Tuesday, April 11, 2006

ITS ABOUT 'OOMPA TIME'!

This is Zack showing off a few of his wrist watches.  He's been collecting them from the crane machine where he spends his break time and $$$ scooping up trinkets.  He has won approximately 12 wristwatches with alarms, plus 3 pocket watches.  Having that many time pieces should make him the most punctual person on the planet, but that is not the case.  None of the watches tell the same time, and all of the alarms go off at different times so there is always a buzzer or a beeper going off somewhere.  And Zack is ALWAYS late.

The other siblings aren't much better.  Rocky is content so long as she is not the last name on the tardy list.  There is an unspoken rule that makes being tardy okay if you are not the 'tardiest'.  Rocky will drag her feet all morning, right up to she gets to the school grounds. But if another student is getting out of their car at the same time, suddenly its a race to reach the entrance first.  Rocky almost always has a disadvantage because she must haul her snare drum and xylephone to school which weighs almost as much as she does but the fear of being the very last student through the doors gives her little feet wings.  I wish she could move that fast at home.

Becca and Art are very conscientious about being on time for school.   Everything else, however, is done in half hour increments, even the simplest of tasks.  There are no minute or second hands on their internal clock.  It takes a half hour to sign off of the computer or take out the trash.  It takes an hour to shower.  It takes them an hour to get ready for bed.  Sending them to bed an hour earlier only means that it will then take two hours to get ready for bed.  Naturally the extra time spent on a chore has absolutely nothing to do with the quality of work put into it.  Chances are they will dawdle around until the very last minute before they actually do the deed and then do a shoddy job just to get it done and over with.  (hmmmm, where I have heard that scenario before?)

So what exactly is'oompa time' ?  Quite simply, I would have to saywhat I say each and every time my children finally complete a task. 

"Well, its about time !"

'Oompa Time' is about time. (which should not be confused with dickidoo or boobidoo time... those fall under completely separate and totally different time zones!)

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

LoL Your house must be very very interesting. Can you ask Zack if I can have the zebra print watch. I have the matching purse.

Brenda

Anonymous said...

I love the picture of Zack!  Is that from your house?  With all that gorgeous snow???  <sigh>  I love snow and do not get enough here in NJ.  My kids must have secretly been taking lessons from yours about time....

be well,
Dawn

who is having coffee time right now!!!!

Anonymous said...

I hope the next month goes especially fast for you.
I love your oompa's antics. Remind me of my own children years ago.
Liked Zack's watches but the vista behind him really caught my eye. Please let me know where or what that is. Thanks,

Anonymous said...

Well my kids take the longest showers. They don't move that fast either. The mornings are awful. Love all the watches.

Anonymous said...

ROFL!!!!  I have problems with tardiness, too!  Glad to see another mother talk about her kids' behavior!  I'm glad I am not alone!!!! :-) LOL