Yard Work

Sorry it has been a few days since my last post.  I have been really busy and so tired.  So the goings on lately have been pretty good.  This weekend was yard work and it is nice having 3 teenage boys for this because we worked their tails off and the yard looks great!  Cody LOVES to plant flowers and tropical plants so he was happy.  Drew and Austin kept complaining the whole time but they did what we asked and all was good.  Just finished up planning our College visits for this summer.  We are hitting 3 colleges in Tennessee and then finishing off with a few days in Gatlinburg.  Gonna take the boys white water rafting.  They give us helmets and life jackets so if I throw I mean if one of the boys falls over they will be fine!  Got a great deal on a really nice cabin in the Smokies so can't wait.  Cody's report card was OK.  He can do much better got like 3 C's 3 B's and an A.  I know my friends are thinking thats great for being my son considering I pulled D's through high school and that was because my friends let me copy their homework!

Report Card Day

Well the day is here and I have to say I think I'm a pretty damn good mom!  So here is how it went down...  I walk into the door at 4pm and Drew comes up to me and says "Does my shirt look good mom?"  I then look up at his shirt and there it is the big "Alonso A Team"!  What does that mean?  Well it means that he got all A's and B's!  I'm very proud of him.  So as he goes to do his homework with a huge smile on his face and I'm smiling from ear to ear ready to start cooking dinner. (Yes I cook on occasion!  I make a very good Hamburger Helper) "Wait, what about Austin and Cody" you ask?  First, Cody goes to The Academies Pepin High school which is a school for kids with disabilities so his report card does not come out until next week.  However, Austin also came home with his today and your not going to believe these words but I promise they are true!  So, as I am putting away the groceries and starting dinner the front door flies open and I hear my name being called.  I yell that I am in the kitchen and he comes flying in.  By the smile on his face I assume he got a "High D" in reading and he is gonna try to sell me on not being grounded.  Oh how wrong I was; he hands me his report card and there in black and white are all "B's and C's"!!!  He brought up his reading and Language Arts grades to a "C"!  I started jumping up and down and told him that I am the proudest mom in the world!  Now for those of you who have been following the whole Austin thing you will be feeling my joy and excitement.  You who are new or just passing through will wonder "What, she is proud of a C"?  You bet I am!  It has been a daily battle trying to get him to bring up his grade!  So there you have it my boys have given me a good day and I could not be happier!  

Remember This

See this is proof that these three brothers can get along! They were all being good (I know shocker) but it's true so I had to document the time and date of this amazing event! Looking at this picture they look so inocent and sweet; don't get me wrong they have their moments of perfection but here they are not trying to kill each other. So today Sunday, April 18, 2010 I have taken a picture to capture the moment that my three boys were getting along! So tomorrow when they are yelling that they hate each other, I can just whip out my photo and say "Not True"! I think I can save my glass of wine for tomorrow night when fists start swinging and evil looks come knocking. Hey maybe this is a start of something new like oh I don't know "friendship"? I know don't get your hopes up Sandy if it's too good to be true it probably is. Come to think of it, maybe they were in cahoots trying to get away with something? Ok, I won't think that rationally I'll just enjoy the moment~

Time For The Talk

Get your mind out of the gutter you dirty birds!  Not that talk; that is done once a week to ensure I don't become a Grandma!  Today was the talk about "Credit Cards"!!!  I know my close friends are laughing but I really do know that credit cards are not free money.  This however, has alluded my son Austin.  You all know him better as "The boy who knows everything".  While listening in on my son's conversation, arguments, fights whatever you want to call them I was enlightened to find out that my husband and I can put everything on a credit card and not ever have to spend a dime.  Oh what an awesome concept which I have tried when I was younger but for some funny reason they stopped working?  So during this spy session I learned that credit cards are free money and the store Game Stop no longer accepts CASH!  Now understand the boy who knows everything was being a complete and total A** to his brother while informing him he could not get a new game because he did not have a Game Stop card.  So quite calmly my older son informed the boy who knows everything that he did not need a card because he had cash saved up (I know a very strange concept to me but there is always a rebel in the family).  So then the boy who knows everything told the money saving rebel that Game Stop does not accept cash.  When the money saving rebel tried to argue this point, the boy who knows everything got very ugly!  Well this is where Mom swung the door open and let the boy who knows everything know just how little he really does know.  So for his sheer ugliness I decided to make him spend the day by my side and learn a few things about life hence "THE TALK"!  Now while shopping at BJ's wholesale club I made him keep count of everything we bought and how much everything cost.  During our shopping trip I explained the whole credit card thing and made him fess up about just trying to piss his brother off with the whole "Game Stop doesn't accept cash" thing!  When we checked out I then informed him that I would be using my credit card and that because it is just so easy he would use his allowance to pay the balance.  Wow I never knew how fast he could go when restocking the shelves with all the things he "HAD" to have!  Oh, today was a good day!  

