Ok so my kids are too cute. Here's another story about our crazy interactions. Sorry in advance!
In the car on the way to day care for the day me, H and L. The song, "American Woman" by Lenny Kravits comes on and I couldn't help but rock out. It is a great song when you don't hear it too much! Right? You know, it is a cover originally a hit in the 70's by The Guess Who and then in the late 90's (I think) Lenny Kravits comes out with this rocking cover and makes Sarah Jessica Parker famous again...and whatever commercial they were both in all dressed in white. (back before fast forwarding through commercials) I don't know, it made an impression, what can I say.
Anyway, I'm rocking out. The kids think I like weird music since it isn't Maroon 5 or Taylor Swift. H says it's not really music if they are screaming (sounds like my mom back in the day) or if on the off chance we listen to a really Rock song I get the snide "Anger Management dude." comment as the finger moves toward the radio settings (yes, I still listen to the regular local radio in the car).
And we get where we are going and the kids start to bicker as kids do, rotten kids. So I start singing over them. "American Woman - stay away from me--he, American Woman - mama let me be-he"
So we are getting into the realm of almost being seen in public with your mom. OH NO. And they quiet down, hoping I will too, we're walking closer and closer to the building where at any moment someone could come out and see Mom totally killing this song that is weird to begin with. I mean, tensions are getting high.
If I knew how to attach a photo or a video I would. I'll have to try it next time.
Mom: American Woman - stay away from me--he,
L: (looking at the ground, eyes averted) No
Mom: American Woman - mama let me be-he
L: No
Mom: Buh-bye
L: No
Mom: BAHHHH-Byyyee
L: No
Mom: Tell you what I'm gonna do
L: No
Mom: Gonna leave you mama
L: No
Mom: Bahh-bye
L: No
Mom: Bahhhh- Byyye
L: No
I pretty much got it out of my system by then, I guess they figure, its gonna happen, best to duck and cover.
H says, "So that's the song I should sing when I go to college!"
Love it.
Thursday, August 1, 2013
Monday, July 29, 2013
I could totally rule the whole world!
Hey all.
My girl is such a hoot. I'm loving spending this summer with her. She is 11 and has confidence and wit and love (and some not so great stuff too, but mostly great stuff!) This story is a conversation we just had regarding a confidential letter she just received from the medical insurance company.
She was snug as a bug on the couch when her brother brought in the mail claiming there was something for her. Keeping in mind she is 11 and usually only receives mail around her birthday, she was started out pretty excited, but when she saw it was a letter from the insurance company, marked "Confidential, intended for addressee only" she got pretty freaked out, then just plain confused.
There was a bit of a tussle in that (for some unknown reason) the girl is a rule follower, she wasn't sure her parents should/could read a confidential letter not addressed to them. We assured her we could.
It is a typical form letter, surely sent en masse to those with injuries occurring recently. She was playing in a yard and fractured the little bone on the pinky toe side of her foot. No big mystery, no big to-do, she did get one of those clunky boots that inconvenience the wearer, but those things really do work! Keeping your foot in the proper place to heal. The biggest mess up was me not believing she'd actually done damage to her foot that night and not taking her to the doctor until nearly a week later.
Her first response was, "No one hurt me...." We looked at it together. The insurance co had processed medical benefits on your behalf for the treatment referenced above.....dated 6/7/13, we want to know if this treatment, "occurred as the result of an accident or injury for which another party may be responsible. That party may be responsible for the cost of your medical care."
My first response was, "I don't beat my kids!" (of course I didn't say that out loud, wouldn't want her getting any ideas) My second thought was, "that party might be responsible for her medical care??? Wouldn't I be telling them this -- if that was the case? People need to take a chill pill.
Was the patient's treatment the result of: Auto Accident, Work Accident, Injured on someone else's property and Other/Illness. (Notice, no option for being a normal healthy kid running around in the dark.) ((Not to mention the kid is a kid and unemployed, she had a big eye roll at this one.))
