Your father... was seduced by the Dark Side of the Force.

How was your day? Or really? Well want to hear about mine? Too bad, you showed up, now you have to read. ;)

I woke unable to move for the most part, I have a recurring lower back injury, a disk that gets irritated and today, it's feeling like a pinched nerve. So, I am slow, and pretty useless.

I am happy for two reasons, I have clean outfits for both kids for school, and I remembered it was Samantha's picture day. Too bad it's only 45 degrees this morning with 30mph winds, the denim dress for Sam, and shorts for Grant look somewhat lacking, oh well! WE ARE VERMONTERS! WE can handle it!

oooor not :P

I was proud of myself for doing Samantha's hair in a cute way that should last till pictures with no great damage. Until we went out side and the wind about knocked us over. :P I was proud of me, till right before she got on the bus, whipping, windblown hair in face, i realize she does not have the photo ordering sheet in her backpack. fail .

New plan, now, instead of going shopping, (today is my first attempt at "couponing" as guided by my sis-in-law I had plans to shower, get dressed and meet the challenge looking my best) I need to run out to her school right after Grant gets on the bus, so I can get the order sheet to her before her session.

I come inside, to get Grant ready for the bus, which comes in 15 minutes, and he is standing just inside the door, holding the blue rope that our new puppy was tethered to outside, except now it's inside, well, half of it is, dangling off the end of the smug pug's collar. Faaabulous. He gets his coat on, and walks out to the bus stop, freezing, literally, in the wind, and starts a tirade on how much I must not love him, to send him, the only child in OHIO who has to wear shorts today, to school on this cold cold day. Why didn't I have clothes ready for him? Well son, I did have clothes ready, and since it was 85 on Sunday, 75 on Monday, I figured shorts were the correct attire for today. Too bad i don't read the future!

Kids off to school, I (wearing an old 'Friday night meltdown' tee shirt, jeans, a hoodie and a hat) jump in the car and book to Sam's school. I do have the wherewithal to grab enough coupons and my list for my first "hunt" and accomplish that while I'm out.

I get to come home for a shower and change, and head out fully ready to shop, which goes well, except for the HOT HOT cup of Sttarbucks coffee that starts oozing out the side seam of the cup, wow, the girl DID say it was very strong coffee, but really, that's a little bit overkill!

All shopping went well, very very well. I started a nice stockpile, and felt like I was really on a road to saving serious money, then of course, there are the children coming home from school. All three of them, yeah, three, that'd be mine, Sam = 5 Grant = 8 and also Jessie = 13 ...( she is my babysitter, who stays here while her mom works) they all filter in throughout the day, with varying levels of loudness and character.

That topped with the new puppy, a one year old puggle, makes for quite an exciting, loud, crazy, chaotic, exhausting day.

Well, as the evening is winding down, after dinner, Jessie goes home, Daddy comes home, oh I don't know, why don't Samantha and I go drive to the mall, the one I have never driven to myself, and go get the flower girl dress Samantha is wearing this summer for my best friends wedding, I mean, why not? It's not like anything is going on tonight right? Well, not since they postponed the soccer team pictures due to cold and wind and wet ground ... oh it's cold out? Who knew?

Did I mention my back? OH and that I'm on Atkins? So, I'm starving, no fast food, and in PAAAAIN! When i get home, and throw them into bed, make a wrap with the meat i got today, and sit, on a bag of ice, with my feet up. Apparently rest is helpful for these things, hmmm nice thought ..... now big pain meds, THAT I can do!

Is it bedtime yet?