OK shopping with six kids is always fun.... if you think fun is having things thrown in your basket, losing one or two kids, meltdowns.... well then grocery shopping with kids is a blast.
Took a mere three kids with me today. Found great, great deals at Kroger. MGR markdowns on beef and poultry as well as veggies. I rarely find fresh fruit or veggies with MGR markdown but today... hit the jackpot. Got some broccoli and cauliflower. Even got some decent steaks. OK they were on sale for 4.99, then MGR markdown.... Wow I got good deals. We rarely get to eat steak on our budget. I came home with all kinds of meat for the freezer. Seriously, probably a month's supply.
Anyway, I get up to the register, and start unloading my overflowing basket. None of the kids are with me (I am one of those Mom's who send the kids running for items just to keep them busy and out of trouble. Spanky and Boo come running (I had promised them waffles as a reward and they were running back with them). Boo is soooo excited. She found a 1.00 coupon for the waffles. Someone had left it on top of the box (love the coupon mom's who leave their ready to expire coupons on top of the products). The man behind me could not believe I had trained my tiny daughter to coupon shop. He was truly impressed.
Things went downhill from there. When the cashier rang up my Mrg discounted cauliflower, it rang up 401.69 instead of .69. I instantly notified the cashier. She tried to clear it but it kept ringing up the same. Brought a manager over, who couldn't get it to enter right either. They finally do an override, but then it wouldn't delete the old one. It only wanted to delete the .69, not the 401.69. After a good 10 minutes, they get it cleared up. The man behind me waited patiently as my kids behaved in their normal, "I am sick of being in this line" manner. I am behaving in my normal "If you don't stop, the waffles will go back" manner.
And then I realize I didn't bring my Kroger card. My phone number never works. The Manager is still there so the cashier can't use her own card number (as they usually do). The Manager asks me to fill out another card form.... which I start to do... then the kind man behind me, who I am sure was exhausted by the wait... gave me his card.... which knocked a good 10.00 off my bill.
Seriously, I was in line a good 30 minutes. The poor man behind me didn't get upset at all. He had to be frustrated... but out here in the country... I don't know how to describe it.... but people stay nice.
He even reminded us to use Boo's coupon.
The kids came home screaming about the 400.00 head of cauliflower Mom bought.
I had the kids put the groceries away and Mrs. Mommy took a nap. I hope the man behind me went home and took a nap too... he deserved it.
Wondering what to cook tomorrow with my 400.00 cauliflower.....
(front to back, left to right) Boo, Teen2, Spanky, Blonde, Ducky, Teen1
Sunday, March 22, 2009
check out this blogger...
Wow she is my hero. I cannot imagine four people living on an 800/year food budget. I am still reading back thru her articles but already, my mind is whirling planning how to incorporate her achievements in my own family.
http://jane4girls800dollarannualbudget.blogspot.com/
I know most people do not have to resort to this degree, but if you can, why not? Imagine what we could save a year? And if we put that entire savings towards paying off our mortgages.... how many of us would pay our mortgages off in a few years, versus 30!!!!
We are finally recovering from Mr. Daddy's surgery. He is fine now and into March maddness. He has games going on laptops and the TV..... obviously he is doing much better.
And he was called back to work.... Of course he can't go back to work due to his surgery, but still... a praise.
Sometimes it is these small pats on my back from God that keep me smiling. It is almost as if he whispers.... "Don't worry, I am here, all will be well".
And so it will....
Meanwhile, I plan to learn some frugal behavior. I also went to www.frugaldad.com. What a great site. Seems we have been using a lot of his ideas for years... based on my cars, their years, their milage, their rust levels....
