Well I have been rather absent online because dh got the bug. I mean I wrote a lengthy post this morning, yes. But then it's almost 11pm and only other time I have had online all day. Blasphame! So I feel rather one sided today. OR lately. A wee bit busy at work?

In some news, we booked our camping trip for June. Yay! I guess more about that later.

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I just had to say I have been anti-frugal these last few days, in light of not being prepared for sick hubby. But my frugal tendencies still show.

Dh was sick Thursday (luckily was fine until later afternoon since it is worst daycare day. He was also s'posed to go to a wedding rehearsal but didn't make it - for video. It's a non paying job - relative. So oh well. I think he'll be okay for the wedding - lucky for them).

Anyway, so I came home and the weather was nice. Decided to take the kids out to BK for dinner. Like I had thought about dinner... Bummer as the play structure was closed. A neighbor had told us about a new park so we drove by on the way home to check it out. BUT it was amid a few model homes and rather deserted. I told the kids I didn't think it was a safe place to play. I just didn't feel comfortable there since it was rather in the middle of nowhere.

Anyway, we went to the park down the street but it was rather deserted there as well. Just strange for such a nice day. We didn't stay long. So much for letting the kids run around...

Oh yeah - and the kids had meals while I had a $1 meal. All in all, didn't cost much.

This morning dh was really not feeling well and preschool had no spots (weird for a Friday). So much for that plan.

We picked out the longest movie in DVD format (too bad Ratatouille is on Blu-Ray since it is the longest kid movie I have ever seen - LOL. First one that popped into mind). So yeah, this morning I fed the kids, and dressed them, and put on a long movie, and went off to work. Dh and I debated if 2 short movies would be better. But they were pretty much bouncing off the walls otherwise and about to kill each other. I mused that I could at least work from home later and let them run around the backyard like banshees if they preferred.

At this point I am exhausted. I have NO IDEA how single moms do it. I now realize why everyone tells me my kids give me so much exercise and why I must be so "skinny." LOL. Usually dh does all the hard work.

As I rush off to work super late I notice dh's car has no gas because he has been too sick to go anywhere. More bad planning. I do remember the gas station by my work which mysteriously closed, was open again a few days ago. Phew. I just rode it out - lord knows how long the gas light had been on. Dh usually refills way earlier.

MAde it only to find $3.89 gas. Egads!

The frugal side of me only got 3 gallons. I think 3.5 as I thought about the wedding Saturday - I figured dh could fill up on the way home.

Of course on the way home I spotted $3.69 at the Safeway gas and we may even have a 10 cent off per gallon coupon. I tell you those grocery wars are awesome, and we have been enjoying. But usually takes great care and planning to hit the biggest discounts.

I left work kind of bored around noon and came home and fed the kids and took them to the drop-in childcare chain place. They might as well have been going to Disneyland they were SO excited. I questioned this wisdom of my decision since I figured the morning would be crowded and dh would feel better. BUT then again it was nap time and I was dragging them somewhere with a LOT of activity. Too late to turn back.

I dropped them off and worried much about them all the way to work. Sure they LOVE the place and that is what is important on a big level. But yeah, usually my kids are with dh or at preschool which is like our second family. Plus preschool has a 4 to 1 ratio; not 12 to 1. Okay for date night; not so sure good for 5 hours. So yeah, I worried a bit more than I ever would about them. Likewise, I worried much more about LM who seemed to get knocked around a bit by the older kids. Then again, he is VERY used to it. He told me the worst part of the day was when I came to pick him up. So yeah, they had fun.

The frugie in me had a coupon so it cost me $40 instead of $50 for almost 5 hours of care. Pretty sweet. Preschool would have been $50 for a half day.

The kids were SO exhausted when I picked them up and this erupted into fights of "NO - I am NOT TIRED" whenever the idea was mentioned the rest of the night. But we did put them to bed a good hour early. I guess it was okay. Tired = banshees so it was a trying evening though. LOL.

I came home and made the kids pasta and hot dogs. No planning, but the pantry and freezer had plenty of crap to whip up. You probably get the idea that I can't cook worth crap, but the truth is I only cook when it's last minute and unexpected. LOL. Plus dh is SO into the healthy rounded meals, and I generally am not, that I enjoy giving the kids a treat once in a while. Can't be perfect all the time. Sometimes you just got to let your hair down and eat some food that is not so good for you. But yeah I can cook and I enjoy doing it once in a while. But what you see is not my best work.

At least dh helped put the kids to bed. I think last night too. He's a lot better - he has the same 24 hour thing so I have no doubt he'll be fine tomorrow.

Oh yeah, but I forgot the part where I went back to work around 1:00 and there was a pile a mile high of last minute tax returns. Huh? I was only gone an hour. Most of it wasn't a big deal - people who I knew didn't owe and I put on extension ages ago, just knowing them. I just found it funny that they all showed up the 1 hour I left to take care of the kids.

Boss asked me to look over something today (well he asked me days ago but I was waiting for someone else to finish). I wasn't optimistic but I worked on my parent's tax return while I waited. PHEW! I had wanted to get it out last week, but then we had all been sick.

Anyway, she got it to me right about 6 when I HAD to get the kids; could not leave them more than 5 hours. So all that and as soon as the kids went to sleep I worked for a couple of hours.

Blech.

What a day.

Of course as I sit and type I hear a kid coughing quite a lot in the other room. Oy vey. Sounds like some major germies.

I felt pretty crappy today anyway but I have fingered it as allergies. I think they arrived. Bummer...

Anyway, yeah, next month is a short month for preschool so we had an extra $70 to spend on daycare. So that wasn't really a big deal today. I mean, yeah, I had maybe looked forward to applying that to our camping trip or putting it into an IRA or something. I should know never even to think that. That dang Murphy!