If you had asked me when I was 10 to write a screenplay, I would have come up with a fantastic adventure tale, involving the kidnapping and enslavement of children by a middle aged and quite unambiguously evil man or woman (complete with henchmen), mistreatment in the form of malnourishment and insufficient footwear, complicated escapes, and the triumph of youth's ingenuity and agility. No kidding, I dug that stuff. But no cocky sarcasm. I wasn't even big on the confrontation scene. My hero(s)/heroine(s) would have escaped quietly in the dark. But a theme in my favorite kid adventure stories was independence. The kid(s) did all the escaping or whatever it is they were doing without adult aid. They would always thwart the adult bad guys alone (or collectively as children) and then return triumphantly home to the distraught parents who were obviously not interesting enough to kidnap.
I don't really remember seeing any movies when I was young that would have inspired me thus, however. I only mention it because I'm wondering what on earth I'm going to have Grant and Abbie watching in the years to come when they are school aged. I've decided that all the TV stuff geared for "children" is too snotty for me. And if I think Hannah Montana is too much....well, you can see that I am in a fix. While the kids were at my mother's this Friday, I watched Inkheart. I wanted to read the book first, but Netflix is faster than my local library. That's okay. Anyway, it's similar to my proposed story up there, except that the young girl is trying to save the grown-ups. Too scary for right now, but I'm thinking alright for 6 and 7 year olds, probably. And I need some more like that for the future. I am still against their watching any of that TV programming. Too many irritating, smart mouthed people as it is. Why add another one (even if virtual) to your world deliberately? And do I want my children to repeat that stuff? No way.
We had cheeseburgers and corn on the cob for our Memorial Day lunch with Josh. Then he went to work and the kids bought ice cream from the ice cream truck. Now Abbie is asleep on the couch, and it's not even 5:30. Tonight is going to be tricky. Well, she was tired from all the excitement. Today, she really went potty on the potty chair!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She had a candy bar for breakfast in celebration. (I made her a bagel as well, of course.) Well, that's one success. But no others today. I must confess that I am a little disappointed in that part. I figured as soon as she got it right once, she would be eager to continue the positive attention and junk food. Well, we'll try again tomorrow. Grant has had some fits today, but I can't decide if he is jealous of her praise or not. It actually seems unrelated, but you never can tell.
It is Geranium Day! Have you been visiting your dear departed? I am at home, of course, but I will pay my calls another day. Americans are so silly about death. They all intend to live positively forever and never consider the concept of a "good death". To die respectably of natural causes, or to die heroically in the line of duty, to die "with your boots on" - they all fade in the glare of the blazing American Immortality. Ah, well. Say what you like, you are going to die someday. And I hope you've been good to those who will be visiting you, or they might accidentally bring you the wrong color flower. Personally, I still have plans for a pyramid. And, please, no orange flowers.
Tomorrow, Josh will move his grandmother home from the nursing home (I'll believe it when I see it) and meet me and the kids at taiko to take them home. (This is so he won't have to leave super early and be at the house before I go.) Wednesday, he goes in to Pinkerton Security to sign a contingent job offer as a dispatch type guy. He did fine on his API test, and they are now doing a background check. We have lots of questions, most of which start with the word "when." I am in hopes that we will actually know something after this meeting, but based on our usual luck.... Well, you know.
Guess what I've been reading. Agatha Christie. Hee. I've finished 2 Hercule Poirot books already, and am on my third right now.
Saturday was Heather's 29th. We had a lot of fun at her party. I really thought the kids would explode, but they had a good time and weren't unpleasant. Even though we stayed until 11 o' clock! Can you believe it? Josh was, unfortunately, drunk on wine. Heather's daughter thought it was the funnies thing she ever saw. I also acquired 6 mosquito bites. I am extremely suspicious about the fact that 4 of them are on the leg that Josh sprayed bug spray on when he was trying to spray himself. Mosquito repellent, indeed!
I had a problem for a while. Josh is going to have to work next Saturday, which is a performance for me. But I think I might have someone to watch the kids. Maybe they'll even come to the performance.
Did you know that recently there was a movie out with Cameron Diaz called, The Box? It's really an old Twilight Zone episode that I saw when I was little. Guess the surprise ending will be a little lost on me, eh? Well, I won't tell you, just in case you want to see it. Probably, I won't.
I talked to my grandmother lots in the last few days, but not my brother. I might send him an email.
I am off to read more in my mystery! Right after I fold the laundry, I mean. I hope Abbie wakes up soon....
Have a wonderful Memorial Day. Don't forget the wonderful deeds and qualities of those who have gone before us!
Monday, May 31, 2010
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Eh, what?
I can't believe it's almost noon and I'm still feeling groggy. As soon as Abbie finishes her lunch, I'm going to hop in the shower and see if that helps.
Today, it is not rainy. I have great plans for decorating the sidewalk. Did I tell you about the day last month when the kids on our street created the world's longest hopscotch? It went all the way from in front of my house to the end of the street. A block and a half. It made me smile. Not that they ever used it. I'm not entirely sure they know how to play hopscotch. Maybe we'll make a hopscotch today and Grant and Abbie can learn. I've also been wanting to buy a length of rope to teach them to jump rope, but when I finally was at Wal-mart looking at the ropes, I realized that it wasn't the most economically friendly of plans. That's okay! If all else fails, we can blow bubbles.
Did I do something different at Taiko? My forearms are sore. Maybe playing Kiriko from the "wrong" side of the drum did it.
Oh! The abandoned car on our street is finally gone!!! It was in the worst possible place, safety-wise. There is a sharp turn, and it was parked just so that if you were coming around the corner, you would have no choice but to drive in the left lane and hope there was no oncoming traffic, since they wouldn't see you until it was too late. But it is gone now, and I don't even care how or why. I have an urge to go paint the curb yellow right there.
Meatball sandwiches for lunch. Yummy.
I've been reading the news, but I'm trying to block it out, actually. Everybody is so blame crazy these days. How did the problem get less important than pointing a finger at someone? It makes me what to make disgusted little clucks and grunts like a little old lady in a mumu on her front porch swing.
I need a front porch swing.
The cupcakes are long gone. Josh wants to try and make an angel food cake from a mix. I love angel food cake, but I recently got a recipe for a rolled cookie that we think was my grandfather's mother's recipe, and I just wanna play with my cookie cutters. I think I have dinosaur ones, somewhere. Sounds....messy. But fun.
Heard from Brother yesterday, no big news. I also left a message for my grandmother, who is off playing in California with her middle son. I hope they are having a great time!
Heather and Mariah both have birthdays coming up. I already gave Riah her present. And James Castle is celebrating his graduation today! Way to go, James! And those three of you who are recently engaged, more and more extra congrats. So many congratulations, in fact, this month! I love good news. And there was baby news, but unless I miscounted, it was a friend's sister, and I already congratulated her on becoming an aunt. If there is anything I am missing....CONGRATULATIONS! YAY for good news!
I love good news.
Congratulations! Bon voyage! Welcome home!
I broke the kitchen shears that I used to trim the tall grass around my landscaping. Josh wants me to buy real garden clippers. I guess it's a good idea, if they're small and light and if they don't cost much. I can't use a weed eater. Too much weight to support so far from my center. Apparently, I can carry around something decently heavy if I can hold it close, but suspended away from my body? Can hardly handle a shoe.
It's going to be hot today. Maybe I should forget the cookies and make jello.
Or maybe I could take a nap. I'm very very very sleepppppppy. I don't know what past experience I'm basing this declaration on. Thus far, I believe I have not ever been allowed by my children to nap. Not that I ask very frequently.
So, did I tell you that Josh already has an appointment to take an API test for a security company on Monday? He doesn't think that sounds nearly as fun as I do. Although, to be fair, being a security officer sounds much more fun to him than it does to me.
Um...how...are you?
Geh. Must shower. Happy. (To you.)
