The Wait is Over

I am not the most patient person in the world, so having to wait 7 weeks for something I need was rather painful.  To be honest, the wait was much longer, but 7 weeks ago we got the word we were getting what we want.

Back in the Fall, the husband and I realized we would need a new couch soon.  The wear and tear from 2 little kids was starting to show in the cushions.  And a board was sticking out of the back.  With GG's birthday and Christmas, we decided to hold off until after the holidays.  Knowing our kids are still young, we didn't want to spend a fortune, but we also didn't want to go too cheap.  Hopefully we would catch a break with a post-Christmas sale.

As I do every year, I was browsing the ads while waiting for the turkey to cook Thanksgiving afternoon.  During my browsing I happened to mention I was keeping an eye out for furniture sales, as we would need a new couch soon.  This is when my mother-in-law informed me her and my father-in-law were purchasing new furniture for their own living room come Spring.  We were more than welcome to have their old couch.  Their couch was obviously used, but not having any children at their house, except the few hours we visit each week, it was in close to perfect condition.  She was also offering it to us at a great price... free!  SOLD!!!

Seven weeks ago is when she finally found what she liked and last Friday is when she got the call her new furniture could be delivered after Monday.  I feverishly texted my mom trying to set up a time for her significant other and his truck could transfer our new-to-us couch to our house.  If you follow me on Facebook you already know that Friday night was our set delivery time and I had to do a quick cleaning job of the living room.  I did get it done.  Or at least the part of the room closest to the front door.


Finally, after months of waiting, we had a new piece of furniture to add to our humble abode...


My mother-in-law so graciously gave us her slip cover.
Once in the house, I fell in love with the matching cushions...



I think the pattern really pops against the slip cover.  I really want to get a fitted slip cover, but because they are more than I care to spend at the moment, this one will do.  And I think that a slip cover is an absolute must with this new-to-us couch.  Not only because of the kids, but because the whole couch is the same pattern as the pillows.  That's just a few too many flowers for me!


Until next time...



No diggers

For 5 of his 6 years of life, Little Dude has been infatuated with diggers.  Just in case you don't know,  "Diggers" are any type of construction vehicle.  This obsession seemed to fall to the wayside about a month ago.  Thank god!  I was growing tired of my flowers always getting dug up and stepping on teeny orange construction cones (think Legos).  Although the digger obsession did come in handy when snow needed cleared from the walkways.

But anyway, Little Dude began to move from a digger obsession to a dinosaur obsession.  Dinosaurs car be just as loud as diggers, but somehow, when he plays with dinosaurs, all is quiet. It's a change I welcome.  Hell, I embrace it!

However, I think I inadvertently sent my boy back to the land of noisy toys.  How did I do this?  By taking him out to do things.

Things such as Nuclear Cowboyz, a very loud motocross show...




And other things, such as not quiet as loud Monster Truck Jam...



Little Dude's motorcycles can now be found any and everywhere throughout the house.  Steeping on those hurts!  Think teeny construction cones, therefor Legos.  And Monster Trucks?  They're like tiny skateboards.  So much fun when left on the steps!


I guess having kids and expecting things to be quiet is a little too much to ask.  As long as Little Dude, and his sister, had fun, I guess I can't ask for much more.







Although a little peace and quiet wouldn't hurt!




Until next time...



Spelling problem fixed - I hope

I understand there's a push to do more, to do better in school these days.  But sometimes I have to wonder if more is really better.

A few weeks ago I blogged about GG's spelling words. In case you missed it, a few of here words were

  • ribonucleic acid
  • transversive
  • rhetorician
  • subversive
For a fourth grader, again I repeat, what the hell?!  Part of her assignment with those words that week was to categorize the words.  Are they a noun, adjective, verb, or other.  The fact that I had to sit there, dictionary in hand, and help her did not make me happy.  I did my time in school, thankyouverymuch.


I asked a friend what she thought of those words because her daughter is in my daughter's class.  The reaction was not what I expected.  She did not seem as frazzled as I was.  I didn't want to say anything out loud, but I wondered if not all the students in the class got the same list of words.  For the most part, GG does well in school so it never really occurs to me to ask the teachers what is going on.  If we just needed to study more because the curriculum had been upped, so be it.


Fast forward to last week.  I found out exactly why GG had the spelling words she did.  Yes I realize I could have asked and found out much sooner.  Sue me.  I'm not always the best mom out there!


Anyspell, here's the deal.  If a student aces the pre-test on Monday, they are free to choose their own spelling words from the classroom dictionary.  Awesome.  Challenge them.  Let them push their own boundaries.  I'm all for this.  But at what point should the teacher step in and ask if those are really words a fourth grader should try to spell?  Again I say, challenge those kids, but really, what fourth grader needs to know "ribonucleic acid"?


And if I really want to nit-pick?  Some of those words weren't in my own dictionary at home.  Granted my dictionary is from my high school days, but also?  Blogger's spell check doesn't even recognize those words!!!  Those words aren't real and if they are, please assign each child their own said classroom dictionary for home use.


Yes I'm throwing a fit.  And I will surely throw another one if my daughter brings home ridiculous words like that again while still in elementary school.  Yes, she's been warned.





Until next time...