Can't we just start again???

It's been so long since I have blogged. I kinda got tired of being witty. Mr. Man would get upset that I would blog here, yet not on our family website. Doesn't he realize that it's harder for me to post there? This is my release. Blogging on the family site is just one more parental chore.

Ok, so I've decided to start blogging again. What has happened since I blogged last? Alot.

I had one of the scariest parent moments of my life. Over the summer I was laying on my bed watching reruns of Army Wives on my laptop. In walks the Big Howler Monkey and he was crying. I am so used to crying in this house that I didn't even blink. He walks in and says that he fell and his arm looks funny. I look up and his arm looks like a letter U. I panic and send the other howlers to the neighbors house and we are on our way to the ER. Luckily Mr Man works on the way to the hospital, we stopped to pick him up. I am not sure I would have made it through the day.
After a couple x-rays, we learned that our oldest son had a greenstick fracture of the radius and ulna. They called in the SEXIEST orthopedic surgeon and after sedating him, they got him fixed up. Luckily we got to go for quite a few follow-up visits. Big Howler even teased that his Mom had a crush on the bone doctor. Ummm, hell yeah I did, this man was Fine with a capital F. He was nice too, not your normal cocky specialist. After a couple weeks in a soft cast, quite a few in his awesome camo cast, and a couple in a brace he is all healed up. Dr Sexy even promised him a camo cast because that's what he wanted. He had a hard time getting it because it was double the price of his regular colors, so he borrowed some from another doctor. He teased and said not to tell anybody where we got it because he couldn't get any more. What a good doc is that???

Ok, what else.....
Big Howler Monkey started third grade at a different building. This building was fifth and sixth grade when Mr Man and I went there, so it's hard to say that he is at the E.M. building because it makes him seem older. This is his teacher's first year teaching. She has alot of fun new ideas, and so far his lowest grade is a B+. I have no complaints.

Girlie Howloer Monkey started first grade. She is in the Challenge Program this year. Yes, that is the program for gifted students. She loves Challenge, and is totally bored with the regular classwork. She has learned the hard way that even though you don't like something you still have to pay attention and give it your all. She got her first B on her report card because she half-assed a quiz and an F will bring your average way down. I am not worried about her though, she knows what she did wrong.

Little Howler Monkey has the same Preschool teacher as last year. We just love her, she is so great. This is the third year in a row that one of my kids have had her as a teacher. She is like family. I actually feel sad when I think about not seeing her on a daily basis next year. He is doing great, he needs to work on learning his address and phone number. I can't believe my baby will be five in a month.

Little Howler is howling for "breffest". I guess I need to go feed him. I promise it won't be 4 months until my next post.

Three and a half months....

Has it really been that long since I've blogged?? I really need to get back on the horse. Let's see what's happened since then....

We've started living a greener lifestyle. The kids are actually doing better at recycling than I am. They remind me whenever I forget. Even Hopper tells me reduce, reuse, recycle Mom. Mr Man built a rain barrel to save runoff for our watering needs.



Mr Man has been on a building blitz. He built me two awesome boxes for square foot gardening.





Also a potting bench for the Monster-in-law

He's also built an adirondak chair, some birdhouses, a desk and hutch and a few more things I'm sure.

Things are still going ok at the Kohls. We're in the middle of a big change in our ad setting system, it will make my job totally change, hopefully for the better.

I need to start blogging more. I'll leave you with one of my family's favorites.

Family Movie Night

While I was busy working at the Kohls, Mr Man and the kids had movie night. They climbed in our bed and watched Indiana Jones, two nights in a row. He, of course, bragged how the kids were just like him with his love for Indiana Jones. I say, sure whatever floats your boat, just don't make me set down to watch some of the weird crap you call entertainment.

