Its been an unusually long winter here in Tennessee. having enough snow to play in at least once a year, is a treat. This year , we had just about a full month of snow play.
In true Nuthouse fashion, everyone geared up daily, and out we went to do what damge we could. We shot down our hills at breakneck speeds, children, adults,and animals alike. And of course, you must know there was damage.
I realized that Son had an issue with steering his sled. For some reason, he hit one particular tree every time he went down the hill. I DO mean every time. Son was told more than once not to sled laying on his belly, facefirst. I had waking nightmares of him slamming that tree. He told me, " Mama don't worry, I go on my knees." Good boy.
After a few days, I took the video camera out. Took some fun clips of Husband sledding with the dog, the dog chasing the kids, all of my crazies on one sled, and countless tip-overs.
One video may just make us some cash. It is going to be submitted to AFV.
Son hits his sled, down the hill he goes, and to my surprise, not aimed at "his" tree, but a small bare bush. He lays back flat, and slides into the bottom, where he lays giggling. As he begins his giggles, Daughter is heard yelling from the hilltop. pan left, to find her on the sled, barrelling down full speed, but not straight down the hill- she's moving on an angle, aimed at the playboat. (the 'playboat" happens to be an actual boat parked in the drainage ditch) Viewers hear mommy gasp as the child moves full speed to the boat, and under the front end. She also, lay down flat on the sled, but the sound and visual to the viewer is much like a cork going into a bottle. She also got up laughing hysterically. No damage to either child, but I think it's safe to say my own fear of thier damage was enough to knock 3 years off of my life.
Another fun event, admittedly with actual damges :
Sledding with a 'snowpal'.. We have a friend who works , and on snow days from school his daughter comes to our house. The children are sledding, and having a blast. Snowpal's poppa comes to pick her up, and we're talking and watching the kids..
I am explaining to him, that "Son scares me silly with that tree, he can't seem to miss it!I'm so glad he sleds on his knees ." I kid you not folks, AS I am speaking these words, Son glides by, giggle giggle, on his belly, facefirst. and hits that tree faster and harder than ever before- with his FACE.
I think I lost an even 4 years that time. he had turned his face up as he hit the tree, so hit his chin- he was a mess. Got him into the house and cleaned up, and the poor thing was so swelled up. His lip was roughly 2x its normal size, but thankfully he hadn't bit through his lip (again) or knocked out any teeth.
Son decleared he would " never ever sled again."
You must know this self -vow lasted all of 12 hours. of course we'd had another 3 inches overnight.
As great as this was, even the children got burnt out on being home from school, and either stuck at home or in the yard.( we live somewhat 'backwoods' , our roads are not maintained and tend to turn into solid ice.)
We all started to miss the SUN. and being warm. Even being on a regular school schedule would have been awsome. The kids were averaging 1 -1/2 days a week IN school.
Son woke one morning and came to me, and said "MAMA! guess what !! its spring today! "
I said no, its not spring yet honey, its still only 28 degrees outside.
"but mama!! it HAS to be spring because the sun is shining and it always does that for spring days!"
oh Son, how I wish it were that easy.
Even following the snow days, and returning to school on a regular basis, it stayed COLD, and we had what was called by the weathermen "white rain". You know its bad when the kids don't want any more snow, but when the weatherman won't even SAY it anymore.... well, we were all tired of it.This wasn't accumulating, just annoying flurries, that melted before they even hit the ground.This was the week that I declared next year I was going to go " groundhog hunting".
FINALLY, we in east TN are enjoying a slow warm up. we've finally hit 50+ degrees, for the first time since early november.
Son has decided it IS spring now. doesn't matter what anyone says. it IS spring to him.
And he may be right. The birds have come back, and sit in the trees near the house to scream at us as we come and go, because the feeders need to be re-hung. The cat is back to exercising , by chasing the squirrells across the roof (bumpita bumpita bumpita bang, bumpita bumpita bumpita)
All signs of spring alright. Mama is happy for a thaw, the sun has been out more often, the kids have been playing outside without an hour 'dress up" session.
I just don't have the heart to tell him yet, that springtime is TN is storm season.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
ongoing walmart crisis...
seriously folks. I can't even begin to tell you how aggravated I am with this store.
Son received a V-Smile unit for Christmas- its an incredible learning tool for him, and bankrupting me in batteries. for some silly reason the VTech folks didn't think an AC plug would be handy for this thing. Of course, its conveniently sold separately. This is not a problem, as it turns out, if you need one, they are available at most stores that sell the VSmiles.
Son's birthday is tomorrow. (yea I know, try to "last minute lecture" me, but I've been snowed in all week!) I figured the perfect gift would be this AC plug. He's been griping about batteries for the thing for days.
ok- I pop online, and check walmart. (why? because thats where the unit came from, and they boast selling ALL accessories!) cool. $9.98 . Now, the site says its available online, but this is WALMART we're talking about. I'm not about to assume they have something I need in the store itself.
