Anybody want a cat?? Free!!!!!

See, she's even cute. You might recall from previous posts a while back though that she is evil. Her looks are deceptive. Her most recent meanness resulted in my mother having to get a tetanus shot and antibiotics.

Sunday morning, early, Quincy and I went to my parents so that he could go to church with them. It was a big deal. His first trip to church in big boy underwear. My mother was running around, getting everything together and ready to go. The cat, Abby, got disturbed by all the movement and came from out of nowhere and bit/scratched the back of my mother's ankle. It looked minor so she went on to church. Quincy did okay. He made it into the bathroom, but not to the potty. He told me later that he made a puddle of pee on the bathroom floor.

Monday morning, my mother's ankle was swollen and red. She went to the doctor, hence the tetanus shot and antibiotics. The cat bite/scratch had gotten infected. Last night, the back of her ankle was swollen about twice the normal size and red. She stayed home from teaching preschool yesterday and today. She says that she's okay, but every time I talk to her, she sounds very groggy. Last night, she was having trouble getting around because it hurt to walk.

This is at least the second time the cat has done this. My parents are going to check and see is the Humane Society takes house cats. They didn't used to. If not, anyone want an antisocial cat??

Moo, Moo, Meow, Meow, Quack, Quack, Neigh

Those are sounds I hear all the time around my house, although not as much as I used to since I "lost" the animals that go in the Old McDonald singing tractor. My son loves to make animal sounds. He especially enjoys a good, loud "neigh" just when you are getting comfortable on the couch, usually in a ear. He uses "Meow,Meow" as a greeting, not just at home, but at preschool, too. If he see a cow while riding in the car, then he throws out a "moo" and, when the ducks still lived at our subdivision entrance, "quacks" were frequent as we turned in.

I also hear a lot about monkeys around here. My son recently learned the words to the Monkeys jumping on a bed song. He likes to sing it while jumping on my bed. How's that for toddler irony? Gee, maybe it's a good idea to sing a song about monkeys jumping on a bed and falling off while I jump on a bed. That doesn't seem like a bad idea at all! Also, you know how monkeys throw things? My son throws all types of food at the dog, even some that the dog won't eat, like grapes, pretzels, and peanuts. I can see where he would get confused since the dog will eat most anything. I do get sick of cleaning under the couch and finding so much food there. And the sheer volume of food contained within the couch is kind of scary. There are entire meals of toddler finger food down there! Goldfish crackers, popcorn, cheetos, grapes, cheerios, kix, all types of nuts. Those are just a few things that I have found. My couch is a snacker's dream! Sometimes you can even find an m&m or two.

The noise level around here also sometimes makes me feel like I live at the zoo. Just this afternoon, when the principal of the school that my new job is at called to offer it to me, I could barely hear him because of the toddler screaming at me. I had to go into another room and I still had trouble hearing him. It's worse in the afternoons than any other time of day. I think that's when my toddler's energy is highest or when he is most fighting the need to crash. I know that he is loudest from 3-7 p.m. Sometimes it's like being around a pack of hyenas, especially when he cracks himself up!

If you like zoo animals, go check out Generation Next's new program for teaching your child to read called iKnow Animals, Letters, and Sounds. For more posts about zoo-like life with children, go to the PBN blog and check out the list of this weekend's blog blast posts.

I hope I don't jinx this...

but I got a job. An honest to goodness teaching job. I start sometime next week, probably Tuesday. It depends on how fast the paperwork gets done. I'll be teaching 8th grade Language Arts. It's almost the exact grade I would like to teach. I would like to go a little younger than 8th grade, maybe 6th or 7th.

The only crap thing about it is this--It's for 6 or 7 weeks. I do get full-time teacher pay for that time period, but the payroll in this county runs kind of weird. If I start in September, I'll get a paycheck October 20. If I start in October, I'll get the first one November 20. November 20 is about when the position will end. I will get two paychecks though since I'll get paid for November in December so I'll have that money for Christmas. Yay!!