Top of The Rock NYC! To all my friends who were worried that I would not make it back from NYC in one piece well I am back! I had a lot of fun but would never ever want to live there. Way too many people and the taxi cab drivers were personally out to get me! Wholy jamoca juice they are all CRAZY! Went and say WICKED and that was AMAZING! Best part of the trip was the show. So now that I am safe and back to the calm of another town I thought you all should know. Also I think I grew another chin with all the food we ate. Guess I'm gonna be calling Weight Watchers to take it back. Oh, and I know you all are thinking how are the boys doing? Lord have mercy I can't even be gone a day with out the school calling me! This time it was Drew. He apparently decided that since I was gone he could act up by laughing during class and not stop until they contacted me. My husband had to leave work and go pick him up becasue they thought that it was uncontrolable??? Drew however, was unaware that they were gonna be able to contact me in New Hampshire. So when I was on the phone and they put him on sudenly he stopped laughing! Too late cuz my husband had already left work to go get him and they wanted to make sure he was looked at by a doctor (aka test for drugs). Well the only drug Drew was on was the "Mom is out of town drug and I can get away with anything". Poor child is so clueless, I can ground them from China if I need to. So he quickly recovered from his laughing as soon as he learned he had lost games for interrupting my Vacation! Cody is with his Grandma and Grandpa and Austin is being really good right now. Let's see how it plays out when I get home. I do miss them all very much!

How Do I Say Goodbye?

Well it's not goodbye it's more like your on you own while I'm gone!  I am leaving first thing in the morning for New Hampshire then we will drive to NYC in a few days.  I can't wait to relax and drink lots of WINE!  Now some of you are wondering who will be taking care of the boys and pets?  Andrew will, I know you are all laughing right now but I'm sure they will survive.  Even if it is on frozen pizza's and mac and cheese.  Besides, Cody told me that "Dad" promised to take them to Hooters when I am away.  Figures!  So predictable these boys of mine.  Well, now Andrew is complaining that I'm not spending time with him before I leave so this is gonna be a short blog.  I'll try to log on and get you all some updates while I'm away.

Because I Said So!

Yes, because I said so!  That is my answer to my smart mouth teenagers questions about WHY?  I am so sick of the 14 year old that thinks he knows everything.  Seriously, I'm over it!  From now on when they question me on my reason behind whatever I tell them to do the answer is simply "Because I said so".  That is it I refuse to argue with them.  I told Austin that the law requires me to feed him, clothe him, and provide him a safe and secure place to sleep.  If he would like to call the authorities because I have taken away his TV, games and friends then please let me dial the numbers for him!  While they are here maybe they can put the fear of freedom into him.  He is so lucky he has that cute little face that melts me when he says "I'm sorry mommy, I love you"!  Otherwise it would be off to wilderness camp for the summer!  Knock some reality into that boy.  I tell you what my kids are so spoiled.  They won't know what they have till it is gone (like Austins phone, games, TV and friends)!  Ok, now that I am done venting some sad news here at the Pulliam residence.  Momma the cat is probably being put to sleep tomorrow.  I am so upset I wish I could have helped her but she is just too mean to be adopted.  I have worked with her for months and she still attacks me and I am the one she loves.  We are testing her to see if there is some medical reason she attacks when touched on her back.  She has also been loosing clumps of hair and drinking water like crazy.  So we will see tomorrow.  Keep your fingers crossed for a miracle I have fallen in love with her:-(

A Jewish Girls Easter???

