Hello Again,
It has been a while again. Yes, I've gotten tons of grief about it. I think about blogging alot considering I have two funny kids and a husband. I just have to do it. This seems to be an over arching problem of procrastination (aka laziness) not only in the writing excerpts but in life in general. I woke up the other morning and looked at my 1/2 moved into 1/3 organized space that I call my bedside table. Kids crafts, make up or lotion or some such thing I probably should toss since I'm not even sure what it is, loose change, and earing or two (maybe they match, maybe they don't) chap stick, a pair of socks, one would think that the pile of stuff would get in the way or instigate some sort of chaous subconsiously. I don't know, I kinda don't even see it. Until that one morning. then I'm thinking hey, I wonder how this pile of crap effects the people around me. (note that I am not thinking soley about myself ...) Ok, so I start thinking about all the places and types of cool little earing holders and kid craft containers or displays or something, because of course your kids need to see that you love and cherrish the water color kite they gave you 8 months ago and don't even remember making at some craft time from some place where they weren't with you to begin with, cuz you are too busy to make paper water color crafts WITH them, ahh. I digress. Anyway, sticking them on the wall would be better (however, there must be some sort of "my space" unwritten rule or plan where unforgetable, forgetable things don't have to remain bedside for a terminal amount of time........ so, moving forward - display case (cuz now I'm feeling guilty) and whispy fancy jewelery holder thingy for earings and then put the socks AWAY, why is that so hard, and what else, oh chap stick, well, I use that all the time.. sigh. So, this has all happened in the 30 seconds of me waking up and seeing chaous on the side of the bed.
Obviously there are so many other things that need to be done, like say a comforter that actually fits the king size bed we are sleeping in (not that I don't like the way our blankets are set up he's hot, I'm cold 1/2 here, partial there, it works for us, but it isn't say....pretty), or say, new carpet and different siding...not siding, paneling, same thing to me and the bathroom really needs a cleaning and a shower installed would help too. Oh, hi kitty, you need more food? Ugh, ran out of toilet paper, just kidding, that rarely happens at my house, I value the toilet paper, it has got to be top 10 on the "important list".
Is there such a thing as inactivity because of stress, or being overwhelmed or is it just lazy? I know, don't be hard on myself. yeah, yeah.
BTW, haven't moved anything on my bed side table yet. Got too much to think about....
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Friday, March 30, 2012
funny things
Haylee: "Moooommmmm, my sarcophagus hurts". I laugh and say "honey, a sarcophagus is like a tomb that mummies are in", she says "oh, well I guess if it was my sarcophagus, my throat wouldn't hurt cuz I'd be dead."
I'm telling the kids to get ready to go, come on, come on, lets go, no you have to wear shoes not sandals, because it is cold out, yes, 50 degrees is still cold, come on Logan, did you brush your teeth? Go brush your teeth. Haylee stop bossing your brother. Did you brush your teeth? Ok comb your hair, Haylee you have to wear a jacket or a sweatshirt, yes you do, yes you do, Haylee. Yes You Do. Logan, where are you buddy, are you ready to go? Logan, it isn't play time, don't you want to go with us? Come on, put your shoes on. I don't know, one under the table in the living room and look in your room.There's only one table in the living room, check there. Come on Logan! Logan, you came home with both shoes on right? Then they must both be here. Haylee, brush your hair, no you didn't, well it needs to be brushed again. Sorry about that but you can brush it or I can. Logan, SHOES. Haylee I see the hat, did you brush your hair? Well too bad, you have to brush your hair. Logan, look your shoe is right there. Put it on. Haylee stop bossing your brother, did you do what I asked you to do? Logan you can't wear the shirt out in public you wore to bed last night, change your shirt, put on a long sleeve or sweatshirt. Come on Logan. Maybe you don't want to go mini-golfing, do you want to stay home? Logan looks at me dazed and says exasperated, "where ARE we going?" I say, "we are going to play mini-golf like we decided we would do today". "Oh! I wanna go! I wanna go! Where's my sweatshirt?"
This is the price you pay having free thinkers.
