Sunday Reflections 7/15/2012

We'll start with the ugly of the week.

Kenzie's fat lip, with which she insisted she would not be going out in public.  Kind of looks harmless in the picture below....

but upon closer inspection, we can understand the reluctance, can't we girls? 

And as for me, no that's not a giant jaw breaker I'm sucking on.  It is what Brad has dubbed 

MEGA JAW, Jaw, jaw, jaw....(echo sound). 

He thinks it is all extra funny since he did it to me.

(I look like I'm tossing my hair in that picture above.  If it wasn't for the ever present shine on my face I could almost be quoting the pantene commercial, "Don't hate me because I'm beautiful.....")

Let's get a better look at that lopsided face (Oh, and those pretty earrings that I got to borrow from Kenzie, it's the best thing about her getting her ears pierced I think).  

It was the last of three dental surgeries Brad had to perform on me to fix a series of mistakes by several previous doctors.  I'm glad they're over.  We'll see if he is as good as he tells me he is. . .

These kids, all 5 of them, got into major trouble with Dad and me this week.

As cute as they are, they don't like chores and sometimes start to think that it isn't their job to help keep the house clean along with EXPECTING an award when they actually do decide to do their chores.  I HATE when my kids ask me, "What do I get out of this" or, "How much will you pay me?"  when I ask for help.  There's nothing that infuriates me more.  Anyway, it all came to a head this week after they got sent outside for the rest of the evening while I cleaned the house.  Afterwards we had a big talk on responsibilities and the social disease of ENTITLEMENT.  Because of their neglectful behavior, all the motorcycles were "incapacitated" by Brad, movies were taken away for an undetermined period of time and I haven't had to cook dinner for the last three nights because they are on cereal rations, Brad's idea.  He likes to remind them that we, as parents, have a legal obligation to feed and house them but there is no specific stipulation on what kind of food they must be fed, as long as there is proper nourishment available.   If they don't want to do dishes, clean their rooms and whatever else then their poor mother will be much too busy cleaning up after them all day long to actually cook real meals.  Brad also asserts that all of one's daily vitamins and minerals can be aquired through milk and cereal alone, at least that is what the box says.  Maybe a little fruit here and there just to play the empathetic jailer, to start the process of winning them all back to our team.   Hopefully this will provide a memorable lesson since other standard methods have come up short in this particular family mutiny.

And finally, we ran into a big kink with the practice purchase.  This is a gross understatement of course, a significant bit of crucial information that was intentionally withheld until very late in the game.  We have to verify that it is true and then the deal will be officially off.  So we are back where we started minus 10k or so for consultant, accounting and attorney fees. 

The good of the week.

While it is certain that Jake is going to be needing some new socks in the future....

my kids are all shod for the year with my bargain of the week:  Converse shoes at Target for $7.  I thought they were such a good deal that everyone got a new pair, and yes my boys' have matching shoes.   Since they won't wear the matching dresses and suits I made them all for Easter (note intended sarcasm  http://motobees.blogspot.com/2011/12/friday.html) , matching shoes will have to do for now.

Though crazy and absolutely nutty at times:

my boys have decided to put their free time (grounding) to good use by reinventing the ancient art of sword making. 

A curious age for Mr. Jordan where he possesses the creativity and hand skills to fabricate his own wooden sword and yet is still young enough to submit to the boyish impulse of cruising around the yard on a BMX bike with it sheathed in his make believe scabbard/belt on the lookout for any trouble. 

Little Jakers on the other hand is much less interested in the technicalities of pommels and hand guards and is very content with a regular old stick jammed in the back of his shorts.  And, of course, he can do all this while riding circles around our driveway on his horse/bike.