Today, it is not rainy. I have great plans for decorating the sidewalk. Did I tell you about the day last month when the kids on our street created the world's longest hopscotch? It went all the way from in front of my house to the end of the street. A block and a half. It made me smile. Not that they ever used it. I'm not entirely sure they know how to play hopscotch. Maybe we'll make a hopscotch today and Grant and Abbie can learn. I've also been wanting to buy a length of rope to teach them to jump rope, but when I finally was at Wal-mart looking at the ropes, I realized that it wasn't the most economically friendly of plans. That's okay! If all else fails, we can blow bubbles.
Did I do something different at Taiko? My forearms are sore. Maybe playing Kiriko from the "wrong" side of the drum did it.
Oh! The abandoned car on our street is finally gone!!! It was in the worst possible place, safety-wise. There is a sharp turn, and it was parked just so that if you were coming around the corner, you would have no choice but to drive in the left lane and hope there was no oncoming traffic, since they wouldn't see you until it was too late. But it is gone now, and I don't even care how or why. I have an urge to go paint the curb yellow right there.
Meatball sandwiches for lunch. Yummy.
I've been reading the news, but I'm trying to block it out, actually. Everybody is so blame crazy these days. How did the problem get less important than pointing a finger at someone? It makes me what to make disgusted little clucks and grunts like a little old lady in a mumu on her front porch swing.
I need a front porch swing.
The cupcakes are long gone. Josh wants to try and make an angel food cake from a mix. I love angel food cake, but I recently got a recipe for a rolled cookie that we think was my grandfather's mother's recipe, and I just wanna play with my cookie cutters. I think I have dinosaur ones, somewhere. Sounds....messy. But fun.
Heard from Brother yesterday, no big news. I also left a message for my grandmother, who is off playing in California with her middle son. I hope they are having a great time!
Heather and Mariah both have birthdays coming up. I already gave Riah her present. And James Castle is celebrating his graduation today! Way to go, James! And those three of you who are recently engaged, more and more extra congrats. So many congratulations, in fact, this month! I love good news. And there was baby news, but unless I miscounted, it was a friend's sister, and I already congratulated her on becoming an aunt. If there is anything I am missing....CONGRATULATIONS! YAY for good news!
I love good news.
Congratulations! Bon voyage! Welcome home!
I broke the kitchen shears that I used to trim the tall grass around my landscaping. Josh wants me to buy real garden clippers. I guess it's a good idea, if they're small and light and if they don't cost much. I can't use a weed eater. Too much weight to support so far from my center. Apparently, I can carry around something decently heavy if I can hold it close, but suspended away from my body? Can hardly handle a shoe.
It's going to be hot today. Maybe I should forget the cookies and make jello.
Or maybe I could take a nap. I'm very very very sleepppppppy. I don't know what past experience I'm basing this declaration on. Thus far, I believe I have not ever been allowed by my children to nap. Not that I ask very frequently.
So, did I tell you that Josh already has an appointment to take an API test for a security company on Monday? He doesn't think that sounds nearly as fun as I do. Although, to be fair, being a security officer sounds much more fun to him than it does to me.
Um...how...are you?
Geh. Must shower. Happy. (To you.)
Thursday, May 20, 2010
The Mulberry Bush
Here we go again.
News. Or not, depending on how you define "news". Here goes: Josh will not be hired by the St. Louis County Police and sent to police academy for the June session. They have led us to believe that he might still under some sort of consideration for the future, but we can't really stay in limbo anymore. We are moving on. So far, the person who took this news the worst was my mother. She's really bummed. Really, though, nothing has changed. Josh still works at Lowes, and I still babysit when the lady calls me, which she hasn't lately. We still don't make enough to cover expenses, and my cash horde is still there (although possibly not for long).
It's raining again.
I ended up going on Sunday to Rolla, and did end up seeing Steve. First, though, I spent the afternoon locked out of my car. I know. I haven't done that in years. It was raining then, too, and the sensus guy came to talk to me as I was putting the suitcases in the car. He asked if the house across from me was vacant. Yes. He asked if it had been vacant on April 1st. Yet. Could I sign this document stating that? Yes. (Set keys and bags down.)
At this point, I was fine. But then I closed the trunk. Doh. Sensus guy ran off without making sure I could even get back in the house. Eventually, Heather saved me by getting Josh's key at Lowes and dropping it off as she and Jay were on their way to his mom's house.
Met Steve for dessert, since by that time I had missed dinner. We talked at Steak N Shake. Abbie kept me awake all night at Mom's. I was sleeping so lightly that I woke up every time she twitched. We spent the day with Mom, and for a long time I wasn't sure if I was staying an extra night, but eventually decided to come back home. It was sort of a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation. Staying overnight would inconvenience my mother, who needed to leave early in the morning, and leaving would dissappoint my father, who had wanted to have dinner with me. It was a mess. To top that off, Josh had made plans to go out, but cancelled them when he found out we were coming home, and then I fell asleep almost immedeately once I was off the roads. The whole thing left me feeling uncomfortable. Damned, if you will. (Or if you won't.)
I made cupcakes today.
Josh's uncle is still dealing with the grandmother situation. She was to come home from the nursing home on Tuesday, and Josh was going to help with that. He did end up spending the day there, but Grandma did not actually move back home. We also spent Josh's other day off with them, as well. This time, Josh had to take the car in to be worked on, while the kids and I had a truly unexpected day with Uncle Jim. We went to the art museum, which was great, but he sort of breezed through it. It was kind of a tease, but we did see the suits of armor and the mummies. Then the kids ran down the hill a few dozen times, and then we all walked around the fountains and back up the hill to the car. Then, Uncle Jim took us for a nice, vegetarian lunch....at the Hare Krishna temple. Govinda, anyone? The soup was amazing. The kids also ran around in the upper apartment at Grandpa's house....which I guess is Grandma's house now. I fully expected them to sleep on the drive home, but they didn't. So, when they went to bed, Josh and I watched Iron Man. I hadn't seen it yet.
I talked to my mother about this along time ago in the context of schoolteachers. This is a serious paraphrase, but still the same idea: If all the teachers enforce the rules, you have two sides: good and bad (or right and wrong, lawful and unlawful, etc.). However, lets say that some teachers allow rules to be bent or broken. Then what do you have? You have Nice and Mean. Now, strangely, all students are just students and it is taken for granted that they will break rules, but the teachers who permit it are Nice, and the ones who enforce the rules are Mean. This was pretty much the sum of decades worth of observation on the part of several people (more than 3, less than 10), some of whom were teachers, and all of whom had been students at some point. I can't tell you who the other participants in the discussion were, since she never actually listed them. For my part, I look at the example and not only do I remember it's truth in the school I attended, but also propose to apply it universally to rule enforcers nationwide at the very least.
You know...I'm pretty open minded. But I'm also very rigid. I am not constantly ready to change my perspective. I consider the perspectives of others, but I am famous for saying that the only person who will change my mind is me. (Therefore I try to consider every issue from multiple angles.) If you give me information, I will consider it objectively. Well, unless it was not presented objectively. I don't enjoy slanted arguments. Besides being insults to my intelligence (so obvious), they are attempts at manipulation. I don't dig it. And I kinda like rules. Or, rather, I like the idea that there are agreed upon things that we shouldn't do. But then we go and do them, suffer sporadic consequences, and that's where it all loses its point.
My RPG alignment would be lawful good. Don't you think? ^_^
So, back to the school rules: The first thing, obviously, would be to make the right rules. Therin lies the great challenge. But once the rules are made, everyone must follow, or the rule loses it's riotousness, and just becomes an indication of who is the "nice" one and who is not. Now to America: FOLLOW THE RULES!!! If it's wrong to kill - don't do it. If it's wrong to steal - don't do it. Think you have extenuating circumstances? That's what pardons are for, my friends. We don't need to go through the Razzle Dazzle.
What good does, "Oh, they don't mean me," do for anyone?
Macrocosm - Microcosm......SWITCH!!
So, for instance, if you are the Daddy, and you let your kids be rude 3 or 4 times before correcting them, or let them run around during dinner, or let them dictate what the adults are going to do, critique a meal at someone's house, (all against the rules)...and the Mommy doesn't...are you drawing a line between good children and bad, or nice parents and mean parents?
The lawful good mommies get so tired of being the Mean one all the time. We spend so much energy trying to encourage Goodness. But....
Here we go again.