I'm telling the kids to get ready to go, come on, come on, lets go, no you have to wear shoes not sandals, because it is cold out, yes, 50 degrees is still cold, come on Logan, did you brush your teeth? Go brush your teeth. Haylee stop bossing your brother. Did you brush your teeth? Ok comb your hair, Haylee you have to wear a jacket or a sweatshirt, yes you do, yes you do, Haylee. Yes You Do. Logan, where are you buddy, are you ready to go? Logan, it isn't play time, don't you want to go with us? Come on, put your shoes on. I don't know, one under the table in the living room and look in your room.There's only one table in the living room, check there. Come on Logan! Logan, you came home with both shoes on right? Then they must both be here. Haylee, brush your hair, no you didn't, well it needs to be brushed again. Sorry about that but you can brush it or I can. Logan, SHOES. Haylee I see the hat, did you brush your hair? Well too bad, you have to brush your hair. Logan, look your shoe is right there. Put it on. Haylee stop bossing your brother, did you do what I asked you to do? Logan you can't wear the shirt out in public you wore to bed last night, change your shirt, put on a long sleeve or sweatshirt. Come on Logan. Maybe you don't want to go mini-golfing, do you want to stay home? Logan looks at me dazed and says exasperated, "where ARE we going?" I say, "we are going to play mini-golf like we decided we would do today". "Oh! I wanna go! I wanna go! Where's my sweatshirt?"
This is the price you pay having free thinkers.
At long last
Hello All! It's been a while.
Where to start ~ the kids are goofy, work is crazy and my hubby got a new job! Yipee! I've been thinking for months about catching up and I finally have time to do it! So.... it is amazing how much time a workaholic. like myself, works. The funny part about me is that I think a lot for work. (So much so that I don't remember some words anymore!)
The part I like best about work is pulling all the pieces together to make them work, and by pieces I mean people and their job/tasks/opinions/feelings etc. What I do though is hear all the different perspectives and then decide what to do or how to do it. This is not most people's work style. Some want to be told what to do in specific terms and not variate from that routine. It is very hard for these people when I come along and want to know what they think.
Some people want to be completely left to their own devices except for when they don't, and since it is very hard to tell when people need something UNLESS THEY ASK these people tend to be the ones talking behind backs or covertly doing something to get your attention, like come in late, stay on the personal call a little too long ~ things that if you as a manager 'truly cared' about them would notice and speak up about. They are just pushing buttons. What I've learned is that the minute I get word that someone is off the norm you must go pay attention to them. At first they may be quiet and bitter (because you 'didn't care' last week or because their anger is eating them up, not to mention you didn't know last week there was a problem but enough about you and back to them) after they warm up they'll still be eying you distrustfully of course but if you are persistent they will eventually tell (or ask) what it was they should have asked a week ago.
Some of you may be thinking, yeah well, if they have attitude that's their problem. Well yes and no. Remember, a happy employee is a productive employee. :0)
I think I'll stop here. Not so much of my usual humor and yet, way too much whining. At least I got back on the blog. I can do that now since I'm now at 30 hours a week. I think I might become a little more sane every week that I can get time to clear my head. (Although less work means more kids, I'll enjoy that for uhh, a couple days.) Just kidding, I love those rotten brats.
Di
Where to start ~ the kids are goofy, work is crazy and my hubby got a new job! Yipee! I've been thinking for months about catching up and I finally have time to do it! So.... it is amazing how much time a workaholic. like myself, works. The funny part about me is that I think a lot for work. (So much so that I don't remember some words anymore!)
The part I like best about work is pulling all the pieces together to make them work, and by pieces I mean people and their job/tasks/opinions/feelings etc. What I do though is hear all the different perspectives and then decide what to do or how to do it. This is not most people's work style. Some want to be told what to do in specific terms and not variate from that routine. It is very hard for these people when I come along and want to know what they think.
Some people want to be completely left to their own devices except for when they don't, and since it is very hard to tell when people need something UNLESS THEY ASK these people tend to be the ones talking behind backs or covertly doing something to get your attention, like come in late, stay on the personal call a little too long ~ things that if you as a manager 'truly cared' about them would notice and speak up about. They are just pushing buttons. What I've learned is that the minute I get word that someone is off the norm you must go pay attention to them. At first they may be quiet and bitter (because you 'didn't care' last week or because their anger is eating them up, not to mention you didn't know last week there was a problem but enough about you and back to them) after they warm up they'll still be eying you distrustfully of course but if you are persistent they will eventually tell (or ask) what it was they should have asked a week ago.
