October 21, 2011

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    TALES FROM THE BRAT FARM

    Have you ever had a day when you know you were busy (that means for ME that I was up on my feet a lot) but you don't feel like you actually did much?  That was me,today.  In actuality, I put away groceries the Beast and the Brother bought so they both could take a short nap.  They ARE getting up in age, don't ya know....laughing  Actually, they had been working hard to get the ceiling up and insulated so they can work on getting up the special cuts on the paneling that go from the ceiling to the walls.  After that is done, the Brother will probably go home because that is the worst of the work along with the sealing of the openings into the cottage/shed and installing the insulation on all the walls.  The Beast feels he can handle the straight paneling on the side walls but may need a bit of help when he does the ends.  That will probably be ME just helping by holding the paneling when he makes his cuts.   The peneling is light so he CAN move it in place by himself and just use the nail gun. 

    So, they did the hunting and gathering (much more than we really needed, truth be told) and I put everything in it's place...pantry, fridge, freezer...you know the routine.  I emptied the dishwasher and put all the dirty cups and dishes in after the things were put away.  Even Chewlee helped.  heart  She does so want to be BIG and she really TRIES to help.  I let her as much as she is able or else I find something for her to do that will satisfy her.  I folded towels and put them away.  Between the Princess and Chewlee, there are a lot more towels being used.  I swear, neither one knows a towel CAN be used more than once.  They get thrown down on the floor of the bathroom OR somewhere in the guest room area.  The Princess has a pile of clothes that need washing that rivals Mount St. Helen.  The Beast says the room is a fire trap.  laughing

    The Beast went into the room to put on the little electric heater to warm the room for Chewlee.  That is the coldest room in the house until the Beast gets under the house and closes the louvres for the vent underneath it's window.  He set the thermostat and got it running.  The Princess had no idea he had done it.  It had satisfied and warmed the room by the time she went to bed.  Then, at somewhere around 3am, it suddenly came on and it both woke and scared her.  She was groping around trying to remember how to shut it off and couldn't find the right button without turning on a light and that meant getting to her feet.  She discovered that it stopped if it was off balance so she finally just laid it on the back of it.  It has an automatic shutoff switch but she didn't know it at the time.  She thought briefly that she hoped it didn't catch on fire or something but was too tired to deal with it.  I told her she should just have unplugged it and she said, *But that would have meant getting out of bed!*  **Insert eyeroll here**  laughing

    As we were eating dinner tonight,the Brother brought up the subject of our kids and how they really didn't do many of the recreational things WE did growing up.  He made the statement, *I really felt like beating my kids when they said there was nothing to do....*  Well, Chewlee was just walking up to her mother and heard *...beating my kids...* and got this shocked look on her face and said, *You BEAT kids????*  The Brother kept a straight face and said without missing a beat, *Of course!  If you don't beat them, you don't love them.*  I wish you could have seen her face!!!!  Part horror, part considering whether or not he was kidding her like *I* do and then watching this little grin come on her face.  She looked at the Brother and said, *I don't think I like you.*  The grin kept the statement from being hurtful.  I said to her, *Grandma beats you when you hurt my baby, don't I?*  She shook her head NO then threw her arms around me and gave me a hug. 

    The Princess said to her, *Do *I* beat you?*  Chewlee said *NO*.  Then the Princess said, *Does mommy spank you when you are bad?*  Chewlee said *NO*.  The Princess said, *Are you lying?*  Chewlee said, *No* and then crawled into her mother's lap and gave her a big hug around her neck.  I laughed and said, *I see you've got her trained well for when the cops ask her those questions, haven't you?*  We all laughed at that.

    It's been a nice evening for me because Chewlee has stuck close to her mother all evening.  She will run into my computer room to tell me anything that she thinks is exciting going on so I am *in the loop*.  Then she runs back out and is either sitting and listening to the conversation while the others are playing cards OR she is trying to get her mother's attention by talking, talking, talking nonstop.  I'm especially grateful because I didn't sleep well and am tired plus..being on my feet has given me the granddaddy of all muscle cramps in my left leg.  Not just a charlie horse but the pain is from ankle to hip along the back of my leg.  I had a hell of a time trying to massage it and get the muscles to stop hurting me so badly.  I hope it won't wake me later when I get to sleep.  There is nothing as bad as being woken out of a sound sleep in intense pain after only two or three hours.

    Time to wind this up and get it posted.  We have clear skies but my satellite connection to the internet seems to be having a problem.  I want to get it up while I have a good connection.  Love you all and I hope you have a fantastic Friday.  Have a drink for me if you indulge.  I miss the Friday night stop for Happy Hour before going home to make dinner.  **Sigh**  Be good, have a great weekend.  We're supposed to warm up kind of like Indian summer this weekend...or was it on Monday?  I forget.  I'm an old person so I'm never quite sure if I am remembering it correctly.