Tonight I am going to taiko. I will be dropping off the kids AND picking them up. Well, at least I'm not eating candy out of nervousness. I'm not much sure of what is to happen beyond tonight. It will work out, though.
I hope you are staying dry. You should write me and tell me how you are. I'm hanging in there. Things are not as bad as they could be. We're just going to take another turn around the mulberry bush, is all.
News. Or not, depending on how you define "news". Here goes: Josh will not be hired by the St. Louis County Police and sent to police academy for the June session. They have led us to believe that he might still under some sort of consideration for the future, but we can't really stay in limbo anymore. We are moving on. So far, the person who took this news the worst was my mother. She's really bummed. Really, though, nothing has changed. Josh still works at Lowes, and I still babysit when the lady calls me, which she hasn't lately. We still don't make enough to cover expenses, and my cash horde is still there (although possibly not for long).
It's raining again.
I ended up going on Sunday to Rolla, and did end up seeing Steve. First, though, I spent the afternoon locked out of my car. I know. I haven't done that in years. It was raining then, too, and the sensus guy came to talk to me as I was putting the suitcases in the car. He asked if the house across from me was vacant. Yes. He asked if it had been vacant on April 1st. Yet. Could I sign this document stating that? Yes. (Set keys and bags down.)
At this point, I was fine. But then I closed the trunk. Doh. Sensus guy ran off without making sure I could even get back in the house. Eventually, Heather saved me by getting Josh's key at Lowes and dropping it off as she and Jay were on their way to his mom's house.
Met Steve for dessert, since by that time I had missed dinner. We talked at Steak N Shake. Abbie kept me awake all night at Mom's. I was sleeping so lightly that I woke up every time she twitched. We spent the day with Mom, and for a long time I wasn't sure if I was staying an extra night, but eventually decided to come back home. It was sort of a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation. Staying overnight would inconvenience my mother, who needed to leave early in the morning, and leaving would dissappoint my father, who had wanted to have dinner with me. It was a mess. To top that off, Josh had made plans to go out, but cancelled them when he found out we were coming home, and then I fell asleep almost immedeately once I was off the roads. The whole thing left me feeling uncomfortable. Damned, if you will. (Or if you won't.)
I made cupcakes today.
Josh's uncle is still dealing with the grandmother situation. She was to come home from the nursing home on Tuesday, and Josh was going to help with that. He did end up spending the day there, but Grandma did not actually move back home. We also spent Josh's other day off with them, as well. This time, Josh had to take the car in to be worked on, while the kids and I had a truly unexpected day with Uncle Jim. We went to the art museum, which was great, but he sort of breezed through it. It was kind of a tease, but we did see the suits of armor and the mummies. Then the kids ran down the hill a few dozen times, and then we all walked around the fountains and back up the hill to the car. Then, Uncle Jim took us for a nice, vegetarian lunch....at the Hare Krishna temple. Govinda, anyone? The soup was amazing. The kids also ran around in the upper apartment at Grandpa's house....which I guess is Grandma's house now. I fully expected them to sleep on the drive home, but they didn't. So, when they went to bed, Josh and I watched Iron Man. I hadn't seen it yet.
I talked to my mother about this along time ago in the context of schoolteachers. This is a serious paraphrase, but still the same idea: If all the teachers enforce the rules, you have two sides: good and bad (or right and wrong, lawful and unlawful, etc.). However, lets say that some teachers allow rules to be bent or broken. Then what do you have? You have Nice and Mean. Now, strangely, all students are just students and it is taken for granted that they will break rules, but the teachers who permit it are Nice, and the ones who enforce the rules are Mean. This was pretty much the sum of decades worth of observation on the part of several people (more than 3, less than 10), some of whom were teachers, and all of whom had been students at some point. I can't tell you who the other participants in the discussion were, since she never actually listed them. For my part, I look at the example and not only do I remember it's truth in the school I attended, but also propose to apply it universally to rule enforcers nationwide at the very least.
You know...I'm pretty open minded. But I'm also very rigid. I am not constantly ready to change my perspective. I consider the perspectives of others, but I am famous for saying that the only person who will change my mind is me. (Therefore I try to consider every issue from multiple angles.) If you give me information, I will consider it objectively. Well, unless it was not presented objectively. I don't enjoy slanted arguments. Besides being insults to my intelligence (so obvious), they are attempts at manipulation. I don't dig it. And I kinda like rules. Or, rather, I like the idea that there are agreed upon things that we shouldn't do. But then we go and do them, suffer sporadic consequences, and that's where it all loses its point.
My RPG alignment would be lawful good. Don't you think? ^_^
So, back to the school rules: The first thing, obviously, would be to make the right rules. Therin lies the great challenge. But once the rules are made, everyone must follow, or the rule loses it's riotousness, and just becomes an indication of who is the "nice" one and who is not. Now to America: FOLLOW THE RULES!!! If it's wrong to kill - don't do it. If it's wrong to steal - don't do it. Think you have extenuating circumstances? That's what pardons are for, my friends. We don't need to go through the Razzle Dazzle.
What good does, "Oh, they don't mean me," do for anyone?
Macrocosm - Microcosm......SWITCH!!
So, for instance, if you are the Daddy, and you let your kids be rude 3 or 4 times before correcting them, or let them run around during dinner, or let them dictate what the adults are going to do, critique a meal at someone's house, (all against the rules)...and the Mommy doesn't...are you drawing a line between good children and bad, or nice parents and mean parents?
The lawful good mommies get so tired of being the Mean one all the time. We spend so much energy trying to encourage Goodness. But....
Here we go again.
Tonight I am going to taiko. I will be dropping off the kids AND picking them up. Well, at least I'm not eating candy out of nervousness. I'm not much sure of what is to happen beyond tonight. It will work out, though.
I hope you are staying dry. You should write me and tell me how you are. I'm hanging in there. Things are not as bad as they could be. We're just going to take another turn around the mulberry bush, is all.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Books, Days, Family. Blend until smooth.
I checked out a Terry Pratchett book from the library, and finished it just now. It was one of the few that I could pull off the shelf without having read a multitude of predecessors. Our little local library is not so well stocked. I realize that if I chose to reserve books, I might do a lot better, since ours is a branch library, but usually I don't reserve books. I wonder why I don't.
We've been concentrating on "Just Get Through It" for so long, that I think I'm getting lost in the shuffle. We are on the home stretch of our latest Life In Limbo, but one month might still be just a little too long to wait. The money won't go quite that far, especially since we've had a few unexpected large expenses come up. They're both products of Josh's less than careful book-keeping, which I am trying not to make me explode in volcano anger. It's done and too late to fix. But now my cash horde won't let us skate until July anymore. If there's one thing that really gets under my skin, it's effort for nothing. That's probably why I want to scream a lot as a Housemommy. For instance: yesterday my entire afternoon was taken up with bathing the children. Then, when Josh came back, they helped him unload the truck, which was sprinkled with potting soil. They were actually clean for approximately 1 1/2 hours.
Yesterday, Josh went to help his Grandmother come home from the nursing home for the day. He came back in the worst of all moods. She has that effect on people. He also will be using his next day off to help move her there for good.
Abbie woke up sick on Thursday. She was whiny, and at first it didn't occur to me what that meant, but then when I saw her in a clear light, I could tell. She wasn't quite the right color. Her lips, especially, and she was clammy. I knew Josh's parents would baulk, so I wrote them that I was staying home with them. It turned out to be a good plan; I got it myself, in the evening.
Thursday was our day with Josh; he was called in the morning and told they didn't need him at work. I concentrated on the unexpected day together, and not the day's worth of wages lost. It worked pretty well for me, less so for Josh.
We did grocery shopping, and went to the library. There was a book sale. Don't look at me like that! I got two books for a dollar! I didn't get candy at the store, to make up for it. See? Opportunity cost. Anyway, I also checked out the Pratchett book and some for Josh about vineyards. Don't ask.