Some of you may be thinking, yeah well, if they have attitude that's their problem. Well yes and no. Remember, a happy employee is a productive employee. :0)
I think I'll stop here. Not so much of my usual humor and yet, way too much whining. At least I got back on the blog. I can do that now since I'm now at 30 hours a week. I think I might become a little more sane every week that I can get time to clear my head. (Although less work means more kids, I'll enjoy that for uhh, a couple days.) Just kidding, I love those rotten brats.
Di
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Safety 1st
Ok so I consider myself a pretty good mom. Aware enough of the bad things in the world to let the kids know bad things are possible but not in a way that would scare them silly. Well, I kinda messed that up tonight.
AS you probably already know we were at the Twins game due to Haylee's school choir singing the National Anthem. It was very exciting for a 4th grader. So it turns out that it is getting dark earlier and earlier so on the way out of the game, away from the bright stadium lights, it was dark out. We are in the city and we go through a parking ramp structure tunnel, as it is the city they have dampened yellowed lights throughout the streets so you can just see far enough to know you won't be hacked down by a machete wielding stranger.
My mind starts developing a cheap storyline to the next horror movie where the unknowingly arrogant suburbanite family walking back from the "expensive" Twins game, probably have a couple bucks in their pockets, at the very least a couple rings and a nice watch, maybe a pair of good shoes and righteous teeth.....but then again, I have this sort of sick morbid humor so I decide to use my spidey senses for good rather than freaking the crap out of myself.
So, being a good mom and seeing this learning opportunity I lightheartedly and fairly softly tell the kids that thinking about safety first, none of us should ever go down barely lit tunnels by ourselves. why? (well dont these kids know about bad things, what is wrong with them....I think to myself, oh yeah, that's my job.) So still laughingly and trying to convey confidence in our safety as a group (perhaps I look around just a touch more nervously than I should have) I say non-threateningly, gently (learning opportunity remember) "because sometimes bad people who do bad things could be around the corner". I want to be honest, not gloss it over, and I want them to be scared enough to know to be safe and don't want them to become immobilized by the potential fear (because I have a morbid sense of humor, and they are too heavy at this point to carry around) and scare the crap out of them.
So Erik and I are aware of our surroundings, see (and try to ignore) the guy peeing up against that wall across the street, Erik says its time to cross the street, I pointedly say, probably not yet, Erik looks past the street lamp and sees the ---- lets say groupies --- hanging out in about 5 spots of what would be our pathway should we take that route. There are other Twins fans around now but just measly women and wildly unprepared children (what good is that?) but they are still kinda far away. So we stay on the same side of the road and at the well-lit corner some grungy, unwashed dread haired dude with very glassy eyes is trying to stop us; asking for a handout; other normal but rough night owl types come crossing the street on their merry (evil) way... I'm holding Haylee's hand, Erik holding Logan's, doing what we can to portray non-judgement of others and confidence that we weren't going to all die very painful, horrific deaths tonight, all the while continuing mundane, usual conversation.
We get to the parking lot, get in the car are laughing and joking about normal stuff and after a brief moment of silence we hear a small voice from the back say, " Mommy, can we sleep in your bed tonight?" why honey? "cuz I'm pretty sure I'm gonna have nightmares". Logan pipes up, "I'm already having nightmares!"
So, me, even at this point, not realizing the trauma I've just inflicted will cost thousands in therapy, say oh? (laugh) why do you think you are gonna have nightmares? (ha, ha) <Playing it down ALWAYS works right? That's how parents do it right? You educate, you play it down, you take it on yourself so children do not know the horrors of the world. Yeah, that is how you do it...right?!?> Haylee says in her very best sinister, whispery, crouched over creepy old villain voice, "because bad people are hiding around every corner, waiting to do bad things..."
Erik and I chuckle, look at each other and almost exactly say "yep, that is pretty much what I said".
"No seriously, can we sleep in your bed?"
Uhhhhmmm, oopps?