But guess what.... we have a new used car and it only has 60,000 miles on it!!!! Right now, it is parked in the garage. We will save it for trips and long drives. Honestly, our other vans, with 200,000 miles each... are all driving great. People may stare... people may wonder when the rust will break and the car disolve into nothing more than an engine and seats on the road.... but until that happens... we will drive them happily, knowing we have not had a car payment in about 8 years... maybe a bit longer. Lets see... our last new van was 1998.... financed for 4 years... paid off early... so maybe 2001 ish. Yes it looks like 8 years without a car payment. Our oldest vehicle is a 1994... and older than our youngest 4 children (as my 14 year olds point out on a regular basis). And now we have a 2006!!!! Wow we feel modern.... And no payment of course. Mr. Daddy's parents offered it to us at such a low price... we pretty much had to take it. Otherwise, we would never have bought another vehicle.
OK off to find more bargain blogs.... will keep you posted on my favorites. And once I get our budget lined up... I will post it as well.
http://jane4girls800dollarannualbudget.blogspot.com/
I know most people do not have to resort to this degree, but if you can, why not? Imagine what we could save a year? And if we put that entire savings towards paying off our mortgages.... how many of us would pay our mortgages off in a few years, versus 30!!!!
We are finally recovering from Mr. Daddy's surgery. He is fine now and into March maddness. He has games going on laptops and the TV..... obviously he is doing much better.
And he was called back to work.... Of course he can't go back to work due to his surgery, but still... a praise.
Sometimes it is these small pats on my back from God that keep me smiling. It is almost as if he whispers.... "Don't worry, I am here, all will be well".
And so it will....
Meanwhile, I plan to learn some frugal behavior. I also went to www.frugaldad.com. What a great site. Seems we have been using a lot of his ideas for years... based on my cars, their years, their milage, their rust levels....
But guess what.... we have a new used car and it only has 60,000 miles on it!!!! Right now, it is parked in the garage. We will save it for trips and long drives. Honestly, our other vans, with 200,000 miles each... are all driving great. People may stare... people may wonder when the rust will break and the car disolve into nothing more than an engine and seats on the road.... but until that happens... we will drive them happily, knowing we have not had a car payment in about 8 years... maybe a bit longer. Lets see... our last new van was 1998.... financed for 4 years... paid off early... so maybe 2001 ish. Yes it looks like 8 years without a car payment. Our oldest vehicle is a 1994... and older than our youngest 4 children (as my 14 year olds point out on a regular basis). And now we have a 2006!!!! Wow we feel modern.... And no payment of course. Mr. Daddy's parents offered it to us at such a low price... we pretty much had to take it. Otherwise, we would never have bought another vehicle.
OK off to find more bargain blogs.... will keep you posted on my favorites. And once I get our budget lined up... I will post it as well.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Who knew a Gall Bladder could cause such problems?
OK Mr. Daddy needed his gall bladder out. No problem except the only time the surgeon could fit him in was at 2:30 Tuesday. Boo had her state testing at 1:00 Tuesday. No problem, testing runs 1/2 hour, I could be back at the hospital by 2, 2:30 at the latest.
I had FIL drive hubby to the hospital so he wouldn't be alone until I got there.
Here is where it gets wierd. Husband sends FIL on errands instead of having him wait for hours before surgery even starts. That would not have been a problem except, FIL is not from this area and gets lost. FIL is not there when surgery is happening.
Boo's test... a mess... I didn't leave until 2:45 and she still was not tested. I am not even going to address this because I am still so frustrated. It is the first time I have been frustrated at the K12 program in our state. I am still frustrated two days later.
I call FIL and my eldest son (who also went along to keep FIL company) to see if Mr. Daddy is out yet. I find out they are LOST and NO ONE.... is with Mr. Daddy at the hospital. He is in surgery and no family there!!!! What is wrong with men that they don't understand things can go wrong in surgery? Remember, it was Mr. Daddy who sent them away, but FIL and Teen1 both saw no problem either.
I rush to the hospital, while telling myself to calm down, gall bladder surgery is no big deal anymore.... no big deal anymore... no big deal anymore.
