Good dog

The gloves are coming off

We have tried rewarding (bribing) with praise, chocolate milk and finally with money, but to no avail.  Jackson is getting in our bed EVERY night, oye vey!  It wouldn't be that bad if he did kick you like a jack rabbit all night.  We are contemplating locking the door.

But before we do that I want to try some tough love.  Last night I kicked him out of bed twice to sleep on the floor and took him back to his bed the third time at 4am.  I know it will be a bit tough for a while but if we hold the line it should get better, right?  :)

I like long walks, especially when they are taken by people who annoy me.
Noel Coward (1899 - 1973)

Reality is something you rise above.
Liza Minnelli (1946 - )

Al

How do you people do it?

We have two Roombas left over from our time as DINKs (dual income no kids).  If you are not familiar with these little guys they can be a great tool in the battle against dog hair and kid mess.  What kind of kid mess?  Primarily food and play-doh.  Roomba has to main advantages... One, it is a start it and forget it underling.  Unlike other underlings it will go about it's business with very little to no assistance.  Two, it goes under couches and chairs.  I am amazed at how much dust and dirt finds it way under furniture.  Now if we are at someone's house and something goes under a couch I am a bit more hesitant to reach under it blindly:)

Unfortunately, as our Preacher reminds us, we live in a fallen world.  One of my Roombas seemed to be the target of some evil spirit.  The brushes stopped turning.  I did what any SAHD would do, I took it apart!  I found the culprit... dirt, dust and dog hair or as I call them the dirty d's.  I cleaned it all out and it worked again, for a while.  But alas, it stopped working.

At least I had my second string Roomba that I could carry around the house on missions.  The house did not stay as clean as usual but it worked. That is until it also stopped spinning its brushes.  If I was a more suspicious man I would think this was some sort of strike or planned work stoppage on their part.  Maybe Roomba was tired of just cleaning up the mess.  Maybe they wanted better working hours, pay or conditions.  But thanks to Google I have found out that it is just poor designing on the part of Irobot, the makers of Roomba.  It seems that dirt gets into where brush gears and motor are eventually fouling them up.   Of course this does not affect Roomba's performance until well after the warranty period so why fix it? :)

My saving grace is Hammacher Schlemmer!  If you are not familiar with them let me tell you about their Unconditional Lifetime Guarantee. :

"Items that we sell are guaranteed for their normal life under standard non-commercial use. Should any product ever fail to meet your expectations, for any reason, simply return it with proof of purchase. We will replace it or refund the cost of the item less the original shipping and service fees."


My Roombas are on their way back to Hammacher Schlemmer for an exchange.  I plan to get the new model Roomba in exchange for one and try out the new laser guided vacuum for the other one.  But until they arrive I must make due with what I have...  Poor me:) lol

I think housework is the reason most women go to the office. 
Heloise Cruse 

My theory on housework is, if the item doesn't multiply, smell, catch fire, or block the refrigerator door, let it be. No one else cares. Why should you? 
Erma Bombeck

Al

The newest house rule

We seem to have more and more house rules that we more or less follow.  OK, they are not "rules" as much as they are sayings that the Triplets hear and or say on command and on a regular basis.  The most recent was a gift from a Mother of three that I ran into a while back.

We were discussing the challenges of controlling/disciplining three (or more) children.  She said that she started handing out the punishment to all three if they did not get along.  So now if two or all three of the Triplets can't agree on something or are fussing about something I get involved.  Guess what, if I get involved who's happy?  NO ONE! :)


If you do not conquer self, you will be conquered by self.
Napoleon Hill 

If we don't discipline ourselves, the world will do it for us.
William Feather 

Al

How much is it worth?

Like all good ideas our chocolate milk reward for staying in their bed has run it's course with the Triplets.  The CFO came up with another idea... money.  First we went to $.25 per night for each kid when they stay in their bed.  Jackson still got in our bed every night but then added getting very upset in the morning to the mix when his brother and sister got their quarters.

So we upped the ante.  The CFO also wanted to start an allowance for them, $4 per week with $1 going to giving, $2 to savings and $1 they could spend or save.  Now not only do they get their quarter but if they don't stay in their bed they give us a quarter.  Still no movement on the bed situation.  Oh well, at least he does not seem to be very materialistic:)


Money never made a man happy yet, nor will it. The more a man has, the more he wants. Instead of filling a vacuum, it makes one.
Benjamin Franklin

They say money doesn't make you happy but I have never seen a sad person on a jet ski.
Roger Pennington

Al

Do I own it or does it own a piece of me?