Two Thirds of the page is about how it is someone else's fault and claim numbers and attorney contact information and then finally under Other Information the question that should have been asked at the beginning of the letter, Are you pursuing a personal injury claim? No. Are you going to? No. Sign, date, phone number and yes, address. "Do I have to put my address mom? They mailed the letter to me at this address. That is dumb."
So this whole time she is saying, "but no one hurt me!" We argued over the date of the injury because the paperwork said it was 6/7/13. We got out the calendar and remembered the correct date. She was appalled they didn't even get the date right. I'm not so surprised. She was very concerned about correcting the wrong information and giving the explanation for why it was wrong and what had actually happened and how that wasn't anyone's fault but her own. I gotta say, I'm pretty impressed with my kids personal responsibility ethics. "Why can't people just do it the right way?"
We filled out the form, I assured her that the simpler the better. We get to the bottom it says to call a phone number for help. She suggested we do that. Why on earth would we need to do that? After all the back and forth about it, what was the point? She was positive that someone was going to receive the improperly filled out form and return it to us to be done correctly. I patiently assured her that the person receiving the form will glance at it once, see that we are not suing and file it.
She looked at me with one of her famous, "seriously?" grins and said, "I still don't get it." I told her to put it in the self addressed stamped envelope (that they were so proud of). She shook her head as if the world were in some serious need of improvement and said, "I could totally rule the whole world".
(Pause)
"It would be awesome!"
I laughed out loud.
My girl is such a hoot. I'm loving spending this summer with her. She is 11 and has confidence and wit and love (and some not so great stuff too, but mostly great stuff!) This story is a conversation we just had regarding a confidential letter she just received from the medical insurance company.
She was snug as a bug on the couch when her brother brought in the mail claiming there was something for her. Keeping in mind she is 11 and usually only receives mail around her birthday, she was started out pretty excited, but when she saw it was a letter from the insurance company, marked "Confidential, intended for addressee only" she got pretty freaked out, then just plain confused.
There was a bit of a tussle in that (for some unknown reason) the girl is a rule follower, she wasn't sure her parents should/could read a confidential letter not addressed to them. We assured her we could.
It is a typical form letter, surely sent en masse to those with injuries occurring recently. She was playing in a yard and fractured the little bone on the pinky toe side of her foot. No big mystery, no big to-do, she did get one of those clunky boots that inconvenience the wearer, but those things really do work! Keeping your foot in the proper place to heal. The biggest mess up was me not believing she'd actually done damage to her foot that night and not taking her to the doctor until nearly a week later.
Her first response was, "No one hurt me...." We looked at it together. The insurance co had processed medical benefits on your behalf for the treatment referenced above.....dated 6/7/13, we want to know if this treatment, "occurred as the result of an accident or injury for which another party may be responsible. That party may be responsible for the cost of your medical care."
My first response was, "I don't beat my kids!" (of course I didn't say that out loud, wouldn't want her getting any ideas) My second thought was, "that party might be responsible for her medical care??? Wouldn't I be telling them this -- if that was the case? People need to take a chill pill.
Was the patient's treatment the result of: Auto Accident, Work Accident, Injured on someone else's property and Other/Illness. (Notice, no option for being a normal healthy kid running around in the dark.) ((Not to mention the kid is a kid and unemployed, she had a big eye roll at this one.))
Two Thirds of the page is about how it is someone else's fault and claim numbers and attorney contact information and then finally under Other Information the question that should have been asked at the beginning of the letter, Are you pursuing a personal injury claim? No. Are you going to? No. Sign, date, phone number and yes, address. "Do I have to put my address mom? They mailed the letter to me at this address. That is dumb."
So this whole time she is saying, "but no one hurt me!" We argued over the date of the injury because the paperwork said it was 6/7/13. We got out the calendar and remembered the correct date. She was appalled they didn't even get the date right. I'm not so surprised. She was very concerned about correcting the wrong information and giving the explanation for why it was wrong and what had actually happened and how that wasn't anyone's fault but her own. I gotta say, I'm pretty impressed with my kids personal responsibility ethics. "Why can't people just do it the right way?"
