15% off "Toys R Us" Coupon

you can get 15% off ONE toy at toys r us.

i suggest printing out more than one coupon and just going to every store, or going to the same store on different days.

but that's just me.

:)

click here to get the coupon if the title link doesn't work:

http://www3.toysrus.com/our/tru/prom/2008fafcpn/925137.cfm

store closings (st. louis steals and deals) ...

ok, so here are some st. louis stores that are closing.

YAY for me! but, unfortunately, not for the people who are losing their jobs, and the communities that are losing local retail options ...

but, as always, back to me -- WHEEEEE!

so

SEARS, at jamestown mall is closing and will be closed early next year. ONLY this location is closing. there's another one in another part of the country, but we don't really care about them right now ...

VALUE CITY, everywhere in the st. louis area is closing and will probably be closed by the end of this year. they are already at the 50% off stage.

LINENS AND THINGS, everywhere is closing. they are at the 20 - 40% off stage. with 40% off of curtain rods -- the cheaper ones are gone, but the more expensive ones are still there -- at least at the chesterfield valley location. they will also be closed (probably) by the end of the year.

CIRCUIT CITY, in North County is also going out of business. just saw that this weekend. at the corner of 270 and w. florissant rd.

so, if you're looking to cash in on these store closings, start now.

and if you hear of any other store closings, please let me know.

i LOVE a deal.

it's been awhile, i know, and christmas is already here ...

but i've been busy, busy, busy ...

and if you were to ask me "doing what?" i would have to think about it awhile before answering you.

i've been working on my house, working AT my house, working with the kids, and working at work (ok, maybe not working at work, but i've BEEN at work, WHICH, is a job in and of itself).

so, i've been very busy.

right now, i'm tackling the daunting task of buying christmas gifts and making sure that the kids don't see them before i get them into the house. NOT an easy task because i have very nosey kids.

fortunately (or perhaps, UNfortunately, i haven't yet decided), i always have a messy car. so what i've been doing is hiding bags under the mess in the front seat. i've even taken to putting black trashbags in the trunk area of my car, so when i buy something, at least the kids won't see a big ass TOY R US bag. instead, they just continue with the belief that their mom is rather messy and that she's transporting trash around the city (sigh).

anyway, every year i try to figure out what to get them, and this year, i would really like some suggestions. i haven't yet gotten to the dollar store, but that's next on my list (nothing stuffs a stocking better than things that cost a dollar ...)

so, i have three kids (in case you're just tuning in) that are 8 (boy), 7 (boy) and 4 (girl).

send me your gift suggestions (since i'm so busy and since i WORK so much, i welcome your ideas).

thanks!

walgreen's $5 off coupon

yes, yes, i know ...

but hey, who DOESN'T want to get $5.00 off at walgreen's ?

go here:
http://email.walgreens.com/PS!MUfxHj6aAf8FBgIAAAAGCgFICgg0MDYwNzI4MwoKMjA3NjE1OTE3NAkAGV0wCgkzMzEwNTcwNzcF?email_addr=savvythehun%40yahoo.com&ec=hn624_fullonlineversion

i got her on the screamin' eagle ...

yay!



so, we went to six flags yesterday. and it was good.



fright fest, wasn't all that frightful -- well, maybe the PRICES were, but all else was expected. there was a haunted house that was an extra $5 to enter - and we all entered. which, was interesting, b/c you bought the tickets, then walked through this line "maze", and THEN, the ghoul at the end asked for your ticket. AFTER they got your ticket, the one that you paid for, THEN they tell you that kids under 12 might not want to enter. WELL SHIT, why didn't they tell me that prior to me purchasing the damned ticket? regardless, i had heard that the haunted house was a bit hokey, so i wasn't worried, or anything, just a bit outdone by the trickery.



we didn't go on the haunted hayride (another $5 each) but did ride the "terror train" (which was free, and honestly, SHOULD have been free - it was pretty awful. AND cold outside).



but the most exciting part of the day for me, was ...



my sweet little four year old rode the screamin' eagle roller coaster! and she didn't scream, or cry, or otherwise! she just held on to my arm and enjoyed the ride! i was so proud of her.



unfortunately, the roller coaster nazi wouldn't let her ride again. the second time we tried to ride, they did a height check on her. turns out they think that she was 2inches too short (a different ride said that she was half an inch too short - next time she'll have lifts).



we expected this, so she wasn't too heart-broken.



the boys, of course, were fine to go by themselves.



all in all, a good day.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME ....

that's right,

fine and 39 ...

Ballot Preview ...

Enter in your address and zip code and it will show you everything that is going to be on the ballot in your area.

Handy to know, there is alot of stuff. http://smartvoter.org/

$10 off $40.00 purchase at Walgreens ...

Ok, yes, this again ...

$10 off $40.00 purchase at Walgreens ...

YAY! today AND tomorrow you can get $10 off your $40 purchase at Walgreens!