The CFO and I are by no means liberal green tree huggers trying to save the world flying around in our private jet like the "other" Al.  But we do like the idea of getting by with less.  I stress that I like the "idea" but not the reality.  See, I have a real talent for creating wants then turning those wants into needs.  I am also trying to not pass this on to my kids.  My parents say that they have no idea how I got this trait but I have it.... champagne tastes with a beer wallet:)

For me it is usually technology.  We got a new HD camcorder for Christmas that shoots AWESOME video with great sound.  But it writes directly to SD cards.  So then I need to move those videos to another media to store it.  So I figure I will burn them to DVDs and save a copy on an external hard drive.  But guess what?  I need to buy an external hard drive and DVDs.  Then I need to burn the DVDs.  That is after I make them into movies with a movie editor.  So now I am out time and money.

With the Triplets it is their toys.  Let's ignore the fact that they have a knack for breaking the heartiest of toys.  Their most recent victim was their train table.  I think I have a solution but I need to wait till they are in school or down for a nap to try it out as it involves power tools:)  If they don't break the toy then they will break something else with that toy... the wall, another toy or each other.  The cost of toys is the batteries and accessories.  Wow!  That is a cool car... oh, it needs batteries.  What?  It has a garage you "need?"  Oh, and people, no wait, a family that can ride in it.  Oh yes, we definitely need the house for that family.  Wait a minute... they have a vacation home too?

See what I mean.... I feel like I am stuck in the Monty Python skit... Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam.  Or in my case.. stuff, stuff, stuff.  Just to drive the point home our Preacher is doing a series on stewardship.  GREAT!  Now I not only feel bad about all the stuff "I" need (want) but now I want to give more.

A house is just a place to keep your stuff while you go out and get more stuff.
George Carlin

I went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman, "Where's the self-help section?" She said if she told me, it would defeat the purpose. 
George Carlin

Al

You want what with your lunch?

This morning while I was getting the Triplets' I got what I feel is a bit of an unusual request from William.  "Can I have a pickle in my lunch box?"  I know he loves pickles but it just seemed a bit strange to come out of the blue.  So after cutting two dill pickles for his lunch he asked for one with breakfast.  Oh well, it beats him asking for candy:)

We may not imagine how our lives could be more frustrating and complex--but Congress can.
Cullen Hightower

Do vegetarians eat animal crackers?  
Author Unknown

Al

Oh, that makes it easier to have a work-life balance

I got a call Friday afternoon from my boss I contracting with.... they are cutting loose their contractors.  Well that makes it easier to get my stuff done around the house:)  Oh well... that give me more time to blog, play Black Ops and maybe even start one of the books I talk about writing.

I have a few books that have been thinking about writing a job search book from my experience being a recruiter, a book about being a stay at home dad and finally a book about being a parent of Triplets.  Maybe I will combine the last two.

Now I gotta get back to full time job:)

Don't worry about the world coming to an end today. It's already tomorrow in Australia.
Charles M. Schulz (1922 - 2000)

Al

Back to the grind

Well, it is not really a "grind."  The Triplets started back in school today after their Winter break.  I am working part time again but I am trying to stay at around 20 hours a week so I can have a little more balance than my last contract position where I was trying to squeeze out 30+ hours each week.  That being said I will be doing this till or through March if everything works out.

As with all things, some things with the Triplets have gotten MUCH easier while others are getting MUCH harder.  Easier is all the maintenance stuff; feeding, bathing, dressing, etc....  But what is getting more taxing is the deluge of information.  I am bombarded with information requests (why? why not? can I?) and information updates (DADDY!  so and so just did such and such, we just broke such and such, etc...).  It can be a bit overwhelming when you have all three going at once.  Sometimes I feel like I trading commodities and futures in the pit.  Heck, I even use hand signals!  No, not telling them they are #1:) lol  I use some of the standard signals for close range engagement.  I use the "freeze" and "rally point" ones the most.  I also throw in a little sign language for good job, thank you, please and of course... NO.  This is invaluable in loud situations or when I can see them but don't want to shout.  Looking cool is just an added bonus:)


Anger is the feeling that makes your mouth work faster than your mind.
Evan Esar (1899 - 1995)

Al

A new addition to the family

What do you get the girl who has everything?  

Well, a Ruger 44 magnum Super Blackhawk Bisley Hunter of course!  

This is not a joke.  This is the CFO's favorite gun since her college days.  This was a gift from me and her family.  What did the CFO say?....  "I think we'll need a bigger safe."


Computers have enabled people to make more mistakes faster than almost any invention in history, with the possible exception of tequila and hand guns.
Mitch Ratcliffe

Al