This week was "turn off the screens" week at my kids' school, and to show my support I also turned off the screens save for when I was at work or at home checking mail for the school council. K called it "turn of the screams week" because he mis-heard what the teacher said. So whenever he and C were playing outside and she'd be rip-tearing around and shrieking, he'd give her heck for it. It was funny as all get out.

A week in internet time however equals to about a hundred years, so I feel out of the loop on everything.

Last night SO & I went to a mystery dinner theatre. It was hilarious and good and the food was awesome too. His workplace has a social club that puts together these gatherings so I got to meet more of his co-workers (more's the pity). JG & ME came as well so that was nice.

It's C's first communion next weekend and she couldn't be happier. We bought her a tiara on Friday to wear in her hair, she's quite pleased with herself over that. We're having a gathering afterwards at my parents' home because their house is much bigger and can accomodate the 40-odd people coming. Should be fun.

K is in a little Rainforest play in his Kindergarten class, they're performing it for the parents on Wednesday but unfortunately I cannot take the time off work to see it. SO's on afternoon shift though so he said he would go. K was delighted over this as it's pretty rare that Daddy gets to go see things. I caught him practicing in his room, making little birdie sounds because he's playing a Macaw. He had the door closed and I could hear him chirping and when I opened the door to see what he was up to I caught him flapping his arms and swooping around and he turned around and yelled at me. "Don't look mommy it's going to be a SURPRISE!"

Both my children fill my heart with joy but I must confess, that baby boy of mine, oh that boy of mine... sometimes he fills it up so much that I think it may crack into pieces from the love.

C is turning 8 soon. She has decided since it's her first communion the same month as her birthday, she didn't want a party just wanted her and I to go out just the two of us for a day. I've decided on that day I'd fill her in a little more on the facts of life. Moreso the "what's going to be happening to you and your body" bit. I was 9 years old when I started my menstrual cycle and by the age of 10 I had filled out a size a bra and was already working on the b cup. My mother wasn't prepared to talk to me until at least twelve so when things started happening I thought I was dying. The terrible cramping and the bleeding only confirmed my fear I must be dying. It seems funny now but at the time it was very serious to my 9 year old brain.

So, I've made the executive decision to prepare my daughter for the inevitable. She's a pretty astute girl and I think she'll handle it well. We've already had some brief discussions to lead up to it so I don't think it will frighten her much, I just want to prepare her and initiate the talking, so that she feels comfortable coming to me when things get more complicated in her life which they inevitably will.

Time to go now, my stomach is muttering something about breakfast.

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I have been burping up sulphur all day and in a bit of gastric pain. This is the first time I've felt this way since having had my gall bladder removed back in January of last year. After talking with the cool cats at telehealth it was suggested that it was probably due to all the craptastic vomiting & such I did earlier in the week when I had the flu - my stomach is still sorting itself out and now that my little friend the gall bladder is gone the stomach has to work a little harder to get itself back together again.

That's well and good but I really hate the taste of sulphur.

My recent blogging has been really gross, healthwise, which I could apologize for but hey nobody is forcing you to read it.

So when I was all sick and weak on the couch staring limply at the television and praying for either death or a miracle on Tuesday night, I watched Anchorman. The next morning a friend was kind enough to take my kids to school and then I ended up having to drag myself to work anyway because they were short on people. I'm a team player so of course I went. Bleh. So then by the afternoon I'm sort of feeling ok but not really and the boss is talking about a movie with one of my coworkers and then I realize, the movie he was talking about? Anchorman. We both ended up saying "You stay classy, San Diego" at the same time and it was so odd that he watched the exact same movie the night before.

Jayne hat is coming along swimmingly hurrah!

This must be a week for the name Jayne/Jane. I'm reading "Jane of Lantern Hill" again. Yes it's a kids' book. Yes it's a million years old. Yes it's one of L.M. Montgomery's lesser known books. Yes I realize I'm no longer twelve. Hush.

Skyyyyyyyyy rockets in flight! Afternoon delight! Aaaaaaaaafternoon delight!

I now have that song stuck in my head because of making reference to Anchorman.

Time to tidy up and think of clever places to hide eggs that the cat can't get into but the kids can.

You stay classy, San Diego.

Report cards came & went & the kids did fabulously. Hurrah.

K got really sick and I ended up missing 2 days at work to take care of him. He didn't start feeling better until Saturday afternoon, tra la la just in time for the BBQ thing. Ugh. All of my in-laws all in one house and the kids playing downstairs in father-in-law's dojo and getting into fights and little ones in tears and bigger ones in tears and my headache just pounding against my skull and my wishing I hadn't agreed to go. It's always stressful on me and SO doesn't understand that. Of course he doesn't because he gets to sit & drink & chat w/his family while I watch all their damn kids. You'd think it would be reversed when it comes to my own family but no.