I get there just as the nurse is arriving with an update.... WHAT... surgery was an hour ago... it was a ten minute surgery.... why an update this late. Well because it didn't go great, that is why. An artery was clipped during the lapro piece... and instead of three little incisions... they had to open him up and repair the damage. He is fine... absolutely fine and getting released today. Alls well that ends well.
So a huge praise that he is fine.
And a prayer request.... he will not get unemployment due to him "Not being able to work". He still qualifies for 2 weeks disability from his prior job but it ends in two weeks. So depending on how long the Dr. writes him off... we are income free. Very scary spot for a family of eight.
Thank goodness we have a decent food supply built up. But remember us please.
We could really use a job call back or new job offer. Either one of us. Please pray that God provide what we need. We are really spoiled. Neither of us has ever really been unemployed before. Not working.... is not something we are used to. We both want to work. Please pray that something happens soon.
So it has been a week filled with stress. And now it is almost over. I leave in a few minutes to pick Mr. Daddy up and bring him back home. Yeah. I have been sleeping at the hospital, rushing home in the morning to get kids homeschooling started, shower and nap (because one really can't sleep in a chair in the hospital with a husband yelling "PAIN" every six minutes).
Another praise is In-Laws who drive six hours to jump in and help out with our six kids. What a blessing they have been and always are.
I had FIL drive hubby to the hospital so he wouldn't be alone until I got there.
Here is where it gets wierd. Husband sends FIL on errands instead of having him wait for hours before surgery even starts. That would not have been a problem except, FIL is not from this area and gets lost. FIL is not there when surgery is happening.
Boo's test... a mess... I didn't leave until 2:45 and she still was not tested. I am not even going to address this because I am still so frustrated. It is the first time I have been frustrated at the K12 program in our state. I am still frustrated two days later.
I call FIL and my eldest son (who also went along to keep FIL company) to see if Mr. Daddy is out yet. I find out they are LOST and NO ONE.... is with Mr. Daddy at the hospital. He is in surgery and no family there!!!! What is wrong with men that they don't understand things can go wrong in surgery? Remember, it was Mr. Daddy who sent them away, but FIL and Teen1 both saw no problem either.
I rush to the hospital, while telling myself to calm down, gall bladder surgery is no big deal anymore.... no big deal anymore... no big deal anymore.
I get there just as the nurse is arriving with an update.... WHAT... surgery was an hour ago... it was a ten minute surgery.... why an update this late. Well because it didn't go great, that is why. An artery was clipped during the lapro piece... and instead of three little incisions... they had to open him up and repair the damage. He is fine... absolutely fine and getting released today. Alls well that ends well.
So a huge praise that he is fine.
And a prayer request.... he will not get unemployment due to him "Not being able to work". He still qualifies for 2 weeks disability from his prior job but it ends in two weeks. So depending on how long the Dr. writes him off... we are income free. Very scary spot for a family of eight.
Thank goodness we have a decent food supply built up. But remember us please.
We could really use a job call back or new job offer. Either one of us. Please pray that God provide what we need. We are really spoiled. Neither of us has ever really been unemployed before. Not working.... is not something we are used to. We both want to work. Please pray that something happens soon.
So it has been a week filled with stress. And now it is almost over. I leave in a few minutes to pick Mr. Daddy up and bring him back home. Yeah. I have been sleeping at the hospital, rushing home in the morning to get kids homeschooling started, shower and nap (because one really can't sleep in a chair in the hospital with a husband yelling "PAIN" every six minutes).
Another praise is In-Laws who drive six hours to jump in and help out with our six kids. What a blessing they have been and always are.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Don't laugh too hard because I am serious.