We filled out the form, I assured her that the simpler the better. We get to the bottom it says to call a phone number for help. She suggested we do that. Why on earth would we need to do that? After all the back and forth about it, what was the point? She was positive that someone was going to receive the improperly filled out form and return it to us to be done correctly. I patiently assured her that the person receiving the form will glance at it once, see that we are not suing and file it.
She looked at me with one of her famous, "seriously?" grins and said, "I still don't get it." I told her to put it in the self addressed stamped envelope (that they were so proud of). She shook her head as if the world were in some serious need of improvement and said, "I could totally rule the whole world".
(Pause)
"It would be awesome!"
I laughed out loud.
Saturday, May 11, 2013
19 something
I was talking about our future trip to New Mexico with the girl. There was some conversation about traveling to Carlsbad Caverns and Roswell to see the bat flight and the aliens so I relayed it to the girl. She was curious as to what the bat flight out was. I explained that it was when all the bats fly out of the cave at the same time. Moving on,
"to see the aliens????"
"yeah, Roswell, you know.... where the aliens are?"
"never heard of Roswell...."
(Her dad is a HUGE Alien conspiracy theorist) "you know, Roswell, where the aliens landed like in 19......63? you know, Roswell! (note that I'm not the alien-interested person)
"never heard of Roswell and probably because it happened, in, like, a million years ago, in, like, 19 something"
I relayed this to my hubby today. He didn't find the humor in the fact that I said "landed" vs. "crashed" and "1963" v "1947".
I stand corrected.
"to see the aliens????"
"yeah, Roswell, you know.... where the aliens are?"
"never heard of Roswell...."
(Her dad is a HUGE Alien conspiracy theorist) "you know, Roswell, where the aliens landed like in 19......63? you know, Roswell! (note that I'm not the alien-interested person)
"never heard of Roswell and probably because it happened, in, like, a million years ago, in, like, 19 something"
I relayed this to my hubby today. He didn't find the humor in the fact that I said "landed" vs. "crashed" and "1963" v "1947".
I stand corrected.
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Conference
It's been a while but I keep thinking of you! So I'll be brief.
While relaying the plan for this evenings events I told the boy that we'd (mom & dad) be going to his parent/teacher conference. The boy says, "Oh! She'll say I'm good" then he adds on, "She'll say I've got to keep my hands to myself."
What? Internally, I start to freak out! Everything becomes slow-motion and I start to ask myself all these critical things about my parenting; He knows better doesn't he? I've tought him better than that, haven't I? Why hasn't the teacher contacted me if he is having a problem? What kind of thing is he doing? I don't want my kid to be that kid! I stop what I'm doing as my head whips around to face him directly, "What?"
"She'll say that I need to keep my hands to myself," he says innocently, barely noticing my full attention focused on his face.
I play it cool. "And why would she say something like that?" my heart beating louder than my brain is thinking, anxious that our world is about to come crashing down.
He says, "They all need hugs."
While relaying the plan for this evenings events I told the boy that we'd (mom & dad) be going to his parent/teacher conference. The boy says, "Oh! She'll say I'm good" then he adds on, "She'll say I've got to keep my hands to myself."
What? Internally, I start to freak out! Everything becomes slow-motion and I start to ask myself all these critical things about my parenting; He knows better doesn't he? I've tought him better than that, haven't I? Why hasn't the teacher contacted me if he is having a problem? What kind of thing is he doing? I don't want my kid to be that kid! I stop what I'm doing as my head whips around to face him directly, "What?"
"She'll say that I need to keep my hands to myself," he says innocently, barely noticing my full attention focused on his face.
I play it cool. "And why would she say something like that?" my heart beating louder than my brain is thinking, anxious that our world is about to come crashing down.
He says, "They all need hugs."
