Wednesday, August 27, 2008

HOME ALONE WITH THE OOMPAS.

It's quiet here in the House of Oompa, but only for a few more minutes.  By 3:15 the first of the Southern Oompas will be home from school and the others should follow not far behind.

Dickidoo and his baby sister should be home from Kentucky by night fall.  They've been gone for a week taking care of some legal issues.  They took the baby with them since he's not in school yet.  That left me alone in the house with the other 7. 

During the past week we have developed a few new rules, such as the 'Stupid Question' rule.  Every stupid question comes with a 25 cent fine.  Stupid questions like 'What are you cooking?' when I'm standing at the stove scrambling with a plate of bacon on the side.  Stupid questions like 'Where is the milk?'  Just for the record I wasn't the one who came up the quarter fine.  I have always been of the thinking that every stupid question deserves a stupid answer.  'I'm cooking fried chicken, I'm just tryin' to hatch the eggs first.' and 'The milk is in the washing machine where we always keep it.'

11 people living in this house.  Every person has at least 3 pairs of shoes, 7 pairs of pants, 10 shirts, 10 pairs of socks, 7 pairs of undies ( and about 5 bras for each of the 5 females blessed with boobs).  That comes out to 77 pairs of pants, 110 shirts, 110 pairs of socks (or 220 individual socks), 77 panties and bvd's, and 25 bras.  Plus towels, and sheets, and blankets.  Good Golly!  That poor washing machine is going all the time, and I swear the toilet never stops flushing.

We go through at least a gallon of milk a day, and that's rationing it.  We make 3 pots of coffee and a 32 ounce bottle of Hazelnut creamer only lasts 2 and a half days with 5 coffee drinkers in the house.   The kids consume 5 boxes of cereal in a week, it would be more but we try to serve a hot breakfast on the weekends.  On scrambled egg morning we crack 18 eggs.  As for toilet paper, even with one Oompa still in diapers we have more than doubled the number of rolls we go through in a week.  I'm waiting for the Waste Management guys to notice the drastic increase in sewage coming from our address and to add some kind of mass waste surcharge.  It's just a matter of time.

Its Marching Band time again.  Rocky is a freshman and plays percussion in the pit.  Art (super-senior but only a 4th year marching band student) is back on the tuba and Becca is in her third year with the color guard.  'The Pride Of Mesa Ridge' competed at the Colorado State Fair in Pueblo, and took 1st in their division and 1st Overall!  Woo Hoo!  What a way to start off the season!  Go Mesa Ridge!  Go Oompas!

They're home......  (sigh, it was nice while it lasted).  Time to pull out my referee hat and the Stupid Question Quarter Jar.

I'm going to be very rich by the end of the year.

Heck, I'm going to be very rich by the end of the day!

Gotta love all those Oompa hugs though.

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

you may be able to by a new washer and dryer with that jar

Anonymous said...

Wow, that is a lot of laundry, cereal, and Oompas! Don't know how you get it all done but I love reading about it!!

Donna

Anonymous said...

I've really been behind in my journal reading because I didn't realize you had such a house full.  I hope everyone survives! lol
Lori

Anonymous said...

I don't know how you keep up with everything!  Have a good night.
Missie

Anonymous said...

Dorn, I think you are my new hero. Are there anymore little Oompas running around that you want to take home with you? Oh, well...years into the future you will look back on this time and marvel that you had the strength....love, Sandi

Anonymous said...

Can I move in it sounds like fun to me?

Anonymous said...

OH MY LORD.....it's Marching Band season here too!!!  Kaitlin (my oldest at 20) is on TWO DIFFERENT Marching Band staffs.  Kelly (17) is a senior and is the section leader for the Trumpets and Brian (14) is a freshman on trombone.  This week has been BAND CAMP from 8 am till 9 pm every night.  We call it HELL WEEK!!!!!

I'm so excited to share Marching Band stories with another JLander!!!  You certainly have ALOT going on at your house!

((hugs))
Jeanne

Anonymous said...

I'm looking  for a new man bra; have any handy? :)

Anonymous said...

Holy cow!!!! I will not complain about my laundry EVER, EVER again!!!


(((HUGS)))

Michele

Anonymous said...

Sounds like a very fun nightmare!  The math on all of those cloths blew my mind!
Traci

Anonymous said...

Reading about your mountain of washing I am struck by how unkind to the environment you are.
You should be wearing the same clothes all week. I do. The undies get a bit crusty and need scraping before putting in the machine, but at least I am being green.

:o)
http://journals.aol.co.uk/brainwhispers/Wordsjustfallout/

Anonymous said...

Give them all an intrument and hit the road Partridge Family style. Hey at least you'll make enough money to house them all in a bigger house, with the loudest at the other end of the house. (Hugs)Indigo

Anonymous said...

I always give stupid answers to stupid questions....

what is worse than having all those bras to launder?  having to shop for them!!!  yikes, just took the 13 yo shopping...not fun
Becky

Anonymous said...

Mom, this is arthur's third year marching!  don't give him credit for a year he didn't march.  He only started because I brought up the whole colorguard thing in my eigth grade year when I was trying out.  Then he went and talked to Mr. O. and got the info.  I'm going to be the first four year marcher in the family!

Anonymous said...

Congrats on being a guest editor pick :o)  Sounds like there is never a dull moment for you.

Anonymous said...

Funny entry--I like the stupid question fine!

Congrats on being Guest Editor pick!

Beth

Anonymous said...

I always enjoyed your journal, but thought you went private. I guess you are back? Dannelle