iPhone App store is the devil

Lil dude loves my iPhone, probably more than I do. Don't get me wrong, I love most everything the phone is capable of, well except it sucks at being a phone if you are wanting to use it to actually "talk" to someone.  I suppose I could blame it on being in that 3% of America that AT&T doesn't cover, except according to their map, I SHOULD have coverage! Couple that with the fact that my previous phone, the Blackberry Torch got excellent coverage everywhere that the iPhone has no service.

Now add on that you need access to the internet to run 90% of the apps once you have them installed. You see the issue? I cant check anything or even send a text almost the entire 56 miles to school. If I were to get a flat tire, break down, or have a wreck... I would be screwed.

But wait that isnt what I was blogging about. Save the service coverage for another day ;)

The app store. Awesome store, lots of options. Lots of things that little 6 yr old boys will love. One of our FIRST talks, and a constant one, you can only have things that say F-R-E-E. For the first month he did good, only downloaded things that said F-R-E-E. Then last week somewhere it went wrong. May have been the excitement of finding a monster truck game. Maybe it was finding a Call of Duty type shooting game. Regardless the game he showed me originally that day when I entered my password was F-R-E-E, the next 6 he downloaded were not *big sigh* they ranged from $2.99 to $4.99 a game, the total was $21 with tax. I know its just $21 but my tight budget knows $21 will get me to school and back for a day.

Are We there Yet?

Specially designed to ensure maximum comfort when stapling a schadenfreude

Hot Chocolate and Warm Covers

This morning was one of the few mornings lately when I could stay in bed. For that I am grateful! The weather was cold... just above freezing at 7am, a layer of frost was coating the grass and vehicles (I know this because someone insisted that I get up and "see") I promptly crawled back under the warm covers and thought about hot chocolate for a good 30 minutes.

I finally crawled out of bed and made myself some. I dug for a good 10 minutes for miniature marshmallows and found that all I have are the giant campfire ones and a few of the pre-smooshed smores making marshmallows *sigh* Its okay though, I really didnt need marshmallows they certainly aren't on my diet.


The rest of my morning was spent curled up with a good book and the blankets up to my chin. :)
 

530 attack of the alarm

Well it felt like the alarm clock was attacking me. Apparently it was just trying to get me up and going after not enough sleep.

I fear it will be another chaotic day. For the past week or so, my truck has fought me on starting in the morning. Then it decided to fight me on starting every time I start it. I believe its the battery for the rur rur noise it makes before it finally turns over. I thought maybe it had something to do with the day I had the stereo running while I worked on the chicken coop. However the alternator should have charge the battery up by now. Oh damn. It could be the damn alternator going out. FML I dont need that right now. DO NOT NEED THAT. Heck cant afford it. Ohh boy.

The day continued down the same bumpy path. Lil dude's bus was early (because we got to the stop at 634) and Devil Child's was late (because we have to stand outside and wait and it was pouring rain) The only explanations I can find for why these things always seem to happen on a day where there just isnt enough time, and i just didnt get enough sleep!

It is party day for Devil child, so she got to wear her costume to school.

Unfortunately this brought about a wave of tears from baby J because
A) we have YET to find a costume for her that is affordable
B) she didnt get to wear a costume
C) She doesnt go to school on the 2 days they are celebrating... Friday with trick or treating on campus and Monday with a party in the class... she goes Tuesday and Thursday. :/

Baby Freddy was all smiles, but I dont think she knows any better!

Drove to school, found parking, which was somewhat scary as there is never parking in one of the closer lots by 815 on a Thursday! Then promptly realized that it is still raining, and the only umbrella I have in the truck is.... yep that pretty pink princess one. I just dont think about buying one when it isnt raining. Who remembers to buy an umbrella if its sunny out? So the pretty pink umbrella and I made our way to class.  I considered skipping or prancing, because I feel so pretty when I carry it. I didnt want to miss class when they carried me away in a straight jacket though.

Around 11 I discovered that big brat will not be getting lil dude off the bus. Great time to tell me. Bus comes at 330pm I get out of class at 430pm. Its 55 miles from school to the bus stop. See the issue? Dammit. I need a wife.

Stress is accumulating

Rapidly. I feel an implosion coming on. Well except that I dont have time to deal with an implosion from stress.