Enjoy!

Click here if title link doesn't work: http://www.walgreens.com/hotbuys/default.jsp?ec=hn583_getcoupon

Another $5 Walgreen's Coupon ... YAY!

hey, you're probably going to go there anyway, might as well save $5. just click on the title.

NOTE: sometimes the links don't work if you are getting this in your e-mail, so you might have to either go to the 1savvymother.blogspot and click on the title there, or you may be able to cut and paste the link.

EGG WHITES - not all they're cracked up to be ...

ok, so yesterday, i found out that i am suffering from high cholesterol. not SUPER high, mind you, i'm like 238 and the cut off is 200 (i believe), but, high enough that i need to bring it down (sigh).

i found this out b/c i took a blood test at my doctors office and they MAILED me the results.

**** ASIDE****
ok, how impersonal is a MAILED medical report, with a hand-written note from my doctor saying, "hey, that's high", with an attached pamphlet on things to eat to bring down my cholesterol. i mean, i have insurance, she did get paid like $100 at least, and she only saw me for like 10 minutes, hell, she didn't draw my blood or anything, she just said "hey, let's test your blood". i mean, why NOT a call? was she that absolutely busy? i know that, she took time to glance at the report, so why not call while she's looking at it and say, "hey, eat some egg whites dummy!". i'm just saying ... a LITTLE bedside manner goes a long way ... but, back to my saga (and yes, i've decided that my life is a saga) ...
**** END OF ASIDE****

ok, so like i said, on the pamphlet included with my test results, were instructions on how to try and bring down my cholesterol. one suggestion was allowing only two egg whites per week in my diet. so, i tried that this morning. instead of one whole egg, i ate two egg whites. scrambled. with salt and pepper (my sodium levels were normal). and uh, that was not so good.

now, i'm not sure if i missed the yolk itself, or the IDEA of the yolk (which, i think is the best part of a boiled egg) but scrambled egg whites were kinda yucky-bland.

and yes, there were other suggestions included on the handy-dandy pamphlet, however, i figured that i would start slowly and then work my way up to a cholesterol sensible diet.

geesh, like i don't have enough to think about already ...

coupon for t.v.'s change to digital ... grrrr

o.k., i have seen about a MILLION "crawls" at the bottom of my t.v. screen (or at the top) as well as the many, many, many commercials informing me that i am screwed when analog t.v. signals convert to digital.

I GET IT ALREADY!

so, for those of you (and/or your friends) who need a coupon for the damned boxes (if you don't already have cable or satellite), this is the link for the damned coupons: https://www.dtv2009.gov/ApplyCoupon.aspx

how the government gets to determine how i receive my television shows is beyond me ( i sure as hell didn't vote for that crap - and yes, if you couldn't already tell, this really pisses me off).

whatever.

enjoy.

MO Tax-Free Holiday Starts TODAY!

so yeah, if you need things, this weekend (August 1-3) is the time to get them.

The sales tax exemption is limited to:

Clothing – any article having a taxable value of $100 or less
School supplies – not to exceed $50 per purchase
Computer software – taxable value of $350 or less
Personal computers – not to exceed $3,500
Computer peripheral devices – not to exceed $3,500

Sales Tax Holiday - Local Cities Opting Out (state tax will still be eliminated, but the selfish City will still collect their sales tax - BASTARDS!) -- See, they think that the public is too stupid to realize that they are still charging local tax until check-out time. So, I don't shop there on the tax holiday,

So go to The Mills Mall (in Hazelwood), or Jamestown Mall (in Florissant, or unincorporated St.Louis County) or Chesterfield Mall (in Chesterfield). They are completely state and city tax-free.

Below is the list of cities that will not participate in the 2008 sales tax holiday. City sales tax in these locations will still be collected on the sale of qualifying holiday items.

For a complete list of Missouri Cities opting out click here: http://dor.mo.gov/tax/business/sales/taxholiday/cities.htm

Alton
Ballwin
Bellerive Acres
Berkeley
Beverly Hills
Black Jack
Branson
Brentwood
Bridgeton
Byrnes Mill
Charlack
Clayton
Columbia
Cool Valley
Cottleville
Des Peres (West County mall is OUT)
Edmundson
Ellisville
Elsberry
Farmington
Frontenac (Frontenac Plaza is OUT)
Fenton
Ferguson
Festus
Greendale
Jefferson City
Joplin
Kingdom City
Kirkwood
Ladue
Manchester
Maplewood
Northwoods
Oak Grove
Oakland
Osage Beach
Overland
Ozark
Pevely
Poplar Bluff
Purdy
Richmond
Richmond Heights (The Galleria is OUT)
Rock Hill
Rolla
Shrewsbury
St Ann (Northwest Plaza is OUT)
St Peters (Mid-Rivers Mall is OUT)
Town & Country
Twin Oaks
University City
Walnut Grove
Warson Wood
Webster Grove
West Plains

Any questions? :)

$5 off Coupon at Walgreens ...

yes, again. :)

Click here: http://www.walgreens.com/hotbuys/default.jsp?ec=hn571_getcoupon

Military Camp Debriefing ...