I have two articles to compare. I want you to remember, both these people are hired by American's and trusted with our tax dollars. I know some may think this judge in Ohio is seriously nuts, but I like this man. I think he needs to move on up to congress!!! Compare his attitude on "living within ones means" to Ms. Palosi's "Spend what Taxpayers don't have". Personally, I like the Judge better. He resides in Morrow County Ohio, probably the poorest county in Ohio. What an ethical man in regards to finance.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090314/ap_on_fe_st/odd_paperless_court_1
Compared with Nancy's.... 30,000/wk for a jet stream is nothing in the big picture.... To minimize the press's normal "overdo", I am copying the Snopes version of this article, which actually shows her potentially spending much, much, much more than 30,000/wk.
http://www.snopes.com/politics/pelosi/jet.asp
It does make one wonder... should she even be traveling this much.... when congress is in session? I mean for security, the good of the planet, and cost... wouldn't it make more sense to stay in Washington when congress is in session versus flying home every weekend? I am truly all for protecting her.... I just can't help but wonder if the "Paperless Judge" could somehow manage to knock the cost of protecting her down a few notches.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090314/ap_on_fe_st/odd_paperless_court_1
Compared with Nancy's.... 30,000/wk for a jet stream is nothing in the big picture.... To minimize the press's normal "overdo", I am copying the Snopes version of this article, which actually shows her potentially spending much, much, much more than 30,000/wk.
http://www.snopes.com/politics/pelosi/jet.asp
It does make one wonder... should she even be traveling this much.... when congress is in session? I mean for security, the good of the planet, and cost... wouldn't it make more sense to stay in Washington when congress is in session versus flying home every weekend? I am truly all for protecting her.... I just can't help but wonder if the "Paperless Judge" could somehow manage to knock the cost of protecting her down a few notches.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
And again... I hear it is such a petty amount
30,000/wk for Pelosi's private jetstream.
I am so sick of watching family after family cut back beyond the point where it hurts... and see our Government use our hard earned tax money, wastefully, then justify it as a pittance, compared to the entire budget.
That 30,000/week would pay the mortgages of 240 families like mine each month.
240 families!!!!! (500/mth mortgage X 60 = 30,000/week, 4 weeks in a month = 240 families).
I don't consider 240 families a pittance.
I don't consider my family a pittance.
We are living on 10/meal for a family of 8. Not sure what we will do when unemployment runs out. Hopefully one of us will find a miracle job before then.
Boy it sure is easy for our Congress to minimize the extravagence of their waste.... while whimpering fake sympathies for all the American families suffering.
I would believe their sympathetic, well rehersed words more if they gave up their waste and said, "For 240 families, I am giving up my private airstream jet, and giving them mortgage money for the next year".
Wow could you even imagine?
Not that it will happen....
Who wants to fly commercial when they have every right to fly private... in a jetstream none the less....
Why don't we care as voters? Why don't we care as Americans? We have fallen into this Democrat versus Republican to such a degree.... we are ignoring common sense and common decency.
We need to wake up and demand honest, ethical and decent behavior from those we hire.
And to be honest, I am not as angry as I am sad. It just saddens me to see Americans so abused by those they employ.
I am so sick of watching family after family cut back beyond the point where it hurts... and see our Government use our hard earned tax money, wastefully, then justify it as a pittance, compared to the entire budget.
That 30,000/week would pay the mortgages of 240 families like mine each month.
240 families!!!!! (500/mth mortgage X 60 = 30,000/week, 4 weeks in a month = 240 families).
I don't consider 240 families a pittance.
I don't consider my family a pittance.
We are living on 10/meal for a family of 8. Not sure what we will do when unemployment runs out. Hopefully one of us will find a miracle job before then.
Boy it sure is easy for our Congress to minimize the extravagence of their waste.... while whimpering fake sympathies for all the American families suffering.
I would believe their sympathetic, well rehersed words more if they gave up their waste and said, "For 240 families, I am giving up my private airstream jet, and giving them mortgage money for the next year".
Wow could you even imagine?
Not that it will happen....
Who wants to fly commercial when they have every right to fly private... in a jetstream none the less....
Why don't we care as voters? Why don't we care as Americans? We have fallen into this Democrat versus Republican to such a degree.... we are ignoring common sense and common decency.