Who wants to bet when the kids are older and out on the town with their friends at some point in the future, about to reasure their friend that they will be fine walking down that dark alley by themselves; they'll take a couple steps away from their friend and then they will remember the time mom scared them (and they had nightmares for weeks...)with the creepy voice that bad people hide in the dark corners, waiting to do bad things. I don't know, doesn't that just validate the point?
So, the moral of the story. It must be ok to be crazy as long as it is as a mother rather than being bad crazy -- hiding out in tunnels.
AS you probably already know we were at the Twins game due to Haylee's school choir singing the National Anthem. It was very exciting for a 4th grader. So it turns out that it is getting dark earlier and earlier so on the way out of the game, away from the bright stadium lights, it was dark out. We are in the city and we go through a parking ramp structure tunnel, as it is the city they have dampened yellowed lights throughout the streets so you can just see far enough to know you won't be hacked down by a machete wielding stranger.
My mind starts developing a cheap storyline to the next horror movie where the unknowingly arrogant suburbanite family walking back from the "expensive" Twins game, probably have a couple bucks in their pockets, at the very least a couple rings and a nice watch, maybe a pair of good shoes and righteous teeth.....but then again, I have this sort of sick morbid humor so I decide to use my spidey senses for good rather than freaking the crap out of myself.
So, being a good mom and seeing this learning opportunity I lightheartedly and fairly softly tell the kids that thinking about safety first, none of us should ever go down barely lit tunnels by ourselves. why? (well dont these kids know about bad things, what is wrong with them....I think to myself, oh yeah, that's my job.) So still laughingly and trying to convey confidence in our safety as a group (perhaps I look around just a touch more nervously than I should have) I say non-threateningly, gently (learning opportunity remember) "because sometimes bad people who do bad things could be around the corner". I want to be honest, not gloss it over, and I want them to be scared enough to know to be safe and don't want them to become immobilized by the potential fear (because I have a morbid sense of humor, and they are too heavy at this point to carry around) and scare the crap out of them.
So Erik and I are aware of our surroundings, see (and try to ignore) the guy peeing up against that wall across the street, Erik says its time to cross the street, I pointedly say, probably not yet, Erik looks past the street lamp and sees the ---- lets say groupies --- hanging out in about 5 spots of what would be our pathway should we take that route. There are other Twins fans around now but just measly women and wildly unprepared children (what good is that?) but they are still kinda far away. So we stay on the same side of the road and at the well-lit corner some grungy, unwashed dread haired dude with very glassy eyes is trying to stop us; asking for a handout; other normal but rough night owl types come crossing the street on their merry (evil) way... I'm holding Haylee's hand, Erik holding Logan's, doing what we can to portray non-judgement of others and confidence that we weren't going to all die very painful, horrific deaths tonight, all the while continuing mundane, usual conversation.
We get to the parking lot, get in the car are laughing and joking about normal stuff and after a brief moment of silence we hear a small voice from the back say, " Mommy, can we sleep in your bed tonight?" why honey? "cuz I'm pretty sure I'm gonna have nightmares". Logan pipes up, "I'm already having nightmares!"
So, me, even at this point, not realizing the trauma I've just inflicted will cost thousands in therapy, say oh? (laugh) why do you think you are gonna have nightmares? (ha, ha) <Playing it down ALWAYS works right? That's how parents do it right? You educate, you play it down, you take it on yourself so children do not know the horrors of the world. Yeah, that is how you do it...right?!?> Haylee says in her very best sinister, whispery, crouched over creepy old villain voice, "because bad people are hiding around every corner, waiting to do bad things..."
Erik and I chuckle, look at each other and almost exactly say "yep, that is pretty much what I said".
"No seriously, can we sleep in your bed?"
Uhhhhmmm, oopps?
Who wants to bet when the kids are older and out on the town with their friends at some point in the future, about to reasure their friend that they will be fine walking down that dark alley by themselves; they'll take a couple steps away from their friend and then they will remember the time mom scared them (and they had nightmares for weeks...)with the creepy voice that bad people hide in the dark corners, waiting to do bad things. I don't know, doesn't that just validate the point?