We also watched the movie, and now I know what everyone meant about it. League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen is a decently interesting premise with talented actors and beautiful visuals (eye-catching costumes, great camera work, expensive effects), but.... Not a good script. The dialogue was up and down, and there were conclusions that were meant to be obvious but instead made no sense. It was as if they wanted you on the other side of the blue door, but never gave a satisfactory reason why the yellow door, red door, white door, green door and purple door weren't equally acceptable options. Just, "I've got it! We must go through the blue door!" And that is that. On the whole...not a good movie, at all. Sorry, guys. There are some things I'm willing to overlook, but not a bad script. Unless it's so bad it's funny. Which this one was not.
I'm not sure what to do with me, yet.
By the way, I made Dump Cake. It's yummy. And pretty easy. Abbie didn't like it, though. I don't think she's crazy about the cherry. It's not my all-time-favorite, either, so maybe next time I'll try blueberry and see if that is better. We just won't eat it over the carpet.
A very old friend of mine is in Rolla this week. We met in Junior High School. And he was one of the group at my lunch table throughout most of High School, too. I am going to see what I can do about getting to Rolla, but I'm not sure, really. The whole thing is...unexpected? And not the best time, but he lives far away. I sort of with some of my other old chums could suddenly appear, too, but something tells me they won't. At least, not on the same tank of gas.
I think I will shower. And do some laundry.
Abbie is getting a little too willing to order Grant out of her room. It's getting to me. She is so awful to him! But then again, he makes her mad on purpose! What is wrong with these people!?!?
Maybe I should have bought a lottery ticket.
Well, no sense in being gloomy, it's not going to make the sun shine. Off I go to put on a movie for the kids, get clean, and then maybe tackle the bathroom.
We've been concentrating on "Just Get Through It" for so long, that I think I'm getting lost in the shuffle. We are on the home stretch of our latest Life In Limbo, but one month might still be just a little too long to wait. The money won't go quite that far, especially since we've had a few unexpected large expenses come up. They're both products of Josh's less than careful book-keeping, which I am trying not to make me explode in volcano anger. It's done and too late to fix. But now my cash horde won't let us skate until July anymore. If there's one thing that really gets under my skin, it's effort for nothing. That's probably why I want to scream a lot as a Housemommy. For instance: yesterday my entire afternoon was taken up with bathing the children. Then, when Josh came back, they helped him unload the truck, which was sprinkled with potting soil. They were actually clean for approximately 1 1/2 hours.
Yesterday, Josh went to help his Grandmother come home from the nursing home for the day. He came back in the worst of all moods. She has that effect on people. He also will be using his next day off to help move her there for good.
Abbie woke up sick on Thursday. She was whiny, and at first it didn't occur to me what that meant, but then when I saw her in a clear light, I could tell. She wasn't quite the right color. Her lips, especially, and she was clammy. I knew Josh's parents would baulk, so I wrote them that I was staying home with them. It turned out to be a good plan; I got it myself, in the evening.
Thursday was our day with Josh; he was called in the morning and told they didn't need him at work. I concentrated on the unexpected day together, and not the day's worth of wages lost. It worked pretty well for me, less so for Josh.
We did grocery shopping, and went to the library. There was a book sale. Don't look at me like that! I got two books for a dollar! I didn't get candy at the store, to make up for it. See? Opportunity cost. Anyway, I also checked out the Pratchett book and some for Josh about vineyards. Don't ask.
We also watched the movie, and now I know what everyone meant about it. League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen is a decently interesting premise with talented actors and beautiful visuals (eye-catching costumes, great camera work, expensive effects), but.... Not a good script. The dialogue was up and down, and there were conclusions that were meant to be obvious but instead made no sense. It was as if they wanted you on the other side of the blue door, but never gave a satisfactory reason why the yellow door, red door, white door, green door and purple door weren't equally acceptable options. Just, "I've got it! We must go through the blue door!" And that is that. On the whole...not a good movie, at all. Sorry, guys. There are some things I'm willing to overlook, but not a bad script. Unless it's so bad it's funny. Which this one was not.
I'm not sure what to do with me, yet.
By the way, I made Dump Cake. It's yummy. And pretty easy. Abbie didn't like it, though. I don't think she's crazy about the cherry. It's not my all-time-favorite, either, so maybe next time I'll try blueberry and see if that is better. We just won't eat it over the carpet.
A very old friend of mine is in Rolla this week. We met in Junior High School. And he was one of the group at my lunch table throughout most of High School, too. I am going to see what I can do about getting to Rolla, but I'm not sure, really. The whole thing is...unexpected? And not the best time, but he lives far away. I sort of with some of my other old chums could suddenly appear, too, but something tells me they won't. At least, not on the same tank of gas.
I think I will shower. And do some laundry.
Abbie is getting a little too willing to order Grant out of her room. It's getting to me. She is so awful to him! But then again, he makes her mad on purpose! What is wrong with these people!?!?
Maybe I should have bought a lottery ticket.
Well, no sense in being gloomy, it's not going to make the sun shine. Off I go to put on a movie for the kids, get clean, and then maybe tackle the bathroom.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Not Bad for a Wednesday
Hi. How are you today? The week is half over. Does that make you happy?
It looks like rain, which I guess shouldn't surprise me as much as the fact that it isn't currently raining. I don't mind the raininess, except for one thing: I wish I could spend a little more of my favorite season outside. On the whole, though, I am pretty cheerful. I'm waiting for the mail, and waiting for the rain, and waiting for the pork chops to thaw. I thought again about the library, but the weather report seems a little violent. I wouldn't want to be out with the kids and have a rough storm hit that I would then need to drive home through.
Helena is going to borrow my Series of Unfortunate Events.
A friend of mine was complaining about Arizona, and how racist they are there. She is married to a Latino man, so I can see where her worry comes from. But I would like to point out that the people in the part of Arizona I lived in were many things (plenty of them unpleasant), but they were not racist. Prejudiced, yes, but not racist. See, they didn't much care who was what race, but they were a bit slanted against anyone who wasn't fluent in Spanish, anyone who worked for the border control, and anyone who was from the north or east. The vast and staggering majority of the population were from Mexico at some point in their histories. And I would take a stab at a guess and say that many more than half were illegal. They thought that was an okay and fine thing. That's why this law is a statement that needs to be made. Illegal = not legal = against the law = criminal. No, really. Come over and live here. I don't particularly mind. But do it the right way. Please. But to make my point: an area that is 85-95 percent of Mexican descent is really not prejudiced against people of Mexican descent. Please feel free to visit your friends in Arizona. You are quite safe.
I am in the mood to travel. Alas, traveling is not in the immediate plan. Let's pretend you just won 10,000 dollars in the lottery. Where would you go? Although, now that I think of it, several of you are already scheduled for some international travel this season. Well, all I can say is that I hope you take lots of pictures!
The mail came!! I checked out League of Extraordinary Gentlemen from Netflix. I've never seen it. I was super excited, but now I'm not sure. Maybe the kids will go to bed early so Josh and I can watch it tonight. Whether I like it or not, it will at least be something new to watch. So, yay!
Grant and Abbie are being Hiccup and Toothless. Very cute. "Hey Tooo-tha-less! Here's your fish!" I had to take all of Abbie's hard back books today. It's not the first time she's knocked them off her bookshelves, and she knows perfectly well that she's not supposed to get them without asking for my help. We've also been trying new and exciting potty training techniques. Zero successes so far. Grant has holes in all his sweat pants. Thank goodness shorts season is right around the corner.
Hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday!!! Wish me luck with my movie watching!
It looks like rain, which I guess shouldn't surprise me as much as the fact that it isn't currently raining. I don't mind the raininess, except for one thing: I wish I could spend a little more of my favorite season outside. On the whole, though, I am pretty cheerful. I'm waiting for the mail, and waiting for the rain, and waiting for the pork chops to thaw. I thought again about the library, but the weather report seems a little violent. I wouldn't want to be out with the kids and have a rough storm hit that I would then need to drive home through.
Helena is going to borrow my Series of Unfortunate Events.