My "friend" has come to visit!!

The pregnancy tests were all right. I'm not pregnant, just late. Weird since I was two days early the last two months, but whatever. This just supports my claims to my husband that even if we halfway try to get pregnant by keeping track of ovulation and all that, still nothing happens. I think it will be a while before we have another child just because of that, if we ever do. We definitely got lucky with Quincy.

Quincy did tell me last night that if he had a baby brother or sister then he would turn on his night light so it would not get scared, cover it with a blanket, hug it and love it, and share his toys "to" it (as he says). I thought that everything he said was very sweet.

I do hope this is the end of drama in my life for the month. Now back to the business of finding a day job. There only seem to be jobs in Nashville, which requires driving about half an hour. I know that is not far, but I would like to find something around here if possible. Going to look now.

One Day Late

Still no period. Still do not feel pregnant. Aren't I supposed to feel pregnant?

Kinda freaked out last night and cried a lot because I have always wanted two kids, but, now, that we have Quincy, I just am not sure that it is fair to him to have another. He's always been our only baby. I feel like it takes both of us to be amazing parents to him. It takes our full attention to just keep him happy and alive. I'm not sure we could do that with two.

A little scared right now.

Update:
Sorry about that emotional outburst up there. I took a two hour nap and feel much better (except why is this still bold?? I turned bold off. This is bold, right?).
Anyway, another pregnancy test was negative so maybe I am just late. I was 4 days late last October (that really was the last time) and then I had a 10 day period that I am convinced was an early miscarriage because I don't have 10 day periods, ever.

Okay, well, I can do nothing about the bold, so I am going to watch "Curious George" and hang out with Quincy.:)

I don't know what to think

So, I did not get my period today. It's been kind of off for the last few months, a few days early here and there and maybe a day late once. Still, I took a pregnancy test because I want to know. Never mind that I was supposed to start today and am not late until tomorrow. This is what the test said:


That's a really dark negative line there and not even a hint of a positive one. It was a little early when I tested with Quincy and the positive line was pretty noticeable anyway.

Still no cramping. I had some cramping Sunday afternoon. I even took some ibuprofen because it hurt so much. I had a little blood then so I naturally thought I would have a lot more by now. I don't feel pregnant. I felt pregnant right away with Quincy. I was bloated, nauseous, exhausted, and my boobs hurt. Well, my boobs hurt and that's pretty much it. Oh, and I'm in the bathroom to pee a ridiculous amount of times, but I do that before my period also.

I guess I should test again tomorrow??
(if you are my sister reading this, I am sure it's nothing..still keep your mouth shut)

Quincy's freedom of expression

Normally when I have to leave before Quincy is dressed, I lay out an outfit. Sometimes I forget though and then the mix'n'match ensues. Not only is my husband color blind, but he also thinks that some colors match that do not. This almost always annoys my mother, who likes it if Quincy is dressed cute. I do, too, although the cuter the clothes, the more quickly he gets them dirty.:)

I remember one day last Spring. I did not leave any clothes out so my husband picked out his own outfit for Quincy. Quincy had these cute little yellow, blue, and red plaid shorts and I always paired a little yellow golf shirt with them. He'd look so cute. My husband picked out those shorts, then decided that since they had red and blue in them, a red and blue shirt would match. Quincy arrived at my mom's in his plaid shirts and red and blue Elmo shirt. I could actually see the logic behind this outfit, but still, my mother did not. I think he looked kind of alternative. He was dressed like a lot of the teenagers I taught last year. Then there was the green shirt with orange shorts incident. I think he picked that outfit out himself.