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Random thoughts
10 year old to mom: daddy treats me like a two year old
Mom: maybe you should start acting your age
++++++++++
Homework with my child, who apparently needed some (unusual for her) hand-holding (aka attention from mom- (not unusual)) I can't sit still during this drawn out procedure and grab a Clorox wipe and start getting at the fingerprints all across the walls and door ways, patiently answering all the questions with questions (as I am not smarter than a 5th grader) and intentionally saying descriptive terms to get her to look for her own answers. And as if I am not paying attention (because I am not looking at her while she is thinking and making up stuff )-- I get the dramatic head and arms thrown back while she says, "Oh my gosh, mom, you are OBSESSED with cleaning!" (Any of you who know me knows this is a gross overstatement of my cleaning prowess). I stifle my laughter with a sigh (while my thoughts are going 1000 miles a minute, basically saying, yeah, like anyone would believe that!) I gently, pointedly, ask her to tell that to her father when he gets home!
++++++++++++
Yesterday after school, I make the boy a PB&J. The girl just starts over reacting cuz HE is MAKING me do stuff that I am not supposed to do!!! It went like this, "Are you hungry, what would you like for a snack?" "PB&J" "OK". (AS you can see, no forcefulness involved.)
She started in on how the boy has two legs and hands, he should be able to make his own sandwich, (I don't disagree) just like she did when she was 7! (yeah, she was happy to do anything on her own as soon as she could). She was appalled that he would stoop to that level AND that I, her mother of all people!, would even remotely entertain the idea! She just knew I was being taken advantage of and would not have any of that!
After listening, quizzically looking at this crazy 10 year old feminist, I just said, "Chill."
I appreciate the thought, but really-- over an after school snack?
The boy, who initially was going to try to defend himself, politely took the sandwich and walked away.
Mom: maybe you should start acting your age
++++++++++
Homework with my child, who apparently needed some (unusual for her) hand-holding (aka attention from mom- (not unusual)) I can't sit still during this drawn out procedure and grab a Clorox wipe and start getting at the fingerprints all across the walls and door ways, patiently answering all the questions with questions (as I am not smarter than a 5th grader) and intentionally saying descriptive terms to get her to look for her own answers. And as if I am not paying attention (because I am not looking at her while she is thinking and making up stuff )-- I get the dramatic head and arms thrown back while she says, "Oh my gosh, mom, you are OBSESSED with cleaning!" (Any of you who know me knows this is a gross overstatement of my cleaning prowess). I stifle my laughter with a sigh (while my thoughts are going 1000 miles a minute, basically saying, yeah, like anyone would believe that!) I gently, pointedly, ask her to tell that to her father when he gets home!
++++++++++++
Yesterday after school, I make the boy a PB&J. The girl just starts over reacting cuz HE is MAKING me do stuff that I am not supposed to do!!! It went like this, "Are you hungry, what would you like for a snack?" "PB&J" "OK". (AS you can see, no forcefulness involved.)
She started in on how the boy has two legs and hands, he should be able to make his own sandwich, (I don't disagree) just like she did when she was 7! (yeah, she was happy to do anything on her own as soon as she could). She was appalled that he would stoop to that level AND that I, her mother of all people!, would even remotely entertain the idea! She just knew I was being taken advantage of and would not have any of that!
After listening, quizzically looking at this crazy 10 year old feminist, I just said, "Chill."
I appreciate the thought, but really-- over an after school snack?
The boy, who initially was going to try to defend himself, politely took the sandwich and walked away.
Cowboys
Hello,
So in the mist of after school rush and fast food for dinner, me, the girl and the boy are in the car on the way home for a brief stop before Tae Kwon Do and swimming.... the girl has finished her meal already and takes a big dramatic (is there any other kind with her?) sigh. Her head is off to the side and her eyes closed. While driving, and hopefully paying attention to the road as much as I believe I am while stuffing french fries into my mouth, I ask if she was tired with all the activities going on, I look over after a beat of silence and see that her eyes are shut. I go about driving and stuffing and dipping and stuffing oh, and driving.... (perhaps in hindsight I shouldn't have been so distracted....hmmm) Ok, I'm quietly chewing, lost in my own thoughts, the boy is just fine, happily eating his nuggets and fries....
