He's not allowed!!

So, I've decided that D is NOT allowed to turn 5 tomorrow. NOPE, it won't happen. He's my baby!

I still have so much to do before his party tomorrow afternoon. Here's my list:
Make frosting
Frost cake
clean house
decorate
wrap presents

I'm not a big believer in spending tons of money to have a birthday party at a "place". CEC, Kids Club and the like all want at least $100+ for hosting a party. YIKES!! I can't afford that. Plus, I survived having parties at my house, so can D. He's having 7 friends over - yes, it's going to be tight in this apartment, but all well, we'll survive. The party is from 3-5, the kids can play, moms can talk and then have cake, open presents and everyone can go home. Easy. Depending upon how tired or wired D is tomorrow evening, I think we're going to go out for dinner with C, C, & C or C3 (squared).

Will post party pics and update probably on Friday. I may have to collapse tomorrow evening - plus, it's Survivor night.

Money grubbing exlandlords = asshats!!

In my mailbox I found a letter from my exlandlords for a BILL of $660!!! uhhhh, nooooo!!! This is on top of the $700 deposit paid!!

Here is the breakdown of the bill:
Paint/patch walls - $200 (there was 1 wall that needed patching/painting - molly screws from a light Catrina hung)
Mow lawn - $100 (I'm calling various landscapers tomorrow to see what they charge cuz that seems excessive)
Debris removal - $50 (there was nothing to remove - I broom swept that house!!)
Cleaning - $150 (I paid an $85 cleaning fee when I moved in)
Carpet cleaning - $150 (uhhhh no)
Unpaid rent - 478.25 (I sent a check to them WITH the written notice of vacating!!)
Unpaid utilities - $175 (I've paid ALLLLL utilities!!)

I'm soooo p1ssed!! I can't call them today because I'll be too p1ssy to talk. OMG!! What asshats!! I broom swept that house. The floors needed washing, cupboards wiped and lawn mowed, but that's it!! There is NOTHING in my lease stating what needed to be cleaned prior to moving out. There was nothing in writing regarding what prices were going to be charged for various things.

High flying little man!!

Yesterday was a very busy day. D and I met some friends at OMSI (Oregon Museum of Science and Industry) for a day out. Here are some pics. It's rare that I can capture D in a picture and have him smiling, lately it's just funny faces.


After coming home from the museum and having a short nap, another friend called to see if we'd like to go to Naydenov gym for some Open Gym time. Naydenov is our local gymnastics gym and quite fun to play at. There are trampolines, bungie jumps, and large foam pits to jump into. Those are the BIG fun things, there are also tumbling mats and bars to flip over.

Wipe out on the trampoline. OUCH!!

High flying bungie!!

It's no wonder that D slept until almost 8am this morning!! Too bad I was up at 5:30.

Cheese Wizz

It's always an adventure when there is a 4yo in the house. Tonight was definitely NO exception. I made D a delicious dinner of pesto noodles and broccoli. D is a huge fan of "sprinkle cheese" on his pasta and veggies. (hey, if it gets him to eat veggies, I'm ok with parm cheese on top) D has been sprinkling on his own cheese for a while, so I just leave the container on the table for him. D was on his second helping of pasta when I stepped out of the kitchen. About 5 min later he's calling me into the kitchen with a real panicked voice and he's crying. D has always been a crier, so I don't pay much attention to his cries, but tonight's was different. More urgent. I ran. When I got there he tells me that his finger is stuck in the cheese top.

"what do you mean it's stuck?"
"I can't get it out, Mommy"

I went over to him and tried to pull. With that came cries and the realization that the finger is pretty stuck. Then I started to panic because I couldn't twist off the top, so I could just have the lid and finger and the opportunity to examine the issue. I called in reinforcements - "CATRINA!!" She came running. With a little force, she got off the top. I examine the finger and try to pull - to be met with screams of OW OW OW!! Ok, so I tell him to raise his hand above his hand and leave it there while I grab some oil. I pour some oil on both sides of the lid, and it's not budging. He's also not cooperating by keeping his finger stick straight while I pull. So, I get the scissors out and try to figure out how to cut his finger free. The plastic parts between the holes are very small, but his finger is also REALLY stuck and I'm not able to get close enough to cut him free. Onto the next option - cold water. D is now complaining about how cold the water is - TOO BAD keep your finger under the water. No luck.

So Catrina decides to cut the plastic from around the other holes next to his finger. This allows me to make a small cut in the plastic and with that Catrina pulls the plastic apart. The finger is free!!

The photo below is the lid. The hole that looks intact is where his finger was stuck. There is a small break between the stuck hole and the hole to the left. That's where I made the small cut and Catrina pulled apart the plastic.
The finger unstuck. You can see a small red line just below his middle knuckle. Between the middle knuckle and hand. It was much worse looking in real life. Darned camera. And b/c I don't know how to add fancy stuff to pictures, I can't point to it.

So it took 2 people and brute force to free his finger. Cheese wizzzzz, and I thought it was going to be a quiet Friday night.

SOOO Very true!!

My friend, Casey, posted this on her blog and so (having 5 min) I decided to take a whirl. HOLY COW!! It's soooo me!!

2 - the Helper

Thanks for taking the test !

you chose CX - your Enneagram type is TWO (aka "The Charmer").

"I must help others"

Helpers are warm, concerned, nurturing,

and sensitive to other people's needs.

How to Get Along with Me

• Tell me that you appreciate me. Be specific.

• Share fun times with me.

• Take an interest in my problems, though I will probably try to focus on yours.

• Let me know that I am important and special to you.

• Be gentle if you decide to criticize me.

In Intimate Relationships

• Reassure me that I am interesting to you.

• Reassure me often that you love me.