My head hurts just thinking about it.

I had more to say but I totally went blank. A clear indication I'm sleep-deprived. I get to go into work tomorrow and have fellow employees give me dirty looks for missing work - that is until I tell them why. Honestly I don't care since the people I sit with are nice and I don't really need to interact with anyone else so neener. My *boss* was the one who insisted I stay home & take care of my little one. So there.

I'm sure it'll bite me in the ass at some point but for now it's all gravy. Have I ever mentioned I really like the statement "it's all gravy"? I do. No idea why. It's up there with "the bee's knees" or "the cat's pajamas".

Easter is coming, hurrah! The kids are very excited and hoping the bunny puts them on an egg hunt. We try to keep Easter simple - some parents just go absolutely nuts. There's one lady at work that got each of her kids a freakin scooter - those things aren't cheap! What happened to a couple of chocolate eggs and maybe a coloring book & crayons or something? Yowsa.

I re-vamped my cousin's blog when she wasn't looking. Bwahaha! She knew I was going to otherwise I wouldn't have her pwd. But she didn't know when so surprise!

Over the Hedge is coming to theatres May 19th - the kids are very excited about this one for some reason. It's right around C's birthday so maybe we'll take them then. C and I are going to have a day just the two of us on her birthday - well not on the actual day because it's a school day, but probably the weekend after so it goes without saying I could probably take her to see it.

Ok time to go pretend I'm watching a movie & pass out until SO shakes me awake and drags my half-sleeping carcass to bed. Ta-ta!

OH! One more thing. I'm making a Jayne hat! (If you don't know what the hell I am talking about, please refer to this. And this. And this.)

I hear that Foo Fighters song and I always think "Preach it brother" because it's just one of those songs.

Anyhow. Little victories make me happy. Last night I saw a council not get the best of my dear friend Hammer (which I call her that after her blog, no other reason) and her come out victorious and approved for funds that the subcommittee needs in order to throw together a successful 50th bash for our kids' school. So hurrah to you! *Insert wicked face and heavy metal devil horns salute here*

Got called home from work today to gather up K, who apparently had a bit of an accident at school - didn't make it to the bathroom quite in time. Then at home? Same thing. I'm praying he isn't getting sick but I have a feeling he probably is considering C just got over it from the weekend and I had it a week ago. Only one left in the house is SO who probably won't get it the lucky bastid.

Beware. Rant ahead.

Friday is my mother in law's birthday, as well as my SO's grandpa on his dad's side. On Saturday the in laws are having a BBQ for the grandpa to celebrate. I have mixed feelings about this, mostly because he was barely a part of our lives and then his second wife died and suddenly he shows up hat in hand and all apologetic. "Yeah, that time I totally abandoned the three youngest and had the power shut off and the rent past due on the farm? Sorry about that. Oh, my grandson's wedding? I didn't reply, did I? But I still went to my stepdaughter's wedding the weekend before, and stayed here for 2 weeks, and was perfectly capable of attending? Oh right. Whoops. My Bad."

My SO is still very upset over that last bit, but not near as upset as when his one stepdaughter had her first child and he said to my SO (who was the first grandchild of a family of 15 grandchildren from the his grandma) "FINALLY I have a grandchild! I've been waiting so long!" WHAT THE FRESH HELL KIND OF THING TO SAY IS THAT? Ok, I understand, you get older, maybe a little senile, but he is sharp as a tack and there is no slowness about him. He just isn't fucking thinking. Don't dare say that to your first grandson, in front of your other grandchildren for that matter and your great grandchildren. C was totally confused and asked me "does that mean we aren't his great grandkids? I thought grandpapa was Daddy's grandpa?" I just told her that he was old and confused and she nodded sagely and left it at that.

Then there's what happened at the funeral home when he was bragging to HIS OWN DAMN CHILDREN who are of course all grown now that his 2 stepdaughters always brag to their real father about what a fabulous dad SO's grandpa was and he was always there for them, etc etc. I'm thinking "you idiot please shut up because you are hurting people here, you had 5 kids before you left your 1st wife and you didn't do thing one for them" but I couldn't say that because his 2nd wife was there a few feet away being mourned over. There is tons of back story to this but trust me, a lot of the bitterness is well understood.

So anyway SO doesn't even want to go but we are going out of respect for my father in law's wishes. My father in law is acting like an orphan that's found their true parents or something, giddy like a child that he has his Dad back and is trying his best to include him back into the family. I have tried to point out that there are a LOT of hurt feelings to be worked out and that it is going to take time... but mother in law says SO should just buck up and get over it. I told m-i-l to tell him that herself and leave me the hell out of it from this point forward. She didn't like that very much but it's true, I can not speak for him or her on their behalf if they have something to say to each other they need to say it to each other not to me.

Ok enough ranting, time to take C to Brownies. It's badge night!

Later folks.