Growth Spurts

Yeah, they suck. I know they are inevitable, but boy do they come at the wrong times! Middle Bit has decided that she needs to grow. I knew it was coming. The last few weeks she has eaten non-stop. (For those that have known her, she used to eat like a bird and was very picky.) She's also been taking 2 hour naps. Yesterday was my proof. She put on a pair of jeans that I purchased beginning of OCTOBER and they are getting too small. I'd adjusted the waist when she first wore them, so I let them out. They were also almost too short. Which means, she has an entire wardrobe of new clothes that are getting ready to be useless. It also means if her body is growing, her feet are sure to follow. That also means a collection of shoes that she can't wear. Now, when Haley does this it isn't so bad. I can hold onto the good stuff and pass it down to Mariah. I can't quite pass Mariah's stuff to Grayson! Ugh! Thank goodness I didn't buy her any clothes for Christmas!

Customer Service

I am one who thinks that the days of customer service are something of the past. And I'm not talking about sales people asking if you need anything, I'm talking about them going above and beyond to make you happy. It's rare that you find those people. And I do my fair share of shopping. Anyway, today did prove to me that not all hope is lost. I went to Von Maur to pick out a pair of boots. They were out in the size/color I was wanting. The salesman was very helpful and told me that he could call other stores and see if they had any and if they did, they would ship them directly to my house. Mind you, I was just in this same store the other night in a similar predicament and the salesBOY didn't even bother. He quickly dismissed me telling they only had a size 10. The gentleman today knew I had a couple other places to visit, not to mention I had 4 children tagging along with me. He took my information, put a hold on my 2nd choice of boots and another item I was purchasing and said he'd start calling. After about 45 minutes I made my way back and he told me he'd found my boots and I should expect them within the week. He'd called about half a dozen stores until he found them. He made my day. THIS is the type of customer service that people need to learn. If he hadn't found them, I'd have bought my 2nd choice without a second thought because he'd been so nice and tried to make me happy. So, next time you are in the shoe department of Von Maur, try to scout an a middle-aged man with glasses, I believe his name is Mark. He is wonderful and I will try to find him for my next purchase.

1 Off, 21 On

In the last 22 days, I have worked 21, with one day off. I worked 19 of those days back to back. Holy Cow! What was I thinking? I am sooo burnt out! 32 hours of overtime in 2 weeks is just too much. I know more about what is going on in the lives of my co-workers, their spouses and their kids than I do in what's going on the life of my spouse and kids. No, I don't get any "fun money" out of it, either. I'm being responsible and using it to renew the tags on the vehicles. I know, BORING! My husband has been feeling much like a single parent the last few weeks. However, the next couple of months won't be much better. It's now HIS turn to work the overtime. Plus, we've got the Food Co-op this month, Thanksgiving (at my house), birthday parties and other activities. Next month I'm having a get-together, then we've got Christmas (probably also at my house), my birthday, other birthdays/celebrations and then New Years. Maybe after the beginning of the year it'll settle down....maybe if I just click my heals....

Bravo!

There was quite a spectacle tonight at McDonald's on Rock Rd in Derby. A young girl (maybe around 10) was seen sitting at a table with some adults. She had a sign around her neck that read, "I am a bully and a liar". The adults she was with were carrying on as if everything was normal. Well, the manager didn't like the situation because the employees were too busy watching the child and not paying attention to their work. So, they took it upon themselves to call the police department. Mind you, the child was looking quite humiliated, but was not crying or acting scared in any way. The police come out and contact the adults, who turned out to be the girl's grandparents. Apparently, this young girl had struck another child at school. A note was sent home by the principal to the parents (who are currently out of town). The girl forged her parent's signature on the paper and turned it back in. When questioned, she lied about it multiple times until finally telling the truth. So, parents and grandparents came up with the sign as her punishment. I think it is fantastic. I love seeing parents and grandparents having an active role in their child's punishment. Yes, they could have grounded her or spanked her. But, I think this really drove a point home with her. It definitely caught the attention of everyone in McDonalds. More children need to learn their are consequences for their actions. I, for one, applaud these parents and grandparents. So, for those that know me, don't be surprised if you see one of my "Bits" running around with a sign.

Say a Little Prayer

The other night I was thinking how before every meal and at bedtime, we kids always said the same prayers. For dinner it was:

"God we thank you for this food. For rest and home and all things good. For wind and rain and sun above. But most of all for those we love. Amen."

It's funny after all these years that I still remember that like it was yesterday. For bedtime it was:

"Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. To guide me safely through the night and wake me with the morning light. Amen."

When Haley was young, I'd sit down with her every night that I was home and I taught her the same bedtime prayer. As I had more kids and my work schedule (along with too many other things) got in the way. I've decided that I am going to make an effort to teach the kids my special prayers. But, I'd love to teach them some others as well. So, for those that have them, I'd love to see them.

2 Months!

Holy cow! There is only 2 months left until Christmas! Where has this year gone? It seems like yesterday that we were moving back and now it's the end of October!

I should have realized how close Christmas was. We went to Lowe's the other day and they already have aisles filled with decorations. K-Mart is advertising lay-away (the only smart discount store to offer it. Normally I don't shop there, but I may have to make an exception.) The worst perpetrator? Nick Jr and The Disney Channel. Not that I let my kids sit in front of a TV all day long, but my goodness. Every stinkin' time they turn that thing on there is a commercial for some new, great toy that one of the munchkins just HAS to have. The other day, Middle Bit tells me we need to go to the store. I ask her why. She mumbles the name of some toy and tells me, "It's available in stores now!" Fantastic. So now I have Middle Bit and Little Bit as walking advertisements. It's amazing how many toys/books/movies they "need". Boy, will they be disappointed come December 25th when they realize I didn't leave cheese for Santa.

So, the next two months will be spent saving and purging. Saving money for Christmas and purging all the old books/toys/movies that have lost their luster. I'm big on donating, so the local Care and Share will get their toys that have been taken care of (or barely played with.) I'm also going to start a tradition this year. All 3 kids will pick an angel off of the Angel Tree and purchase something for them. From now until then, the allowance they earn will help to buy a gift for someone who needs it more than they. I figure it's never too early (or too late) to start this lesson.

VICTORY!

Thanks to my wonderful sister-in-law, I now have a stash of Pumpkin Spice Kisses. They are as decadent as I imagined.

For those wanting or needing them, the new Target store in Derby had a bunch!