We need to wake up and demand honest, ethical and decent behavior from those we hire.
And to be honest, I am not as angry as I am sad. It just saddens me to see Americans so abused by those they employ.
Friday, March 6, 2009
old business... new business
Why is it the new Admin can fix some "old business" but can't fix this new budget to remove earmarks?
Nope, that is old Bush business so the earmarks must stay.
Well what about all the other old Bush business things that the new Admin has already addressed or are in the process of addressing....
Healthcare... Dr.'s who have a moral objection to abortion and/or birth control that could be termed abortion... New admin seems to have no problem doing away with this old business.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090306/pl_nm/us_healthcare_usa_1
Gays in military.... new admin has no problem fixing what they see as old admin problem....
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090303/ap_on_go_pr_wh/military_gays_3
Tax increases on Wealthy... new admin has no problem adding taxes to those they felt the old admin pampered...
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/03/04/national/w073258S37.DTL&feed=rss.business
And I could go on. What makes me angry is when the new admin does not want to live up to their promises, they deflect and blame.
Pres. Obama promised no earmarks. He would go thru budgets one line at a time and force them out. But so far, he is batting a big fat zero. How long does he get to put the blame on "carry over for last year".
The fact is, the Dems want these earmarks. The stimulus was full of them. The budget is full of them.
We are not a country rolling in prosperity right now. Since Jesus day, pigs have stank. Sheep's have eaten weeds. If sheep won't eat them, goats will. Not sure I see the benefit in researching these things at this point in time, considering our financial peril.
US families are not borrowing more than ever in order to live an overly indulgent lifestyle. We are hunkering down.
Yet Congress and this new admin cannot seem to grasp the fact that we want the waste out of the budget. PERIOD.
We want Congress tightening their belts with the same urgency we are tightening our belts.
Maybe the new Admin has info we don't have. Maybe they know Jesus is returning before these debts will ever be called in for payment. Hmmm.... they should let us all in on the secret date so we can borrow irresponsibly and party along side Congress. Do you think the government will give us all a tax bailout next year and let us go a year with no taxes? I mean they can just print more money, right? Or borrow it from China.
You know it truly does make me angry when I feel guilty for buying my kids Pizza Hut.... at the same time my Government is giving billions away to insane projects like "weed eating animals" or "stinky pigs".
Nope, that is old Bush business so the earmarks must stay.
Well what about all the other old Bush business things that the new Admin has already addressed or are in the process of addressing....
Healthcare... Dr.'s who have a moral objection to abortion and/or birth control that could be termed abortion... New admin seems to have no problem doing away with this old business.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090306/pl_nm/us_healthcare_usa_1
Gays in military.... new admin has no problem fixing what they see as old admin problem....
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090303/ap_on_go_pr_wh/military_gays_3
Tax increases on Wealthy... new admin has no problem adding taxes to those they felt the old admin pampered...
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/03/04/national/w073258S37.DTL&feed=rss.business
And I could go on. What makes me angry is when the new admin does not want to live up to their promises, they deflect and blame.
Pres. Obama promised no earmarks. He would go thru budgets one line at a time and force them out. But so far, he is batting a big fat zero. How long does he get to put the blame on "carry over for last year".
The fact is, the Dems want these earmarks. The stimulus was full of them. The budget is full of them.
We are not a country rolling in prosperity right now. Since Jesus day, pigs have stank. Sheep's have eaten weeds. If sheep won't eat them, goats will. Not sure I see the benefit in researching these things at this point in time, considering our financial peril.
US families are not borrowing more than ever in order to live an overly indulgent lifestyle. We are hunkering down.
Yet Congress and this new admin cannot seem to grasp the fact that we want the waste out of the budget. PERIOD.
We want Congress tightening their belts with the same urgency we are tightening our belts.