Off to the phone.
this was my exchange:
"SPORTING GOODS!" (yelled into my ear. no- walmart how can i help you)
hi , i need to talk to someone either in electronics or the kids dept please.
HELLOOO ?? SPORTING GOODS !
ya, I got that... is this walmart?
SPORTING GOODS!can i help you!
I need to speak with someone who can tell me if you have a VSmile AC adapter plug in the store please..
OH. THIS IS SPORTING GOODS!
YEA i GOT THAT PART. think you can transfer me to kids or electronics??
At which point I was transferred to men's wear, then home and office, at which point I was put on hold until a recording asked me for my access code.
WHA?
ok. I call back again, and ask to speak directly to a manager. They have rank, they have authority over the other morons, which should make them smarter, right??
"can I help you?"
God i hope so because I'm pretty sure I've talked to everyone else there, and they can't figure out the phones, let alone what I'm asking about. I need a v smile ac adapter plug. do you have one in the store?
oh gosh ma'am , sorry about that.. let me find out for you.
hold..... hold..... hold...
ma'am- we do have them, they are in the aisle with the vsmile units , in the toys department, or you can also get a universal adapter in electronics.
THANK YOU!
Now, I'm thinking, hey, maybe today walmart WILL be easy, one stop shopping. I can do the gifts, then zip over and get the few groceries I need. Hmm.
Off we go ,all the way across town to the walmart.
to the toy department. .. to the Vsmile units.
YOU have GOT to be KIDDING??!!
the space in front of me is almost blank. there is a huge variety of TWO game cartridges ( one Son has, the other under his age level) and a plug adapter- for a CAR.
The other blank hooks bravely state they are holding other games, and of course, there are TWO hooks that state they hold AC adapter plugs. Empty hooks.
ok.
off to electronics, where the lovely helpful soul who looked like she hated the place as much as I do, tells me that the adapters are sold by the game units.
DUH- the hooks are empty, I called an hour ago and was told they are here.
oh. well we have these univrsal plugs that would fit it...
I almost fell over. they wanted an extra $10 for the universal.I explained again, I CALLED, and was TOLD that the vsmile adapter was HERE, IN the STORE. they sell for $9.98. why would I buy THAT thing for $20, and not know if it'll actually WORK?
uuummm uuuhhh... let me call someone from the toy dept, to meet you over there. maybe they have them in the back.
you do that.
back to toys.
wait
wait
wait
wait...
there is no page on the loudspeaker. there is no sign of life whatsoever in the toy dept.
I go looking for one of those stupid buttons- the ones that auto page a handy staff to your aid in the department of the button... NO buttons.
So we wait.
I go back to electronics, to ask the woman if she paged someone or not, and she totally ignored me. Looked right at me, and when I started to ask her about it, she rolled her eyes and walked away.
Tell me you wouldn't be completely irate by this, and I'll tell you you're lying through your teeth.
back to toys, where I park outside the aisle and start paging someone myself. very loudly " ASSISTANCE TO TOYS PLEASE? CUSTOMER NEEDS ASSISTANCE IN TOYS"
I did this a total of about 6 times, in roughly 10 minutes. I literally heard myself echo through the store. My daughter was completely stunned, but wisely decided this was not the time to ask mommy what this was all about.
finally an 'assistant' appears. I explain to her the issue at hand . She checks her handy scanner and tells me, no, there are NOT any in stock, but there are SIX on order to be delivered sometime next week. " is there something else I can help you with?"
oh i doubt it very much..
so much for the manager being of smarter rank.
Sorry, not spending a red cent in here today folks.
went to Kmart- where I know chances were slim of finding this adapter, but fond a very busy , yet happy and helpful staff member willing to turn the place upside down to find one for me, then suggested radio shack.
so my adventure of "walmart one stop shopping" yet again turned into a nightmare of morons, a trip to kmart, radio shack, and the food store.
At radio shack, I was well greeted, and they did not have the adapter, BUT he did offer the universal, told me he did not want to sell it to me without knowing if it would work though. I told him, it has the different jacks in it, if none of them fit, I can bring it back right?
Oh of course! if this one won't work for you , bring it back, and bring the game unit too, we'll make sure you get the right one..
And do you know what , ladies and gents? the one I bought at Radio Shack was $11.95.
So roughly every reason I hate walmart was exposed all in one trip today....
really.... can you blame me?
Son received a V-Smile unit for Christmas- its an incredible learning tool for him, and bankrupting me in batteries. for some silly reason the VTech folks didn't think an AC plug would be handy for this thing. Of course, its conveniently sold separately. This is not a problem, as it turns out, if you need one, they are available at most stores that sell the VSmiles.