Quincy has an artistic and musical side that I lack. I can barely draw a stick figure and I am tone deaf. He plays keyboards, drums, and guitar. Since he is a toddler with a lot of energy, sometimes he needs help positively getting that energy out. To do this, we take him over the practice space my husband's band uses and let him drum to his heart's content. He likes to use the drumsticks and hit the cymbals. He has way better rhythm than I do.He also likes to draw and paint. Both are good alternatives to messing up the house, so we encourage his expressing himself in these ways.

As he gets older, I don't know whether he will be very rebellious are not, but we certainly hope to curb some of that by encouraging him to express himself through his clothes and hair. If he wants to be the kid with the purple mohawk, then that will be fine by me. He can even dress in all black if he wants. I did that for years. Tattoos? Sure, if he is really certain he wants one and not just getting it to be cool. I have ten so it is okay by me. We hope that as he grows, he will continue to be artistic and musical and not outgrow the whimsical ways in which he expresses himself now.

If your child likes to mix'n'match outfits, maybe the Polly Pocket Pop 'n Swap at Toysrus.com would be for them. Check out other posts on this subject at Parents Bloggers Network !

I'm not a simple girl

I like to think that I am. My husband is far more simple than me as far as not needing a lot to survive. He doesn't even need a bed or a house. He'd be happy sleeping in a tent in the woods with a sleeping bag or none. I want my soft bed with my pillows and blankets. That's just essential to me. He's been trying to convince me for a while to go live in an RV. He's way more relaxed than I am. He's happy waking up whenever. I need my alarm clock. I need my schedule, whether it's one I have typed online or written down.

My husband will also eat almost anything, while he says I have the taste of a Midwestern. I like BLT's, mashed potatoes, meatloaf, and the only vegetables I eat regularly are the potato and corn. I have branched out over the years to eating Chinese food, though I still only eat two dishes. Even Quincy is a more adventurous eater than I am. I mean, I make Old El Paso tacos once a week, almost every week. I'm a little boring maybe.:)

My dad is a bicyclist. He rides miles and miles for fun. I mean hundreds of miles. He has ridden across the U.S from Washington State to Maryland. He has ridden from Mexico to Canada. He has ridden across Tennessee,Georgia, and Arkansas that I know of. He doesn't need gas or a car. I have not ridden a bicycle more than a mile in at least 8 years. I need my car, which has air conditioning, and I need gas. I drive 45 miles some weekdays just taking Quincy to preschool, going home, and going back to pick him up. Now, I could do that with a bicycle and a Burley, but it would take much longer. My car is necessary.

Television is important to me, too. I cannot go to sleep without the TV on. It's just too quiet, especially if my husband is out of town. It's creepy. Plus Quincy has shows that he sometimes has to see. They are DVR'ed. The DVR is another essential. Without it, I could not show Quincy "Thomas the Tank Engine" anytime he wanted to watch it. He would be stuck getting up on Saturday morning to see it since that is the only time it actually airs here. On, and I would *have* to stay up late some nights to watch my own TV addictions--"Greek," "Cold Case," and "C.S.I. Miami."

This post is for a blog blast sponsored by Yoplait and Parent Bloggers Network.

I feel funky

WARNING--This post may contain TMI. Sorry.:)

My body is messing with my head again. I have had the same PMS symptoms for the last year or so. As soon as I ovulate, my boobs begin to hurt and it is even painful to wear a bra until I get my period. I also get bloating, back pain (sometimes sciatic), fatigue, frequent peeing, and appetite increase. This lead to my thinking I was pregnant a few months in a row until I caught on.

Now, though, I know what to expect so I have none of those symptoms this month. Not a one. Nothing hurts that is not a result of working a lot at a place with concrete floors and no chairs. I am not overly tired in any way that can't be accounted for. No headaches even. What is up??

My period is due next Tuesday. It has been a couple days early the last two months so I guess it could be Sunday. I normally start cramping a few days before starting also. I have had none of that either. I've had fairly mild periods the past few months with not too much cramping and only lasting 4 days or so. I am worried that this months is going to be horrible, like bed-ridden horrible. I am not looking forward to it, not that I ever do. I just hate for things to change on me when I have finally gotten used to my symptoms. I don't like them, but at least they indicate clearly that my period is coming.