"we are the young marines.

we'll show you what we mean

we'll beat the best, in every contest,

we'll beat them nice and clean.

semper fi

oooorah!"

ok, so my eldest son is back. there are a TON of pictures that the camp photographer took of the boys, on the website (click the title of this post to connect to their shutterfly page - picture albums a, b and cc are of the younger kids, and the rest of the albums are of the older kids).

the quote above is what they said when they were in formation, right before their awards ceremony.

HOW CUTE WAS THAT?

AND, my son won an award for most fish caught! YAY!

ok, what he actually caught was a turtle. but YAY!!!!!!!!!

he had a great time. his roommate wasn't the nicest kid on the block, but, that was a good lesson for my child to learn. everyone isn't going to be nice to you just because you are nice to them (but yeah, i SO wanted to kick that kids ASS -- pardon my french. yes, that really is french -- i mean REALLY, but, that's another story altogether. yeah, i have anger issues sometimes ...)

so some of the highlights were that he shot a rifle, a paintball gun and a bow and arrow, and he got to play in a lot mud (see the pictures). he also learned things like about-face, right-face, and left-face.

WHEEE!

his younger brother was so jealous. he can't wait to go next year.

and honestly ...

i can't wait to send him.

now, if only there was somewhere for me to send that unruly girl of mine ...

and on the 5th day, they rested ...

Summary of the Introduced Bill
HB 1534 -- Four-Day School Week

Sponsor: Kingery

This bill allows school districts to establish a four-day week
upon a majority vote of the school board. The number of required
hours in a school year remains at 1,044, but the number of days
will be 142 rather than 174.

alright, i first heard about this as an intro on the news. never did hear the actual story because i had to leave the house before the actual story came on (that's one of my pet peeves about the news. everything that i am interested in, is buried late, late, late in the program, but, that's another blog topic for a later date ...).

anyway, i decided to figure out what was going on. if you click the title of this post, you should link up to the story that i read.

anyway, after all of the dust has settled, i have one question ...

WHO'S WITH THE KIDS ON THAT 5TH DAY?

WHO'S BEARING THE COST FOR THE KIDS ON THAT 5TH DAY?

WHO'S REALLY SAVING MONEY?

well, i'm thinking, that while the schools are saving money on that 5 th day, that parents are the ones bearing that cost in childcare expenses of some sort.

or am i wrong? have i missed something?

174-142=32

so, that's 32 days that kids aren't in school. a little over a month.

using one school district's rate for all day care, of $22.50 per kid per day, that's an additional cost of $720. per year, per kid (ok maybe a little less as there is a $1.00 per day discount for additional kids) - NOT to mention additional fuel costs for parental pick up and drop off and lunches. so, i'm thinking that increases costs for the parent to about roughly $1000 extra per kid per year.

have i missed something? am i wrong about this?

whereas things are tough all over, seems like in missouri, things are just getting tougher.

moreover, for kids who are old enough to stay at home on that 5th day - uh, what are they doing? hanging out? sleeping? playing video games? cleaning their rooms? robbing my house? WHAT?

and doesn't this somehow mitigate the importance of education? i mean, can you really learn and retain the same amount of information in 8 months as opposed to 9 months?

the article states that the 4-day school-week is used mostly in rural areas.

hmmmmm, when i think about a rural area, that doesn't really bring to mind affluence, or low drop-out rate.

the article also states that 16 states across the country have adopted the 4-day school week.

hmmmmm, seems to me that i just saw a commercial where the us was WAY BEHIND in educational standards compared to other countries.

does anyone but me see a problem here?

(post all coments to the blogsite)

the girly-girl ...

this is my last post today, i PROMISE!

my daughter is turning into a girly-girl (i think).

seems as though, even though she endlessly tortures her older brothers (and me, see earlier blog on how they are all trying to kill me), she is still more girly than i may be comfortable with.

for example:

- she USE to love swimming, and now, she won't even get her face wet.
-she runs like a girl.
-she thinks that shaking her little butt is cute. (and yes, i'm working on that)
-she tries to talk baby-talk to get her way, or when acting silly. (again, working on that)

i am just not sure what's going on. the boys were (and probably still are) trying to make her more boy-friendly. she can almost pass gas at will, and she thinks burping is the greatest thing ever. whereas i don't approve of that, it's really distressing that she doesn't want to swim anymore.

granted, she's three now, and she might just change her mind ...

see? she's FICKLE!

sigh.

