside because I was still finishing my lunch. As the guy was getting to the bottom of the tank he was telling us about the nail polish and other cosmetic supplies that Strider must have flushed down the toilet. Luckily all this stuff made it down and I didn't have to pull up the toilet to get it out.
On another note, after our private karate class we brought the boys to the pet store. We ended up leaving with a ferret that we named Oscar. I thought we would end up with one eventually but not this soon. Everyone seems to love him and even the dogs don't mind yet. Strider is excited and loves to watch him.

Pet Store!!

In running our errands today, we had to go to the pet store to get dog food. Dean didn't want to go in but we made him anyway. We checked out the mice and hamsters and rabbits and ferrets and birds and lizards and rats in our first pass through. Mel started talking about the ferrets and we were checking out the cages and the ferrets. They had ferrets that looked just like Sammy, Maddy, Pepper, and Taylor(bones). It was kind of sad. We talked to the employees and they let us take one out. Dean refused to look at it or touch it and kept asking if we could leave.

As we were playing with the ferret a dog came in to the store all by itself. The employees got it and tried to put it back into the car it came from but all the doors were locked, one window was down enough for him to get out but not back in easily. They called Shaw's and had them page over the loudspeaker but no one came for awhile.

We put the ferrets away and move over to the rats. They were soft and warm but were a lot squirmier and faster. Let alone the one we had out kept pooping on me. We put the rats away and went and got the dog food that we came in for. As we were checking out the owner of the dog came over asking if the employee who found her was a special needs patient because of how rude she was even though they had just caught her dog and watched it for the past 20 minutes. We just laughed and shook our heads glad we got to see the exciting conclusion of the wandering dog.

Who knows what will come of this trip in the future.

Just when you thought you were doing okay...

Last night a karate, Master Cheryl was talking about how bad every one's posture was. It is, and I know it has been since I started a year and a half ago. Last night it was my push-ups that were the main focus. I need to tuck my hips in more as well as arch my back upwards slightly. She says I am tightening up my lower back muscles and essentially making them shorter, sooner or later she says I will throw out my back. Not good.
I need to find a way to remind myself throughout the day to keep my hips up and focus on my core muscles. If my core is always engaged it will help. She says we need to always walk around like we are on the beach trying to look good. Don't throw the shoulders back because that causes other problems. For the past 34 years I have stuck my gut and but out, now I have to train myself to do the opposite. Not going to be easy.

Just not myself

I have been in a bad mood all week. I think it started on Tuesday, but I don't know why. Everything just set me off for no reason, and I hate that. At work I usually have to be the one in a good mood because no body else is, so when one of my technicians asked me if I was feeling poopy, I knew they noticed it too. Most of the time once I recognize that I'm in a bad mood I'll just put in a CD or just mentally slap myself out of it, but nothing worked this week.
What made it worse was that it carried over to my days off. Both Wednesday and Thursday I was short with the kids and probably even with Mel. She even asked me if I had been taking my meds. Yesterday morning I was talking to the assistant manager and he was saying how he had been in a bad mood all week and he bought a case of beer the day before but promised himself that he wouldn't start drinking until after his room mate got home from work. I told him that I was feeling pretty much the same way and for some stupid reason it made me feel better. I had talked about it with my technicians, with my wife, and even with someone from karate, but saying it yesterday somehow worked and I mostly snapped out of it. I was real tired last night, mostly from my small cold that I have, but I think I am mostly over my bad mood phase. I hate the human mind, life shouldn't be so complicated.

Commission for chores

We started paying the kids for doing chores yesterday. This is not the first time we have done this but it has been awhile since we tried. The kids actually understand the concept of money now and how much things cost. We assigned Reese, Jaren, and Dean certain chores to do each day and each week with each chore being worth ten cents. When they do the chore they put a sticker on the corresponding spot on their chart. If they don't do certain chores then they lose a dime. Reese can earn up to $4.50, Jaren up to $3.50, and Dean can get $2.50. It's not much but they seem motivated and excited.

We are calling it commission because they need to earn it, where an allowance is something you get no matter what.

Mel and I are also trying to come up with chores for us as well. Practice karate, walk the dogs, things of that sort that need to get done but tend to get skipped.

We will pay the boys by check to deposit in their savings accounts, but Mel and I will get actual money to spend on things. I better get working, since I have the Celtics game at the end of March I am going to.

