Amygdalia's Blog

Warning: blog rant ahead

Today is Monkey's 11th birthday. He's been talking about wanting a bow and arrow for months . . . but I am strongly opposed to getting the child a weapon. My husband was like "oh, we'll just find a secluded park and set up a target." Nooooo . . . NO we won't do any such thing! It's a WEAPON! You don't just take a weapon you haven't been trained with to a presumed empty park and start shooting it! I looked into lessons, where he could at least get a chance to use one . . . closest one is half an hour without traffic (hahahaha!) and doesn't have weekend lessons. Only 7-8 PM during the week. Nope. Not happening. So I looked into other options. Shanachie suggested one with suction cup tips, so I looked into that. But I couldn't find one that really worked like a bow and arrow, and nothing that I could get in time for his birthday. I came up with what I thought (hoped) was a decent set of gifts that he would be happy with, including a Wii Sports set that you put ON the Wii-mote, one of which was a bow.

On Saturday, talking with my husband, I discovered . . . HE was the one who had suggested "oh, we should get you a REAL one" after Monkey had pointed out a rubber tipped one at a kiosk in the mall. You WHAT!?!?!? So we went to the mall . . . the kiosk was gone. *sigh*

We celebrated Monkey's birthday last night, since Goldi has evening rehearsal tonight. I made a cake - exactly what he had asked for. Chocolate cake, cream cheese (with no actually cream, since he's allergic to dairy) frosting, and sliced bananas in between the layers, with the frosting. I made homemade pizza, which he had asked for. Out came the gifts. He opened them, said "cool" and started playing with the juggling sticks. Told him it was get ready for bed time. He went into his room, and the evening struggle began. Which culminating in him telling me he hated his presents, there was only one thing he'd wanted and he didn't get it, and thanks for making his birthday "rubbish." So I told him I'd gladly get rid of them since he didn't want them, and picked up all of his presents and carried them to the garage. He came and got them. I was SO furious . . . ungrateful child! I made sure he'd taken his meds and brushed his teeth, and sent him to bed.

I was not feeling particularly pleasant this morning, but I tried not to be surly, in any case. Woke everyone up, got everyone into the car in time to take Goldi to the bowling alley for first period PE. Noticed she wasn't wearing her knee or ankle brace, and stopped the car. "I don't NEED them! I'm FINE!" She's NOT fine. She hasn't even started PT yet! They're supposed to keep her knee and ankle stable while they're not strong. So I was pretty furious with her when I dropped her off at the bowling alley.

Came home, finished getting Monkey ready for school (including packages of Oreos to share with his friends for his birthday, since we're not allowed to send homemade treats, and there are no store bought cupcakes that are okay for him). He apologized for what he'd said the night before, and I thanked him. I'm still feeling bitter, though.

Walked the $100 prescription over to the school . . . Oh. Got a call Friday. ALL of the meds I'd brought at the beginning of the school year were expiring or expired. The Auvi-Q (epinephrine injectors) had been BRAND NEW when I took them . . . expire in March. WHAT!? So I called the pediatrician, explained, and asked for more to be called in. Our HORRIBLE prescription insurance doesn't cover that injector (despite the fact that it's easier to use, smaller and more convenient to carry, TALKS you through the process, and is less scary and painful to administer). So we had a coupon . . . $0  . . . for up to 3 packages. Except in the fine print it said "up to $100." And they were $200 each. So today I need to call and ask for Epi-pen scrips to be called over, because I have TWO MORE SETS that are expiring next month.

*deep breath*

So I was sitting here, trying to calm myself down, when I got a text from Goldi. "I don't have a ride back to school." WHAT!?!? Yeah . . . they asked for parent volunteers to do this. I did NOT volunteer. For more than one reason, but the main one being that I'm job hunting. What if I'd been working? What if I'd been at an interview? What if I'd been doing ANYTHING else that would have prevented me from dropping everything and going to pick her up and drive her to the school? As I pull up . . . there's a white van in front of me. Oh . . . that's the teacher. He usually doesn't come back for a 2nd load of students. Are you KIDDING me!?!? He didn't TELL you he was coming back? So . . . pretty much . . . he would have abandoned these kids at the school without a ride back. I don't know if he told OTHER kids he was coming back, but not Goldi. But the fact remains, he DROVE AWAY, seeing my daughter still standing there.

I'm now trying to calm down before I call the school and rip them a new one.