So today is Easter so happy Easter to all my friends.  I however am Jewish so it's not as exciting as Christmas or anything like that.  Yes, I do Christmas we celebrate the season not the reason?  Actually my husband and step children are Catholic so we do everything.  This year however was pretty much a day like all other days of the year.  My boys are too old for Easter baskets so I got them each a bunny and an egg filled with candy.  I did however forget to give it to them until tonight.  I know bad little Jewish girl but whatever I have ALWAYS had an issue remembering to do Easter.  Usually Cody is with his Grandparents and this year was no different.  One year when the boys were about 10 (still believers) I completely forgot and had to send Andrew out at midnight to try and put something together.  Boy was he mad.  Not that he remembered, and this is his holiday!  Anyways, Cody came home today from a week with his Dad (my X-husband).  I'm so glad he is home I really miss him when he is gone for so long.  Now it usually takes a few days for him to get back into the normal routine here at home because when he is there all they do is fun stuff.  I hate that.  My X tries to tell me how to do things with him after he spends a week with  him.  I just usually tell him to shut it because he only spends a week maybe two with him a year and it's not real life.  They always have fun stuff planed when he comes to Florida so no making him do homework, do chores or deal with the sibling thing.  He does not have to wake Cody's cranky butt up every morning and fight him to get ready for school nor does he have to take him, pick him up and take the calls when he gets in trouble!  He is a loving Dad though so I'll give him that.  I'm also getting ready to leave for a Mommy vacation this week and can't wait!  I'll miss my animals (and family) but I can't wait to not have to make dinner, do laundry, wipe the kitchen counters down or anything like that.  

Karma Sucks!

So every morning my husband is yacking about how mad he is because our little princess Maggie has been peeing on the kitchen floor during the night. I of course am sleeping so by the time I get up it has been cleaned and I don't think twice about it. Well, isn't Karma is Bit*h! This morning around 2am Maggie (the princess) starts barking. I get up to put her on our bed and she runs to the kitchen door. Being the good Mom I am I follow to let her out. So as I enter the kitchen it is dark and I can't see. Know my house pretty well so not a problem! That is until my right foot (in my slipper) slides out from under me and I go crashing to the ground! As my right foot slides forward my left leg bends and I land on my knee and then my ass. So in pain and shock I start yelling for my husband and I hear him say "Stay right where you are" like I can move anyways! So he comes into the kitchen turns on the light and starts LAUGHING! He has apparently seen what I slipped on and me sitting on the floor and thinks it is hysterical. So he gets the 409 and cleans up the mess then picks me up. Still laughing might I add. So I change and go back to bed to wake up in the morning with a black and blue knee that hurts like a dickens and a nice limp to go with it. So all Andrew keeps saying is now you know how it is to wake up to pee. Knowing that I am going on vacation to NYC next week and I will be walking a lot he still finds this hysterical. Oh, how the day will come when I am laughing just wait till he has to miss a fishing tournament because I need knee surgery! Won't be so funny then!

Bite me in the A**

You know how you think everything your child does is the best.  Like when they sing to you when they are younger and you tell them how awesome it was.  Well that is what I have always done with my Austin and his singing.  To me it was good for a kid and I always encouraged him (not thinking he would actually listen).  Well, tonight he came to me and wanted to sing; however, this time he was very serious about wanting to make a career out of it.  Oh boy!  Being the wonderful mother that I am I said well let me hear what you got.  Apparently because of his groundation he has lots of time on his hands to practice.  So, I sat there while he sang a country song.  WOW, how do you tell your kid to just please stop?  This is when I could use some of Simon's straight forward I don't give a hoot attitude.  So what did you do you ask?  I stopped him in the middle and said "ya know I think you need to learn how to do it without the I-pod helping you".  This was genius because he can't remember the words without it.  I also told him he has to memorize the words before he tries again.  Ya know write them down and study them!  HA!  I'm good because we all know there is no way he is actually gonna write out the songs and STUDY!  Oh I wonder how I do it sometimes.