NATIONAL LAMPOONS SUMMER VACATION IS ABOUT TO BEGIN

Hopefully we aren't hog-tying Aunt Edna to the roof of the car... or dragging a poor dog down the highway... but we are about to embark on our own Griswold family adventure!!

My bags are semi-packed and ready to go. Today has been a little helter/skelter because (I can't believe I'm admitting this) - I'm totally disorganized. Usually I have my lists of stuff. Nope. I have clean clothes piled up ever where and suitcases waiting to be filled. I have no doubt I'll get it done before I go to bed (I may be going to bed at 3am though). But the plan is to get up at 6am and be out the door at 7am. HA!!! I say HA because my husband NEVER gets out the door in time; even though he sets the "leave by" time. Hypocrite no?

This week, we enrolled Karis and Jenna into ballet classes. I would have enrolled Kierra but I have to be honest, I don't think she'll participate or follow direction and it's too much to pay for a child who just does their own thing. Jarrett decided he'll take her for ice skating lessons. So she'll enjoy that. I am smart - I must say. I knew better than to go to registration and my kindly and oblivious husband offered to go. I told him, it starts at 5:30 - be there early. He got there around 5:15 and there was a line-up out to the sidewalk! LOL - this is where my smartness comes into play. I KNEW this would happen. He was my sacrificial lamb. He stood there for an hour, amongst women and their crying kids. He was the only brave dad there. But by golly, he stuck with it, and enrolled our kids in dance. Cost us $780.00 for the year for the two of them (yes you can yell holy crap) - but what's done is done.

Back to our trip. So I'll be gone until September. I don't know how much access to the computer I'll have. I don't imagine too much. We do have to do the token stay at the in-laws, but I'm only going to have to stay there two nights. THANK GOD!!! Then the rest of the time I can be at my parents. I'm already having plans... involving my bud Christ and her little one to come swimming in mom and dad's pool every afternoon. We are also going to go wedding dress shopping for her, since she just got engaged last month! I'm so psyched!! Can't wait. The only thing that sucks is Jarrett flies back home on Monday and we won't see him for ten days. He has this thing called work - so he's more than generous to drive us to mom and dad's, fly home... and then fly back to pick us up again. Even after that dance class registration stunt I pulled... Isn't he a doll?

My sister is also trying to recruit me to help her with last minute wedding things. She's getting married in less than a month, and is totally un-prepared! It's insane. They don't even have a DJ yet??!!!! WTF? I'm not her matron of honor or anything for that matter, so I may idly sit by and smile at her chicken-with-its-head-cut-off routine. She would be organized if I had a part in it you know. Ah vindictiveness. It's all good though.

When we finally get back, I have exactly TWO days to get the twins all ready for school. We get home the Sunday, they have staggered entry on Tuesday, and start full-time by Wednesday. Plus I'm the class organizer person thing-a-ma-jig. I basically call parents and harass them to volunteer. I'm sure by November, everyone will have blocked my number and will have chat rooms designated to how much they hate me.

Anyways, I should get back to the art of packing. Lord knows no one else is going to do it (especially someone whose wife filled up the van, cleaned out the van, picked up his dry cleaning and bought batteries because she apparently isn't busy enough). That's fine - he's bringing home dinner tonight! So take care all and I'll be seeing you!

And for good measure while I'm gone...

T MINUS TWO

I am in the midst of trying to clean my house, wash all the clothes and pack for a two week trip to my mom and dad's in exactly two days. So far, I managed to only get the girls' clothes washed (hey that's 3 loads), plus I did all the towels and socks. I haven't cleaned bupkiss yet - which is driving me nuts. I don't have much time left to get it done.

So I'll be missing until I get it done!!! I'll post tomorrow with something more witty!

PAIN IN THE ..... BACK

Oh my aching back!!! Don't ask how it happened - because I honestly don't know. One minute I was fine, the next it felt like my sciatic nerve was going haywire, followed by back spasms. This was Friday night. Saturday was much of the same, as was Sunday. Finally here is Monday!! My chiropractor's office is open (THANK GOD!), so hopefully he can fix me up. The whole right side of my body is screwed up. From ribcage to hip.

The reason I'm really worried about it is because I'm going on a 16 hour car ride this Saturday to mom and dad's. I honestly don't think I can sit there like that if my back is all jacked up. I'm hoping whatever the problem is, it's easily fixed. I'm positive my husband doesn't want to listen to me bitch and bitch across three Provinces.

I haven't been to my chiro in almost 6 months or more. When I first started to see him, I was there twice a week. Turns out my spine has major curvature that they figure was from when I was born (I was born face up). This would explain why I could never touch my toes - EVER. If your spine isn't straight, you aren't bending over too much. It might also explain why I had a hell of a time trying to birth my kids. My pelvis was also twisted, which is why one leg was a tad shorter than the other. You'd think this would be a huge problem. Not so. My doctor stripped my muscles so they would learn to hold my bones where they SHOULD be. I still have a bit of curvature, but it's a lot better. The spur on my vertebrae can't be fixed without surgery, and was from spinal compression. I can live with that. It's a hell of a lot better than being some old lady who is so hunched up, all she see's is her sagging tits and her orthopedic shoes.

