Big Lots and Other Disappointments

Yesterday (Thursday) was a rare day off. It wasn't a real day off where I don't have my children. It was a day off from any doctor, dentist, speech therapy, occupational therapy or dentist appointments.

My husband worked from home in the morning. As soon as he moved from his spot to shower, I rushed over to blog. My internet connection was down. In fact, it was down ALL DAY LONG! I couldn't check my e-mail or eBay or anything else I wanted to do. I couldn't think of anything else to do on the computer.

I tried playing some MP3's and that didn't work. I put in a CD. That didn't work. I tried J's CD player. Didn't work. Everything I touched was turning to crap. I was almost afraid to change SJ's diaper for fear that his penis might fall off. It was one of those days.

When my husband got home, he realized that the puppy had chewed through our cable. Thus no internet. I could have gladly throttled that dog.
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The new Big Lots store in our area opened. This is a store that carries discontinued merchandise at usually low prices.

This store has changed their name more than a rock star. First they were Pic N Save. Then they were MacFrugals. Now they're Big Lots. I liked the name Pic N Save best. Does anyone want to bring on the booger jokes?

This Big Lots also carried furniture. Unfortunately, it took up too much space in the store. Some of the things they used to carry lots of, such as toiletries were meager. The prices weren't very low either.

Why would they replace toiletries with furniture? I don't buy furniture much. The only time I buy couches is after I can no longer remove the marker and food stains and the kids have managed to unstuff all the cushions. Then I buy them used because the cycle of furniture abuse just starts all over again.

Toiletries, though, I buy a lot. After all, you have to have toilet paper. (Maybe A would beg to differ, but the rest of us use it.) I think the furniture thing was a dumb move on their part. If I really buy a new couch, I'm not getting it at Big Lots.
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My husband enjoyed his birthday cake very much. I used to buy them every year, but when we moved here, I got a rude awakening.

His birthday cake of choice is a champagne cake. I could not find ONE bakery that would make me a champagne cake. Well, there was one, but they wanted a week's notice and I didn't have a week. (I tried to order it three days before his birthday.)

I found a recipe online. It starts with a french vanilla boxed mix. Then you add four egg whites, one whole egg, champagne, oil and dream whip.

I make vanilla pudding from scratch for the middle. Then I whip cream with a little confectioner's sugar and vanilla for the topping.

We still haven't finished our kitchen remodel so I couldn't find my beater. I beat the cake by hand, but realized I couldn't whip the cream that way. I ended up using one of the old fashioned hand beaters that you crank manually.

It took at least ten minutes to do it. If I did that every day, my arms would be buffed.

For his birthday, my husband received a tin of popcorn from A and SJ, a Slim Jim that was personally picked out by A, truffles from J and Revenge of the Sith from me. It wasn't until he opened the presents that I realized he only received one non-food item. It's okay. He was pleased.

Usually I go buy him pants and shirts for his birthday, but we are broke. We have some lovely Pergo floors to show for our lack of funds. Of course, Christmas is around the corner. Do you think our family members would like IOU's?
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I have been reading "The Out of Sync Child". It is about sensory processing disorder. SJ falls more on the sensory seeking side of the spectrum. He searches out textures and smells - good or bad. So when he digs in his poopy diaper it isn't just because he is gross. It is because he is sensory seeking AND gross.