And then that repairman tried to force me to let him sue me

I recognize that the title is a litle tricky.  It'll make sense though.  Eventually.  So just go with it guys.

Remember a while back, this post where I pondered the possibility of swearing out loud more often?  In that post, I mentioned among other things, a certain dishwasher repairman that was highly irritating.


Well guess what guys?  He was back.  And it was worse than the first time even.  I am not kidding either.


Ugh.

So my dryer has been being annoying.  Like not fully drying clothes, which means I have to dry each load almost two times to get it fully dry.  With a family of six, I do a lot of laundry.  I can't deal with a shitty dryer that doesn't heat up.  So Alex eugoogle-ized our brand of dryer, tried to fix it and wasn't too successful.  He is rather resourceful and can pretty much fix most things, but his being able to fix the dryer just wasn't happening. 

So since the dryer was still sucking at doing its job, we called the place where we got it so we could get a repairman to come out.  Coincidentally, it was the same place that we got the dishwasher that just recently needed to be repaired. 

On a side note, is it me or are does it almost seem like things are made crappier these days?  We bought all new appliances when we built this house like seven years ago.  We didn't go high end, but we didn't get the cheapest stuff out there, everything was middle of the line from a good reputable brand.  So anyway, that's it?  We get 7 years of life out of major appliances now?  I am pretty sure my grandmother had the same avocado green refrigerator for my entire childhood.  Why can't we get fridges like that anymore?  

Anyway, I was sitting near the window when the repairman arrived.  And I noticed it was the same guy immediately as he got out of his truck.  Originally, I felt sort of bad for being aggravated at him.  And I was telling myself maybe he wasn't really that annoying.  But as soon as he began walking up the steps to my front door, I could just feel it.

He just looked like he was miserable and hated his job.  Admittedly it was warm out, but he was dripping sweat before he even got to the porch. My washer and dryer are upstairs, and you would have thought I told him he'd need to go outside and wade through a bog with his toolbox on his head to reach them the way he moaned and groaned.  Seriously not kidding.  With every single stair, he groaned.

I had to go up behind him because hello, free pinches, but he was honestly slower than a five year old on crutches.  So an hour later once we got to the laundry room, I sort of said -- here it is, do your thing, and you know, I pretty much was ready to get back to what I was doing.  Because I was pretty sure it wasn't necessary for me to stand there and watch him fix the dryer.

But then he tried to talk to me about it.  For a long time even.  And honestly guys, I tried to seem interested.  But is anyone really interested in discussing dryer repair?  I think not.

Besides he was sniffling again, and wiping his nose with the back of his hand, again.  And I can only stand there for so long witnessing that kind of thing.  A grown man who doesn't seem to know how to use a tissue.  Touching my things.  My germophobe wheels were spinning madly.

I wasn't the least bit rude, snippy or condescending, I swear.  But I pretty much told him in a very nice way that I didn't really care what was wrong with it as long as he fixed it or told me I needed to get a new one.  I don't need to know why.  So somehow I got out of there and went downstairs and continued doing what I was doing before he got there, and he calls me up about ten minutes later.

Which is right about when he asked me to hold on to him as he climbed out my small bathroom window to stand on my extremely steep and angled roof so he could try to reach a vent that was clearly impossibly out of his reach.

So I was like, really repairman?  You want to climb out on top of my toilet and try to wedge yourself out through my little window?  He would have absolutely fallen off of the roof. Which at that point honestly wasn't looking like the worst thing ever.  Besides the fact that I was pretty damn 100% sure that he wasn't going to be physically able to wedge his not very small body out of the window anyway, I wasn't about to let him get on my roof so he could fall off and sue me. 

I mean, I may have my own personal lawyer, but I'm not stupid.

He acted rather indignant when I said absolutely no on the climbing out the window thing.  Then basically went on to say that if I didn't let him on the roof, then it was my own fault he couldn't diagnose the problem.

So to make a very windy story short, I paid the sniffly, groany, wacky repairman from hell $120 to tell me that my dryer didn't work.

Which I pretty much already knew.  Obviously.

flag

Tag!

Well so here is a fun little game of TAG!  Or as my son used to call the game, TAGYOUREIT!  Yes, he said it superfast and excitable and with an exclamation point.