Back to my point: so I'm trying to function the last few days in pain. I could see if I had been in a car accident or something, but when you are just sitting there and all of a sudden - BAM - it's odd. It also freaks me out because I don't want this sudden back issue to spring up on my during my trip. So cross your fingers that things are put back in place easily, and stay the hell there!!!

DON'T FORGET...

If you are into scrapbooking, and would love the chance to win some free scrapbooking materials, enter K8's contest and you could win some great stuff.



All you have to do is copy and paste the link from her page and mention her name, where she's at, and you are entered to win! You also need to email her to let her know that you are in the contest!



As you can see, I would really like to win because I totally am a scrapbooking junkie and hey, free stuff is awesome!



OK I'll stop now, because I'm being rather obnoxious....




OK maybe just once more LOL


And just because I saw this and thought it was funny....

My blog is worth $17,500.74.
How much is your blog worth?

Who would've thunk my thoughts were worth something?

DRESS IT UP

Dear Shop Owner,

I am wondering what kind of business you are running. I had come into your store over two weeks ago, looking for a dress to wear to my sister's wedding. I found one that was perfect, except for the fact it was one size too big. After what seemed like a lengthy conversation, you told me you could get one from a store 3 hours away (although you first suggested I DRIVE there to get it myself). I suggested you have it delivered here since I was paying over $250.00 for it. You told me that your store policy requires a 20% down payment on the dress, which I readily paid. You told me you would call when the dress came in (in about a week).

I called your store last week, to ask about the status of my order. The clerk simply said, "Have we called you?" I said no, to which she snipped, "Well we'll call you."

Yesterday I was at the mall, and decided to check on the order status. The first question was "Did we call you?" Me, getting a bit pissy, told you I'm leaving town for two weeks, and I would rather find out NOW when the dress would be here. You flipped through your little binder, couldn't find it (because apparently you filed it by my first name, not my last name), and then finally found it and declared the dress was UNAVAILABLE. I wasn't sure what that meant, since you were standing there like an idiot. When I asked for clarification, you checked your computer and said that the smaller size I needed was sold already from the store you were supposed to get it from. I asked when you knew about it, and apparently two days after I first came in.

Now, here is my issue. You KNEW the dress wasn't coming in, but you didn't call me. When I called you last week, you could have found out then it wasn't coming in, but you refused to look. When you knew it wasn't coming in you didn't offer me back my 20% down payment, which you should have considering you weren't trying to get the dress from another store elsewhere. After I got in your face, you look in your computer and see there are several dresses in the size I require, in other stores in Ontario, which is three Provinces away. I ask if you can get it from there. You hmmm and hawww, and I remind you that you still have my money, and that you should have called me when you found out you couldn't get the other dress. You tell me that you can fax the store in Toronto, but it'll take a few weeks to get here. Then you tell me you can't guarantee that I'll have it in time for my sister's wedding.

By now, I'm ready to pop a vein in my head. I try hard not to yell at your ignorance, since my children are with me. Your clueless clerk tries to show me other dresses, which are totally hideous. One is metallic bronze (am I from the 80's and a streetwalker?), and another is a black and white polka dot fru-fru dress that would be appropriate for a 16 year old girls' Sweet Sixteen party (I'm 31 by the way). I demand I get my money back, and you are shocked. After all, why should it bother me that I may or may not have a dress five days before my sister's wedding. You then suggest I buy the larger size and alter it (we went over this already - you can't alter a dress that is hand beaded by the seams). THEN you insult me by telling me that the size small wouldn't fit properly anyways, even though I have over an inch on each side in the larger one.

Decided to be distinguished, I leave your store without punching one of your clerks in the head or kicking the crap out of a mannequin. I would just like to add, I will NEVER set foot in your store again EVER! And if this is your idea of customer service, I'm shocked you are still in business.

Sincerely,
Unsatisfied Customer

DREAM A LITTLE DREAM

How many of you parents out there are currently, or have experienced, the dreaded "bad dream" phase? I urgently wave my hand in the air. I did it with Jenna for almost a year (very aggrivating when your kid won't tell you WHAT the dream is about), I'm doing it with Karis (same as the first, second verse).

Hubby and I figured maybe Kierra doesn't dream - or that her dreams are a lot different than typical children. I mean, how should I really know? I can't exactly simulcast the dreams she has. But the one thing I have noticed is that ever since she started sleeping through the night around eight months of age, Kierra simply NEVER wakes up at night. She certainly has never cried out in her sleep, or had a bad dream. I found it fascinating really - why wouldn't she? My question was answered last night - Kiera does in fact, have bad dreams.