Its always something. tonight its the non-stop bickering and arguing from the kids, the Halloween costumes that have all arrived, except the one I cant seem to find, and am probably going to spend all day Friday attempting to make, so that a certain 2 yr old can be a fwog. 

Add all that to an already stressful day of organizing paperwork and putting it into a time line. The stress of added expenses that always seem to pop up at the wrong time, and of course the never ending stream of phone calls that are not returned. I realize everyone's time is important, I just wish everyone realized my time is important too.

It seems like when it rains, it not only pours, it floods and throws hurricane force winds in with it. If you cant bend under the pressure you will break. I hate to see the day that I finally break, but every time life throws lemons, I feel the breaking point getting closer.

Everyone is finally in bed. It was a rough night at bedtime too. I think they all feel the stress pouring off my body like sweat and it energizes them. The baby fussed for a good 2 hours, no amount of bumbo, bouncy,swing, play time was fixing it. Fed her changed her burped her... she puked, whats new. Still fussed. She finally gave up about 20 minutes ago. Lil dude never fights bedtime, he gets told go to bed, he goes. Not tonight. Up and down, water, potty, toothbrushing, and water again. I finally threatened great bodily harm, I havent heard a peep from that one since.

Baby J was doing good until she thought my bed was a good trampoline, even though Mr Digger was already asleep on it! She is easy though, chuck her in the bed and tell her if she gets up the light goes off. She doesnt move. Afraid of the dark works to my advantage for now.

Devil child, well she is going to be an issue come about 530 am  when I pull her from her dream world and make her take a bath, and get ready for school. Someday she will learn to listen.

Now Im thinking about homework, I should be doing homework, but because Im tired, wore out, stressed out, and feeling a bit depressed... Im still at the thinking about it stage.

Id say it can only get better, but that is almost a jinx. When I say it, life laughs and proves that it can, indeed get worse.

A tale of two Piggies

October is obviously the month for P related post! Today is about piggies. Pot belly ones to be exact.  The piglets are rapidly coming up on being 3 months old. I have a friend who has a new piglet who wears a harness, sleeps in a crate in the house and goes to work with him.

 So I decided to look around about harnesses and  piggy training for the girls and their pigs. I got Eli a harness (normal dog harness works fine) and a leash.  Today was my first attempt to harness Eli.

First I fed Maybelle and Mr Porkchop some grapes to ensure their cooperation in my attempt to harness a piglet. Pigs can be bribed with fruit or other yummy foods. Imagine that?!!  Then I blocked off the the entrance to the barn, and then chased Eli around the barnyard. Im sure it was quite comical. I finally caught her, and closed the gate.

I thought sitting on a concrete block right by the pen would keep her from screaming too loudly. I was wrong. She shreaked so loudly, and so much, that eventually the dog was barking at me to let the poor pig go. But I carried on.

I finally got her situated in her harness and on the leash and sat down to attempt to bribe her with grapes. She was having none of that, but mom and dad sure did chow down on what she wouldnt eat.

She let off a few pleading shreaks and I heard something behind me. Charging towards me was Snorkel, Eli's sister. Apparently she felt the need to come out the barn door (that I left open OOPS) and rescue her sister, but then she noticed chicken scratch on the ground, and her sisters plight didnt seem near as desperate apparently.... she stopped dead in her tracks and started munching down, sharing what she found with one of the hens. LOL

After 15 minutes of leash time I let Eli back in the pen with mom and dad. She promptly went to the corner and sat there pouting like a sullen teenager (probably learned it from her human "momma")


After finding Snorkel had moved into the chicken coop and was eating the ducks food and frolicking in the ducks water, I figured she had, had enough freedom and chased her back into the pen.

Long Long Day

I woke up in an excellent mood, went to sleep early, woke up feeling good




Then.... life happened.


I was up at 420 or so, took a shower, put on makeup... drove over to the big brat's house  to pick up lil dude and baby J... Drove back home to put lil dude on bus, pulled up as bus pulled up. Made it but barely. Drove to town, picked up a friend, ran into walmart and put $25 on a walmart gift card for gas (gas is 10 cents a gallon cheaper if I buy the dumb gift card) Go to the pump, and it was malfunctioning. Then it said I had no money on the card (or so I thought) but I hadnt pumped anything yet. I went ahead and used my debit card put $10 in the tank and went on my way. Dropped the friend off at work, then headed to the school.