So I’ve been tagged by my long lost twin, Pam, at Empty Nest. This is a game type thing where you answer a few miscellaneous questions and then tag eight blog friends.

The rules are that everyone who gets tagged must answer the following questions. And you know what?  If you're feeling like you might have nothing good to post one of these days, it's a pretty good filler!  So READY? SET? GO!


Do you think you're hot?
Hahaha.  Wait, what?  OK.  So no.  I think I am far from hot.  Sweaty, maybe.  But not hot.  I might have been hot once.  A really long time ago unfortunately.


Upload a picture or wall paper that you are using at the moment.



Not my wallpaper, just a cool picture of a double rainbow at my mom's place in Cooperstown

When was the last time you ate chicken?
Hm.  Chicken.  I would have to say I ate some chicken a few days ago on my go-to easy to pick up from the local restaurant yummy dinner salad.  It was Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad.  And it was rather fantastic, if I do say so myself.  And who knows if it is actually necessary to capitalize the name of it, but I'm going with it guys.  Because that's how I roll.

The song/songs you listened to recently. This is easy.  I listen to music every day, like a lot.  Especially when I am walking or driving alone.  The last few songs that I listened to are some of my current favorites, Cosmic Love by Florence and the Machine, Turning Tables by Adele, I Think You Know by Julia Nunes, Raise Your Glass by Pink, Crash into Me by DMB, From Where You Are by Lifehouse, Just Like Heaven by the Cure and Keep Breathing by Ingrid Michaelson, and of course a few tunes by The Smiths.  Don't think I have a great memory or anything, I just looked at the playlist I was using this morning.  And you know, this is just a smattering.  I took an hour long obnoxiously hot walk, so the list is way longer.  I had sweat on my damn brow guys.

What were you thinking while doing this?
What was I thinking while doing this tag game thing?  I guess I was/am thinking my legs are wiggly and I feel restless and I need to turn on the air conditioning because WTF it's sticky and I love this song and maybe I am a little hungry because all I had was a handful of TUMS for breakfast and it's 2:30 already and oh my word I really super puffy heart love my new furniture!

Do you have any nicknames?
I would say yes, yes I do.  My name is Jessica.  That is usually how I introduce myself to strangers or people I need to call for appointments or something.  Because I suppose it is adult-ish.  But most people, friends of mine, call me Jessee.  A tiny few people call me Jess.  My sisters call me Jet.  And my husband calls me Hon.  Unless he is annoyed with me, which is rarely, but then he calls me Jessee.  And I don't respond.  Because you know, that's how it goes.

Tag eight blogger friends...


1. Erin at If You Give a Mom a Moment
2. Vicki V at The Blest Nest
3. Larry at LG Report
4. Amber at Airing My Dirty Laundry One Sock at a Time
5. Beth at A work in Progress
6. Gabe at In the Details
7. Amanda at This Side of Reason
8. Katie at You Brew My Tea




Who's listed as number one?
Erin from If You Give a Mom a Moment.  She was one of the first blogs I ever started reading.  She's a cool one, that Erin. And she has a nice little family way out West and I like her.

Say something about number five?
Beth is apparently a work in progress, but from what I know so far, she's pretty much got it all going on.  Plus I am pretty sure we could be friends in real life because I have definitely noticed several things about her that are really a lot like me.

How did you get to know number three?
Larry, my number three is a really funny guy  He makes me laugh every time I read his blog.  And also he is equally funny on his facebook postings.  But I actually got to meet him in person, and that is what really made me think he is most definitely a righteous dude.  And he is getting married this weekend!  Congrats LG!


How about number four?
Amber at Airing My Dirty Laundry has a great blog, and I read every post.  She's funny and  normal and real and that's what I like best about her.  And also, she has a slight Gymboree obsession, like ::coughcough:: someone else I may or may not be know.

Leave a message for number six?
Hi Gabe!  I like your blog!  And your pictures!  I'm glad you visit and leave me nice comments.  :)


Leave a lovey- dovey message for number two?
Hm. Vicki V, I am trying to be lovey-dovey but I feel a little awkward.  I mean, sheesh, the potential whole world could be reading.  And I am not so great with PDA's.  But I like you!   And your photos are so peaceful and I want to eat a lot of the yummy things you make.