Son's birthday is tomorrow. (yea I know, try to "last minute lecture" me, but I've been snowed in all week!) I figured the perfect gift would be this AC plug. He's been griping about batteries for the thing for days.
ok- I pop online, and check walmart. (why? because thats where the unit came from, and they boast selling ALL accessories!) cool. $9.98 . Now, the site says its available online, but this is WALMART we're talking about. I'm not about to assume they have something I need in the store itself.
Off to the phone.
this was my exchange:
"SPORTING GOODS!" (yelled into my ear. no- walmart how can i help you)
hi , i need to talk to someone either in electronics or the kids dept please.
HELLOOO ?? SPORTING GOODS !
ya, I got that... is this walmart?
SPORTING GOODS!can i help you!
I need to speak with someone who can tell me if you have a VSmile AC adapter plug in the store please..
OH. THIS IS SPORTING GOODS!
YEA i GOT THAT PART. think you can transfer me to kids or electronics??
At which point I was transferred to men's wear, then home and office, at which point I was put on hold until a recording asked me for my access code.
WHA?
ok. I call back again, and ask to speak directly to a manager. They have rank, they have authority over the other morons, which should make them smarter, right??
"can I help you?"
God i hope so because I'm pretty sure I've talked to everyone else there, and they can't figure out the phones, let alone what I'm asking about. I need a v smile ac adapter plug. do you have one in the store?
oh gosh ma'am , sorry about that.. let me find out for you.
hold..... hold..... hold...
ma'am- we do have them, they are in the aisle with the vsmile units , in the toys department, or you can also get a universal adapter in electronics.
THANK YOU!
Now, I'm thinking, hey, maybe today walmart WILL be easy, one stop shopping. I can do the gifts, then zip over and get the few groceries I need. Hmm.
Off we go ,all the way across town to the walmart.
to the toy department. .. to the Vsmile units.
YOU have GOT to be KIDDING??!!
the space in front of me is almost blank. there is a huge variety of TWO game cartridges ( one Son has, the other under his age level) and a plug adapter- for a CAR.
The other blank hooks bravely state they are holding other games, and of course, there are TWO hooks that state they hold AC adapter plugs. Empty hooks.
ok.
off to electronics, where the lovely helpful soul who looked like she hated the place as much as I do, tells me that the adapters are sold by the game units.
DUH- the hooks are empty, I called an hour ago and was told they are here.
oh. well we have these univrsal plugs that would fit it...
I almost fell over. they wanted an extra $10 for the universal.I explained again, I CALLED, and was TOLD that the vsmile adapter was HERE, IN the STORE. they sell for $9.98. why would I buy THAT thing for $20, and not know if it'll actually WORK?
uuummm uuuhhh... let me call someone from the toy dept, to meet you over there. maybe they have them in the back.
you do that.
back to toys.
wait
wait
wait
wait...
there is no page on the loudspeaker. there is no sign of life whatsoever in the toy dept.
I go looking for one of those stupid buttons- the ones that auto page a handy staff to your aid in the department of the button... NO buttons.
So we wait.
I go back to electronics, to ask the woman if she paged someone or not, and she totally ignored me. Looked right at me, and when I started to ask her about it, she rolled her eyes and walked away.
Tell me you wouldn't be completely irate by this, and I'll tell you you're lying through your teeth.
back to toys, where I park outside the aisle and start paging someone myself. very loudly " ASSISTANCE TO TOYS PLEASE? CUSTOMER NEEDS ASSISTANCE IN TOYS"
I did this a total of about 6 times, in roughly 10 minutes. I literally heard myself echo through the store. My daughter was completely stunned, but wisely decided this was not the time to ask mommy what this was all about.
finally an 'assistant' appears. I explain to her the issue at hand . She checks her handy scanner and tells me, no, there are NOT any in stock, but there are SIX on order to be delivered sometime next week. " is there something else I can help you with?"
oh i doubt it very much..
so much for the manager being of smarter rank.
Sorry, not spending a red cent in here today folks.
went to Kmart- where I know chances were slim of finding this adapter, but fond a very busy , yet happy and helpful staff member willing to turn the place upside down to find one for me, then suggested radio shack.
so my adventure of "walmart one stop shopping" yet again turned into a nightmare of morons, a trip to kmart, radio shack, and the food store.
At radio shack, I was well greeted, and they did not have the adapter, BUT he did offer the universal, told me he did not want to sell it to me without knowing if it would work though. I told him, it has the different jacks in it, if none of them fit, I can bring it back right?
Oh of course! if this one won't work for you , bring it back, and bring the game unit too, we'll make sure you get the right one..
And do you know what , ladies and gents? the one I bought at Radio Shack was $11.95.
So roughly every reason I hate walmart was exposed all in one trip today....
really.... can you blame me?