Still in an awesome mood. THEN..... I went to class, got annoyed in the library, and went to my lecture. Half way through my lecture my phone rings, its on silent but I notice it. Its the school so I answer, thinking maybe lil dude  got sick.


Nope. The bus took Devil child home, they knocked on the door etc... no answer. big brat stayed up all night last night, and fell asleep. I called, the school called. No answer. With the preschool program, only people on the list can get her, and you have to have ID. So I cut out of my lecture at 1210. Drove all the way back home, got Devil child, took her to  big brat's (who was awake at this point)

Made it back to school in time for my last class. So 200 miles on my truck today and $50 in gas, oh but big brat cant pay me for the second trip until Friday


Mr Digger took off 2 hours early to get lil dude for me from his bus because obviously I cant trust big brat to do it.

THEN.... I start getting texts around 3 from friend, wanting to know when I will be out of school. Umm 430, same time as last week. can I leave early? No I can not. Its an hour class. I cant leave early. With Traffic it was 520 by the time I picked her up.

It was 7pm before I got home. It was 730 before we ate, quesadillas (Mexican food AGAIN)  and now here it is, after midnight, Im finally done studying, and I should go to bed, since 5am comes so early... but alas, Im not tired.

Pumpkin dip :)

P is for Pumpkin take 2 :)

Today's agenda was heading to Jackson's Orchard, our annual trip to get pumpkins, cider and occasionally a few apples for home made apple sauce.

I love the orchard, and all the cool, fun, cheap things they generally have for the kids to do. The kids always love the hay ride, which went up a little in price this year, but I am pretty sure last year we had to pay for lil dude to ride, this year he was free, so overall I think it cost the same as last year when they made 6 and under free. 

The slide and play area are the same price, as was the petting zoo and the horse rides. The price of produce (apples, pumpkins etc) went up though. Way up. The kids all wanted the large pumpkins, I just could not justify spending $36 on 3 pumpkins, that will get wasted due to the weather, and having a candle burning in them for hours a week after they have been carved.

We settled for one large pumpkin, and I will head to Walmart on my way to school tomorrow and pick up 2 of their large pumpkins for $3 each.  The apples, were way more than I can ever imagine paying for apples (I assume the wacky weather affected the crops this year) so no fresh warm apples sauce either :( Maybe next year.

Mt Laundry

Is taking volunteer for a search and rescue party :) Ok more like a folding and putting away party, but anyhow. I have washed 5 loads of laundry today. I have sorted 1 load and folded half that load. See where Im going? If I dont get it all folded and put away, I will have no place to lay my head tonight, because I put it all across my bed. *big sigh*

help?

What a morning!

I had full intentions of getting the girls' room completely cleaned out this morning, while my husband worked on his truck. As soon as I voiced my intentions, Freddy had other plans. She started in fussing... so a diaper change and cereal feeding took place, then I had a semi-content baby again

Then I got in the bedroom. I think I stood there for about 10 minutes contemplating where to start.

This was my view--------------

I finally decided on the clothing that somehow came out of the dresser and wound up scattered from one wall to the other. with the drawers still open it looks like the dresser threw up

I got about half way into the task of putting the clothes in the hamper when I decided it was a little warm in the bedroom, and stuffy, so I opened the curtains and window.... and saw the piglets, Eli and Snorkel were in the yard.

Dropped what I was doing and threw on a pair of flip flops, ran out into the yard. They ran around the barn a few times with wild obnoxious children chasing them before they went back into their pen, it appears a child or two opened the pen and forgot to close it

So since Im outside I might as well gather eggs, feed the animals etc. I had 22 eggs this morning. Made my way into the barn to feed the baby chicks and discover that not only did Eli and Snorkel get out "outside" the barn, they got out inside too. They rummaged through a rubbermaid tub tipping it over and helping themselves to an entire bag of baby chick feed


Once I got that mess cleaned up, I started back in the house, not even remembering what I was doing. Oh yeah, the bedroom.


I got 2 laundry hampers FULL of clothes that in all probability are clean. But Im going to wash them anyhow, since I dont KNOW that they are clean.

I did get all the laundry off the floor, then Freddy fell asleep, so I had to leave the bedroom. I have one load in the washer, one in the dryer and 2 more still to be washed. Its now 1pm and it doesnt look like I have done anything in the house today.


People wonder why I wander in circles and dont remember anything