Afternoon freak-out

I had my interview today. I guess it was good. I can never tell with these things. Principals are notoriously hard to read. I pretty much panicked on the way there. I should have left earlier. I hate to run late because ti leads to me thinking up all kinds of silly things. As far as the interview goes, all I can think is that I finally did not say anything stupid during it. That's a first.

Here's my whole afternoon:

12:27--Start worrying about whether I can get there from here by 1:00
12:28--Turn right off the highway
12:30--"This road never seemed this long. Was I supposed to turn somewhere else already? Did I miss a turn?"
12:32--I did not miss a turn. Turn onto proper road.
12:32 and a half--Turn onto next road. I've been on it a million times. Knew where it went.
12:36--Get to South Church Street. Turn right. Begin to look for school.
12:37--"Is the school not one block after this turn? Guess not. No school yet."
12:39--On road out of town. Road begins to look deserted. "Did I pass the school and not notice? Am I almost to the next county?" (now this line of thinking was really illogical because (a) there are two schools--a middle and an elementary and I could not possibly have passed both-- there would have been school zones at least and (b) the next county is at least half an hour from where I turned onto South Church)
12:41--I see a school zone signal hanging over the road!!!!
12:42--There's the school. It's on the right. It was just over a hill.
12:43--Phew!! I'm here.
12:45--I talk to the secretary and start waiting on principal.
12:55--Principal calls me back.
12:55--1:13--Interview. I am asked 3 questions. "Where did I go to high school?", "Can I start by the end of the month?", and "What's the best way to contact me?"
1:15--In car again. Think I can get home before the hubby leaves to pick up Quincy from preschool. I get to go pick up Quincy!! Yay!!
1:15--1:27--Drive towards home. No freaking out this time, but more speeding.:)
1:27--I turn onto the highway that goes to my house. Hurrying.
1:30--Pass hubby on highway. He is going the opposite direction (towards preschool). Wave frantically. I think he sees me and keep heading home, figuring he'll u-turn and meet me.
1:35--Arrive home. Call hubby to make sure he's on the way. He did not see me. He is further away. He turns around while I change out of my suit.
1:45--In the car again on the way to pick up the toddler.:)

I really had myself in a panic on the way there. I really thought I had passed the school at one point. I forgot that the area it is in is really very rural. Oooops.:)

Trying to psych myself up

So....another interview tomorrow. For an Interim position. 8th grade Language Arts. I keep thinking about it and taking deep breaths. Trying to think happy, positive thoughts, while Quincy shouts demands at me every five minutes.

Thinking about what to say and what not to say in an interview. I tend to be verbose and give every answer possible to each question, thereby revealing more about myself than is probably necessary. (does this surprise anyone?) I know that I need to be more concise and clear, less wandering and meandering in the conversation. That is easier said than done.

I interviewed with this principal before and thought it was a great interview, a very positive one. I'm tired of being wrong about that. I take that back. I'm sick of being wrong about that. Yeah, sick and tired about sums it up.

Sorry to be such a downer. Maybe if I get it all out I can be all sunshine and smiles tomorrow. Here's hoping.:)

Shock and awe

Listening to hurricane coverage, where they are saying pieces of the roadway are floating by and people could be hit by flying debris. They said a minute ago that it's 350 miles wide, but you don't need me to report what MSNBC is reporting.

I am just amazed at the size of this thing. One of my friends used to live in Brownsville and his old house washed away in the last storm. He moved here a while ago and I'm glad, but he has family there still.