A friend of mine was complaining about Arizona, and how racist they are there. She is married to a Latino man, so I can see where her worry comes from. But I would like to point out that the people in the part of Arizona I lived in were many things (plenty of them unpleasant), but they were not racist. Prejudiced, yes, but not racist. See, they didn't much care who was what race, but they were a bit slanted against anyone who wasn't fluent in Spanish, anyone who worked for the border control, and anyone who was from the north or east. The vast and staggering majority of the population were from Mexico at some point in their histories. And I would take a stab at a guess and say that many more than half were illegal. They thought that was an okay and fine thing. That's why this law is a statement that needs to be made. Illegal = not legal = against the law = criminal. No, really. Come over and live here. I don't particularly mind. But do it the right way. Please. But to make my point: an area that is 85-95 percent of Mexican descent is really not prejudiced against people of Mexican descent. Please feel free to visit your friends in Arizona. You are quite safe.
I am in the mood to travel. Alas, traveling is not in the immediate plan. Let's pretend you just won 10,000 dollars in the lottery. Where would you go? Although, now that I think of it, several of you are already scheduled for some international travel this season. Well, all I can say is that I hope you take lots of pictures!
The mail came!! I checked out League of Extraordinary Gentlemen from Netflix. I've never seen it. I was super excited, but now I'm not sure. Maybe the kids will go to bed early so Josh and I can watch it tonight. Whether I like it or not, it will at least be something new to watch. So, yay!
Grant and Abbie are being Hiccup and Toothless. Very cute. "Hey Tooo-tha-less! Here's your fish!" I had to take all of Abbie's hard back books today. It's not the first time she's knocked them off her bookshelves, and she knows perfectly well that she's not supposed to get them without asking for my help. We've also been trying new and exciting potty training techniques. Zero successes so far. Grant has holes in all his sweat pants. Thank goodness shorts season is right around the corner.
Hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday!!! Wish me luck with my movie watching!
Monday, May 10, 2010
Smiley Weekend
It's very cold in my house right now. I might make some tea.
We didn't really have anyone over. Saturday night. Josh had changed his mind by the time he came home, so we waited to see if there was anyone who couldn't be talked out of coming over, and then we ran off to dinner and a movie. We used a gift card at Olive Garden, and then we all went to see How to Train Your Dragon in 3D. It was fun. The kids enjoyed it, and so did we. After they went to bed, we saw Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang. It was cute. Worth watching. Especially if you don't know anything about it going in.
Sunday morning, Josh whisked us off to the zoo. I've been wanting to go. Plus, I love otters, but have never seen them at the St. Louis Zoo. There is a spot for them, and a sign, but they haven't been there ever in the last 3-ish years that I've looked there. So, Sunday we went to the Children's Zoo, since we heard that's where they really are. If you go during the Zoo's first hour of operation, you don't have to pay to get into it. And there were otters in there! Naked Mole Rats, too, which I didn't know our zoo had, either. And Meercats. Fun. Next was the insectarium. It was a good day to be a butterfly. They were everywhere! We also saw the reptiles and primates and a few big cats, the hippos and elephants and bears, penguins, zebras and giraffes.
Then we visited Josh's grandmother in the nursing home, and then his uncle Jim, over at the family house. He was a mess. His wrist is very swollen and he didn't get much sleep. Plus, he's been having to deal with the finances and such since his dad died and his mom is in the nursing home - the other two siblings are out of state. And Grandma has been nothing but hateful to him for his trouble. So it's a good thing we came over, really. The kids got to water flowers in the back yard while we let Uncle Jim vent, and helped him out with a few things. I made him some tea, and we got him new ice packs for his wrist and a brace. I told him he needs to have it looked at. I hope he listens. He's a rough talking guy, and an artist at TMI, but he's a person and has feelings. This has been hard on him, and there isn't much of anyone to help. He's trying to rent out the upper apartment in the house, too, with no luck. We're going to see if we can't do a little more for him.
When I woke up this morning, my shoulder was hurting. I took some Motrin, and it's mostly better. I know exactly what happened to it: at the zoo when I was holding Abbie's hand she dropped something and jerked my arm really hard so she could reach down and get it. At the time, I only remember being worried about my elbow, because that's what was hurting then. But now it's a back/shoulder muscle.
Today, I watched the younger of my babysitting kids for 4 hours. She screamed for 2 1/2 of them. It's enough to drive you to drink.
So, it is a rainy day now, and will be a rainy week. I wish I had a bread maker. I suppose I could try to make some from scratch, but I'm a little worried about the results. Maybe I'll just make dump cake instead. We're almost out of those cookies I made.
My fingers are starting to be all stiff. I guess the time for tea has arrived. Hope you are staying comfortable!
p.s. My children have never in their lives wished me a happy Mothers' Day. Since I am leaving that particular bit of coaching up to Josh, it is possible that they never will. There are worse things, and I got to go to the zoo anyway, so no complaints, here. (It does make me feel a little odd when people ask me how my Mothers' Day was, though.)
We didn't really have anyone over. Saturday night. Josh had changed his mind by the time he came home, so we waited to see if there was anyone who couldn't be talked out of coming over, and then we ran off to dinner and a movie. We used a gift card at Olive Garden, and then we all went to see How to Train Your Dragon in 3D. It was fun. The kids enjoyed it, and so did we. After they went to bed, we saw Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang. It was cute. Worth watching. Especially if you don't know anything about it going in.
Sunday morning, Josh whisked us off to the zoo. I've been wanting to go. Plus, I love otters, but have never seen them at the St. Louis Zoo. There is a spot for them, and a sign, but they haven't been there ever in the last 3-ish years that I've looked there. So, Sunday we went to the Children's Zoo, since we heard that's where they really are. If you go during the Zoo's first hour of operation, you don't have to pay to get into it. And there were otters in there! Naked Mole Rats, too, which I didn't know our zoo had, either. And Meercats. Fun. Next was the insectarium. It was a good day to be a butterfly. They were everywhere! We also saw the reptiles and primates and a few big cats, the hippos and elephants and bears, penguins, zebras and giraffes.
Then we visited Josh's grandmother in the nursing home, and then his uncle Jim, over at the family house. He was a mess. His wrist is very swollen and he didn't get much sleep. Plus, he's been having to deal with the finances and such since his dad died and his mom is in the nursing home - the other two siblings are out of state. And Grandma has been nothing but hateful to him for his trouble. So it's a good thing we came over, really. The kids got to water flowers in the back yard while we let Uncle Jim vent, and helped him out with a few things. I made him some tea, and we got him new ice packs for his wrist and a brace. I told him he needs to have it looked at. I hope he listens. He's a rough talking guy, and an artist at TMI, but he's a person and has feelings. This has been hard on him, and there isn't much of anyone to help. He's trying to rent out the upper apartment in the house, too, with no luck. We're going to see if we can't do a little more for him.
When I woke up this morning, my shoulder was hurting. I took some Motrin, and it's mostly better. I know exactly what happened to it: at the zoo when I was holding Abbie's hand she dropped something and jerked my arm really hard so she could reach down and get it. At the time, I only remember being worried about my elbow, because that's what was hurting then. But now it's a back/shoulder muscle.
Today, I watched the younger of my babysitting kids for 4 hours. She screamed for 2 1/2 of them. It's enough to drive you to drink.
So, it is a rainy day now, and will be a rainy week. I wish I had a bread maker. I suppose I could try to make some from scratch, but I'm a little worried about the results. Maybe I'll just make dump cake instead. We're almost out of those cookies I made.
My fingers are starting to be all stiff. I guess the time for tea has arrived. Hope you are staying comfortable!
p.s. My children have never in their lives wished me a happy Mothers' Day. Since I am leaving that particular bit of coaching up to Josh, it is possible that they never will. There are worse things, and I got to go to the zoo anyway, so no complaints, here. (It does make me feel a little odd when people ask me how my Mothers' Day was, though.)
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Thursday, I was nervous as a cat.
The coincidences continued. Right after I wrote that I had not done any babysitting, the lady called to ask if I could watch her kids again on Thursday.
Tuesday night when I picked up Grant and Abbie, I wasn't very happy with what I found. Abbie was Grant was as usual, but Abbie was sleeping in a poorly applied diaper and nothing else. When I tried to get her ready to leave, she made angry noises in her sleep. Finally, she woke up in earnest as I was putting her in the car, but all I found out was something about a cold bath and Mariah put the diaper on. It was confusing and worrisome. But all mystery dissolved in the morning. According to Grant, Abbie was, "Very VERY bad at Grandma's." Bits and pieces of the story came without my asking. She had a fit of violent hysteria (she does, occasionally) that was triggered by the bath water being the wrong temperature. They called Josh to ask permission to spank her. No one called me. As it happens, spankings do no good when she is in that state. I asked Josh why he said yes. "Well, it probably made my parents feel better." Ah.
