Awesome Jeans Find for my Hockey Player

Hockey Player is a very disobedient child lately.  I (the Mom) keep telling him to stop growing.  He won't.  Instead he tells me, Big O Daddy O keeps telling him to keep growing.  Well, we know who he listens to the most.  BODO doesn't know what he is saying.  He doesn't do the shopping.  Buy the boy pants, and couple of months later he looks like he is ready to wade the crik out back.  If only we had a creek. 
Well they aren't that short yet.  But they are on the verge of being that short.  Short enough for Fun Mom to be concerned for everyone's sake.  On break from school, so I should spend the time getting the shopping done so it doesn't interfere with more important things like acquiring groceries and shuttling kids to activities and laundry.  Did I mention school in there?  Nope, cause that isn't considered one of free time hobbies by the family.  And I mean by the family, cause in my dreams that isn't how I would spend my free time.  But that is not the theme of this post.  My super savings and happy dance moment is the theme.

So off I go to Old Navy, hoping and hoping some more that their jeans are $10 still.  My gut telling me No Sir-ee Bob, that I missed the sale by a day.  Sure enough, I did.  Not only did I miss the sale but the shelves were almost empty.  I mean big wall of a few random pairs of jeans and lots of empty shelves.  I managed to find, get this, 4 pairs of jeans in his size.  4!!!  at the good ol' price of 2 for $30.  Could be worse.  At least they were offering the Old Navy Cash.  $10 when you purchase $20.   Did I mention I was there the day before with my Groupon coupon?  Yep, they waited till I bought fun stuff to let  me know they couldn't find jeans in the totes downstairs.  So I look around a bit more, find a coat for Little Princess.  She lost her coat this year.  Fun Mom has been loaning her a coat from her collection of garage sale finds.  It works for right now, but once it snows and they want to play it won't afford her much warmth.  It is more sweater like than a play in the snow coat.  Off to the register.

I do a couple of transactions just to maximize the amount of Old Navy Cash I can get.  Not that I want to have spend that much more money at Old Navy, but I figure there is gonna be more growing in my house.  Cause Daddy's Buddy has grown almost an inch in the last couple of months.  Hockey Player has let it be known he is gonna listen to and obey the Dad and not me.  Humpf.  But back to the register.

First two pairs of jeans ring up as $15 each.  Third pair of jeans..........$0.97   Ummm, that can't be right.  I look at the girl behind the cash register and shake my head and say, "That can't be right."  She looks at me and kinda shrugs and tells me she'll try the next pair to see what happens.  Pair number 4......$0.97
I laugh, cause this just can't be right. 
She looks the jeans over.  She looks at the tags again and then she explains.  They are "Painters" and sold online only.  They must have been returned to the store.  They aren't carried in the store anymore.  Hence $0.97  ! ! ! 
Nope, I didn't go back and check the shelves for more, cause I had already handled every pair back there and grabbed every pair in the size I needed.  Cause, afterall, I could only find 4 pairs in his size. 
I floated out of the store feeling a big hug from my Heavenly Father.  Thanking God for his provision.  4 pairs of jeans for $32.  Which is less than the $10 sale, I missed by a day.  97 cents....better than a garage sale new with tags find! ! ! 
Want to know just a little bit more about how awesome all this was.  I had looked online late the night before and all they had in stock in Hockey Players size was skinny, super skinny and lined (for warmth) jeans.  None of which he would have worn.  He would rather wear his too short pants than go there.  For which, Fun Mom, has much to be thankful for, because, afterall, she is a teenager and style is important.  These painter jeans are one of his favorite styles of jeans to wear.  They are baggy and loose in the legs.  (I think this is kinda funny, cause Hockey Player has gotta be one of the most thinnest kids I know and most things are baggy on him.)
Favorite Jeans, favorite price....what a great shopping experience!

Twirling, floating, happy dance! !

ZooBooks, Zootles, and Zoobies Buy One Get One Free + 25% off

My boys love Zoobooks!
Recently we added Zootles for the youngest. 
Every year I hold out to renew until the Buy One Get One Free sale is here. 
This time the email contained a coupon code for 25% off.  Not sure if it would apply, I typed it in the coupon code box.  It worked! 
Happy Dance!!!  Love, love, love unexpected deals and savings.

For the sale click here.  The coupon code is: 25OFF

Flutter Nutter's Sixth Birthday!

I don't know how it happened.  My baby turned six.  Five was a piece a cake for this mommy.  Starting kindergarten was easy.  No tears.  No heart strings being pulled.  BUT six, that is another story.  To make it even harder he went to the dentist a week and a half later and we discovered he is getting his molars and has loose teeth.  How can that be?  Where has the time gone? 
Since we saw cousins perform in the Nutcracker in Colorado Springs over Thanksgiving Flutter Nutter chose the Nutcracker as theme for his cake.  A little overwhelmed.  Determined I would not put ballerinas on the cake.  I did some thinking. I took the girls to the cake store to get some help.  AND by the way, "Mom, I want a bow and arrow on the cake too."  Hmmm, the Nutcracker used a sword...but it is his cake.