• Tell me I'm attractive and that you're glad to be seen with me.

What I Like About Being a TWO

• being able to relate easily to people and to make friends

• knowing what people need and being able to make their lives better

• being generous, caring, and warm

• being sensitive to and perceptive about others' feelings

• being enthusiastic and fun-loving, and having a good sense of humor

What's Hard About Being a TWO

• not being able to say no

• having low self-esteem

• feeling drained from overdoing for others

• not doing things I really like to do for myself for fear of being selfish

• criticizing myself for not feeling as loving as I think I should

• being upset that others don't tune in to me as much as I tume in to them

• working so hard to be tactful and considerate that I suppress my real feelings

TWOs as Children Often

• are very sensitive to disapproval and criticism

• try hard to please their parents by being helpful and understanding

• are outwardly compliant

• are popular or try to be popular with other children

• act coy, precocious, or dramatic in order to get attention

• are clowns and jokers (the more extroverted TWOs), or quiet and shy (the more introverted TWOs)

TWOs as Parents

• are good listeners, love their children unconditionally, and are warm and encouraging (or suffer guilt if they aren't)

• are often playful with their children

• wonder: "Am I doing it right?" "Am I giving enough?" "Have I caused irreparable damage?"

• can become fiercely protective

Go ahead, take the test yourself and see:
http://www.okcupid.com/tests/the-quick-amp-painless-enneagram-test

Crazy glue

I've determined that I'm a magnet for crazy people while working. As I blogged prior about the screaming lady in line, last night I had a pregnant woman come up with about 10 candles and candle holders, but she forgot her 20%off coupon. It was our scratch-it day, but she only got a 15% coupon. She then asked if I'd put her items on hold and she left.

About an hour later she returned and THEN proceeded to tell me that she is in ACTIVE LABOR!! As she says this, she leans on the counter and takes a deep breath. I'm assuming that she was having a contraction. Then she says, "my water hasn't broken....YET, so that's a good thing".

Yes, lady, please have your water break on my floor!! CLEAN UP @ men's registers!! Never being in labor myself, I realize that there is lots of time before baby arrives, so I'm not flaming her. I just realize that I'm the crazy glue at work.

Bottom of the Barrel

Last week I had a crazy lady in my line at Kohl's, so I decided to tell my online friends about it in a funny post on a message board. This board is made up of all moms who've experienced infertility. I've been a member of this group since 2000, so it's been almost 10 years. Some of the women I've met, others I have not. We've go through our IF (infertility) struggles, IVF, IUI, shots, tests...etc.

ANYWAYS, I posted a funny and a woman with the screen name Twingles completely flamed me! I was completely backed up by the other women on the board, but I thought I'd share what was written by me and her:

Me:
Tis the season where you are more than likely stand in a line while shopping. Just a few tips from those of us who work in the retail field:

1. Don't stand in my line shifting from one foot to another sighing loudly. It doesn't make me work any faster.

2. See #1 and add the folding of your arms to the mix. It doesn't make me work any faster.

3. See #1 & 2 and add talking loudly about needing more cashiers. It doesn't make me work any faster AND I have no control over who's working where in the store.

And finally,

4. Don't stand in the middle of the store and scream at the top of your lungs: "EXCUSE ME!! CAN WE GET ANOTHER PERSON TO CHECK US OUT?" It doesn't make me work any faster and now I'm just laughing at you - and so are all the other customers standing in line.

Also, when you declare loudly that you are leaving the store and I've just lost a $50 sale, please note that a large retailer is very sad about your $50 especially all the people in line have double or triple your purchase. Your 3 pair granny panties and fugly valor sweat suit will be waiting for you at Good Will in a few months.

Completely true story that happened to me last night.

Twingles:
For some people, a fire under their arse wouldn't make them work faster, and that says more about them than any customer's antics.

Also, the attitude that someone's $50 purchase doesn't matter is something that has put many a retailer out of business. ANd it's that fugly but your store is selling it? Hope they don't require you to wear their clothes!

I did laugh when I saw you work at Kohl's - every Kohl's I've ever been to has the rudest, slowest help I've ever encountered. Do they train you to be that way? LOL. I do love Kohl's though. THey are the only store that still gives out boxes too, and lots of them!

Me:
OUCH!! That was a bit rude. Maybe you've been trained that way. The LOL after your comment didn't help the sting. AND every store sells FUGLY stuff, doesn't mean that I'm going to buying it or wearing it. EVER.

Twingles:
Well, I live in one of the top 100 richest zip codes in the US, but then again the closest Kohl's is 20 minutes away so maybe you're right, LAUREN.

Give me a break. Are you freaking serious? Maybe it's where I live???

Retail workers are the bottom of the barrel anymore. Misery breeds misery. Hence the surge in online shopping. Then we don't have to deal with the mutts of the world.

Seriously, this original post was one of the rudest I've ever read, but not the least surprising, unfortuntely. And I'm sure she's wondering why she can't get ahead in the world. That's what kills me.

Me:
Twingles? Was that you the other night? Huh, thought I smelled the stench of wasted space.

It's too bad that you have such a narrow mind about the world around you. There is always someone who has to do the work that makes our daily lives easier and I'm sure that most of those people are proud of the jobs they have and the work they do.

My original post was made in jest, more of a funny than a b1tch fest. It was more about the crazy lady that was in line yelling in the store. I'm definitely NOT going to tell you about my background or why I'm currently working retail. It makes no difference to your comments. You think what you want, but Karma is a b1tch, and b1tch, she's coming for you!

So, there it is folks. I'm the bottom of the barrel and apparently a mutt of the world. Trust me, Twingles was completely flamed after her posts. She's been on the board for a while and is consistent with stirring up trouble.