Then, the girls left hand flies up in a "talk to the hand" flurry. She sits straight up and looks directly at me and says (with half her face sagging down as if she has bells palsy, and super slow-like), "I don't really like it when cowboys talk out the side their mouth like this." Oh! O.K. She continues, with a perfect southern drawl by the way, "They sound funny and it's like the one side of their face is all smooooshed down and it dudn't work". I laugh, what else? "How do they talk like that? I mean, it's like hard to talk that way." Then to accentuate the hilarity of the moment she says, "Wol, hat dig-it-T-y, der dig" again in perfect southern drawl. Her face of course, this whole time still looking like it got stung by a scorpion and was drooping down to her neck.
So, now we know. The girl don't know why cowboys talk like that.
So in the mist of after school rush and fast food for dinner, me, the girl and the boy are in the car on the way home for a brief stop before Tae Kwon Do and swimming.... the girl has finished her meal already and takes a big dramatic (is there any other kind with her?) sigh. Her head is off to the side and her eyes closed. While driving, and hopefully paying attention to the road as much as I believe I am while stuffing french fries into my mouth, I ask if she was tired with all the activities going on, I look over after a beat of silence and see that her eyes are shut. I go about driving and stuffing and dipping and stuffing oh, and driving.... (perhaps in hindsight I shouldn't have been so distracted....hmmm) Ok, I'm quietly chewing, lost in my own thoughts, the boy is just fine, happily eating his nuggets and fries....
Then, the girls left hand flies up in a "talk to the hand" flurry. She sits straight up and looks directly at me and says (with half her face sagging down as if she has bells palsy, and super slow-like), "I don't really like it when cowboys talk out the side their mouth like this." Oh! O.K. She continues, with a perfect southern drawl by the way, "They sound funny and it's like the one side of their face is all smooooshed down and it dudn't work". I laugh, what else? "How do they talk like that? I mean, it's like hard to talk that way." Then to accentuate the hilarity of the moment she says, "Wol, hat dig-it-T-y, der dig" again in perfect southern drawl. Her face of course, this whole time still looking like it got stung by a scorpion and was drooping down to her neck.
So, now we know. The girl don't know why cowboys talk like that.
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
School!
Hello All,
Today is the first day of school for my 2nd and 5th graders. Yipee. One of them is super excited and the other "ready to learn", I think they both are super ready to have a routine. We all are.
I've had a nice break. Sick last Thursday, Friday thru Monday scheduled off. We didn't have one last hurrah! before school with the usual end of summer festivities. It was very nice.
So I'm writing to inform that I have finally made some decisions in the direction of my life. Who knew? 37 and still trying to figure it out. Which of course, has some splainin to do. -- I'm not happy with my job. Really, I know a ton of people aren't, and I should be glad I have one....I am glad. I am thankful for all the flexibility I have and that I am able to be open enough with my boss to tell her I am exhausted, tired and fed up and she still requires my services. For summer I cut back 10 hours to 30/week. It wasn't as nice as you would think. Well, the time off was, however, being on the ball about which days who was watching whose kids was more painful and then all the hemming and hawing about well, Di's not here today blah, blah blah from work.
So officially I have decided that working 30 hours/week and being home when the kids get on and off the bus is important to me. Also decided that being a full-time working mother is a backwards way to look at what I am trying to do here. I am a mom (don't forget wife) who works. Different. Eye-opening and awesome.
OK Goal 1: Be the best wife and mother: including making my family life (which of course includes cooking and cleaning but I'm not quite ready to say that yet) a priority. Remembering: Not a working mom but a mom who works.
Goal 2: Finish my Masters degree. But not the MBA I was going for, it has been a hard decision but one that is completely thought out. (Have you met me?) I'll go for Psychology, not Counseling but Psychology, what's the difference? Well, terminology for one. Counseling requires all kinds of licenses which require renewals and continuing education. And, not to mention, I don't want to be a counselor. (There's that.) Psychology on the other hand, gives you the opportunity to gain those licenses should you want to, but it also allows for a wide range of behavioral education. One I have always been interested in is Forensic Psychology. Why I didn't just stick to it -- hmm, the story just keeps getting longer and longer. But why I'm coming back to it -- indirectly you could say, is because it has always been there. Also, I know it is a long road and would rather spend my time being interested in these studies than the MBA which the few classes I have already taken has helped me job wise. Anyway, this is what I've got for today.
