3 things I learnt in 2006

I have a heart murmur

No matter how good your tyres, you can't stop on ice

 School mums can make you feel like you're back on the school playground again - and it's just not worth it.

Best books read in 2006

Old Filth by Jane Gardam

Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld

 Forever Young by William Noonan

 My sister's keeper by Jodi Picoult

Favourite films of 2006

The Queen

Little Miss Sunshine

Best things about 2006

My baby Rory

My kids remaining healthy

Hubby losing his job with the toss pot company (I am so glad he is free of them)

Aims in 2007 (not resolutions as they are always too easy to break)

Don't take things to heart as much

Prepare more food from scratch

Play more WITH the kids

 Slow down and savour life

Just had another one of those moments, Where it is really obvious I am a mum.  Probably sounds silly but there are certain times when it is so obviously in your face - and I don;t mean when you are changing a nappy or dropping off at school.  A previous example of this was sewing in trhe embroidered nametags, getting the kids' uniforms ready.

Today it was going to the hairdressers.  I had Bee, Paddy and Mac booked  in for haircuts at the the same time - it is a little salon just for kids and we practically filled it!  One wanted spikes, one wanted braids and glitter gel and one of them is ADAMANT he has not had a hair cut.  At all.  But seeing them all in the chairs it was sort of : 'Wow.  They are my kids.  I am soooo lucky.'

But he HAS NOT had a haircut and don't you dare say otherwise!!!!!!!

So we have had our 3rd lot of snow in as many weeks.  It normally snows here, but not this much, or this often.  We have had almost 3 feet and the thing is it hasn't melted properly from the first two occasions that have left big icy clumps here and there so just driving at 15 mph down our road and you feel like you are in a bumper car going over mini hills here and there.

We have quite big cars - we need to for all the children but my minivan/people carrier is not good in the snow.  Even with the ridiculously expensive 'all weather' tyres we bought last year, it spins and just doesn't do the job.  Admittedly, when we bought it 3 + years ago, we were not in this State and snow was not an issue.  But these last 3 storms have made us reassess..... and I think we'll be getting rid of it soon.  I will probably get hubby's 1 year old grey thing (think Secret Service and you get the idea) whilst he has been test driving the brand new swanky, everything but the kitchen sink Audi SUV.  It does look snazzy.  And nice and not too badly priced.  So we'll see. 

We have had 2 other Audis in the last 10 years, admittedly they were 2nd hand but not too old.  One broke down on us when we were at the highest point of a National Park(Yosemite I think) - ie - not near ANY garage.  It was under warranty so we got it towed, and got a rental car.  After 2 days we called the garage and they told us they were still waiting on parts.....'It takes a long time for these Russian cars you know....'  That is really what he said.  But we got it back in the end but sort of lost confidence in at at that stage.  Hubby had a different model - needed a new gear box  a few months after we had it and then someone crashed into it, leaving no note but considerable damage.  So hope we have better luck if we go the Audi route again.

School was cancelled today due to the snow - I think they don't want parents to risk the drive on these roads.  Understandable.  Luckily didn't have many plans so it was no problem to have them all here under my feet all day.  Just when you think that you have got them back in the school routine after the Christmas break and they throw this in the works..... It does look very beautiful though.....

It is just after 1am.  My burgular alarm has stopped ringing and once again we don't know what has triggered it.  I say we but in truth I am alone tonight - for the first time in over a month as hubby took eldest 2 kiddos to the mountains as they have ski class tomorrow.  I had a leisurely evening of sorts - spending about 4 hours ploughing through the ironing basket, wondering why I couldn't be like most of the Americans I know  who can live with the straight out of the tumble dryer dishevelled look.  Anyway, I ironed away whilst watching re-runs of Law and Order and also CSI.  Choice viewing.

Fell asleep past midnight, having checked on Mac and Rory, doors locked, alarm on.  Just before one woken to loud noise - try to wake sufficiently to register what it is - baby alarm?  Smoke alarm?  No, it is the burgular alarm.  AGAIN.  The screen here in my bedroom tells me it is an issue with 'screen doors.'  I punch in the code and try and register what this means.  The wailing alarm is cut dead in its tracks.  I try and concentrate, think what to do - start switching all the outside lights on from the numerous switches I have near the bed.  The phone rings.  More stark noise - I force myself to wake up  properly aand converse - with the alarm company.

 Them:  Hello this is'Useless Alarm Systems' we see your system has gone off, is everything alright?

Me: (half asleep)I am not sure.  It says the screen doors have a probelm

Them: Yes, well, should I call the Police?

Me:  I don't know - it could be nothing, I don't know .........

Them: Well do you want to go and walk through the house?