Do number seven and number eight have similarities?
Well, one thing that they have in common is that both Amanda and Katie have great blogs that I enjoy reading.  They both write really well, and they are both Moms.

OK, well I guess this is the end!  So, in the words of my little Alex, “TAGYOUREIT!”

mama kat and a blog funk

Since I've been feeling the boggy blahs for a while, I decided to take a few writing prompts from Mama Kat to help inspire me. I think I have a bloggy crush on Mama Kat -  is totally cool, and I want to be her BBF. Hello, in case you didn't know, BBF = Best Bloggy Friend.  Bloggy is a dumb word.  One might wonder why I said it practically eleven times in my opening paragraph then.  It's just that it makes me think of a froggy and I just don't love those little slimy things.  Apparently, frogs really aren't slimy, but they look slimy.  And I have no desire to touch them, like ever.  I mean, I don't want to run them over with the mower or anything, but I definitely don't want to make one my pet.


Anyway, writing prompt from Mama Kat's Writing Workshop, right.


So here is a very appropriate prompt:  What have you been busy doing that’s keeping you from updating your blog? How hard is it for you to get back into the swing of blogging when you take time off?


So here's the thing.  I have really been a busy gal lately.  Remember the good old days, when I could somehow spend 6 glorious hours perusing the Internets, reading and commenting on my favorite blogs, and writing witty posts?  Well, maybe the posts weren't all that witty, but let's pretend they were.  Yeah, well it seems like those days are over!

I mean, all of a sudden, it seems like those six hours I get are being taken up by other things.  A while back, my mornings went something like this: drop kids off at school, make lovely cup of coffee, settle in on my comfy chair with lovely cup of coffee, get caught up in everyone else's lives on the Internet for an embarrassing amount of hours,  quickly do a few chores,  pick up the kids after school.  Occasionally in there I might get up to go to the bathroom or get a drink.

And now, my mornings go something like this:  drop kids off at school, go walk on the track for a bit, make and eat some breakfast, take a shower, do some chores, maybe read a few blogs, pick kids up from school.

What happened there was that I added walking in the mornings to my line up, and dumped coffee.  Before, I would wait til the kids were in bed to walk.  Now I do both, because I can't give up the night walk.   It's so peaceful.  And dark.  And moon shiny.  But it seems that the morning walk throws everything off.  It means I take my shower after the kids are at school, where I used to do it before they went.  And I used to never eat breakfast, but now I definitely make a point to have breakfast, and to sit down at the table and enjoy it.  Who knew that stuff would take up so much of my blogging time? 

So, in a long-winded nutshell, that is the main thing that has changed.    But also, this time of year is the beginning of the craziness around here.  I have every kid's birthday in a row, one each month starting in May.  Then I had Kar's graduation, and next will be her graduation party, father's day, school gets out for the summer, an out of state wedding for a long weekend out west, a two week vacation down south, seven immediate family birthday's, tons of kids activities/sports/camps, and whoa.  Those are just the things I can think of off of the top of my head.  I'm wiped out just imagining my next few months.  Once fall rolls around, it calms down again.  I do love the summer though.

And for the second question, how hard is it for me to get back into the swing of blogging after taking time off?  Pretty hard.  I'll admit it.  I feel less and less that I have anything of value to share, and it sort of gets me in a vicious cycle writing funk thing.  That's why I am going to do some of these prompts for a bit, to see if it helps get me back into the swing of things.  Hopefully I won't bore you all off before I'm swinging along like before.

And now, I have to go work on a post for my friend over at Empty Nest.   Also, I am going to link up to Jenny Matlock's Alphabe-Thursday, because of my annoying blog FUNK.  Since it is F week, I'm thinking it is appropriate.  

wordless wednesday - iPhone edition

blackberry and bedhead

cheese!

probama in DC

sleepy meg

Me (on the left) with my three sisters

80's anyone?

No it is not really 80's week.  But I was thinking, maybe it can be 80's week.  Because I was an 80's kind of girl.  And the 80's were pretty good to me.  And who doesn't love the 80's? 