Monday, January 25, 2010
My children have designed a food line !
Oh, children....
I had to take my children to the eye wear shop today, to have daughter's glasses reset. Because we left straight from the school, I packed a small snack for them to eat in the car. character gummies. Toy story for son, pixies for daughter.
Daughter declares she's going to make food products for people who are really faithful.
" mama, you know the people who REALLY, REALLY believe in God, and go to church every time they have it? I'm going to make special gummies just for them! one will be Jesus, and the star, and um, Mary, and the 3 kings... "
Nativity Gummies. ok, pretty creative sis.
Son speaks up with his own idea- "Jesus suckers ! they'll look just like Jesus mama! then you have to bite His head off!"
oh... oh now, I dunno if we should allow this to continue, but the riotous laughter from the backseat demanded more.
When we arrived at the eye wear shop- I realized that they have bible quotes in their signs, and it may not be a good idea to allow this "food line" to be exposed in the shop. So I explain to the children, " yes, its silly, yes, its funny, but we all need to stop now, because the people in the store may take offense."
yes mama...
too easy.
While Daughter's glasses were being reset, Son asks if I can pick him up, he wants to see what's behind the counter.
I do, and he spots a big decorative cross on the wall.
He leans in really close,
and in the lightest whisper he possibly can, he says
" look at that Jesus cross mama- its Jeezy Cheezy! "
OH NO!! he started uncontrollably giggling, which of course got me giggling too.
When we got back into the truck, Daughter, of course wanted to know what we were giggling about, and we told her.
more laughter...
They also designed "Jesus Crackers" for communion masses- which are shaped like and have the face of Jesus on them. . . . in color.
Of course, no food line would be complete without chocolate bars- so, my children decided, that, similar to the solid chocolate bunnies at easter, they would have solid chocolate nativity characters.
My daughter , always thinking of healthy foods, said she would grow cherries, and sell them super special.
This, I didn't not understand, Cherry Jesus?
"no mama, Mary is special too, but she'd want everyone to eat fruits, so I'll sell Mary cherries!"
(the first thought was "mary-chino" cherries - the second was a bit more , well , child unfriendly)
OH did I laugh!
With all due respect, it was one of our more amusing creative sessions- and if you want to take offense, think about this- the products they sell for children's snacks have their favorite characters on them- it only made sense to my children to have Jesus Food for people of high faith. Everyone has a favorite ,right?
Yea. another giggly day here at the Nuthouse for sure!
I had to take my children to the eye wear shop today, to have daughter's glasses reset. Because we left straight from the school, I packed a small snack for them to eat in the car. character gummies. Toy story for son, pixies for daughter.
Daughter declares she's going to make food products for people who are really faithful.
" mama, you know the people who REALLY, REALLY believe in God, and go to church every time they have it? I'm going to make special gummies just for them! one will be Jesus, and the star, and um, Mary, and the 3 kings... "
Nativity Gummies. ok, pretty creative sis.
Son speaks up with his own idea- "Jesus suckers ! they'll look just like Jesus mama! then you have to bite His head off!"
oh... oh now, I dunno if we should allow this to continue, but the riotous laughter from the backseat demanded more.
When we arrived at the eye wear shop- I realized that they have bible quotes in their signs, and it may not be a good idea to allow this "food line" to be exposed in the shop. So I explain to the children, " yes, its silly, yes, its funny, but we all need to stop now, because the people in the store may take offense."
yes mama...
too easy.
While Daughter's glasses were being reset, Son asks if I can pick him up, he wants to see what's behind the counter.
I do, and he spots a big decorative cross on the wall.
He leans in really close,
and in the lightest whisper he possibly can, he says
" look at that Jesus cross mama- its Jeezy Cheezy! "
OH NO!! he started uncontrollably giggling, which of course got me giggling too.
When we got back into the truck, Daughter, of course wanted to know what we were giggling about, and we told her.
more laughter...
They also designed "Jesus Crackers" for communion masses- which are shaped like and have the face of Jesus on them. . . . in color.
Of course, no food line would be complete without chocolate bars- so, my children decided, that, similar to the solid chocolate bunnies at easter, they would have solid chocolate nativity characters.
My daughter , always thinking of healthy foods, said she would grow cherries, and sell them super special.
This, I didn't not understand, Cherry Jesus?
"no mama, Mary is special too, but she'd want everyone to eat fruits, so I'll sell Mary cherries!"
(the first thought was "mary-chino" cherries - the second was a bit more , well , child unfriendly)
OH did I laugh!
With all due respect, it was one of our more amusing creative sessions- and if you want to take offense, think about this- the products they sell for children's snacks have their favorite characters on them- it only made sense to my children to have Jesus Food for people of high faith. Everyone has a favorite ,right?
Yea. another giggly day here at the Nuthouse for sure!
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