3 Updates, 1 Post

What a week. A few times in the last few days, I've found myself thinking or saying, "Yep, that'll blog." So here you go, a bit of real life humor to get you through your Monday:

Story One: Lock and Key
Rab and I spent the better part of Sunday cleaning out and organizing the basement of the Cute Gray House. The basement has been a dumping ground for the last few months and, being hidden away from the view of visitors, it was the last room to receive some much needed attention.

We cleaned, we assembled shelves, we moved hazardous materials out of harm's (and Minky's) way. At one point, Minky was "helping" us by chipping away at one of the exterior walls with a hammer. Rab asked him to stop numerous times and finally Minky had had enough. Minky stomped up the stairs yelling and slammed the door. Rab and I both sighed in relief...until we heard the lock turn. There we were, locked in the basement with the dog with no way out (the previous owner saw to it that all the doors and windows of the basement were sealed shut).

After talking Minky down a bit, we convinced him to get the key and explained where the key was hidden. He came back with the key but was unable to make it work. We asked Minky to go get Sony. Sony, we could hear through the vents, was upstairs watching TV and did not want to be disturbed. After yelling up the vents for him to come help, he stomped down the stairs with the best heavy-footed, groaning, prepubescent walk known to man. He came to the door and was unable to unlock it. We asked him to go get our neighbors and ask them for help. Instead, he went into his best prepubescent hopelessness and went back upstairs to continue watching TV! After 5-10 more minutes of Minky trying the lock (and the dog crossing his legs), Minky said resolutely, "Don't worry, Mom, I've got an idea." These are never good words when they come from Minky...

Next thing we knew, Minky had figured out that he could unscrew the lock from the door frame (pretty ingenious if you ask me). About 10 more minutes later, we were freed. Of course, this entire story is better in person, but this at least gives you a glimpse of our Saturday adventures.

Story Two: Last time I checked
Yesterday, we went to see Shrek 3. Afterward, Rab and I told the kids we had to run a couple errands. The boys moaned and groaned in response, very aggravated that they'd have to tag along. "We don't want to," they whined. "We hate errands," they moaned. "We're not going," Sony declared. "Hmmm...." I responded, "Last time I checked, you weren't the mom or the dad." Minky responded, "Yeah, well last time I checked you didn't buy us any soda or popcorn at the movie."

Story Three: Minky and his illnesses
Last week was our first sick-free week in 15 weeks!  Yea, us!  If Minky would have had his way, though, our sick-streak would have continued.  One morning last week, Minky tried to convince me he was really ill.  Strangely, the symptoms kept moving...stomach, head, throat, you name it.  I went upstairs at one point and came down to find him leaning over his barstool, with a puddle of spit beneath him on the floor.  "See!"  he exclaimed, "I am sick!  Look at the barf!"

Later that day, Minky had OT at school and was supposed to go back to his classroom afterward.  When he was 5-10 minutes late, his teacher, Mrs. Matter-o-Fact, assumed the occupational therapist was just taking a little extra time with him.  When 20 minutes rolled around, Mrs. Matter-o-Fact called the OT who said she'd sent Minky back to class 20 minutes ago.  Mrs. Matter-o-Fact called the office and found out that he had sent himself to the nurse's office (why didn't the nurse or the office call his teacher????).  When Mrs. Matter-o-Fact went to claim him in the office, the entire office staff was convinced that he was indeed ill.  They were pampering him and feeling sorry for him.  Reportedly, he was in his element.  Mrs. Matter-o-Fact didn't buy it and told him he'd just have to work with his headache anyway.  Five minutes later, he was goofing off as if he'd never been ill.  He even told Mrs. Matter-o-Fact, "Wow, I feel so much better now!" Funny how lucky that boy is - he experiences miracle cures all the time!