After reading this old post about my love of Lloyd Dobler and 80's movies and stuff, I decided to write a Top 10. Usually Top 10's are kind of irritating, but this isn't because it's cool. That's right.  I said it.  And really, I do love a good list.


So on to My Top Ten List of 80's Teen Movie Crushes. I wish there was a better name for this list, but there just isn't, so let's just stop talking about it and get on with the guys.

My Top Ten List of 80's Teen Movie Crushes:

1. Obviously, Number 1 is Lloyd Dobler (John Cusack). Say Anything. Unless one means 10, but I want 1 to mean 1. I take #1 literally. So yeah. Lloyd Dobler. He gave her his heart, and all she gave him was a pen.



2. Duckie (Jon Cryer). Sixteen Candles. Try a Little Tenderness? Hello? Once again, I will say obviously. Based on this post. If you didn't read it, it's your own fault.  Duckie is definitely a close second to Lloyd Dobler.


3. Christian Slater. J.D. from Heathers. There's just something about his jawline, and voice. I am pretty 100% sure that I would have married Christian Slater back in the 80's if he asked me. I'll just leave it at that.


4. Jason Patric - Michael from The Lost Boys. First vampire movie that I ever loved. He was so freaking cute. You have to admit, he definitely rocked a mullet.



5. Corey Haim. Oh... of the Coreys, he was by far the cutest with that crooked little smile. Haven't you ever seen Lucas?? I really was unusually sad when he died.




6. Ponyboy Curtis (C. Thomas Howell). The Outsiders. I read this book before I saw the movie. When I first saw Ponyboy, he was exactly the way I pictured him. Man I loved that greaser. :)


7. River Phoenix. Jimmy Reardon. Sheesh. He was so cute. Everything about him was magnetic. And I mean that in the least cheesy way possible.




8. Jake Ryan from Sixteen Candles. I just had to look his real name up in IMDb (Michael Schoeffling) , and I realized he was also my #9, which would have been Joe from Mermaids. I can't believe I never put that together. It wasn't my fault that I grew up in a google-less era.


9. So now I had to shift my #10 into my #9 slot, which means I have to add one more crush. I don't think that will be difficult. So I am going with Rusty James (Matt Dillon) from Rumble Fish as my number 9. Another book I read before seeing the movie. Matt Dillon has definitely aged well. Like a fine wine. However, I'm not much of a wine drinker, so I guess I wouldn't know.


10. Marty McFly. What a great character. What a great movie.


Honorable Mention: Cameron Frye (Alan Ruck). Oh whatever. No comments from the peanut gallery. Yes, I liked him better than Ferris. If you know me at all you would already have figured that out by now.

weekend

Well, first of all -- WE MADE IT!  I'm not sure if I'd be celebrating having made it through the Rapture if it really did happen though.   Apparently that would mean that I don't get to go to heaven and that would be just plain mean.  But anyway, YAY! 


And secondly, today is my daughter Kara's birthday!  She's so old.  And she is now, officially a college graduate.  Woo hoo!


Crazy, I remember her first day of school...  heading off to Kindergarten on that big huge yellow bus, so little, so nervous, but so ready to start.

Seems like so long ago, but somehow also seems like just yesterday.


And then, all of those years later, in the blink of an eye, her first day of high school.   And before I knew it, she was graduating and heading off to college!  So nervous, so unsure, but ready to start.


How the heck did that happen so fast?


Saturday was a great day.  Couldn't have been more perfect.  I do wish her brother could have been there though, but everything went so smoothly, I honestly can't believe it's all over.  I have a college graduate.  That is awesome.

I can't wait to see where life takes my girl.

Alright.  I'm just going to say what we've all been thinking. 

This week's posts were pathetic.

Attempts were made to write something relevant.  Attempts were made to be interesting, funny, coherent, even mildly entertaining.  Clearly those attempts were for naught.  

(Notice my big word?  I pull those out when I need to fill up space.)

So anyway, excusesexcuses, I know, but I have a lot going on.  I do!  As long as The Rapture doesn't actually happen, Kara is graduating from college tomorrow.  I've been a little crazy about it.  Not that I have had to do anything major in preparation, it just seems like it's taken up a lot of space in my mind that is usually reserved for mundane stuff.

