Approval was fleeting...

Thanks to the magic of "Power School", which gives parents the ability to keep track of what happens at school, we learned last night that perhaps Thing One's forgetfulness didn't deserve the "kindness factor" bestowed on him with yesterday's lunchtime delivery.

Apparently, he's been forgetting more than just his binder. "I forgot" has become the catch phrase du jour for this boy....tossing it around as if it is a get-out-of-jail free card.

After our family meeting, he disappeared upstairs...where he was later found taking all his stuffed animals off the shelf in his room. Trust me, that's a lot of moose stuffed on those shelves.

When asked what he was doing, he sadly looked up at us and said "I am abandoning my childhood". (guilty parental confession here: we'd laid it on pretty thick that he needed to start taking more responsibility, acting more like a 12 yr old).

This morning, I went to check on him and found him hovering in the corner of the room. He'd barricaded himself into the corner that was now filled with the plethora of moose.

Sweetly, I asked "What are you doing, bud?".

"I'm playing in the ruins of my childhood".

Aw...how sweet is that? Pulling on the old heart strings of a sentimental momma.
Well, you made me smile...but you are still grounded!

All it took..

Wondering how you get your pre-teen to break out into the widest grin you've seen in awhile, and give you a peck on the cheek in front of all his lunchroom classmates at middle school?

Just show up with his binder...that had his afternoon classwork in it...all due today after lunch.

Yep, the kid hardly even noticed or cared that I had McDonald's in my other hand!

He was just so happy that he had his classwork!

Score one for the mom (and the dad who concurred, yeah, let's just surprise him with a special lunch time delivery!)

True, this photo has nothing to do with the post. It's from our trip to Sun City and the surrounding Phoenix area that we took earlier in the month. But, it shows the Thing in question happy and smiling

Trading Places...

While the Things are 2 yrs apart in age, size wise they could pass for twins. We often joke about them being twins.

This morning, Thing One suggested that he stay home from school and send his younger brother in his place. (Thing Two is on week 5 of a 5 week break from school. Thing One has been back in school for 2 plus weeks while everyone else here is off track/out of work).

"Mom, nobody would even notice" he argued

When suddenly we hear this voice hollering from where I thought younger brother was still sleeping...

"Uh, DUH, they would too...you'd get better grades, that would give it away!"

I'm still here...

Oh my, I hope this isn't a sign of things to come....put me back to work, and I lose my mojo for blogging? Can't have that...for so many years this blog has been such a source of joy for me. A forum to share the funny things that happen in life, sometimes reflect on the not so funny, and without a doubt, serve as a memory jogger for when I can't remember what happened when....

The other night, I went to check on the oldest Thing before heading off to bed myself. As I bent down to kiss him on the forehead, he sits up, and in his sleep pleads with me "Please Mommy, just let me sleep for 5 more seconds, then I'll get up". And plop...down he went, back to sleep...he missed me saying "Happy to oblige dude, you get 8 more hours to sleep!".

and so that 'bout sums it up.....needing just a little more time in each day to get the things done that need to be done. But hey, one step at a time, and we'll get there...

Until something funny happens...I"m outta here!

Just shoot me...

Oh, how I wish someone would have asked that of me today or yesterday.

As it would have been my pleasure and my honor to have "given them my best shot".

Yeah, yeah, yeah...I'll quit being silly...I've spent the past two days working at a local Walmart giving flu shots. Lost a few nights sleep as I fretted about how busy we'd be. Would I figure out the paperwork. Would I remember how to give a shot after 10+ years since flicking the old needle into the deltoid?

All for naught...you see most folks don't seem that worried about the piggy flu anymore. Either that or they've already had their shot or find the $15 fee too much. In 2 days of work, my associate and I have given a total of 13 vaccines...yeah, between the two of us.

The upside was having a chance to people watch...and is there any better place in the world to people watch than Walmart? I think not...I saw spandex in all sizes/shapes/colors. I saw hineys and hoodies (because apparently, they go hand in hand...hoodie + low hangin jeans). Jammies are apparently considered appropriate day wear when shopping. Dentures? Eh...why bother.
Just grin and share that toothless grin! One fella shared with me WHY he didn't need the shot I was offering: "Cuz they gave it to me when I was in jail last month!". great....just great...

I did get to see that the associates and managers that work at Walmart are very kind people. They want to chat with you, and well...they can dish with the best of us about their "customers" (but first they look over their shoulders to make sure nobody else is listening).

And I also got to see that yes...I still know how to give a shot, fill out paperwork and chat up the old folks...and that all made me feel good about myself and the skills I have as a nurse.