ANOTHER Dead Bird ...

look, i have no idea as to what's going on at my house, HOWEVER, there's another dead bird on my property.

no, it didn't prevent me from getting into my garage, however, it WILL stop me from going anywhere NEAR my gaslight (you know, that tall light standing in the middle of the front of people's yards ... my mom had to tell me what it was called).

see, they actually LIVE in my gutters. my gutters are covered by a metal mesh covering, i suppose to keep things OUT of the gutter. i didn't realize that birds were actually living there until one morning, as i was leaving the house, i actually HEARD them running from the side of the house around the corner of the house and then saw them fly out of the gutter.

i'm thinking that the yard guy is going to have to take care of that.

yeah.

the yard guy ...

to diet, or not to diet, that's the question ...

ok, about 3-4 weeks ago, i started the atkins diet. and i am ACTUALLY losing weight. no, unfortunately, it wasn't my "bright idea" to try atkins. a friend of mine went on it and spoke so HIGHLY of it, that i thought that i would give it a try.

she got all scientific with it and measured and weighed everything before and during -- i'm just kinda plodding through, very unceremoniously. BUT, although she's way cooler than i am, it's WORKING!

today, i am wearing a pair of pants that use to be snug, and now, they aren't. i can actually sit down and the pants don't do a stranglehold on my thighs (the ladies might know what i'm talking about. it's the phenomenon where your pants fit ok until you sit down and the spread of the thigh takes up all the room in the pant-leg ... ).

anyway, sure, i crave cupcakes and cake (i even had a food dream where i ate a cupcake and swallowed it, then realized i was on a diet -- i can't even DREAM about food. that's upsetting to say the least).

anyway, i'm pleased with the whole low carb/no carb diet.

well, the results, at least.

see what happens when you bow to peer pressure?

he's in the army now ... well, almost

yesterday, i drove my 7 year-old (almost 8 year old) to military camp.

no, he's not a "bad" child and i was not trying to punish him. it's a really fun place where boys (and only boys at this particular military academy) rappel 40 ft walls, swim, learn archery, camp out, and shoot rifles (among other wonderful things).

when we got there, we went through this really organized sign-in procedure where he was "issued" his uniform. the uniform consisted of a military hat, camouflage shorts, and a t-shirt with the name of the school across the front. they were ALL TOO FREAKIN BIG FOR MY LITTLE BOY! which, of COURSE made it all the cuter!

i think that he's going to learn a lot of cool stuff while there. i'm so very excited for him. and of course, i sent him a letter (mailed it on saturday so that he would get it today).

my worry? is that the older and/or bigger boys might be mean to him. sigh.

anyway, i'm really excited for him, and can't wait to pick him up on saturday -- oh, i almost forgot to mention -- there's going to be a "ceremony" on saturday. i can't even IMAGINE what that's going to entail.

i'll be sure to take pictures and post them.

that's right.

i'm actually going to POST a picture.

UPDATE: i just called the school. yes, i did. and was told that he had an opportunity to call on tuesday. so, the only LOGICAL thing for me to think now is that a larger boy prevented him from calling me. or that he was last in line, and larger boys took too long on the telephone and when it was his turn, it was too late. yeah. i think that's the ONLY explanation that's feasible. the good major is supposed to call me back with a report of some sort. i'll keep you posted. damned larger boys!

$5 off Coupon at Walgreens ...

click here: http://www.walgreens.com/hotbuys/default.jsp?ec=hn553_getcoupon

requires a $20 purchase.

CHEATING - Where Do You Stand?

i was recently talking to a friend of mine about cheating and the concept of right and wrong, and who is right and who is wrong, and that i am always right ...

and, this is my question - if you have sex with someone (a cheater), who you KNOW is married or otherwise in a committed relationship (with the "innocent" party), are you "wrong" for that?

are you hurting the "innocent" party?

should the "innocent" party be angry with you?

does it matter if you don't know that the cheater is in a committed relationship?

It's $10 Thursday at Shop n Save TODAY!

so yeah, you can get $10 off your $50 grocery purchase today.

AND, just like everyone else, they're trying to get your stimulus rebate, so between now and july 1st (i think), if you buy a gift card for $300, you get an extra $30 - so the card is loaded for $330. and an extra $60 if you load it with $600, and $120, if you load it with $1200.

and you don't have to bring in your check or anything, they'll work with cash (isn't that nice of them?).

i just saw it today online, so sorry for the short notice. :)

DRY Drowning - Because You Didn't Have Enough To Worry About ...

ok, recently a friend sent me an article about a little boy who had gone swimming for the first time. he was 10 years old. while swimming, he "soiled" himself (i'm assuming that was a #2, as no one would know if it were a #1). after swimming, he, his mother and his sister walked home. his mother gave him a bath. he was apparently VERY tired and went to bed. an hour later, his mother went in to check on him and there was a white substance all over his face (apparently, he vomited the water up). and he was dead.

the full story is here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24982210/

and there are no "good" warning signs (as far as i'm concerned) -- the #2 would concern me, but i probably wouldn't have taken him to the hospital for that.

geeze.