So anyway, I'll be back on track Monday (Which incidentally is Kara's birthday -- she is turning 22! Wow. That is old.) and I'll most likely post a bunch of pictures and all of that good stuff.

On a related note, do you think it's dumb to write a post about the fact that you really have nothing of importance to write about?

to do or not to do is not really the question

Today, I am going to provide you with a list.  Because that's all I got.


The Super Awesome List of Things That I Should Be Doing Right Now:



Transferring bills to billpay.

Following up on emails.

 Catching up on my blogroll.

Actually writing a decent blog post.  As opposed to the exciting list you may or may not being reading.

Mopping.  Because, of course.

Making sense of this insanity:

Laundry.  Lots and lots of laundry.

Listing the kids summer clothes on eBay.  Purge, anyone?

Flipping through these magazines so I can finally toss them.

Furniture shopping.


Planning a nice, healthy, filling meal for dinner.  Based on what you see below, the chances of that actually happening are slim to none.

Wrapping graduation/birthday gifts for my girl.

Figuring out what I am going to wear to the graduation ceremony so I won't flip out on the morning of the ceremony. (ps - None of those girls is actually me.  Which is exactly why I am always flipping out in my closet.)

Instead,

This is what I actually am doing. 

And you can't stop me.


Catching up on three weeks of American Idol and Glee so I can purge my DVR.

Woops.  Did I just say that out loud?

just another wordless wednesday



Lemonade Day in our town
Megan, Brenna and Brooke

http://www.lemonadeday.org/home



this Judgement Day isn't very convenient for me

You know how apparently the world is supposed to end on May 21, 2011?


Well, it just occurred to me that the date isn't all that convenient for me.  I mean, my daughter is graduating from college.  Is that irony?  Like, she just spent the last four years working hard to ensure her future, and damn, the day she is supposed to graduate, her future is over?  And then, my son will be traveling home from Washington DC on a bus jam packed with a bunch of noisy teenagers... I mean, if the world is going to end, can't I just pile up somewhere with my family and have us all be together?  So we can face Judgement Day together?


Look, if Saturday really is the Rapture, then I will stand on top of a mountain somewhere and apologize for all of the world to hear that I was such a naysayer.  But I'm pretty sure that is not going to happen.


I am not mocking the people that believe in this pivotal event.  Well, maybe a little but I can't help it. 


Do you realize how many times people have (unsuccessfully) predicted the Rapture in the past?  Like, how do the believers justify it the day after, when we are all still here, as effed up as ever?  Effed up but still alive and not in Heaven.


I just read something about this guy who is based out in Oakland, CA that is really vocal about his belief that Saturday is going to be the beginning of the end.  In fact, I actually think he was the original predictor of the date.  Apparently, an earthquake will set in motion the world's flooding.  Like Noah's Ark or something.  So don't worry guys, you are not necessarily going to all die on Saturday. Just so we are all in the know, the earthquake and flood supposedly will kill a lot of people, but the final day is really on October 21, 2011.  That's the day that the world will be consumed in fire.  So mark your calendars.


I am sorry but I can't buy into all of this doomsday predicting stuff.  I mean, it's just silly to get yourself crazy about it.  Because if was something that God has etched in stone, something that was real and true, there is nothing we can do about it.  We can't stockpile, or build an underground house, or run off to a deserted island.  We won't be able to escape it.  It's out of our control.  Right?

Ah, to each his own.  I recognize that this might come off as offensive to some, but I'm not trying to be offensive.  Just exercising my right to not believe that Saturday at 6 pm sharp, I am officially effed.

As far as I'm concerned, I plan on enjoying my Saturday.  And I plan on enjoying Sunday, May 22 as well.  Maybe I will even go to church.

The multi-media trilogy of cool

OK.  I'm just going to put it out there.

I find twitter irritating.

Apparently anyone who is anyone has accounts in the multi-media trilogy of coolness:  The Facebook, The Twitter, and The Blogger.  (two out of three ain't bad?)  Look.  I want to be a tweeter.  I really do.  It seems like everyone is doing it, Mom.  If I want to be popular and cool and famous and like, you know, with it, I feel like twitter might possibly be where it's at.

