A few randoms

My new job
I think I've mentioned a couple of times that I've gotten a new job... well I am now a Purple Heart lady! We have an organization here called Purple Heart Veteran's. They send a truck around neighborhoods and pick up clothing and misc. donations and then sell the items in a local store... well someone needs to schedule those donation pick ups* - and that is now what I do. I spend about 2 hours a day on the phone and call people on my route to find out if they have a donation to be picked up. I need to schedule 34 pick ups each week and in order to do that I end up making between 500-600 phone calls. For the most part people are very kind to me and it has been quite enjoyable. I'm not getting paid a TON of money, but it is a little something AND I feel like I'm contributing and accomplishing something during the day. The girls enjoy sitting at the table with me and coloring or making their own phone calls, so that is really nice. It is a great job for a SAHM.

*A "pick up" is really defined as two paper grocery bags full of clothes or household items or the equivelent of that (about 4 plastic grocery bags or 1 13 gallon bag or a couple of boxes). Your purple heart lady gets paid per pick up she's scheduled AND gets a bonus based on how many people actually leave the stuff for the driver to pick up (some people forget). So, if you donate to Purple Heart here is my request: if you have more than the amount I described, hold onto the additional so that you can be scheduled for a pick up on the NEXT time through, too - does that make sense?

Health
I think we are healthy, people! Finally, we have everybody up and moving and feeling good. Everyone else has been good since Tuesday, but Nora contracted a very serious, extreme case of "convenient flu" for the last two days. This was the most severe case I have seen since becoming a parent... You know what that is, right?
Nora: I don't feel good, can I watch cartoons all day and turn my brain to mush?
Mom: Of course, dear, whatever you wish.
N: Can I have a snack?
M: No honey, you are sick it will make your tummy hurt.
N: I don't feel sick anymore, can I have a snack?
M: Of course, dear, whatever you wish.

M: Time for lunch, turn the tv off and come up for lunch.
N: Mom, I don't feel good, I'm not going to eat lunch.

And so it went for two days. Tuesday she skipped lunch and the rule in our house is if you don't finish your lunch you don't get an afternoon snack. She agreed. Then when I got Ryann and Georgia a snack she cried and cried and cried. So yesterday when she was too sick to eat lunch, I reminded her that she wouldn't get a snack. She said okay. So I made her sign this:
I DID NOT EAT LUNCH. I KNOW I WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO HAVE A SNACK THIS AFTERNOON. I WILL NOT COMPLAIN, CRY OR WHINE ABOUT NOT HAVING A SNACK.

My baby signed her first contract:) And I made sure she read through it first before signing, like any responsible person.

The naughtiest one.
Could I request - as a parent of a three children - that I just skip this whole 1 year old turns into a two year old year? I've already done it twice - isn't there a point in parenting where you just get to skip ahead to the fun stuff? I will gladly have a two year old rather than a one year old - someone please do some magic.

Georgia, I think, has Obessissive Compulsive Disorder. She gets totally obssessed with the naughtiest things. For a few weeks she was obssessed with the dog food - transferring it from the food dish to the water dish, putting it in her little toy dishes and stirring it around like soup, carrying it all over the house and depositing it wherever her hands opened up. At least she has stopped eating it.

Dog food ended and then the toilets began. Everything went into the toilet. Hands. Arms. Toothbrushes. Empty toilet paper tubes. Toys. Scarves. Pajamas. Given the fact that I have two other children who for some reason decide not to flush everytime they go potty (I don't know why) this has been quite an experience. When a family has three bathrooms it becomes difficult to constantly monitor them all and make sure all doors are closed at all times.

Toilets ended and now climbing on the kitchen chairs and standing at the kitchen table has begun. All the time. Everyday. And she falls - a lot. And if we take her down or - can you believe this? - tell her NO screaming and fits ensue. And this child has fits.

The other two threw fits, but they were different - almost cute in a way. They would throw themselves, headfirst, onto the floor and scream. I would walk away and within 5 minutes they would realize that no one was paying attention and stop. Not Georgia. She does hers standing up and she travels. Traveling Fits. She screams and follows me from room to room so I cannot escape. And many of them last for 20-60 minutes. It is pleasant.

In case you're wondering
There's still time.