LISTERINE - Fights Bad Breath and MOSQUITOES?

my wonderful mother sent me this little jewel today (thanks mom!):

I was at a deck party awhile back, and the mosquitoes were having a ball biting everyone. A man at the party sprayed the lawn and deck floor with Listerine, and the little demons disappeared. The next year I filled a 4-ounce spray bottle and used it around my seat whenever I saw mosquitoes. And voila! That worked as well. It worked at a picnic where we sprayed the area around the food table, the children's swing area, and the standing water nearby. I tried this on my deck and around all of my doors. It works! In fact, it killed them instantly. I bought my bottle from Target and it cost me$1.89. It really doesn't take much, and it is a big bottle, too; so it is not as expensive to use as the can of spray you buy that doesn't last 30 minutes. So, try this, please. It will last a couple of days. Don't spray directly on a wood door (like your front door), but spray around the frame. Spray around the window frames, and even inside the dog house. During the summer, I don't leave home without it.....

i'm going to try it. let me know if any of you try this and whether or not this works for you.

$10 Off $30.00 purchase at Walgreens ...

click here:

http://www.walgreens.com/hotbuys/default.jsp?ec=hn545_getcoupon

this coupon is good for TOMORROW ONLY (Friday, May 30).

let me know if the link doesn't work.

Shop n Save SPECIAL - $10 off purchase of $50 or more ...

ok, here's another value -- sometimes, on thursdays, you can get $10 off your purchase of $50 or more at Shop n Save. they don't do it every week, but they do it often.

check out the link below if you don't believe me.
that's right, do it.
do it now.
i dare you.
i DOUBLE dog dare you (for those of you who need a little push)

:)

http://www.shopnsave.com/sns-webapp/ads/ads.do

Walgreen's $5 Coupon ...

according to my mom ...

if you go to http://www.walgreens.com/ and get a username & password, (and on the sign up screen, check the box next to special offers and savings - or something like that) you will get a $5 coupon via e-mail once a month that you can use when you make a purchase of $20 or more.

i just did it, so i can't confirm it, but, i trust my mom didn't lead me astray ...

BESTED, by a Dead Bird ...

so i had had a pretty great day at work, had picked up the kids, and was pulling into the driveway. i noticed that there was something on the concrete pad outside of my garage. looked like a brown leaf or an old brown paper bag (yeah, i do need glasses ...). as i get closer, i realize that it's a dead bird. or, at least what looks to be a dead bird.

of course, i had to stop the car, and get out. poor thing, was laying on it's back, with feet in air. NOT moving. HOW WAS I TO GET INTO THE GARAGE?

EW!

there are few things that truly alarm me - but this thing got the better of me. i absolutely HATE being the "typical girl" - squeamish, squealers, seemingly helpless - i was NOT a happy camper, and there was no way in hell i was going to pick that thing up.

no.

way.

so, i did the helpless girl thing and called a man-friend. he suggested that i use a shovel to pick it up and then put it in the trashcan.

uh, no. THAT would not only mean that i would have to pick it up, but i might get my clean snow-shovel all yucky with dead bird parts. not going to happen.

so he asked me if i wanted him to come over and pick it up. so, after i hemmed and hawed, i finally said yes.

then, my 7-year old got out of the car (he had previously been asleep). he offered to pick it up, but chickened out (reasonably so).

THEN, the neighbor man came by to say hi. what a mistake THAT was! i got him to pick up the bird with a trash bag.

i screamed the whole time he was doing it. yep, i'm pathetic.

but had i not gotten help, how was i going to get in the garage?

i'll just let the kids run WILD ...

there's this AD that's running on tv and radio. basically, it says that children of single parent households are more likely to take drugs, drop out of school, have sex, go to jail (among other "bad things") NO MATTER HOW ACTIVE THE PARENT IS IN THEIR LIVES.

interesting.

so, as a single parent, perhaps i should just leave the kids at home all day (they're just going to drop out of school anyway), give them some drugs, a gun, and some condoms (well, maybe NOT condoms - wouldn't want them to be the least bit responsible for their actions, after all, they ARE products of a broken home ..) and let them run wild.

that would save me a lot of money, and stress - i'm one of those "active" parents that is apparently wasting my time being involved in my children's lives.

or, perhaps i should just go out and get them a daddy?

or maybe, get back together with their asshole father?

i have so many choices!

decisions, decisions!

Testing, Testing, 1, 2, 3,

"Betty, pickup"

LaVerne, in an episode of Laverne and Shirley where she was the cook and Shirley was the waitress at a diner/truckstop. She called LaVerne "Betty" much to Shirley's chagrin. Anyway, this is just a test to see if people who are ON the e-mail list are getting the e-mails.

THIS IS ONLY A TEST ...

In the event of an actual posting, you will be given something WAY more interesting to read.

Yep. WAY more interesting.