So, then Wednesday, I was not really so very happy. It was Josh's last day of working at Lowes and then Coke, so I was alone with Grant and Abbie all day and all night. I got zero sleep. I told myself that I was bracing myself for what would be some unpleasantness on the part of our unwilling twice a week childcare. What I was really doing was working myself into an absolute frenzy. I was petrified of going back there. Especially since I sent an email to Josh's parents saying, "Grant told on Abbie this morning and I'm very sorry. I hope it won't happen again," and received no answer. In the evening, we cleaned.
Thursday morning I watched a screaming baby, a wild 3 year old, and my two kids, who did not handle the situation very well. Josh was asleep downstairs, so I took them in the front yard as long as I could. It wasn't worth the 15 bucks, but I need it.
I spent the rest of the day on the verge of tears, picturing my kids stuck in a house full of dislike. I was a wreck. I ate 3/4 of a movie theater sized box of Dots candy. Yikes. I did everything I could - I even coaxed the kids into afternoon naps. My every nerve was exposed as I got the diaper bag ready when it was time to go. But, somehow, the drive saved me. I was trying hard to get a grip, and it worked, for the most part. I was super early, because I needed to gas up the car, and traffic was lighter than I expected. I talked to Mariah for a few minutes before her dad came in with his commentary on Tuesday evening. Wish you could have seen me! I should get an academy award. I was sympathetic, but mellow. And then, I kissed my kids and made my escape. I was still dreading picking them up. What things were they saying and doing in my absence??? Were they making it even more unpleasant? What would I do if Josh's parents refused to watch them again?
But it was fine. They are fine. I am fine. It's fine. And I don't have to leave them there so long anymore (until the next job change, but I am trying not to think about that).
Friday was good. I had my little plans to watch movies with Josh after the kids went to bed. But he changed his schedule and wasn't even getting off until 10, putting him home at 11, starting the movie at 11:30....and I just couldn't stay up that late after this week. Being that upset is very tiring.
This morning was also the first morning in months that there wasn't a necessity for me to feed the kids while Josh slept. He hadn't worked a night shift and didn't have to be back until 10. I told him it was his turn to be on pop-tart duty. That didn't work well. You see, if Josh is sleeping the kids have to be quiet. Apparently, if I am trying to sleep, they can be loud. The next thing I found out was that Josh had invited everyone he knows to our house tonight. I'm not sure who is going to be able to make it, what with the short notice and it being Mothers' Day weekend.
It was a rough morning, but the result is that Josh feels much better and is perfectly happy. He's off to work until 2, and then we're going to get pizza or chicken (he hasn't decided yet) and have friends over, and then tomorrow we will go to the zoo first thing in the morning.
I'm going to make cookies today. And buy groceries. We are almost out of milk. Yikes! I'd better make sure my recipe doesn't call for any. I was going to do that first! I wanted to go to the library, but I might save that for another day. Today is busy. So far, Heather can't make it tonight, but the Shermans can, I think. I don't know what to get as snacks....
But first! A shower.
Tuesday night when I picked up Grant and Abbie, I wasn't very happy with what I found. Abbie was Grant was as usual, but Abbie was sleeping in a poorly applied diaper and nothing else. When I tried to get her ready to leave, she made angry noises in her sleep. Finally, she woke up in earnest as I was putting her in the car, but all I found out was something about a cold bath and Mariah put the diaper on. It was confusing and worrisome. But all mystery dissolved in the morning. According to Grant, Abbie was, "Very VERY bad at Grandma's." Bits and pieces of the story came without my asking. She had a fit of violent hysteria (she does, occasionally) that was triggered by the bath water being the wrong temperature. They called Josh to ask permission to spank her. No one called me. As it happens, spankings do no good when she is in that state. I asked Josh why he said yes. "Well, it probably made my parents feel better." Ah.
So, then Wednesday, I was not really so very happy. It was Josh's last day of working at Lowes and then Coke, so I was alone with Grant and Abbie all day and all night. I got zero sleep. I told myself that I was bracing myself for what would be some unpleasantness on the part of our unwilling twice a week childcare. What I was really doing was working myself into an absolute frenzy. I was petrified of going back there. Especially since I sent an email to Josh's parents saying, "Grant told on Abbie this morning and I'm very sorry. I hope it won't happen again," and received no answer. In the evening, we cleaned.
Thursday morning I watched a screaming baby, a wild 3 year old, and my two kids, who did not handle the situation very well. Josh was asleep downstairs, so I took them in the front yard as long as I could. It wasn't worth the 15 bucks, but I need it.
I spent the rest of the day on the verge of tears, picturing my kids stuck in a house full of dislike. I was a wreck. I ate 3/4 of a movie theater sized box of Dots candy. Yikes. I did everything I could - I even coaxed the kids into afternoon naps. My every nerve was exposed as I got the diaper bag ready when it was time to go. But, somehow, the drive saved me. I was trying hard to get a grip, and it worked, for the most part. I was super early, because I needed to gas up the car, and traffic was lighter than I expected. I talked to Mariah for a few minutes before her dad came in with his commentary on Tuesday evening. Wish you could have seen me! I should get an academy award. I was sympathetic, but mellow. And then, I kissed my kids and made my escape. I was still dreading picking them up. What things were they saying and doing in my absence??? Were they making it even more unpleasant? What would I do if Josh's parents refused to watch them again?
But it was fine. They are fine. I am fine. It's fine. And I don't have to leave them there so long anymore (until the next job change, but I am trying not to think about that).
Friday was good. I had my little plans to watch movies with Josh after the kids went to bed. But he changed his schedule and wasn't even getting off until 10, putting him home at 11, starting the movie at 11:30....and I just couldn't stay up that late after this week. Being that upset is very tiring.
This morning was also the first morning in months that there wasn't a necessity for me to feed the kids while Josh slept. He hadn't worked a night shift and didn't have to be back until 10. I told him it was his turn to be on pop-tart duty. That didn't work well. You see, if Josh is sleeping the kids have to be quiet. Apparently, if I am trying to sleep, they can be loud. The next thing I found out was that Josh had invited everyone he knows to our house tonight. I'm not sure who is going to be able to make it, what with the short notice and it being Mothers' Day weekend.
It was a rough morning, but the result is that Josh feels much better and is perfectly happy. He's off to work until 2, and then we're going to get pizza or chicken (he hasn't decided yet) and have friends over, and then tomorrow we will go to the zoo first thing in the morning.
I'm going to make cookies today. And buy groceries. We are almost out of milk. Yikes! I'd better make sure my recipe doesn't call for any. I was going to do that first! I wanted to go to the library, but I might save that for another day. Today is busy. So far, Heather can't make it tonight, but the Shermans can, I think. I don't know what to get as snacks....
But first! A shower.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Coincidences
Tic....toc....tic....toc....
Time moves slowly when one is trying to keep chirpy preschoolers at a low volume so that one's overworked husband can sleep. I thought of taking them to the grocery store, but I couldn't consider it without taking a shower, and that would probably wake Josh up, thereby defeating the purpose. Either that, or the kids would, while I was in there.
Josh is going to work tonight, and is going to work both jobs tomorrow. Coke only again on Thursday, and that will be his last day there. After Thursday, he will only work at Lowes. And we will be very, very poor. (Still no babysitting work for me.)
So, yesterday Tylar was posting pictures of his freshly removed facial hair. Okay, well, the pictures were of him, not the hairs. As I was in the middle of writing my usual commentary, there was a knock on my door. Our neighbor had come to play with the kids, and her daddy.....had just shaved his beard off. We played in our yard for a while, and then theirs. I told them about the movie I saw with Michelle and Brother. Kirk told me I should read Percy Jackson and the Olympians. And then, when I came home and read my comments here, Trish recommended the same series! On the same day!
"SSHHHHH! Too loud, guys."