Goal 3: Keep my CEAP credential and continue to participate in EAPA. This has been a wavering thing for the last 3-5 years. Why? Who knows, indecisiveness is paralyzing. My boss and mentor has pushed this on me since the last person she pushed quit and left her high and dry. Of course I was getting something out of it. Continuous education, a basis of thinking that explains some of my values, a group of peers etc. And of course, the leadership skills I needed work on, particularly public speaking and decisions.
Goal 4: CISM training. Critical Incident Stress Management (or D for Debriefing). Time to take my future into my own hands. While my boss is willing to brainstorm with me on how to get there and different management consultations/presentations I can do to get there, I've finally stopped sitting on the sidelines and will push myself to make this happen. There are some very brilliant people in this field and I've made in-roads with some already. Can't wait to get started.
Hope some clarity comes to you as well. Real-life Solution: Make your future happen.
Today is the first day of school for my 2nd and 5th graders. Yipee. One of them is super excited and the other "ready to learn", I think they both are super ready to have a routine. We all are.
I've had a nice break. Sick last Thursday, Friday thru Monday scheduled off. We didn't have one last hurrah! before school with the usual end of summer festivities. It was very nice.
So I'm writing to inform that I have finally made some decisions in the direction of my life. Who knew? 37 and still trying to figure it out. Which of course, has some splainin to do. -- I'm not happy with my job. Really, I know a ton of people aren't, and I should be glad I have one....I am glad. I am thankful for all the flexibility I have and that I am able to be open enough with my boss to tell her I am exhausted, tired and fed up and she still requires my services. For summer I cut back 10 hours to 30/week. It wasn't as nice as you would think. Well, the time off was, however, being on the ball about which days who was watching whose kids was more painful and then all the hemming and hawing about well, Di's not here today blah, blah blah from work.
So officially I have decided that working 30 hours/week and being home when the kids get on and off the bus is important to me. Also decided that being a full-time working mother is a backwards way to look at what I am trying to do here. I am a mom (don't forget wife) who works. Different. Eye-opening and awesome.
OK Goal 1: Be the best wife and mother: including making my family life (which of course includes cooking and cleaning but I'm not quite ready to say that yet) a priority. Remembering: Not a working mom but a mom who works.
Goal 2: Finish my Masters degree. But not the MBA I was going for, it has been a hard decision but one that is completely thought out. (Have you met me?) I'll go for Psychology, not Counseling but Psychology, what's the difference? Well, terminology for one. Counseling requires all kinds of licenses which require renewals and continuing education. And, not to mention, I don't want to be a counselor. (There's that.) Psychology on the other hand, gives you the opportunity to gain those licenses should you want to, but it also allows for a wide range of behavioral education. One I have always been interested in is Forensic Psychology. Why I didn't just stick to it -- hmm, the story just keeps getting longer and longer. But why I'm coming back to it -- indirectly you could say, is because it has always been there. Also, I know it is a long road and would rather spend my time being interested in these studies than the MBA which the few classes I have already taken has helped me job wise. Anyway, this is what I've got for today.
Goal 3: Keep my CEAP credential and continue to participate in EAPA. This has been a wavering thing for the last 3-5 years. Why? Who knows, indecisiveness is paralyzing. My boss and mentor has pushed this on me since the last person she pushed quit and left her high and dry. Of course I was getting something out of it. Continuous education, a basis of thinking that explains some of my values, a group of peers etc. And of course, the leadership skills I needed work on, particularly public speaking and decisions.
Goal 4: CISM training. Critical Incident Stress Management (or D for Debriefing). Time to take my future into my own hands. While my boss is willing to brainstorm with me on how to get there and different management consultations/presentations I can do to get there, I've finally stopped sitting on the sidelines and will push myself to make this happen. There are some very brilliant people in this field and I've made in-roads with some already. Can't wait to get started.
Hope some clarity comes to you as well. Real-life Solution: Make your future happen.
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