It has already effected (affected? two of the only words I get mixed up as an English teacher. I know. Sad.) gas prices around here. When I went to work at 5 p.m., the gas station across the street from Domino's had about 20 cars lined up. They were out of unleaded by then. They quickly were down to only Super and there were still cars lined up. There was even a hit and run there because there were so many cars. When I went to work, regular unleaded was $3.59 a gallon. On the way home, a mere 5 hours later, gas was anywhere from $3.79 a gallon for regular to $4.49 a gallon. Both Kroger stations by my parents were out of gas at 9:15. I passed several stations on my 12 mile trip home that has cut off their lights and closed because they had no more gas. Keep in mind that I am in Middle Tennessee.

They just said something about 40% of the people stayed on Galveston Island? I thought that I heard this morning that they evacuated that area? I will be thinking happy thoughts and praying tonight for those people who remained. Hurricane junkie that I am, I'll probably be up really late.:)

Awash in a Sea of Pee

I don't know what to do about this problem we're having. Quincy was a late potty trainer, like 2 months ago late. He'll be 4 in November. He still wears pull-ups at night and I'm fine with that. I understand if he has occasional accidents. He doesn't have it all down yet, but he does know when he needs to go. He just gets up and goes at school. He has come home both times he's been there in the same clothes that he arrived in. My husband says this is because we told him that no one would like him if he smelled like pee and poop all the time. I don't think so.

So what's up with the peeing in my floor and in my mother's floor? I have two wet pairs of training pants from my mom's tonight and he was only there about 4 and a half hours. He peed twice in the same spot, after she told him to go to the potty and try. And that doesn't hold a candle to last night.

Last night was my night off. My one night to spend with Quincy. My one supposedly pleasant night. I'm sick. It kind of sucked. That's not the only reason though. He peed three times in my floor. Three! I even left his training pants off so he would just have to run to the potty and sit down or stand up and go. He even peed yesterday while we were out shopping at Sam's in the bathroom there, so he had a good day until about 5 p.m. That was when all the accidents started. Two of them were genuine accidents. He was playing, he started for the potty, got distracted, and didn't get there in time. Once though, I looked up because I heard the telltale splash on my wood floor and there he was with his shirt pulled up so he would not pee on it, moving himself back and forth so as to cover the largest area (I guess). That one did not look like an accident to me.

I'm not sure what to do about this except to backtrack and take him to the potty and make him sit down and try at set times. I have to be more vigilant about making him clean up his accidents also. I feel like he's old enough for that. Any suggestions?

Thinking back

This time last year, I was a new teacher. All of my classes were set and I basically had every kid that I would have for the rest of the year. I miss those kids, but, also, I don't.

I've been reading Sleep is for the Weak. It was my anniversary gift. If you haven't read this book, it's hilarious. But this is not a book review. There is one vintage Amalah post in there that made me laugh until tears rolled down my face. I remember reading it online when she wrote it and laughing then, too. First time I read it, I was struggling as a new mom, just trying to get out of the house once a day with the baby. Sometimes, we never made it anywhere. Re-reading the post printed in book form, there's a line that so completely reminds me of last year that I might embroider it so I can keep it on my desk.

"DO NOT LOOK TEENAGERS DIRECTLY IN THE EYES. IT CHALLENGES THEM."

That could have been my mantra while I was teaching, especially during certain periods of the day. No teacher should have classes that they dread, but I did. I had classes that I prayed would get cancelled because of this or that. Just one less day with that class.

I hate that I am still looking for a job, but it's more about the insurance and lack of money than any desire to stay with my kids another year. There are a few that truly made my day every day and I will go to graduation in May just to see them and I will probably cry. But, mostly, I would have hated being there another year. I want to be happy to go work. I don't expect every day to be all sunshine and roses, but I'd like it to be something I look forward to at least a little.

No school tomorrow

Quincy is sick. He started out with no fever and a runny nose. Then he had a little fever yesterday and a little tonight. I think it is a cold because he's all sneezy and snotty. We are covered in snot at this house.:) He's developed a cough, too, but it seems to just be because he has so much snot. I just plugged in the humidifier. Hoping it helps.

