Figures

Purchased this super cute, macked out Saab to replace my poor, sad, totalled Civic, and then 48 hours later someone hit it with a shopping cart while I was in a store, denting and scratching the back panel. NOT COOL.

Test Drive

Okay, so, I normally work 2nd and 3rd shifts so that I can be home with Lucas during the day. It doesn't leave much time for sleep, but all that will change when he starts school. I'll be able to sleep the day away while he's in school getting smarter than me.

This past Wednesday, however, I started taking classes during the day to become an LNA. I've worked at the hospital for 14 (gulp) years, (I did start there when I was just 12, how kind of you to notice!) but now that the hospital has gone to electronic medical records, well...there's just not enough for me to do. And then the hospital was generous enough to pay for the course, and pay me to go, so I'm going. But I'm a nervous wreck about it, because let's face it, I'm no spring chicken and I haven't taken a test in 15 years. Gah.

AND OF COURSE the first time I work a day shift in over 6 years I total my car on the way home. It wasn't my fault, but still. If I miss a single day of the LNA course I can't finish it. Stressful. And then it was Wednesday night, my car is totaled, I have class in the morning and no way to get there, and life was miserable.

But as with all other things in life, trouble has a way of working itself out. A speedy rental, a thoughtful insurance rep and generous aunt have all come together to produce a fairly stellar end result. We went car shopping today a bought the newest car I have ever owned. With more bells and whistles than any car I have ever driven. And in the end it will cost me less every month to own. So all's well that ends well, I suppose, and when we pick up our new (to us) car on Monday, we'll post a few pics!

So This Happened Today

And I'm wondering which money tree I should start picking bills off of to pay for it's replacement.

The Parts I Must Remember

I'm standing at the stove whipping up lunch. An odd smorgasbord of lunch since I haven't been to the grocery store in far too long. Even though none of it really goes together, it still looks yummy, and I call to Lucas to come sit at the table to eat. He comes around the corner with a serious face on.

"I'd love to stay for lunch but I can't."

I'm wondering where on earth he might be going at 5 years old that I don't know about.

"I'm delivering pizzas for Pizza Putt today and my boss wants me back at one o'clock. What time is it now?"

Luckily for him he had a solid 20 minutes left on his "lunch break" before his boss wanted him back so he settled in his favorite chair and waited to be waited on.

"I have to remember to ask him for March 1st off", he continued, "'cause you know I don't like to work on my birthday. And I have to eat quick 'cause he doesn't like it when I'm late."

[It has always been a house rule for me (and now for him apparently) that I do not, under any circumstances, have to go to work on my birthday. I'm glad he's carrying on this particular tradition of mine, since I feel pretty strongly about it. I can guarantee he hasn't had to work a birthday yet.]

He gobbled up his lunch and told me thanks, but he had to go, and headed for the living room. I found him there few a minutes later playing video games. So apparently "delivering pizzas" means "playing xBox" when you're five. Good to know.

Dancing on Tables

I came around the corner today to find my kiddo dancing on the coffee table and shaking his booty to Jack Johnson. That boy's got moves you've never seen.

Swingin'

Cinderella: Now with More Money

"You just sit back and relax," my son tells me. "I'm gonna vacuum for you because you work so hard." He sets about getting the vacuum out and plugging it in. He makes a big show about moving his kid-sized recliner to get to every inch, and even goes so far as to pull out the kitchen chairs to vacuum under the table. I snapped a few pictures just to prove it was true and sat back with the remote to channel surf. This is the life, I thought.

He wrapped up all of his hard work, put the vacuum back, and came to the living room to snuggle up next to me on the couch. "You know, Mom...people who do work need to get paid, right? And I just vacuumed the livin' room and under the table. Nobody works for free, you know. I'm gonna need a dollar."

I gave him a speech about how he shouldn't expect to get paid to participate in keeping a clean and healthy house, but honestly, that carpet was dirty and he is only five so I caved and gave him the dollar. He's been offering to vacuum every day this week and I'm running out of dollar bills.