My Kids are Trying to Kill Me ...

really.

no, i'm not kidding or exaggerating. they are trying to kill me.

it's a slow, grinding, torturous, methodical, type of kill. the process that they are using is sleep deprivation coupled with incessant arguing, oh, and they like to climb on me (they're heavier than they look) for good measure. oh, they're smart. and actually, i USE to be smart. not anymore. they tire me out and then condition me for crazy.

to look at my children, you would never guess. sometimes, they look like butter wouldn't melt in their mouths. but looks can, and often are, VERY deceiving.

i have three kids. three high-energy, loud-talking, smart-ass kids. 7, 6, and 3. the older two are boys, and that three year old is a girl. well, anatomically she's a girl, but over her short three year lifespan, she has been turned into a boy BY the boys. but, i am getting ahead of myself.

i first realized that the kids were trying to kill me early on, when the boys were little. they would do little things to rob me of all of my energy. poopy diaper leaks, urinating on me, spilled milk (and yes, i DO cry over it -- ESPECIALLY if it's undiscovered milk -- have you SMELLED rancid milk?), food on the floor, juice on the floor (which, by the way, you can NEVER just spot clean), toys on the floor (sharp pointy toys - or toys that become sharp and pointy because you step on them and break them - note: lego's are the devils creation), CRYING (theirs AND mine), and a host of other energy-robbing behaviors are ALL practiced by my kids. and they tag-team me at every opportunity.

my daughter, well, she has learned from them. and they have since added, bodily noises. one of them can poot at will. the other two are excellent burpers. my daughter is the little pooter (see what i mean? they are RUINING her ... sigh). they also love to pretend to poot and burp.

the noises i don't mind so much. sure, they can be a little annoying, but i can live with that. what i cannot live with is the silence. silence is trouble. BIG trouble. silence means that they are TRYING to do something that they shouldn't be doing. usually, they are loud and doing things because they aren't aware that what they are doing might be life threatening. when they are quiet, they KNOW that what they are doing is wrong.

and HOW twisted is THAT? when it's quiet, i panic, and when it's noisy i'm a little LESS panicked. see how they are doing me? they are conditioning my crazy.

my middle child likes to hold my left hand. so does my youngest. no one is too much interested in holding my left hand. see what i mean? it's just not rational.

i TRY to understand the whole "he's looking at me" argument, but doesn't that mean that they are looking at each other? which would mean that they were both wrong?

and really, is it that hard to aim for the middle of the potty? and why is the seat APPARENTLY too heavy to lift?

couldn't toothpaste be more rinsable off of the sink, counter and mirror? why does it HAVE to harden to a concrete-like substance?

and one ladybug flying around the house is cute. but ten or so more, well that's just plain NOT COOL -- they die. wherever they want. dead ladybug -- well, that's just another dead bug in the house. and more cleaning for me ... and they SNEAK them in the house.

outside of kiddie-type antics, well, i also have to cook, clean, help with homework, make sure they are bathed (NOT as easy as it sounds), and chauffeur them around town like they are mini rock stars (i say rock stars because they have trashed my car and their room on numerous occasions)

oh, and the KILLER part, is that they are cute. and they are even cuter when they are asleep. and THAT is when i seem to forget that they are out to DESTROY me. see how the crazy works?

so, i'm consistently perplexed by their actions, tired-out, and conditioned for crazy.

they truly are smart kids. i just wish that they would use their powers for good and not evil.

am i rambling? it's because i'm dead tired. that's all.

uh oh. they're quiet.

gotta go!

Playing the "Float" ... Float on, Float on ...

money is tight for most of us these days. and some people have very creative ways to get from one paycheck to another. SOME PEOPLE. not me. SO I'VE HEARD. never practiced ...

so, i was talking to a friend of mine who had never "played the Float" ... dont' know what that means? well, the "Float" is the time between when you write a check and when the money is actually taken out of your account.

for example ... you write a check to the grocery store on monday. the money doesn't actually come out of your account until tuesday or more likely wednesday. the time of day that you write the check can also make a difference. checks written later in the day have a better chance of taking longer to hit your account than would a check written that morning.

PLEASE NOTE - I AM NOT ADVOCATING THIS ... IT'S PROBABLY A CRIME (ok, it IS a crime to write a check on an account that doesn't have funding to cover the check)

i'm just saying ... this was a conversation that i was having with someone who didn't have enough money to make it to payday. (again, absolutely NOT advocating this practice).

so, if you are broke on wednesday, and get paid on friday, well, you might just be able to make it to friday ...

BUT BEWARE -- some places, like a super walmart that i had the occassion to visit, will take the money out of your account AT THE REGISTER -- that's right. it's almost like an atm without the fees.

float on, float on ...

