So, something we are now terming “the curse of Ken” hit the family once again and made this blog entry first started MONDAY become a Tuesday recap. It all started with the electric company and a computer (oh how I cringe to say this as the wife of a programmer) or potentially a USER error. A bill which was delayed was paid IN FULL but someone or someTHING did not properly announce  this fact to the company in charge of the connects and disconnect tickets. (do you see where this is going).

What that means is either the stupidity of employees OR the stupidity of a flawed computer program (does that make it stupid programmers?) caused us to get home from the cupping… er I mean BLOOD WORK (seriously how much blood do they need to find out my type?), settle the family, start talking about making lunch (can you hear the ironic laughter yet?) and then… experience the VERY unwelcome silence of absolutely NO POWER. On a blustery, RAINY, not so nice Monday…

The individual in charge of the disconnect was not willing/not allowed to stick around while Ken hopped onto our blissfully CELLULAR and NON NEEDING of a local power source cell phones to call and sort it all out. Sadly this was managed 3 min. after the individual who turned of the power left. We were told it could take up to 48 hours but we SHOULD get power back Monday night (by 10pm). With small children and nothing to do we turned off what we THOUGHT were all the breakers (2) and headed out and about. An Ikea meal later and we headed back to the house to check the power situation – nothing.

And here is where the Monday blog entry became today’s… with it looking darker and darker in our pioneer themed domain we packed everyone up AGAIN and headed the hour away to sleep at Grandma and Mike’s. A late dinner, warm bath and bedtime snack and all 4 kids were out to the world. By midnight I had followed suit. And here is where it becomes the ultimate frustration…

There was a THIRD breaker! They came by last night and could NOT turn the power on because there was a THIRD breaker… darn our non familiarity (or at least vague familiarity) with our rental! SOOOOO even with getting up at 7am (is that not the middle of the night still?), rushing out the door and hitting SNOW and ICE and WIND (is this May or December???) we were home too late to get those enrolled to the symphony safely… the weather is BAD… AND the power was still out, back onto the cell phones Ken went.

With all 3 breakers now OFF and kids and mommy who just wanted to stay home and watch some darn tv, we packed us back up into the trusty van and went to a nearby McDonalds that contained a play area. Lunch (how I just wanted the can of Chunky beef stew I purchased Monday morning…), some play time and a bit of patience and we headed home. We bundled the kids into blankets and books and waited… ok Ken and the kids waited and I curled up under a pile of blankets in the bedroom and took a much needed nap with the full approval of Baby #5. Which had me waking up to ecstatic kids playing in the once dark basement!! And HEAT!

All this combined with a massive snow storm and the reality of living in Alberta in the spring is quite apparent, as is the reality of the “curse of Ken”… my response to all of this – can the rest of May please be a CALM and in CONTROL month?

The big question – what does this two day “adventure” mean for the Reinsch-Johnson family? Well, after our NECESSARY expenditures over and above what we wanted eating out and usage of gas we are going to be eating a lot of home-cooked meals. Not that I am complaining. The promised Baby #5 diaper bag is not to be be purchased until NEXT week and Ken has work, emails, etc. to catch up on, but we are safe and sound in our home thank goodness all with a ZERO balance??

Now… onto the original blog entry!

For a rainy Monday it was a news filled and BUSY day. Start it off with bloodtests – this time I am hoping they get ALL The information they need. TWO vials to find out blood type???

And on Facebook – my (step)sister Kathleen is officially engaged. While in Germany staying with her boyfriend who is in the army (don’t ask me what part) they made a trip to Paris on the weekend where he proposed on the Eiffel Tower. She is back in South Carolina next week I think ,where plans will be made – either this summer or next May – the jury is out on that one. Either way definitely not something as a family we can plan to make (or myself for that matter if the date becomes this summer – no flying for the pregnant woman). So we will have to send our well wishes I think. (I am not planning any concrete  trips next year until our finances are a bit more assured. Flying with a baby who is not yet one does mean we could get away with me and baby and one plane ticket… but cost… ) So exciting news for that side of the family.

Oh and news I forgot to mention last week – we are excited to announce that Ken and I are once again going to be God-parents! Baby #5 officially has a god-sibling, one that should be around 2 months older than it. This makes our total up to 3 god-children, our godson in Minnesota Anthony, god-daughter here in Alberta Isabella and Baby Perrin the first! What a blessing and a gift for us. Each of my god-babies are special to me (and Ken). Now I need to come up with some sort of special god-baby birth gift. Suggestions?

The big excitement for today that we were ABLE to make – a Free Michaels make-it take-it. This week there are a bunch of crafts for Mother’s day – though sadly MOST are buy a craft item but today’s was free. So each of the boys painted their very own clay pot. And then *I* got to sparkle modge podge them. Lots of fun, it took almost an hour to do all of it and the boys were VERY proud.

Tomorrow is a catch up day for the family, two days of being virtually on the road has left the livingroom in a less than stellar situation, coupled with Ken being behind on his work and my need for TONS of sleep. So the boys will get started on their 5 Senses lapbooks, hopefully FINISH Spring/Easter completely and after we get back from our weekly H&W trip work on tasting a nice selection of apples! Thankfully I am almost 100% prepared for these two units and Ken is ready and willing to focus on his work stuff. Now if I just had something to SEW! But I am still feeling the buzz of a sampler well received so it is all good!

Of course the opportunity to FINALLY have a spare moment at home in the quiet coupled with a few ON SALE craft supplies I got right in on another scrapbook page!

So not the most auspicious start to a week but we managed. I think I can happily say we are ALL looking forward to some extended time AT HOME. Especially with the not so nice weather… I would say not so spring-like but here in Alberta it IS rather par for course.