(Actually, being popular, famous and with it are the last things on my list of life goals.  Wait, they are not even on my list of life goals.  I do however, aspire to be supremely cool.  and unflappable. :))

Here's the thing.  I tried!  I just don't get it.  Like wtf do the @ and # signs mean?  And do I really care if Chelsea Handler just smacked some guy's ass on the subway?  Why do I need to know these things?  Why?  WHY?!

And more importantly, I really really don't think I have anything of great importance to tweet about eleven or 27 times a day.  Let's not forget I am kind of a bored housewife home for hours on end all by my lonesome.  Do you think people would really be rallying to read posts like:  "I just ate an omelet for breakfast. Yum!"  or, "Damn, I really need to vacuum this crap heap." or, "Wow, this sponge smells disgusting. I think it's time for a new one."  or, "Shit!  I'm five minutes late to pick up the kids!  Good stay-at-home Moms don't do that!"  or, "Who ate 18 cinnamon applesauce cups in the space of two days?" (Seriously though, who ate 18 applesauce cups in two days?). 

And you know, I just don't do funny in 140 characters.  Or cool.  Or interesting, really.  Plenty of people do.  I read some twitterers that definitely make me chuckle.  So, I am still trying to get on the bandwagon.  I'm still trying to find a voice.  That's why my tweets are locked.  Haha, that just sounded like I said "treats" with a little speech impediment.  (Yes, I am easily amused)  Anyway, they are locked because I am still pretty sure I sound like a moron.  And I am kind of waiting til I sound less moron-like to open my tweets to the world.  Of course, if you want to be my twitter friend (is that what they are called?), I will probably accept you, because you know,  I am really nice.  So just ask me.

I guess I just don't know if I have the fortitude (whoa.  I said fortitude.) to make enough tweets during the day to count, or be worthy.  And I really, really don't understand the @ and # things. 

I suppose I could learn.  But then I just know they would add something new to the multi-media trilogy of cool and I'd be screwed.  And if they did, it would no longer be a trilogy.  It would be a ...quadrilateral-y? a quatrogy?  What the heck comes after a trilogy anyway??

WTF Blogger

Did you ever spend a long time writing several posts that were actually rather good and then have Blogger lose them??  Like vanished somewhere in the vast Internets?  Like the Bermuda Triangle!

Then did you ever realize that you completely cannot even remember what they were about so you can't even freaking recreate the awesomeness?? 

Honest to Cod I can't remember what my posts were about.  Something is wrong with me.  But seriously, WTF Blogger??  I was all ready to just hop on this afternoon and press publish post, because I have stuff to do man!

So yeah, I mowed my lawn for almost two hours today with the hand mower.  Because I am very handy.   And I kind of enjoy mowing.  I even got blisters on my hands.  It was kind of exciting.  And I was sweating like a whore in church, which actually isn't a bad thing.  Then I weeded a little bit because I really want to get some veggies going in my garden.  Who knew I could be so productive?  And all before noon. 

I love this time of year.

I'm still mad about Blogger.  Somehow, yesterday's post also got deleted (which I happened to still have a copy of), but I lost comments on the last few posts too.  Annoying.  I'm still furiously trying to get my brain to release the tiny little memory that I need, which is what I actually wrote about yesterday.  I hate losing stuff.  I am so very paranoid about my computer crashing and potentially losing hundreds of pictures.

And yes, as paranoid as I am, I still haven't gotten to my New Year's Resolution and dealt with the pictures.  Guys, I have six years worth of pictures sitting on two computers.  Seriously.  I need help.  Isn't there someone I can hire to do it for me??  I'll pay really well.  I promise.

Well.  this post is all over the damn place, but I am going to blame Blogger, and I might very well say it a lot of times.  So I apologize in advance.  I don't think I will get over the loss of my posts any time soon.

Wait!  Oh my Cod, I think I remembered one of them!

don't call me sweetie.

Want to know something that irks the crap out of me? When a grown up person calls me hon or sweetie. Like a cashier or waitress or something. I am sorry, I get that it is a pleasantry or whatever, but really? Honest to Cod, even though I am sure it is innocent on their part, it makes me feel small. Like for what its worth, we are equals pretty much, but it feels like you think you are the grown up and I'm the kid. It's kind of like when someone you don't know touches your baby's hands or face. Just, don't.