Tonight I have to take the children to Josh's parents' house and go to practice. I will try to remember Jenn's DVD. Is there something else I need to remember? I don't think so. I don't know what to hope for, practice-wise. I know I could use a little activity, but I'm not feeling the greatest. I've had a sinus headache, probably from my allergies, which are mild, but still annoying. Not to mention assorted other aches and pains. Maybe playing some taiko will make me forget all about them. Yay, taiko. I don't like having to feel like I ruined someone's day, though. If you are going to make someone feel awful about something they ask you to do for them, you should say no. In fact, if you are going to make someone's wife feel awful about something the husband asked you to do...well, same thing, really. I guess they think that in light of Josh's busy schedule and our lack of funds to hire an actual babysitter, I should quit taiko. They're right. It would save gas money, too. But Josh won't let me quit. They can take it up with him.
"SHHH!"
The weather is great right now. Maybe we should go play on the deck or something.
Did you read the study that says most parents believe that the other kids are sexually active, but not theirs? The one that blew my mind was the kid who announced to his mom that his girlfriend might be pregnant. Mom thinks the girl pushed him into it, and that now he's learned his lesson and is...what? A born again virgin? Sure, lady.
Naturally, I have my own opinions, and if you know me at all, you can probably recite them before I even have the chance. But just in case: First of all, whether the moms and dads think their daughters are pure as the driven snow or not, they allow them to wear clothes out of the house that make them appear as sexual beings. They are then targeted for their sexuality, treated in a sexual way, which the possibly naive children then consider natural and normal. Known a lot of young girls? Well, pretty much all of them confuse appraisal with admiration. Known a lot of young guys? They don't have to like you at all to want in your pants, which shouldn't have been so tight. Whether or not it was intended as such on the part of the girl, all men I have ever asked have told me quite plainly that tight or revealing clothes on a girl of any age is a neon sign that says, "GET YOUR FREE SEX HERE". Even the nice, sweet, conservative gentlemen. Knowing that, I would be scared to death to put...shall we say "adult" clothes on my daughter. It's not just the handsome guy, the single guy, the understanding guy, the harmless guy who sees that neon sign. The hook doesn't always catch the fish you baited it for. At this point, I say that the parents have a hand in the sexually tolerant attitude. And as for my other point, it goes like this: Legal. Age. Of. Consent. The state government decides at what age the teens are old enough to make this decision. I can't believe, what with this perfect "out of my hands" rule, that not more parents stress it. They don't even have to be the bad guy!
If "there is a law" isn't enough to convince my kids, maybe this will deter them: "You might think that this is your decision to make, and that it's a personal and private one. You would be wrong. It is your business, your partner's business, the business of both your parents and your partner's parents, since you are neither of you legal adults, the business of your doctor, and the business of your insurance company. You think that perhaps you are so mature that the rules don't apply to you? No amount of maturity of character (which seems to be contradicted, rather than supported by engaging in a physical relationship while under aged) gets you closer to the legal age of consent, or legal adulthood. Therefore, when the natural consequence occurs, all of these people and more suddenly have a right to that same information that you thought was so intimate."
Okay, so maybe I'll organize it better than that before I deliver it as a speech. You get the idea.
I want to go to the library, but maybe I'll wait for a day when it's rainy. Or at least a day when we have two working vehicles. Josh is going to put on the spare tire and take the flat one to Dobbs today. And maybe I can finally do some grocery shopping.
"SHHHH! Please don't be loud, guys."
I think I'm going to go and start a load of towels in the laundry. I hope you all have a nice Tuesday.
Time moves slowly when one is trying to keep chirpy preschoolers at a low volume so that one's overworked husband can sleep. I thought of taking them to the grocery store, but I couldn't consider it without taking a shower, and that would probably wake Josh up, thereby defeating the purpose. Either that, or the kids would, while I was in there.
Josh is going to work tonight, and is going to work both jobs tomorrow. Coke only again on Thursday, and that will be his last day there. After Thursday, he will only work at Lowes. And we will be very, very poor. (Still no babysitting work for me.)
So, yesterday Tylar was posting pictures of his freshly removed facial hair. Okay, well, the pictures were of him, not the hairs. As I was in the middle of writing my usual commentary, there was a knock on my door. Our neighbor had come to play with the kids, and her daddy.....had just shaved his beard off. We played in our yard for a while, and then theirs. I told them about the movie I saw with Michelle and Brother. Kirk told me I should read Percy Jackson and the Olympians. And then, when I came home and read my comments here, Trish recommended the same series! On the same day!
"SSHHHHH! Too loud, guys."
Tonight I have to take the children to Josh's parents' house and go to practice. I will try to remember Jenn's DVD. Is there something else I need to remember? I don't think so. I don't know what to hope for, practice-wise. I know I could use a little activity, but I'm not feeling the greatest. I've had a sinus headache, probably from my allergies, which are mild, but still annoying. Not to mention assorted other aches and pains. Maybe playing some taiko will make me forget all about them. Yay, taiko. I don't like having to feel like I ruined someone's day, though. If you are going to make someone feel awful about something they ask you to do for them, you should say no. In fact, if you are going to make someone's wife feel awful about something the husband asked you to do...well, same thing, really. I guess they think that in light of Josh's busy schedule and our lack of funds to hire an actual babysitter, I should quit taiko. They're right. It would save gas money, too. But Josh won't let me quit. They can take it up with him.
"SHHH!"
The weather is great right now. Maybe we should go play on the deck or something.
Did you read the study that says most parents believe that the other kids are sexually active, but not theirs? The one that blew my mind was the kid who announced to his mom that his girlfriend might be pregnant. Mom thinks the girl pushed him into it, and that now he's learned his lesson and is...what? A born again virgin? Sure, lady.
Naturally, I have my own opinions, and if you know me at all, you can probably recite them before I even have the chance. But just in case: First of all, whether the moms and dads think their daughters are pure as the driven snow or not, they allow them to wear clothes out of the house that make them appear as sexual beings. They are then targeted for their sexuality, treated in a sexual way, which the possibly naive children then consider natural and normal. Known a lot of young girls? Well, pretty much all of them confuse appraisal with admiration. Known a lot of young guys? They don't have to like you at all to want in your pants, which shouldn't have been so tight. Whether or not it was intended as such on the part of the girl, all men I have ever asked have told me quite plainly that tight or revealing clothes on a girl of any age is a neon sign that says, "GET YOUR FREE SEX HERE". Even the nice, sweet, conservative gentlemen. Knowing that, I would be scared to death to put...shall we say "adult" clothes on my daughter. It's not just the handsome guy, the single guy, the understanding guy, the harmless guy who sees that neon sign. The hook doesn't always catch the fish you baited it for. At this point, I say that the parents have a hand in the sexually tolerant attitude. And as for my other point, it goes like this: Legal. Age. Of. Consent. The state government decides at what age the teens are old enough to make this decision. I can't believe, what with this perfect "out of my hands" rule, that not more parents stress it. They don't even have to be the bad guy!
If "there is a law" isn't enough to convince my kids, maybe this will deter them: "You might think that this is your decision to make, and that it's a personal and private one. You would be wrong. It is your business, your partner's business, the business of both your parents and your partner's parents, since you are neither of you legal adults, the business of your doctor, and the business of your insurance company. You think that perhaps you are so mature that the rules don't apply to you? No amount of maturity of character (which seems to be contradicted, rather than supported by engaging in a physical relationship while under aged) gets you closer to the legal age of consent, or legal adulthood. Therefore, when the natural consequence occurs, all of these people and more suddenly have a right to that same information that you thought was so intimate."
Okay, so maybe I'll organize it better than that before I deliver it as a speech. You get the idea.
I want to go to the library, but maybe I'll wait for a day when it's rainy. Or at least a day when we have two working vehicles. Josh is going to put on the spare tire and take the flat one to Dobbs today. And maybe I can finally do some grocery shopping.
"SHHHH! Please don't be loud, guys."