Maybe the new Admin has info we don't have. Maybe they know Jesus is returning before these debts will ever be called in for payment. Hmmm.... they should let us all in on the secret date so we can borrow irresponsibly and party along side Congress. Do you think the government will give us all a tax bailout next year and let us go a year with no taxes? I mean they can just print more money, right? Or borrow it from China.
You know it truly does make me angry when I feel guilty for buying my kids Pizza Hut.... at the same time my Government is giving billions away to insane projects like "weed eating animals" or "stinky pigs".
Raising children or......
Where did the dollar go that was on the snack bar?
Not me...
Not me...
Not me...
Not me...
Not me...
Not me...
OK empty your pockets.
Empty
Empty
Empty
Empty
Dollar
Empty
Where did you get that 1.00
From #1
#1 Did you give #5 that dollar?
Yes
Where did you get that dollar?
I found it.
Where did you find it?
On the floor by the snack bar.
You heard me ask where that dollar went and you said you didn't take it.
No you asked where the dollar "ON" the snack bar went, this one was on the floor "BY" the snack bar.
You and I both know this is the same dollar.
Maybe.
Was the dollar on the floor yours?
NO.
Then you should not have taken it, correct?
Exactly, and that is why I gave it away, because it wasn't mine to spend.
OK, it wasn't yours to give away either.
But #5 needed it and it was just lying there not belonging to anyone.
OK this was a real conversation. I can't remember which kid so I just left names blank. In reality this happens all the time. Over and over I try to explain that money that is not yours.... is not yours to give away... even for a really good reason.
Yet.. as I sit here today, recovering from my flu/cold, listening to the early news.... I find how similar our government is to my children.
Tax money.... it is not really their money, but they have no guilt or remorse in giving it away for a really good cause.
I think pig odor is a good cause... once the budget is balanced and the government is living within their means. I think it would be a great thing to reduce pig odor, especially if it also made life until slaughter more humane for the pigs. But I don't think borrowing into oblivion to pay for odor reduction makes sense.
I don't mind underwater research, wool research, weed eating sheep research.... darn I meant to put in for my own, reducing carbon emissions in children earmark.... Oh well, next round I will put in for my own 1,000,000.
Or how about 1,000,000 to study the effects of moving an urban family to a completely self sustaining, off the grid, farm. Wouldn't that be so cool. I bet if congress all look around, they could find all kinds of cubby corners in the next budget to hide a million or so for me.
And if they get caught, just blame the other party. I don't really care which party is in charge... just blame the other. It is a time proven remedy.
How many of us parents have experienced that with our own kids.... one gets caught red handed breaking a rule... the first thing they do is deflect... "Well XXX snuck out last night". Then of course XXX, red faced and unbelieving of the betrayal.... says, "YYY did too, he planned the whole thing and it was his friend who picked us up to drive us to the party". YYY not to miss a beat says, "But ZZZ covered for us. Remember when you had him check to see why we were so quiet and he came back and said we were asleep with our ear plugs in again. He lied. We were gone".
Before you know it, you realize all your kids lie and cover for each other.... until caught, then deflect blame until you are so frustrated so angry.... you realize you can't discipline any of them without serious risk of breaking the law and ending up in prison yourself. I mean, who wants to be the next psycho mom who harms their beloved children... on the evening news. Not me. So I take the easy way out and blame the friends who put them up to it all in the first place. Darn friends, leading my angels down the wrong path.
I see our government doing the same thing. Deflect... Deflect... deflect.... until we voters are so frustrated, so confused, so angry, the only thing left for us to do is blame the other party.
And to think I was getting excited that two of my teens are almost ready to leave the nest... I was getting excited thinking that one day... I would be finished parenting....
Nope... our government seems to need good parents too.
Any foster parents out there willing to take in the US. Congress?