Me: (coming to my senses) NO  I WILL NOT DO THAT.  WHY HAVE AN ALARM IF I THEN HAVE TO PUT MYSELF IN DANGER NOT KNOWING WHAT IS GOING ON?  JUST WALK THROUGH THE HOUSE.  YOU ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO SAY THAT - IT IS A TERRIBLE SUGGESTION IF YOU ARE HOME ALONE

Them: Well I did suggest the Police

Me: Fine, call the Police then please.

Them:  OK, I will call the Police  - please remain on the line

********************* which I do for several minutes until I REALISE  that Useless Security Systems have cut me off. I put the phone down.  Adrenaline is causing my heart to pound so loud now I am surprised it doesn't wake the kids up.   Phone rings again.  Useless security systems

Them:  Hello, mum of 4?  Yes, the Police want you to call them on 911.

Me:  But you just said you would call them...

Them:  Yes I did, and they tried to call you but the line was busy

Me: Yes, you said you would put me on hold....

Them: Well you need to call them

Me:So why did you say you would?  Oh forget it, I will call them....

***************

I call 911.  I hate to do that here (not like I made a habit of calling 999 over there either).  Police Dispatcher tells me officers are on the scene already.  I sneak downstairs. I see no one through the spy hole - cautiously move to look through window - where are my Cagney and Lacey gun wielding officers of the law?  I see 2 figures - they are gingerly trying to wade through my snow covered path that I didn't get around to clearing...... They come in and I promptly burst into tears. 

Adrenaline, shock, relief?  I don't know.  They are nice - they offer to walk through house and it seems fine.  They suggest it was maybe falling ice hitting a window.  6 months ago when they happened they suggested a squirrel.  Maybe I should have a special light on my keypad for possible ice, snow or squirrel activity. 

I do know my alarm will not re-arm which means there is a fault with one of the screens (there are 5 possibilities).  I am just feeling my heartbeat return to normal - the typing of this is theraputic maybe.  I could call the alarm people out right now to repair but I am nor sure that peace of mind is worth more middle of the night drama.  As the Police were leaving Mac came out of his room half asleep asking for 'less noise' so he could sleep.  I hear him.

So in the last 6 months my 2 heart stopping middle of the night experiences have been down to faulty burgular alarms.  There to protect you, not give you bloody coronaries because they trigger.  Aaaarh. Night night (try to sleep again)

PS  Just realised I was in lazy mode and forgot to take off mascara last night so Police were faced with a crying panda as they searched my house. 

So after my 'rude awakening' I was straight on the phone yesterday to the alarm company.... asking them when they could send a technician over to check out what triggered  the alarm... was informed I would have to pay 'weekend rates' - it seems you are penalised for a false alarm going off into the weekend - whatever......

So I spoke to a technician called Travis who sounded about 50+  and he arranged to come out that afternoon.  My age radar was off or rather Travis just had an old sounding voice as the man himself was just in his 30s maybe.  I explained what happened, how scared I was, and how if it was anything like last time it was a faulty contact that had scared the living **** out of me the night before.  He was quite sympathetic - apparently his wife had had a scary incident so he understood where I was coming from.  We only have 5 screens that are alarm connected so he searched away.

I could hear him testing things, unscrewing things, conscious of the minutes ticking away (weekend minutes you know) and I heard him speak to the control station telling them that he couldn't see anything ... I was fearing there was nothing visible and it couldn't be fixed.

Then a while later he came back with a smirk on his face....  he asked me to go down to the basement to see what he had found.....

'It's not a rat or anything is it?' I asked - fully expecting him to tut as though I was ridiculous....

'Well not quite..' he said, again with a glint in his eye.  I froze.  Not a fan of things like that......

'Its' a skunk!' he said as though he was a new dad just coming out of a delivery room or someplace and informing everyone of the sex of the offspring.  He seemed quite oblivious to the look of horror - he was excited to have found the cause...  Apparently a skunk had fallen down the 3 ft drop to our basement window and became stuck in the casement..... and it seems to have been before Thursday night as there were no tracks in the frsh snow.  He had lost the plot (the skunk, not Travis) around 12.30am and had tried to claw his way out - through the screen hence triggering the boundry alarm.  And he was still there, on the outside, asleep, breathing heavily and oblivious to what he had done.   He was stuck.  Big time...... what did we have to do?

Any guesses?

To be continued

So we know the skunk is there and obviously stuck, and probably has been for at least a day as there are no tracks in the snow which fell yesterday.  He suggested I call Animal Services.

Called the Police non emergency line and they THOUGHT they could
help and put me through to Animal control.  This lady told me she could come and remove the skunk, but couldn't trap it or kill it - had to let it go.  I figured that was fine as long as I kept the doors shut so it would run in the other direction.  But when I give her my address she told me she couldn't help me AT ALL as I am out of her area.  So she put me back through to the original control room.  I explained it all again to them and they said they would send someone...

 Meanwhile Travis was trying not to laugh, getting his stuff together and making the alarm work avoiding that zone.