Since I didn't have to work on Wednesday night, I was asked by the kids to join movie night. Imagine my surprise when it was the last of the Indiana Jones trilogy. So, we grabbed TONS of snackies and snuggled up to watch. They, of course, were entranced by it, I was entranced by the love that my kids gave me. They actually fought over who got to sit closer. AWWWWW

School informed me that for Thursday, I got to pick the movie. I decided to go with something we hadn't seen before. I started digging through the watch instantly list on netflix. I decided on a classic, Singing in the Rain. None of us had seen it before, and it's rated G. Perfect for a family movie night. We got our snacks together and snuggled in to watch. Mr Man just knew that HIS kids wouldn't sit through a musical. Halfway through when they were good and entranced by the dance stylings of Gene Kelley, I reminded him they were MY kids too. School even got up and did a little tap dancing along with the movie.

All in all, family movie night went great. I'm sort of sad that I have to go back to work tonight. Sunday I have the day off, and since Monday is the anniversary of my birth, we will do a family celebration. It's supposed to be nice and sunny so Mr Man already knew that we'd be taking a picnic lunch to the Zoo. YAY!!

Things that I've learned on the Bargain Board...

I am completely obsessed with the bargain board on Babycenter.com. It is a bunch of fun snarky moms who look for bargains and talk about EVERYTHING. Since first reading that board I've learned that you are tacky if you let your kids wear character clothing or light up shoes. Never poison your kids by giving them McDonalds. Truly loving parents will so what it takes to be able to afford a Britax carseat and you should leave them rearfacing as long as possible in that seat. School lunches should be done bento style and completely void of anything with red dye #40 and HFCS (high fructose corn syrup).

When you have your period you should use a diva cup. Keep your feet from velcro-ing to the bed sheets by using the pedegg. Always keep your "oval office" hair free with magic cream.

Always try to purchase these items from Target, Walgreens, CVS, or Linens and Things. These are Bargain Hunter approved stores. Use coupons and try to buy on Clearance. If there is a really good bargain where you can get items free or less than a quarter with a coupon hoard them and stack them in your basement like there's no tomorrow. It doesn't matter that your whole family is allergic to Huggies wipes, you may need 400 containers of them for something.

I've learned how to lance a boil at home. You can or cannot birth your baby at home with the help of your boyfriend's cousin's sister who is a vet tech. If your child is completely sick always ask the bargain board to diagnose before leaving for the ER. If your husband is cheating these knowledgeable ladies will help you get revenge. And always always always post any tacky birthday/baby shower/bridal shower/halloween party/christmas party invites that you get so we can make fun of them for days on end.

For those of you Bargain Hunters who notice something that I've left out, feel free to leave me a comment.

Conversation from the car

I picked up the howlers from school today and this is the conversation I heard.

Frillian: I got invited to C's birthday party.
School: Where is it? Skaterz? Chuck E Cheese?
Frillian: I don't know, I'll ask her. Her birthday is in the summer. C has an Xbox, but I don't remember what number she said it was.
School: Xbox 360
Frillian: Sounds right. You can play Xbox while C and I swim in her pool. She has a big pool at her house. Do you want to swim with us?
School: No, I'll just play Xbox
Frillian: Hermie do you want to go with us too?
Hermie: No, my not know how to fwim, my will just play xbox with School.


I was totally cracking up. I am sure that C's Mom doesn't know that anyone was invited to her house. This is why I had to instill the rule that you can't go to a birthday party unless there is a written invite. We also don't let sibs tag along to parties.



Last night at the Kohls was nice. Neither of the short bus riders were scheduled and we got done an hour and a half early. Somehow I don't think I'll be as lucky tonight.

The evil place is evil...

wally world, the blue devil, the place that eats babies, voldemart, there are a million nicknames for Walmart. No matter what you call it, that place is evil. Not only do they run other companies out of business, and pay their employees jack. They take too much of my dang money. Living in the midwest, it's hard to avoid Walmart. They're really the only place to get groceries around here. I went to get a few things today, mainly bananas and these yummy little mandarins that my kids love. Well, I went to a different one that is closer to my house and dang if they didn't have the mandarins. They did lure me into buying 2 sets of flatware that were on clearance for $9 a piece. Also a label maker for NLP:RD, because according to Ashley everyone needs a label maker. So basically a quick trip for bananas, mandarins and a few other things was 190ish dollars. EEKS!!

Hooray for Mr Man

I'm so proud of Mr Man. He has lost 9lbs on his diet already. He's eating healthier, and tracking his calories and doing the workouts on sparkpeople.