Finally, it’s Saturday!
Don’t get me wrong, I love to keep busy…and that’s not easy in the winter, cause it’s cold out, and we really don’t do much…That boring part will come in January, just like usual…But for now, cause it’s right before the Holidays, it’s busy.
Any long time reader of my blog ((well, the old one, not so much this one…)) knows that busy time in the Rhoades Asylum starts in November…with L. and G.’s birthdays in the same week, followed by Thanksgiving…and that’s also the start of basketball season…
I swear tho, this week was the longest week ever! Mike and I did our Christmas shopping and grocery shopping on Monday…that was almost an all day thing. We left here at 8am, and didn’t get back until ten minutes to 2. Then, we had to rush to get everything put away because we had to head out to Indian Township for an away game at 3:30. We didn’t get there for 3:30, tho :\ Mostly my fault…and we got there halfway thru the second quarter. ((That one was a boys only game…)) Annnd…shit, it looks like I never got any of those pictures up. I am sooooo behind lately.
Correction: I got three of done.
Then, Tuesday brought work for me, and a home game that nite…Tuesday nite brought about a change in the house, too…See, my kids have chores. ((not many, and nothing too difficult)) Usually just dishes…That chore is split up into 3 stages, as it’s done by W., G. and L. Every single nite, they fight about it. Lots of times, it’s the ‘but I don’t want to dry them’ or ‘why do you get to wash? I want to wash’. L. has a huge hang up over dishes, too…ever since she dropped that plate on her toe, she’s afraid to dry and put away, because she doesn’t want to hurt her toe again. Understandable. *I* don’t wan’t her to do that again cause I know she was in a world of hurt after that…and eventually, she lost her toenail, too 
So anyways…Wed. morning, before I was due at work, I was cutting up vegetables for a veggie/dip tray for that nites’ Christmas concert, and Mike and I got to talking about the events of the night before…The events of Tues. nite went like this: We got in late from the game, and as usual, the kids asked if they had dishes. ((that’s a given.)) W. started complaining cause he was tired from the game, and L. was complaining cause she was tired too…Mike said that G. didn’t have to do them, because she still had homework to do. Well, of course, her not having to do them pissed off the other two. L. started with her whining ‘I’m tired I’m tired I’m tired.’ And seriously, once she gets into that frame of mind, she can just go on for 45 minutes or more…((No lie…she did that one nite, and in 45 minutes, she had like a bowl and a fork washed. The rest of the time, she spent just telling us how tired she was.)) So, I said ‘Ok. L., go on up to bed. I’ll wash, and W. you can dry and put away.’ Attitude from W. ensued…something about L. being a baby, and all she has to do is say she’s tired and then she doesn’t have to do anything…So, Mike told W. to go to bed then if he was so tired. W. said ‘no’…and then, well, he was giving Mike a bit of back talk. ((not the best time for him to be putting on his big boy pants…))
While we were talking Wed. morning, I brought up the flaw in their dishes routine: That with L.’s fear of hurting herself, they were never going to get done without a fight. I suggested taking L. off dishes duty, and giving her a simpler job: wipe down the table after dinner.
I got out of work at 3pm that day, and had to just get home and get the kids some dinner before we got ready and had to head back to the school…The Concert was cute and fun ((as usual)) and again, we got home late…I made a second dinner ((quick stuff, mind you…grinders, salad…)) and then the kids went up to bed.
Thursday, I had work till 3, then, I came home for about 40 minutes before I went *back* to the school for the staff Christmas party. I got home from that around 6:30, and Mike showed me that he had drawn up a chore chart. I can’t say yet how it’s going, tho…as it would of really kicked in on Friday…but, we had another basketball game to go to, and when we got home ((after 7pm)) there was like 2 dishes in the sink, and Mike said ‘don’t worry about it, I’ll get them’. It was another night of late dinner…not a big deal tho, because it’s not like the kids had to get up early for school this morning…
Which brings me to today. I got up at my usual time, and my usual time is after Mike has been up and gotten the fire going. Well, this morning, I had a few things to get online for work, so I didn’t stay in bed. Two other awesome things about yesterday…the first is that it was me and Mike’s 11 year anniversary. Yep, we’ve been married 11 years 
Also, I was told that both my girls were selected for Student of the Month! ((There’s 3 that are chosen each month…one for grades K-2, one for grades 3-5, and one for grades 6-8)) The kids don’t know they’re selected until the assembly, but the parents know at least a day ahead of time 
((Congrats to W.’s friend Jalen, too, as he was selected from the 6-8 grade!! )) So, Mike and I had to be at the school for 8am so I could take pictures. ((For our school website, and the group shot of the three is shown in a local newspaper!))
The rest of Saturday was pretty typical…cold outside, so we basically hung around. ((This cold that Mike and I have is acting like it’ll never go away…)) Then, around 3:30pm, G.’s friend called her and asked if her and L. wanted to go over to their house for a while. The girls said they wanted to go, so I told them it was ok, but in a few hours, I’d have Mike go and get them…When I talked to their Mum on the phone tho, she said something about my girls staying over…and I asked L. if she wanted to…She of course said yes. Movie nite was not the same But, I didn’t want to say no to the girls staying over, because unlike W., they go practically *nowhere*.
W. and Mac and I watched ‘National Lampoons Christmas Vacation’…we got up to my favorite scene…
and my damn laptop overheated and shut off :\ Figures. So, we put on ‘Big’ instead, and Mac and I cuddled on the sofa and fell asleep.
Sunday brought about another cold day. I played an entire computer game, and then spent the rest of the day making a big dinner. The kids left for an hour or so, to go play basketball up at the school gym…And we ended up eating dinner way later than usual, which pushed the kids’ showers to a later time ((L. fell asleep on the sofa around 7pm…which turned out to be a good thing, because she was in a wonderful mood this morning! And that’s a rarity for her.)) and then, ’round 8pm, G. asked me if we could play cards. I said sure, and her and I, and W. and Mac ended up stretched out on the kitchen floor around the woodstove, playing until after 9pm.
When I got everyone tucked into bed ((save for Mac…as she’s still in the ‘I’m sleeping in your bed’ phase)) Mac and I picked out a movie…I was in the mood to watch ‘Stand By Me’, but got sick of looking for it, so I put in ‘Maximum Overdrive’ instead…Normally, I read after I get into bed…But last nite, Mac says to me: “Mommy, will you snuggle with me?” Me: “Oh, so you don’t want me to read?” Mac: “No. I want you to snuggle with me, because you’re comfy and you keep me warm.”
Awwww.
So, I didn’t read, and we snuggled instead, as she asked me questions about why the trucks in the movie were trying to kill people.
Now, Monday is here…kids are in school, and Mac just got up, and is now in the living room watching ‘Cry-Baby’ which is her movie of choice lately. I have work in about 3 hours, and it’d be great if I just felt a bit better. This cold isn’t sooo horrible, but it’s annoying.
So…until…probs. later this week…
<3333