Anyone know anything about echinacea tea and toddlers? I told him that it might help get rid of his cold, but I'm going to have to google whether he can have it or not. I normally don't give him anything medicine-wise when he has cold symptoms. Anytime I have, it has just made it worse. He is always better in 3 or 4 days, so we have a couple more days of fever and then another few of snot.

I'm looking at a long night here. Have to check his temperature later and give more ibuprofen if he has any. I'll be up wiping his nose and then putting more vaseline under it to help with the chapping. It's very red.:) He kind of looks like Rudolph.:)

His preschool does not like for you to bring in children who have had any fever in the last 24 hours, so he'll miss his school tomorrow. It makes him sad when he misses because he doesn't get to see his friends. It's sweet how attached he is to the children he's been in preschool with for the last two years.

Think of me. I'll be wiping his nose and amusing him. :)

Is this funny???

Okay, so you guys need to judge this. Here's what happened: There's this guy at work who is always picking on people and me. Last night, he made some comment about my being on the phone that escalated into a comment about calling my mom to check on my son. From there, he said something like, "Oh, mom, did he poop?" (in imitation of me). Then he said something like, "Are you going to bronze this poop? Oh, it's so much more formed than it used to be (again, imitating me). Let's compare it to his bronzed newborn poop. Oh, it's so much more runny..."

He was laughing the whole time. I got really angry.

He went on a delivery and promptly forgot what he said. When he got back, I made a few angry remarks to him. He tried to tell me that he didn't say anything. I told him that he was a butt (only I used another word with 3 letters). I think he was kind of mad. We were busy so he was gone most of the rest of the time that I was there. I told him bye and he ignored me.

Sounds like high school, doesn't it?

Anyway, I called my husband last night and he asked me why I was so mad and what Richard said. I was so irritated that I couldn't remember then. I remembered it all this morning and told him about it. He laughed! He thought it was funny!

So do I owe this guy some kind of apology? Is it funny? Am I being hypersensitive?

Something smells funny around here

Quincy always learns something new when he stays at my parents. I hear stories about video games and cartoons. All kinds of things. Last night, he learned to poot on command. What a great talent for a 3 year old!

That's not the only thing he learned. While eating lunch, he pooted, then looked at his rear end and said, "Fresh as a flower!" I called my mother. No one present would admit to teaching him this. My sister, Sarah, was not in the room though. I think we know who the culprit is.:)

Hope he doesn't show off this new phrase at preschool. I cannot help but laugh and I know that only encourages him, but it's really quite funny!

The Fortress of Solitude

Apparently, my shower is covered in some kind of impenetrable forcefield. Never mind that I can hear everything going on outside of it. No one can hear what I say from inside of it. Even if I shout.

Keep in mind that I have not taken an uninterrupted shower in over three years. It's not a shower without a little face peaking in and being asked what I am doing over and over and over. Oh, and I hear, "Are you done yet?" a lot also. Sometimes I hear weird noises in my bathroom and think Quincy is in there doing something. He normally is. He likes to unroll all the toilet paper while I shower. I never know what he's doing because my glasses are over on the counter and I am blind.

Getting back to the soundproofed shower, Quincy popped his head in today and said, "I pooped in the potty." I told him to go find Daddy. Judging by the noises I heard, he went nowhere. I heard my brush being moved around and toys being played with. I'm thinking the whole time about his naked, poopy butt that no one is wiping. Naturally, I start yelling for my husband. No answer. I heard Quincy leave the room. Then, I really yelled because yesterday he sat on the couch before telling anyone he'd pooped. I had to wash the couch cover. Did not want to strip it again. I yelled a little more. Still no response. Quincy returned and I asked if he'd found Daddy. Nope. I hurried up and got out. Went and found him myself.

He was in the kitchen washing dishes. He hadn't heard anything. Quincy never said he'd done anything. I checked both potties. Nothing. Completely clean and empty. I had been had by a 3 year old. My child lies. I already knew that though.