Austrian Father Who Imprisoned His Daughter Should Die ...

ok, i'm not usu one for the death penalty (it's use is unfair and biased, etc, etc.) HOWEVER, the man who locked his daughter and their kids in the basement/cellar for 24 years pretty much should die. not a nice, lethal injection "just go to sleep" type of death, but a horrible, lingering, awful, death -- complete with weeping, festering, maggot wriggling sores.

here are the latest and most specific articles that i found:

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/05/01/austria.inquest/index.html#cnnSTCText

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/05/05/austria.incest/index.html

it explains why no one knew where they were. i just assumed that they were in the basement. apparently, they were in a specially made cellar, complete with a labyrinth-like entry maze. apparently, he started building it when he first started molesting his daughter (at age 11) and it is not included in the buildings plans.

you NEVER know what's going on in someone else's house.

DEXTER RULES! (take the sociopath test!)

ok, so i don't have showtime.

surprised? well, i'm mad at my local cable company and had issues with a lazy satellite company, but, that's a whole nother post (yes, i said "nother").

anyway, as i was saying, i don't have showtime. and i have been missing, uncut episodes of the BEST tv/cable series EVER! in case you have never watched it, dexter is a serial killer. but, he uses his powers for good, not evil. yay! he kills bad guys. he works during the day as a mild-mannered blood expert in a police department, and only one of the excellently trained police officers suspects that he's not all that he seems (apparently, that police officer bites it later on in the series).

he's got a girlfriend, and she's "damaged" -- which in turn, makes her annoying -- and a sister who is equally annoying.

not that serial killing is cool or anything(for the record, serial killing is bad. VERY, VERY BAD) but he's definitely a likable character. i have not read the book that the series is based on, however, i plan on getting it.

anyway, he's a sociopath.

ok, so here's a test to see if you are a sociopath.

TEST:

-- a woman goes to her mother's funeral and meets a very nice man. he's attractive and attentive to her in that all-too-brief meeting, and may just be her soulmate. the next day, she kills her sister. why?

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ANSWER:

she wants to see him again.

apparently, sociopaths answer this question correctly, and regular folk don't.

which one are you?

Bunk Bed Building ...

ok, so, i'm basically frugal (i would say cheap, but that doesn't sound nice ...). well, i am in the market for a bunk bed for my daughter, and can't seem to find one reasonably priced.

i went to value city furniture, and the metal ones i hated, and the wooden ones were cheaply made. i went to big lots, and surprisingly, i DID happen to see an all wood bunk bed for $199, WHICH, is a really good price. it wasn't flimsy at all. but, unfortunately, it looked like it was for a boy's room (and were i to paint it pink, which is my plan, it would look odd to say the very least ...).

i have looked at other stores and on different websites, and unfortunately, the under $300 beds are either metal (and awful) or ugly wooden monstrosities. of course, i HAVE found some BEAUTIFUL beds, even wrought-iron bunk beds, however, i can't justify spending over $1000 on a child's bed (oh, and i am SO not in a position to lay out that type of cash anyway) SO, i have opted to build-a-bed. that's right. i'm going to build it myself. i can definitely do it for under $300, and paint it pink.

my current plan is to use the hollywood bedframe that i currently have as the bottom portion of the bunk bed. this will allow me to position it parallel with the upper bunk, OR perpendicular to the upper bunk (see ... i've thought about this). so, now, i just need to make the upper bunk. i'm currently in the process of drawing up those plans, and i'm pretty excited. yes, i HAVE made things before. and, if it turns out crappy, i can always buy one (yucky, yucky, blah!).

i'll post pictures when it's completed.

it's going to be based on this premise: http://www.riddlefurniture.com/

Sam's Club Mattress Event ...

sam's club in st. louis has SERIOUSLY marked down ALL of their in-stock mattresses.

so, if you need a mattress, you'd better hurry, they are down to their last few. i needed twin mattresses and got a great deal on them at the maplewood location (i didn't see the plush firm at the ferguson or chesterfield valley location, although st. charles DOES have a few twin firm supremes in stock)

Wimpy Kids? or Overly Coddled?

i recently read this article:

http://www.nysun.com/editorials/why-i-let-my-9-year-old-ride-subway-alone

and thought, WOW, that sounds like something i would do! but of course, had i done it, child services would have been called, an investigation would have been made, a "file" would have been created, etc.