Weekend updates

What a crazy weekend. Started on Friday, with another clogged toilet. I don't what this one got clogged with, it might have just been stuffed with toilet paper. Strider was upstairs for awhile unguarded. This was in our bathroom, and once again I had to remove the toilet to break up the clog. Friday night we failed at making s'mores because we were out of Sterno for our s'more making kit, we were able to use the toaster oven but its not quite the same. Instead we had a big marshmallow fight in the kitchen, with Strider walking around picking up the marshmallows and eating them.
On Saturday I went to pick up Jaren, who had slept over a friends house, at about 10am. Jarens friend, Chance, asked if he could come over to our house to play. He had a birthday party to go to at 1pm so I said he could and his mom would pick him up on the way to the party. We got a call from Chances Mom a little after 12 saying that they had made a mistake and the party wasn't until next weekend. No big deal, he can stay for a few more hours.
Later Sam called and wanted Dean to come over, he said he would. Then Dean changed his mind and we called Sam and told him to come over. Then we told Julia she could come over and sleep over also. Somewhere in the middle of all this Chances Mom came over and Chance and Jaren convinced her that he could sleep over. Therefore Saturday night we ended up with seven kids under 9 years old. It was noisy and wild but went fairly well.
Today we had my Mom and Deb over for dinner. I made meatloaf, green bean casserole, biscuits, and a cherry pie. It was fun and we stuffed ourselves silly.
Reese's progress was as expected. We told him a couple times each day that it would be a good time to work on his projects, but to no avail until Sunday afternoon when he started to work on his comic book for his counselor. He mostly finished it with several distractions and delays and it came out pretty good for his first comic.

Mel's thinking about getting pregnant again

Yesterday in the newspaper I saw an ad in the classifieds that caught my attention. In bold print at the top of the ad it said -Love Pregnancy? I immediately thought of Mel because except for a few minor problems (I say this carefully because I do have a penis and have not had the experience) she seemed to enjoy being pregnant. I wasn't sure how she would feel about being a surrogate, but I believe she mentioned it a long time ago. She was sleeping on the couch at the time so it wasn't until later when she was playing Kingdom Hearts II, and I was bored that I decided to bring up the ad. She made what I thought was a dismissive comment and I regretfully tried to forget about it. (I love the way she looks and absolutely glows while pregnant)

Later on she mentioned it, so I ran and found the ad. There actually were two ads with websites so we checked them both out online. It was actually very interesting with one based out of New Jersey that does stuff here locally in Maine, the other was in Los Angeles and said that they would pay for all travel expenses for the surrogate and partner for the appointments. The one in L.A. also had increasing payment for the second and third time you were a surrogate.

Who knows? My wife may get pregnant almost a year after I had my vasectomy.

Let's see if this works

We are trying something new with Reese. He has always had a difficult time starting homework or anything that he really doesn't want to do. He has been known to whine and cry for two hours before getting started with some homework that takes him less than ten minutes to do.

After talking with his teacher on Wednesday morning, we came to a difficult decision of just let him fail! Now this isn't going to be easy for Mel or I to do. Sure it gets frustrating when fusses a lot, but we don't want him to get lazy(lazier).

The theory is, if we don't push him, he will see what it is like to not get things done and to have to feel embarrassed or ashamed at school when he can't turn in the completed assignment. We will ask him what work he needs to do once and tell him to do it, after that he will not get another reminder. This wouldn't be something I would normally do, but Reese is extremely smart and he knows it. He knows that he can get by, with only doing the minimal amount of work, and be perfectly happy. So hopefully he will see what it is like to have to rush to get things done and to understand that it is a good idea to do the work when we ask him to do it and have it done and over with.

Hopefully this will work but I'm not too sure, he really doesn't care much about what adults think of him. To him everyone is either his equal or less than he is.

What a wonderful ending

I got home from work, another 13 hours on my feet answering demands of my customers. I just get inside and Strider is in Mel's arms calling for me, whimpering really. I take the exhausted boy out of her arms as soon as I get my jacket off and he smiles at me and puts his head down on my shoulder. Mel turns off the TV as I sit on the couch, she lays down puts her legs on my lap and pulls a blanket over herself. I gently stroke her warm calf and shin as I start to nod off. Strider snores and nuzzles in closer. I think how lucky I am and try to stay awake to cherish the moment. Strider coughs a couple times and wakes me up from a doze. Mel is sleeping and as warm and as comfy as I am, I know I have to get up to put Strider to bed. Carefully I raise Mel's leg so I can get up. I bring Strider upstairs and lay him down on his Spongebob Squarepants pillow cover. He hardly moves as I kiss him goodnight.