Once, I read the most vile thing that listed like 25 things that you DON'T want to know about, like the ratio of pee to water in a public swimming pool, or the percentage of people don't wash their hands after going to the bathroom, or the percentage of people who pick their nose then shake your hand.


I'm not exactly sure how they went about compiling the data, but it was so disgusting it made me more of a germophobe then ever. It was probably a random load of crap, but it made me a feared. Which is why I am like Howie Mandell and don't like people touching my hands.

But I digress.

Anyway back to Hon and Sweetie, I think it's the context too. I mean, if someone is like, commiserating with me, or if it feels like someone is being kind rather than condescending and calls me Sweetie, I actually am not offended at all. It more bugs me when I feel like I'm being talked down to.
I hate being talked down too. It's one of my worst things.

Now to balance out my irritated feeling at being called sweetie by a person that I do not know, I will share something random and cute that has absolutely nothing to do with the two completely different thoughts in this post. Because I am all sorts of scattered today.

Brooke and Alex and I were laying asleep in bed in the morning, and Alex's phone, which is conveniently placed right next to him because Cod forbid is is not within reach at all times, started buzzing. Like someone was calling, but he never has the ringer on. So anyway, it buzzed several times and it was getting a little irritating. I was already awake though, just laying there kind of getting ready to get moving, but Alex and Brooke were still sleeping.

So Brooke opened her big sleepy eyes and looked at me like, really? and so obviously I said, "Somebody keeps calling Daddy."

And she says all matter of factly, "Oh, probably it's just a hobo."

Huh?

easier but not better

Do you ever get the feeling that too many parents are less concerned with teaching their kids right from wrong and more concerned with making sure their kids like them? I really think we aren't doing out kids any favors raising them this way. They need us to be their parents first - not their friends. Being friends will come later, after they grow up a bit, after they have learned about managing behavior, using their manners, consequences.


Don't get me wrong, I do want my kids to like me.  But not just because I gave them an iPod or let them go to a party til 11.  I want them to like me because they know that they can count on me.  To be consistent and be fair.  To be hard when necessary, but also a soft place to land. To cheer them on, but be there to pick them up and dust them off if they need a hand. To give advice, but also to be quiet and just listen sometimes.  To be firm, but yielding.  To accept apologies, and to give them out.  To be honest and answer their questions truthfully and age appropriately.  To expect them to use their manners, and also to expect that they are respectful of others.  But most of all, I want them to know that they can count on me to be present.

You know, as much as I do my best to be at every game, every concert, every show, and as much as it seems I devote my every waking moments to my kids, there are times when I just nod and pretend to be listening.  There are times when I have absolutely no desire to sit down and play another game of Yahtzee Junior.  There are times when I'm ready to have nobody to talk to, when I crave just some peace and quiet.  When I just want to flip channels and space out and not answer any questions, or wipe any more noses.

I really think that's normal.

And then there are times when I would rather just turn away and pretend I didn't see one of my kids misbehave, or do something bratty, rude or fresh.

Because certainly that would be easier, don't you think?

But it seems to me that how we deal with those moments of misbehavior and brattiness are someof the most important moments we have as parents.  Those are the teaching moments.  Those are the moments that we get to do our jobs as moms and dads, as parents.  Those are the moments when we have to reprimand, point out what is wrong and steer them to the path of what is right. 

Sometimes, it kind of feels like I am alone in this way of thinking.  I'm not liking this time period where so many parents make excuses for their kids when they mess up, instead of letting them deal with the consequences.  Where parents insist their child "would never do such a thing!" instead of finding out the facts and going from there.

It's tough being the bad guy.  But kids need us to lead them.  And sometimes it is hard, and sometimes it seems thankless, and sometimes it is downright exhausting, but it's what we signed up for when we decided to have kids.

That's what I think anyway.

10 on 10

I've been wanting to link up to Ten on Ten, a site where people share 10 photos throughout their day on the tenth of each month.  So here goes:


My breakfast date.



View from the morning walk.

Car wash.

Shopping for flowers.

After school bike riding.

Homework.

Taking a Nanny break.

Brooke's silly supper.

Soft ice-cream treat after dinner.

The beginning of the night walk.