Money/ranting bla bla

TAXES DUE TODAY BY MIDNIGHT FOLKS!! ARE YOURS DONE?

Today started off wonderful...I was able to go back to sleep and actually sleep. Nick didn't wake up till after 9.  HOWEVER,  once I fell asleep after the guys left for work/school I got phone call after phone call.  One was from Jostens (returning my call from yesterday) ...we ordered a class ring for Stefan and never received it in the mail.  So I called them and they tried to charge me 65 bucks for a "lost" ring. I told them NO, you don't understand...we never even SEEN the ring...it NEVER made it to our house...I told them this the FOUR times I was transfered!  Then the lady says "OH, well let me transfer you to the right place for that situation! GRRRR....  Anyway, long story short, she was very nice and got me a new ring ordered and they will send it in two weeks after it's made again!. NO CHARGE!  My son has been anxious to see it.  SO have I! lol  You pay 400 bucks for a ring and your hoping things go right ya know!  Gosh I can't tell you what we have spent of school stuff this year so far starting off with beginning school fees then there are  Class rings, graduation stuff, sports fees, lunches, sports uniforms, Sports pictures, reg school photos, year books, donations to our sports programs, field trip fees, fees for certain classes (if they need to buy something special for that particular class), driving class fees, school dances (renting tuxs buying prom dress)...I know there is more but can't think of them off hand lol...BOY I can sure see why they say it cost a total of $269,520 to raise ONE child from age birth through age 17!  That's about right!  I think 200,000 of that is to the schools itself!  lol  That total was taken in 2004 for family's who make 70,000 a year.  SO maybe it's more today in 2007! Man what happens to the family's who make under that, or worse yet...who are forced to live on welfare!?  I feel bad for some of the children out there who are not able to get a class ring or year books...things that make the memories for your child. I know my family was not able to get those things for me, and I always told my husband that I AM getting the clothes/school memories for our children even though we have lost money now with me not working...I want my children to have those things and be able to say ya I do have great memories from high school I will dowithout other things so my children can have those things.  I did babysit and was able to help my parents pay for my class ring and year books (I only got two) myself.  But you know...I still find myself looking in those year books and I have some of the best memories in high school :)  AND my kids love looking in MY year books and making fun of the hair styles! lol  Ya the WINGS! And the feather look!  My daughter just cracks up.  I have to say...if you get only one thing for you child in high school...invest in the year book!  Your children can look back on them forever and their children and even their children...AND you have it all personalized with signatures too.  About that!  MAN O MAN have the signatures changed!  In my year book there are things like have a good summer, can't wait until our senior year, stuff like that...now a days if you look at your kids year books we have things like have a Kick A** summer, Lets Hook up!  boy how times have changed huh!  Ok I think I'm done talking now.  Below are some photos I wanted to share of my son's in the bathtub...Yes I said SON'S! He's going to make such a wonderful daddy some day! He is just awsome with his brother.  One of my sons will kill me for this one! lol  Gosh I hope none of his friends are reading! ;)  After the pics look below for ONE MORE RANT!


Check out the yellow DOT in the bottom of the picture below. It's a scrubby that Nick is throwing at me.


Now a picture of my OTHER baby...the one that kind of got the back burner after Nick was born :(  He's ok with it now though. I try to include him in lots of things that we do. 



OK rant time...now, don't get me wrong...I LOVE living out in the country but I'm still not used to the HUGE bloody ticks that fall off your dogs!!! ALL OVER YOUR HOUSE!  YUK YUK YUK...with the frontline the ticks get on your dogs STILL,  die, and fall off in your house!  And there are lots of ticks out here let me tell ya!   I'm getting the dogs shaved next week sometime so it's easier to spot the darn things.  My dogs both have such thick long fur and sometimes you don't' even catch the darn things after brushing them!  OH an the brushing will be so much easier if they have SHORT hair!  Ok done