Who knew? I mean, I was always under the impression that punishment was like taking a trip to Disney World. (I would put my sarcastic smiley here, but they aren't working)

A few days ago we had a situation that reached crisis level with one of the kids. In all honesty, it had been at this level for some time, but M and I finally reached an agreement that something had to be done. Grades were an issue as well as serious backtalking and general disrespect. In an effort to once and for all end this; we decided to lay down the law.

The child in question was scheduled for a class trip to an amusement park on Wednesday. School was out for the holiday and the school had arranged the tour bus and a day up in LA. It was decided that due to the recent behavior, J was not making the trip. We had to do something to make our point, and other punishments just weren't working.

The problem was, we had already paid for the trip and it wasn't cheap. The ticket was non refundable and non transferable. I would also be the parent left to tend to the child while his step sister went on the trip. M was working and this was a nightmare just waiting to happen. After much discussing back and forth a compromise was worked out. We would allow the trip, BUT, he would be made to give up all things electronics for one week as a result of his behavioral issues. This meant, no cell phone, no video games, no radio, no ipod, no computer, and no television. Well, Mr. Ten Feet Tall and I Don't Give a Damn, thought he was getting off easy and agreed immediately.

It is now Friday and due to ongoing behavior issues, we are up to two weeks without electronics with a third week under debate at the moment. The third week came into play this morning. I came into the kitchen and discovered a clock radio sitting on the table. I asked oldest child why it was there. Well, I guess I had forgotten to unplug it in J's room and he had it hidden on his bed last night listening to music. A direct violation of the "no electronics" rule.

When I asked him why he thought he could violate the terms of the deal his answer was; "It is all your fault. I am so flipping bored because there is nothing to do. You aren't fair. This punishment isn't easy and I didn't do anything but turn on the radio for three flipping seconds." My reply; "I hope it was worth it because now we have to discuss adding on another week."

Apparently in J's mind punishment should be milk and cookies. He is in for a long hard lesson.

Years ago when I was the mother of only two children, still married to my first husband, and living a very conservative lifestyle, I was known to hit the Black Friday sales. I would even head out with my sister on Thanksgiving night to the few stores that were open. We caught the sales, fought the crowds, and felt smug about the ten cents we saved on Christmas ornaments.

I have not participated in Black Friday madness since I moved to California. I am unsure if it is the fact that I am now the mother of eight children and my second husband is always at work on that day, leaving me without that all important childcare; or if I have just outgrown the madness. Do I really want to stand in line for five or more hours so that I can save a few dollars on a DSi that will  most likely be sold out by the time I get there? Or the even worst scenario; another store will put it on sale days later at an even better price and I will be stuck either knowing I got screwed or fighting that return line.

I think that my lack of participation most likely stems from my time spent in retail sales during the holiday season. I have never in my life seen more people act a fool than I witnessed my two years on the front lines of retail. Customers that I would see on an almost daily basis suddenly lost their damn minds all in the pursuit of a perceived "great deal". I saw my fellow workers gearing up for that holiday nightmare with the same preparation one would expect a soldier heading to war undergoes.

List of "black" items? Check

Radio to call for backup? Check

Scanner gun for price checking? Check

Advil for the headache you know you are going to get? Check

Pepper spray when you are forced to tell people the item is out of stock? Check (okay I made that one up)

Plans for after work at the bar? Check

It was a nightmare that we dreaded for those weeks between Halloween and Thanksgiving. People were rude, they were pushy, they didn't want to wait and wanted you to know exactly how many items that were available back in electronics even though you had never set foot in electronics in your life.

I mourned the day that Wal-Mart did away with their lay away policy, but I have to say that on some level I understand. The only thing worse than working the front lines on Black Friday was working in the Lay Away department on Black Friday. Lines literally ran through the entire store all the way out to the parking lot. For reasons that still make no sense to me, there were only about four people in the entire store that were "qualified" for lay away. This meant that only two people actually worked the front while the other two worked the back getting the boxes put into place. It was like putting a kitten in front of a stampede of elephants and expecting it to hold them off. Can you say impossible?

The actual picking up of said lay away was almost as bad. Again, two people working the front while two searched the hundred or so trailers brought in to store merchandize. Seasoned shoppers knew to pack a lunch and arrange for the day off because it was going to take you all day.

So, this has taken a completely different turn than when I started. How does that always happen to me?

Do you plan on taking part in the Black Friday madness or are you going to just wait and see what happens the weeks leading up to Christmas? I think I will take the sit back and watch approach.

The other day I was asked if I ever considered pursuing a case against the hospital where Emily's two ultrasound were done. For those that have never heard the "ultrasound from hell" story; I will give you a brief synopsis.

Matt and I went in for our first ultrasound. It was just a routine thing, more to find out the sex of the baby and to make sure he/she was growing normally. I was an "advanced age" pregnancy, so they felt it was necessary. We went in and had the ultrasound done. We were told we were having a girl and we went on our way. It took no more time than normal and I put it far from my mind.

Almost a month later I received a call from a doctor at the hospital. Due to some measurement issues with one of Emily's kidney's, they wanted to do a follow up ultrasound. He told me that it could quite possibly prove to be nothing, but that we would need another ultrasound at 30 weeks just to be sure. I was terrified, but knew there wasn't much we could do but wait the other 8 or so weeks.

The next ultrasound is now known as the "ultrasound from hell". It lasted well over two hours with me almost passing out more than once. The technician couldn't find the kidney issue, then she couldn't locate the fourth chamber of Emily's heart. By this time, Matt and I had come to the conclusion that this woman couldn't find her nose on her face and were just ready to end the entire thing. After more than half an hour of her searching for the fourth chamber, she called in her supervisor.

He spent less than five minutes looking and declared the fourth chamber in place. Again, Matt and I had been through the ringer with the first tech, so we just assumed her inept. It would prove to be the worse assumption we have ever made.

As you all now know, Emily was only born with technically three chambers. The two very large holes between the third and fourth chamber made for just one very large one. We discovered that about day six or seven. It all blends together now.

I was more than angry that it hadn't been discovered, but I never thought about pursuing anything with the courts. It wasn't going to change the fact that Emily needed heart surgery. It wasn't suddenly going to close those holes and make her heart perfect. Matt and I knew that the best thing that we could do was focus on getting Emily healthy.

It is a decision that to this day I do not regret.

Emily had her heart surgery and has done wonderfully. I have come together with other parents of children with heart issues and have witnessed amazing progress in educating those in the medical field about the importance of catching heart issues in utero.

I think our time has been better spent focusing on how to prevent this from happening to other families as opposed to trying to right a supposed wrong for our family.

It wouldn't have changed our outcome, but perhaps through the work of organizations like Its My Heart we can make sure it changes the outcome for other families.

It is the flu talking so if this makes no sense, blame that.