Sometimes all you need is a rock!

Ah summertime...

Kids activities, family time, sunny days, thunder storms, late nights and....

3 foot weeds all over my front lawn. Don't get me wrong, I fully enjoyed the deer that came by to graze on the jungle growing out front. Why the tall weeds? My awesome lawnmower that will mow down the 5 foot tall corn stalk like weeds out back broke. Not a big deal (so I thought) just a cable snapped, I'll go get a new one and be back in business in no time.

Sunday morning I finally decide to go write down all the info on the mower so I can search online for the proper part. First set back.... The lawnmower is a Craftsman which means I am limited to only certain places that will carry parts. I go online to Sears and look up the part needed. Of course it is not available at our Sears.
Good news: it is only an $11 part, Bad news : the only places that have it in stock are over an hour away.
I could order it online, but unless I want to pay for expedited shipping it will take over a week to get here and we have family coming from out of state THIS weekend.

Monday I decide to go to our local Sears because I have been told that they will just get an item in stock at another store brought to there store. Nope, not true. They want me to place an order and pay for shipping...could have done that myself.

Today I decided to go to Home Depot, just for the hell of it to see if they have anything similar, or some sort of universal part that might work. 3 very helpful men try their best, but they have nothing that will work. They suggest 2 other local places to try, so off I go. First place looked promising, the man working there rifled around his shelves like the wand guy in a Harry Potter movie, but didn't end up having it. On to the next place....Low and behold the guy says that they carry the part...yay...BUT...they are out of stock....Grrrrr

Defeated, I go home and decide to take a closer look at the mower and see if I have any other options. Please forgive the following technical terms....LOL

The cable that ran from the handle down to the engine has this little rubber stopper thingy that pulls this other doojiggy in and out. you pull up the handle, doojiggy moves, mower can start. I sit there trying to figure out how to replace a wire so that I can pull it open...can't find anything that looks like it might work.
I start looking around some more.... Then I see it......

A ROCK!!!

I jammed a rock behind the little thingy that goes in and out to hold it out and TA-DA... the mower starts...VICTORY!!!

I did a test patch to make sure the rock will not fall out and go flying causing someone severe bodily harm and it seemed good to go. No this is not a permanent solution and I will probably order the part next week, but I feel pretty succesful in my McGyver type solution.

Just goes to show you that sometimes, all you need is a rock!
Take that Sears ;)

Thursday Ramblings...

Well, I had a meeting at the School again this morning to kind of tweek Tucker's 504 and see where he stands as of right now. I dreaded it all morning. I am so sick of all these battles. Somedays I wake up and I wish I had the perfect little book nerd kids that totally strived on doing well. Of course I wouldn't trade my kids in for anything in the world, but somedays they certainly make me threaten it.

I don't know if I just got totally smooth talked and don't have a clue, or if I should really feel this relieved. I'm not used to a relieved feeling...something must not be right...

I really like his guidance counselor. Seems like a pretty honest and decent guy. He doesn't make me feel all confronted when I go in there and I didn't leave feeling all defeated and beat down. As of right now it seems that we still have some hope. Some of Tucker's grades aren't all that terrible and there is hope to get through the year succesfully. Of course this depends very heavily on what Tucker does with that opportunity and will also take a lot of work on my part.
I got a report from each teacher on his strengths and weaknesses and some helpful ideas, although it seemed as though one teacher particularly stood out as someone he clearly doesn't get along with. We added a few things to his 504 accomodations that I hope will be very helpful. They were new ideas that no one has tried before and sound like they could be a great benefit.
I guess time will tell where this all gets us....

I'm back !......(maybe)

I have no organized thoughts right now, so let's just see where this goes. I didn't realize I hadn't been here for that long. Really? almost 2 years? Yikes. Not very committed am I? Hell I feel like I should be committed..lol (ok not the same meaning)

Life is just crazy. I feel crazy most mornings. I never thought being a parent would be so hard and exhausting when they got older. The baby years are a piece of cake compared to this. What I wouldn't give to go back.

I've got 2 boys failing school, 1 daughter with a mouth that is going to get her into serious trouble and 1 daughter with enough energy for 20 of them....insert scream here...

The good, there has to be some somewhere right?...
Let's see...

Christopher has a job and is making his own money. He has proven himself to be a reliable and good worker.
Tucker...well I guess the fact that he is still attending school is a plus. There are kids that would totally shut down and skip school and do worse I guess...that's positive right?
Emma loves to read. She is definately Daddy's girl in that area. She still dances, is involved in girl scouts and is playing spring soccer again.
Melanie is funny and creative. She likes to make people happy with her art and silliness and is completely obsessed with her Tap class right now. She is also involved with Daisies (girl scouts) and is playing spring soccer.

The girls are definately busy and very social. I think it's good for them. (I hope)


Hmmmm, I came on here all ready to bitch and rant about my horrible morning. I felt bad that I am always bitching about the bad, so I forced myself to focus on some positive. You know what? I don't feel so bad anymore. Thinking about the positive things with the kiddos helped me regain a little of my disastrous morning. Go figure...

I guess I'll go finish off my coffee with a little less of a twitch...