Around 3:00 am I woke up to crying, figuring it was probably Karis. As I woke up a little more out of my Advil PM stupor, I realized the cry was Kierra. I was startled, and ran out of the room and down the hall to her. She was just lying in bed, crying and very upset. When I tried to comfort her, she asked for her daddy (sheesh that's kinda a kick in the pants). So I went to get Jarrett and as soon as he walked in the door, she calmed down and went back to bed.

Jarrett and I are stumped. Not only because less than a week ago went by that we were talking about this EXACT subject, but we have no clue what the dream was about. With the other kids, they are capable of telling us, even when they don't. But Kierra doesn't really have much of a means. She does talk somewhat, but it's equivalent to a 1 1/2 to a 2 year old's speech ability. My husband asked me if this revelation is good or bad. I looked at him in surprise and said, "How can it be bad?" I guess he was worried this was a negative impact in her progress. I, however, think the exact opposite. Shouldn't it be encouraging that Kierra's mind would work in a way that would produce a dream that would worry her? That she is thinking beyond perhaps her rigid ways? Or maybe it means totally nothing - she's just a five year old girl that finally had a dream scary enough to make her want her daddy.

But really - I can't help but wonder about it.

MOVING ON UP, DOWN... ALL AROUND

Whoops - I've been absent (smacks own hand). With the week-end, and it being the August LONG week-end here in Canada, you'll have to excuse me for not wanting to be a slave to the computer. To be perfectly honest, I don't spend much time at home lately, or at least in my house. It's too nice to sit inside. Soon enough our whole month of summer will be over, and I'll be held captive in this house once again.

So new on the home front... my husband is determined to get us relocated to Houston, Texas next summer. It's his so-called mission in life. He was there again on a business trip last week. He says he truly misses living in the States, and being in Calgary never has felt like "home". *Sigh* - who am I to argue? I made living in Michigan a living hell. I was so unhappy there - if it hadn't been for the three babies I was taking care of, I might've had more time to complain. To be honest though - I'm not exactly vetoing the whole Houston move. I too enjoyed living in the States. And I'll say it - there are things that I miss about it. For one, adequate medical care. 'Nough said. It may be "free" here (it's not, you pay for it in your gargantuan taxes), but you get what you pay for. This is particularly bad in Calgary because we are had a major population influx, and didn't get the matching influxes in our medical care, police, fire department or schools. Too many people - not enough resources. It's really sad. Plus, service when you go anywhere completely blows. You can sit in a drive thru at Burger King for at least 30 minutes because I think only two people are working there, each for $25.00 an hour. It's insane.

For now, Calgary is the place to be. It is probably the best place in North America to be with an autistic child. Only because Alberta is a debt free Province, and they have the best therapeutic resources for the disabled. Back in Michigan, Kierra was considered "lucky" to get two hours a week in therapy services. Here, she get's 3 hours a day, five days a week. PLUS she got her special ed pre-school services damn near free, and that was 20 hours a week as well. I think the move here was the best thing we ever did - because it is when we saw the most progress in Kierra. Plus I actually do like it here. We met good friends, I love my house, and I love living the City life. I don't think I could do the small town thing again. I've been acclimated to the hustle and bustle of city life. However, once Kierra hits grade one (next fall), she'll no longer have those extended services (she'll just get what the board of education offers), so we have no reason to stay other than we want to. The great thing about hubby's company is that it's international, so he can move pretty much anywhere they operate a pipeline.

Part of me wishes we could move back to where the family is. Even living in Calgary, I'm still isolated from them. I haven't lived with or near family since I moved out after high school graduation. I'm used to it I suppose - not being there for all the holidays and missing out on birthdays and what not. Unfortunately, Manitoba doesn't exactly have the financial gain for hubby that Alberta does. But I wonder if I'll ever look back and regret not being closer to family. I'm sure I will at some point. I remind myself constantly that we have to do what's in the best interests of "our" family. Still, I wish I could pick up selected members of the extended one, and bring them where ever we go. Others... I'm content to let em rot where they are (LOL I'm not full of animosity or anything).

One thing is for sure, we just never know where we'll end up next. Occupational hazard and all. But that's the way we roll. Never stay anywhere too long, and always looking for new adventure on the horizon.

RECALL FOR LEAD PAINT

So I'm sure many of you have read about the massive recall of Fisher Price toys. It is a nationwide recall - because these toys have lead paint on them. When I first heard about it, I didn't really worry too much. Until I saw that over 900,000 toys were being recalled. When I scanned the list, my heart dropped. My children own almost ALL of the Dora the Explorer products being recalled. Some of the figures which Kierra puts in her mouth.

I'm now in seek and remove mode. Once I do that, I'll re-check all the serial numbers (I'm sure they are the ones though), and do what I have to to get my money back. This is complete bullshit though. I'm also calling our pediatrician to make sure that the girls don't need blood tests to check for lead poisoning.

Please look at this list and check all your toys that you think could be subject to this recall.

http://www.service.mattel.com
Recall hotline: 800-916-4499

Consumer Product Safety Commission
http://www.cpsc.gov