I think I will have to decline. Not sure I could do it without breaking the "no spanking foster kids", "No yelling at foster kids", and other rules..... although the time out rule could work (one minute for every year of age in silent time out... every time they speak or make noise, the clock starts over). Wow, the US might find itself in the silent ages... Most of congress is over 40 and I can't imagine any of them going silent for 40 minutes.
It is amazing.... all those combined years of education... and no common sense... no honesty... no integrity.
Not me...
Not me...
Not me...
Not me...
Not me...
Not me...
OK empty your pockets.
Empty
Empty
Empty
Empty
Dollar
Empty
Where did you get that 1.00
From #1
#1 Did you give #5 that dollar?
Yes
Where did you get that dollar?
I found it.
Where did you find it?
On the floor by the snack bar.
You heard me ask where that dollar went and you said you didn't take it.
No you asked where the dollar "ON" the snack bar went, this one was on the floor "BY" the snack bar.
You and I both know this is the same dollar.
Maybe.
Was the dollar on the floor yours?
NO.
Then you should not have taken it, correct?
Exactly, and that is why I gave it away, because it wasn't mine to spend.
OK, it wasn't yours to give away either.
But #5 needed it and it was just lying there not belonging to anyone.
OK this was a real conversation. I can't remember which kid so I just left names blank. In reality this happens all the time. Over and over I try to explain that money that is not yours.... is not yours to give away... even for a really good reason.
Yet.. as I sit here today, recovering from my flu/cold, listening to the early news.... I find how similar our government is to my children.
Tax money.... it is not really their money, but they have no guilt or remorse in giving it away for a really good cause.
I think pig odor is a good cause... once the budget is balanced and the government is living within their means. I think it would be a great thing to reduce pig odor, especially if it also made life until slaughter more humane for the pigs. But I don't think borrowing into oblivion to pay for odor reduction makes sense.
I don't mind underwater research, wool research, weed eating sheep research.... darn I meant to put in for my own, reducing carbon emissions in children earmark.... Oh well, next round I will put in for my own 1,000,000.
Or how about 1,000,000 to study the effects of moving an urban family to a completely self sustaining, off the grid, farm. Wouldn't that be so cool. I bet if congress all look around, they could find all kinds of cubby corners in the next budget to hide a million or so for me.
And if they get caught, just blame the other party. I don't really care which party is in charge... just blame the other. It is a time proven remedy.
How many of us parents have experienced that with our own kids.... one gets caught red handed breaking a rule... the first thing they do is deflect... "Well XXX snuck out last night". Then of course XXX, red faced and unbelieving of the betrayal.... says, "YYY did too, he planned the whole thing and it was his friend who picked us up to drive us to the party". YYY not to miss a beat says, "But ZZZ covered for us. Remember when you had him check to see why we were so quiet and he came back and said we were asleep with our ear plugs in again. He lied. We were gone".
Before you know it, you realize all your kids lie and cover for each other.... until caught, then deflect blame until you are so frustrated so angry.... you realize you can't discipline any of them without serious risk of breaking the law and ending up in prison yourself. I mean, who wants to be the next psycho mom who harms their beloved children... on the evening news. Not me. So I take the easy way out and blame the friends who put them up to it all in the first place. Darn friends, leading my angels down the wrong path.
I see our government doing the same thing. Deflect... Deflect... deflect.... until we voters are so frustrated, so confused, so angry, the only thing left for us to do is blame the other party.
And to think I was getting excited that two of my teens are almost ready to leave the nest... I was getting excited thinking that one day... I would be finished parenting....
Nope... our government seems to need good parents too.
Any foster parents out there willing to take in the US. Congress?
I think I will have to decline. Not sure I could do it without breaking the "no spanking foster kids", "No yelling at foster kids", and other rules..... although the time out rule could work (one minute for every year of age in silent time out... every time they speak or make noise, the clock starts over). Wow, the US might find itself in the silent ages... Most of congress is over 40 and I can't imagine any of them going silent for 40 minutes.
It is amazing.... all those combined years of education... and no common sense... no honesty... no integrity.
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