BUT, i totally agree with what this mother did. i'm sure her son had been with her many times on the subway, so it wasn't as if it were a foreign concept to him. it was more of an adventure. kids don't seem to have adventures anymore ...

i'm amazed at how children aren't allowed to do anything on their own. i even recall one mother saying of her 6 year old daughter, that she was never to be alone (for purposes of safety). that "no one ever complained of having a bad childhood because they were with a friend". that was the craziest crap i had ever heard.

are kids more wimpy these days? or are they overly coddled? or are the wimpy because they are overly coddled? and how is this going to affect them when they reach adulthood?

as a parent, i do whatever i can to put my children in situations where they are on their own and relying on themselves and their decisions. for example, they each go to different schools (so that they are not compared to each other, but based on their own actions, AND so that they have to deal with difficult situations on their own, without sibling back-up). another example ... i sent them away to camp as soon as they were old enough. i didn't ask them if they wanted to go. i didn't ask them if they would be afraid to go. i just told them that they were going. and they went. and they LOVED it. there was no question as to whether i would come back and get them in the middle of their 4 day 3 night stay. i wasn't going to, and they knew that. they weren't lost, maimed or molested. they just had fun.

more importantly, they learned that they could be away from mommy and rely on themselves.

this summer, my oldest is going to military camp. alone. 7 days and 6 nights. he'll be the youngest kid there and he can't wait.

my 6 year-old is insanely jealous.

perhaps i'll let the 6 year old ride the bus somewhere ...

Cheap, Inexpensive Living (a/k/a You Don't Need That!)

We are now living in a time of rapidly increasing costs. Gas prices are skyrocketing, and taking everything else with them. Your SUV looks SO very cool in the driveway – but not as cool when you have to fill that beast up with $4.00 per gallon regular unleaded.

So, how CAN you live cheaply and inexpensively? Well, you have to employ the principle of “I don’t need that” into your daily vocabulary (But, say it to yourself, not out loud, lest you unnerve those nearby …).

Sounds easy, right? Well, it’s not. Our basic culture is one of consumption. We absolutely NEED tissue with aloe vera, and paper towels that allow us to select a special size, and fabric softener, and diapers that grip and fit and never EVER leak, and the latest and greatest electronic gadgets, the newest and most expensive clothing and cologne, not to mention the best washing machine ever (because the washing machine judges are going to come by and rate us on how cool we are) and, well, we don’t want our friends to think that we’re poor, or broke, or otherwise not financially sound.

Well, that’s how I thought. Until I left my husband. Oh, and then, of course, he didn’t immediately pay child support for our three kids, or the utility bills that were still in my name. Let’s not even MENTION the fact that I had to go and buy a car in my own name. I’m sure that you aren’t interested in that – BUT needless to say, that was me. I gave the impression to the world that I was financially sound (didn’t want people to feel sorry for me, right?) but that was the FARTHEST thing from the truth. I was financially, on the verge of bankruptcy (but I couldn’t file, well, because that costs money too – funny how life works …). Oh, and I made too much money to get state assistance for childcare, but DEFINITELY not enough to support three kids and my established way of living.

So, I changed. And here are a few ways how:

First, I eliminated everything that was disposable and could be replaced by something that was reuseable. Papertowels were replaced with commercial kitchen towels (the plain ordinary white ones) and I used cloth diapers (ew, and yes).

Second, I eliminated everything that I used purely for “smell” purposes. Electric plug in the wall scents, once used up, were not repurchased. I no longer use fabric softener or dryer sheets – I find that my detergent smells just fine. I don’t buy fancy shower gel (that’s right, I use bar soap) or air freshener (the biggest rip-off ever).

Third, I started washing clothes once a week. This eliminated the need to have multiples of bed linens (you only need two sets per bed), towels (again, two sets per family member), underwear (suggested ten per family member) and I think you get the picture. I stopped buying more of everything and started washing what I had. Novel concept, I know. Oh, and I stopped using hot water to wash my clothes and just used cold. In today’s market, the detergent cleans the clothes, not the temperature. If anything, hot water “sets” the stain. For extremely soiled clothing, I pre-soak in cold water overnight.

Fourth, ammonia is my friend. I can clean with it, and it doesn’t discolor (like bleach might) and its supercheap. Yay!

Fifth, I only grocery shop twice per month. This has allowed me to use what I have. I tended to buy things, and then either re-buy, or not use what I had, which was costly as food eventually expires. And, I try to only buy things that are on sale, reduced or on clearance. I freeze bread, all meat, milk (thaw in frig, shake and use), and of course, leftovers.

Sixth, there is no sweeter phrase in the English language than “hand me down”. I get hand-me downs from friends who have older kids. I use what I want and give to the goodwill what I don’t. What that means? Well, I get great clothes for FREE. And what’s better than free? (other than being rich and not needing hand me downs) NOTHING! I still buy a few items for the kids (like underwear or clothes not covered by hand me downs), however, that’s always at the end of the season when the stores are turning over their inventory for the upcoming season. Sweet.

Anyway, I say all of that to say this – it’s REALLY important to look around your house and your lifestyle to determine what you don’t need. Living with less doesn’t mean living in unhappiness and squalor, but it does mean making changes to meet your daily needs in the most economical way possible. You don’t need most of the items that you currently have. So switch out that gas guzzler, buy florescent lights, use the thermostat less and finally, stop worrying about what people think. They don’t have to live your life. If you are stressed out about money, and need to find ways to cut corners to eliminate worries, then just do it. You’ll be so much happier in the long run. I am.