I think I'm going to go and start a load of towels in the laundry. I hope you all have a nice Tuesday.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Not Monday
This week doesn't sound very busy in retrospect, but I certainly was pressed for time, regardless. Much of the week was spent acclimating to Josh's hideous schedule, and the rest of it was spent in preparation of Brother's visit. Well, and his visit took some time, as well. Josh worked all day and all night Monday and Tuesday (both nights he came home around 6am and slept until 9, then showered and left for work). Wednesday he only worked at night, but spent most of the day sleeping. Thursday he left for work in the early morning, worked all day, worked all night, and then after 1 hour of sleep, worked all day Friday.
Thursday afternoon, my mom and Brother came over. Brother came with me to taiko, and then we stayed up re-introducing ourselves to Charlie the Unicorn and the like. Friday morning we had doughnuts, and then Mom took the kids to see How to Train Your Dragon, while me and Brother took Michelle to see Clash of the Titans. (Josh was at work, of course.) In case you were curious: It's AWFUL. It has nothing remotely resembling Greek/Roman mythology, especially in its anti-god themes, and is a horrible bastardization of the original movie, which wasn't good to begin with. But now I have a strange urge to watch it.... Well, we had fun, anyway. I showed Brother and Michelle the tea shop in the mall, which will soon be under the ownership of the main employees. That includes our friend, Katie. She wasn't there, and I was sad to miss her. I bought strawberry gummy candy, and we ate it during the wretched movie, and giggled. Brother bought us Charley's Steakery for lunch, and Ramune from the tea shop.
Mom and Brother left soon after we returned from the movie, but I saw them again yesterday evening. Josh was at work of course, and couldn't join us at Olive Garden. It's very sad, he's been wanting to eat there for months. For a while it was uncertain whether we were going to go to the one in St. Peters or the new one in Wentzville. It ended up being the latter. So, I popped the kids in the car early, and we visited Josh at the Wentzville Lowes while he was on his dinner break.
The Olive Garden is much bigger on the inside than I thought it would be, based on the view from the parking lot. Our waitress wasn't the most polished and professional, but she was a nice kid, and tried hard to make us comfortable. I am wishing good things for her. There was a large table behind us full of small children who yelled often, fought some, and frequently got out of their chairs to run around the dining room. Abbie watched them, and I could tell she wanted to go play with them. I whispered in her ear how proud I was that she and Grant were staying in their chairs and using their 'Big Table' manners. It worked, and she stayed. They both did very well, especially considering the bad example. They both ordered pizzas, but Abbie only ate the crusts off hers. She also had LOTS of bread sticks. Brother had the black tie cheesecake dessert, and the rest of us shared the lemon cake dessert. Yum. It's my favorite, since they don't have the chocolate lasagna anymore. I so miss it.... Mom and Brother were extra sweet and got Josh some dinner to go, so when he came home, he had Olive Garden, too.
I thought today was Monday most of the day. Josh went to work, of course. The house is wrecked; I haven't had a chance to clean it since the visitors were here. I forgot to tell you, but we had an emergency bed cleaning Saturday morning. Grant came in the middle of the night to our bed, which is fine. But he was so tired, he didn't get up to go to the bathroom. He's never wet the bed before, so we weren't expecting it. He woke up and changed clothes by himself, but didn't tell me until much later what had happened. So I spent the morning washing all the bedding.
As for today...I still don't know what I'm going to do. No taiko because I am staying with the kids. Originally, I had planned to go grocery shopping, since we are out of a few important things. Sadly, when we got up this morning, Josh had a flat tire on the truck, and had to take the car to work. Now I can't really do any shopping.
If I can ever find a morning when Josh doesn't need to be sleeping or working, I'd really like to go to the zoo.
Did you watch the Kentucky Derby? Obviously, I wasn't able to. It was on while I was having the good-bye dinner with Brother. I was particularly hopeful for a horse named Conveyance, but the race was won by Super Saver.
Tennessee is flooding, and that can't be great for the residents, and the oil spill is getting lots of press, too. Same story there....not great for the residents. Poor fish.
I brewed some iced tea. Unsweetened, because I'm a nice wife. Josh hasn't had any, though. Maybe I just should have sweetened it the way I like it. I also have ingredients for a cookie recipe that I was going to make for my parents and brother on Saturday, before I found out that they couldn't be here the whole day as planned. I don't think I'll make the cookies today, but maybe tomorrow.
I never heard from the babysitting lady again. So...no work for me just now.
Any suggestions of a good book? I feel like reading.
I hope all is well with you.
Thursday afternoon, my mom and Brother came over. Brother came with me to taiko, and then we stayed up re-introducing ourselves to Charlie the Unicorn and the like. Friday morning we had doughnuts, and then Mom took the kids to see How to Train Your Dragon, while me and Brother took Michelle to see Clash of the Titans. (Josh was at work, of course.) In case you were curious: It's AWFUL. It has nothing remotely resembling Greek/Roman mythology, especially in its anti-god themes, and is a horrible bastardization of the original movie, which wasn't good to begin with. But now I have a strange urge to watch it.... Well, we had fun, anyway. I showed Brother and Michelle the tea shop in the mall, which will soon be under the ownership of the main employees. That includes our friend, Katie. She wasn't there, and I was sad to miss her. I bought strawberry gummy candy, and we ate it during the wretched movie, and giggled. Brother bought us Charley's Steakery for lunch, and Ramune from the tea shop.
Mom and Brother left soon after we returned from the movie, but I saw them again yesterday evening. Josh was at work of course, and couldn't join us at Olive Garden. It's very sad, he's been wanting to eat there for months. For a while it was uncertain whether we were going to go to the one in St. Peters or the new one in Wentzville. It ended up being the latter. So, I popped the kids in the car early, and we visited Josh at the Wentzville Lowes while he was on his dinner break.
The Olive Garden is much bigger on the inside than I thought it would be, based on the view from the parking lot. Our waitress wasn't the most polished and professional, but she was a nice kid, and tried hard to make us comfortable. I am wishing good things for her. There was a large table behind us full of small children who yelled often, fought some, and frequently got out of their chairs to run around the dining room. Abbie watched them, and I could tell she wanted to go play with them. I whispered in her ear how proud I was that she and Grant were staying in their chairs and using their 'Big Table' manners. It worked, and she stayed. They both did very well, especially considering the bad example. They both ordered pizzas, but Abbie only ate the crusts off hers. She also had LOTS of bread sticks. Brother had the black tie cheesecake dessert, and the rest of us shared the lemon cake dessert. Yum. It's my favorite, since they don't have the chocolate lasagna anymore. I so miss it.... Mom and Brother were extra sweet and got Josh some dinner to go, so when he came home, he had Olive Garden, too.
I thought today was Monday most of the day. Josh went to work, of course. The house is wrecked; I haven't had a chance to clean it since the visitors were here. I forgot to tell you, but we had an emergency bed cleaning Saturday morning. Grant came in the middle of the night to our bed, which is fine. But he was so tired, he didn't get up to go to the bathroom. He's never wet the bed before, so we weren't expecting it. He woke up and changed clothes by himself, but didn't tell me until much later what had happened. So I spent the morning washing all the bedding.
As for today...I still don't know what I'm going to do. No taiko because I am staying with the kids. Originally, I had planned to go grocery shopping, since we are out of a few important things. Sadly, when we got up this morning, Josh had a flat tire on the truck, and had to take the car to work. Now I can't really do any shopping.
If I can ever find a morning when Josh doesn't need to be sleeping or working, I'd really like to go to the zoo.
Did you watch the Kentucky Derby? Obviously, I wasn't able to. It was on while I was having the good-bye dinner with Brother. I was particularly hopeful for a horse named Conveyance, but the race was won by Super Saver.
Tennessee is flooding, and that can't be great for the residents, and the oil spill is getting lots of press, too. Same story there....not great for the residents. Poor fish.
I brewed some iced tea. Unsweetened, because I'm a nice wife. Josh hasn't had any, though. Maybe I just should have sweetened it the way I like it. I also have ingredients for a cookie recipe that I was going to make for my parents and brother on Saturday, before I found out that they couldn't be here the whole day as planned. I don't think I'll make the cookies today, but maybe tomorrow.
I never heard from the babysitting lady again. So...no work for me just now.
Any suggestions of a good book? I feel like reading.
I hope all is well with you.
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