Still, it would be nice if someone could hear my shouts from the shower. What if I actually needed something?

Mr. Independent

Way back when Quincy was almost 2, he started preschool. He had to be pulled off me for about 6 weeks and cried for the first 15 minutes for most of those first three months. He cried a little the following Spring, but not as much. It broke my heart every time I left him there crying.

Last year, he was almost 3 when school started. His daddy took him and there was a little crying at first. Sometimes he wanted his daddy to stay. Mostly he was okay, but he still wanted to be carried in sometimes. I called and checked on him during my planning period around 10 a.m. He was always fine by then.

Today, I took him for his first day again. He's almost 4. He has a new teacher this year. He had the same teachers the last 2 years, because his birthday is so late. When we got there this morning, he did not want to be carried. He did not even want to hold my hand. I know. I asked. He just got out of the car, walked right to the door, opened it for me, and went to his class. He's so independent. He didn't even look up when I said goodbye.

This is his first day with no diapers and no pull-ups. He was wearing training pants under his khaki shorts when I left. Who knows what he'll be wearing when I go back!

Update
I picked him up and he was still wearing his khaki shorts and training pants. His teacher said he peed and pooped in the potty without her asking him. He just got up and went in there and did it. Of course, we were home for five minutes and he was playing in the yard and he peed his pants. :) He's not so good with coming in to go yet.

Home Alone--Wednesday Edition

This will be mostly whining. I'm warning you before you read any further!

It's Wednesday night. I am home alone with the toddler as I am every night. My husband works five nights a week. He always closes, which means he gets home between 2 and 4 a.m. The other two nights of the week, he has band practice, which means he gets home around 2 a.m. This leaves me here...alone.

Because he gets in so late, he doesn't get up until after noon. I am up whenever Quincy gets up. He spends the afternoon with us sometimes, when there is not a car or computer to fix. The key word there is "us." Last night, he spent some time with me but I had to stay up until after 1 a.m. to get that.

The endless stream of Caillou, Curious George, Dora, Max & Ruby, Wonderpets, and Wubbzy Wubbzy Wu is trying my nerves. The constant noise with no break except a shower (maybe) leaves me wanting to crawl back into bed every morning and hide under the pillow. I may not have a day job, but I know everything about all of the above shows. I have seen every episode.:)

In an ideal world, someone would hire me for a teaching position and my husband could take a night off. He'd have to be up with Quincy, but we would also get to see each other. Even then, there'd be band obligations. This week, that means that he'll be in Cincinnati on Friday and Louisville on Saturday. Guess who will be here alone??

Last night was supposed to be an early night since they played an early show. It wasn't. He got home at 1 a.m. or so. He said something about hanging out with his friends. I yelled at him about never getting to see my friends. That was a great start to together time, which consisted of watching "The Secret Life of the American Teenager" and "Cold Case."

I don't really have a point. I'm just tired of sitting by myself at night. I'm also sick of the toddler not going to sleep by 9 p.m. That's a whole 'nother post though.:)

"I didn't mean to......."

Look at the sweet, innocent, little face! Doesn't he look cute?

Now, read the title of this post. I hear that at least 15 times a day. It often comes out as, "I didn't mean to. It was an accident." It's usually an excuse for something that obviously was not an accident. For example, five minutes ago in the kitchen, this took place:

I told my son to stop messing with the stool while I got him some milk. The stool was hurled at me.

Me: "You did that on purpose!"

Quincy: "Yes"

Me: "Well, at least you were honest about it this time."

Quincy: "I didn't mean to. It was an accident."

Uh huh. I still got him his milk and nuts.

Sometimes these lovely sentences are followed by phrases like:

"I peed on your floor"

"I split your water"

"I dropped my lunch"

"I flushed a small car down the potty"

The excuse making starts early, doesn't it????