                                    So the Nutcracker went bow hunting, killed himself a reindeer. 

                                 The reindeer left Dr. Pepper Jelly Beans behind in the shape of a six.

                                     
Then he shot arrows into those pesky mice he had to fight in the Nutcracker.
 

After all was done and said, he was very happy with his Nutcracker cake.
The cousins (my neices) might be just a bit dismayed at our re-creation of their favorite Christmas story.
Dad was happy I stuck with it and eliminated the ballerinas.

We had lunch at Olive Garden just like he wanted.
Just a couple of days later, cause he had to share his head cold with everyone.  He didn't want to be the only one with the birthday sniffles.

Aunt Sharon did not fail the Aunty test.  She provided lots of sweets and treats.
Just look at the top of that present.

Look deep, I think we can see his stomache!

Whew, he blew them all out!

I may be sad about how old he is getting to be, but he is still my little Flutter Nutter.
Happy Birthday!

Favorite Shots From MidWest Tournament

I like to watch my Hockey Player on the ice.
He took to ice skates as if he was born to live on the ice.  He has a tremendous amount of grace and focus when on the ice.  He plays defense.  Which means if the other team doesn't score when he is on the ice, he has had an awesome day!  My tender hearted Warrior gets to hear me say, "Knock 'em down!" He may have a gentle heart, but there is nothing gentle in how he plays hockey.  That is how it should be. 

Yep, read that score sheet.  They managed a shut out at 6:15 AM!
Translation, Hockey Player was up at 4:00 AM fueling up and shaking the sleep from his brain, so he could be at the rink by 5:30.
Good thing the ice rink is refreshingly cool in the morning

Birthday Favorites

Flutter Nutter received this shirt from Aunt Sharon and Uncle Terry.

This morning, Hockey Player announces to me, "Mom, I think Flutter Nutter has worn that shirt for the last 3 days." 
Me:  "Dad did you hear that?"
Dad: "3 days, WOW, you must like that shirt.  It must be a favorite?!?"
FN: "Yep"
Dad:  "Why don't you put a different shirt on after breakfast."
FN:  "I already have it on."
Dad: "So it is like stuck to you."
giggles
Dad: "Tomorrow, wear a different shirt."
 

What is it with Wednesdays?

Last week it was all about language.  This week, Daddy's Buddy asks me about Grandma when she died.  Did we put her in a box and she died or did we put her in the ground and she died?  I had to explain, she died in her sleep at HOME, then she went to a funeral home, they put her in a nice box called a casket and then put her in the ground.  AHHH, that is how it works. 
Hockey Player then asks, "Don't they drain all the blood out of the body and replace it with a preservative?"
A lot of oooohs and yucks. 
"Yes and sometimes  no," I replied shaking my head the whole time.
Little Princess pipes in with, "Unless they want to be cremated and turned into ashes."
Daddy's Buddy adds, "If they don't want to be in their dead body for the rest of their life."
Hysteria breaks out.
In their dead body for the rest of their life....
repeated over and over and loads of laughter
At this time, I am in the Pizza Hut drive through, at the window and can't stop laughing.  I have to explain to the lady in the window about last week and the current conversation.  She starts to laugh pretty good over being in the dead body for the rest of your life.  I mean seriously, how do the kids come up with these things?

But it doesn't stop there.  Flutter Nutter is giving me trouble with wearing his seat belt proper.  I decide drastic measures must be used.  I very calmly inform him, I do not want to buy a casket for Christmas.  I do not want to spend Christmas crying.  Would he please sit properly in the car?

He did for all of 5 minutes.  To which I sounded off and told him, "Fine, you die, I am not buying you a head stone.  I refuse to buy you a head stone for Christmas."  He shaped up and sat all good in his seat and seatbelt.  Who knew.  Having a head stone is important !

Then coming home from church Flutter Nutter is being all super silly and disobedient, AGAIN.
I am done and tired.  I am not letting them take you to the funeral home.  I don't want a Christmas funeral.  I will just leave you by the side of the road if you get killed.  Shaped up and sat like he was supposed to.  FLutter Nutter did respond with, "Cool."  Not exactly what I was looking to hear.  Hockey Player quickly responded with, "Not cool, cause then people would think you had been murdered."

Time to change the subject..."Let's go look at Christmas lights!"

Nintendo Mario and K'Nex Meet! !

Oh my goodness I am soo excited!  This year, I am way behind on my Christmas shopping.  No time, no ideas, until tonight!  I made myself do some shopping and looking around tonight.  Look what I found ! !
K'Nex Mario Kart sets.  My gamer/builder is going to love this !  Good thing he doesn't know about my blog.  Well he knows about it...but he doesn't go online yet.  If you are one of the big siblings reading this, "ZIP YOUR LIPS AND CLOSE DOWN YOUR WINDOWS!" No sharing what you know.