So, the moral of the story. It must be ok to be crazy as long as it is as a mother rather than being bad crazy -- hiding out in tunnels.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
PINs
This week I went to two Parent Information Nights (PIN) for school. They
basically recruit for PTA and try to sell clothing items, teachers let
you know the kids schedules and what we as parents can do to ensure
success with our children. So these are the questions the "getting to
know your kid" sheets ask. Name, phone#, place of employment, job title,
siblings (including their ages and homeroom teachers and school, if
different) dentist, doctor, emergency #, if the parents are together or
separate, what are the schedules for the kids outside of school, and the
last question always is "What else do you think we should know about
your child?" Ummm, EVERYTHING.
.
As a manager I've got to wonder how that came about -- probably some righteous do-gooder mom nagging at the principal, office ladies and any one else who would listen saying "you know it just doesn't seem like you want to know the children, shouldn't those get-to-know-you sheets have SOMEthing about the actual child and their personality.....I don't understand why it matters if/where I work. The only question left to ask is inventory of my house! So, to come full circle, probably the principal who has listened to this all 7 years of her children being in the school says to the teachers...."it is mandatory you ask about the child, just throw in there something about 'what else do we need to know' and leave it at that! Eyeroll, dang parents tell us every sloppy, goopie bodily function of their children anyway! Come to find out that principal retired at the end of the year, went somewhere where there were only single people w/o kids, who didn't want kids and would scowl at the sight of children. (well I had to finish the story!) I'm sure there are no teachers and principals that hate kids, (except of course my 2nd, 5th, 8th grade English and 9th grade geometry teachers, other than those all the others love kids.) The good thing is it takes all kinds. I couldn't do it. I'd rather manage 17 completely different people, counselors no less. If you are in the social services side of life, you know what I mean......
Thank you to all those people who take such good care of our rotten little people! Teachers et al.
.
As a manager I've got to wonder how that came about -- probably some righteous do-gooder mom nagging at the principal, office ladies and any one else who would listen saying "you know it just doesn't seem like you want to know the children, shouldn't those get-to-know-you sheets have SOMEthing about the actual child and their personality.....I don't understand why it matters if/where I work. The only question left to ask is inventory of my house! So, to come full circle, probably the principal who has listened to this all 7 years of her children being in the school says to the teachers...."it is mandatory you ask about the child, just throw in there something about 'what else do we need to know' and leave it at that! Eyeroll, dang parents tell us every sloppy, goopie bodily function of their children anyway! Come to find out that principal retired at the end of the year, went somewhere where there were only single people w/o kids, who didn't want kids and would scowl at the sight of children. (well I had to finish the story!) I'm sure there are no teachers and principals that hate kids, (except of course my 2nd, 5th, 8th grade English and 9th grade geometry teachers, other than those all the others love kids.) The good thing is it takes all kinds. I couldn't do it. I'd rather manage 17 completely different people, counselors no less. If you are in the social services side of life, you know what I mean......
Thank you to all those people who take such good care of our rotten little people! Teachers et al.
kids say the darnedest things
I've got to keep writing all these things down. I've actually forgotten some since I've not written them!
Me: was that you?
Logan: no, that was the invisible ball.
Me: oh, invisible? hmmm, well, what color was it?
Logan: red......uh I mean invisible color.
I said to the kids that I know so many people who are having a rough time and a lot that are getting divorced and I'm sad about that. Logan asked what divorced was. Haylee says haughtily, "That's when they just throw away their wedding rings!" (pause, I can hear the cogs turning for both of them) then Haylee says sincerely, What a waste! pause (as I laugh) and she adds, "I mean of time too!"
Me: was that you?
Logan: no, that was the invisible ball.
Me: oh, invisible? hmmm, well, what color was it?
Logan: red......uh I mean invisible color.
I said to the kids that I know so many people who are having a rough time and a lot that are getting divorced and I'm sad about that. Logan asked what divorced was. Haylee says haughtily, "That's when they just throw away their wedding rings!" (pause, I can hear the cogs turning for both of them) then Haylee says sincerely, What a waste! pause (as I laugh) and she adds, "I mean of time too!"
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Boys
The boys are watching cartoons this am, some batman thing, L asks who the female was in the show, Erik ~ the all knowing comic guy tells L who it is (so super important I can't even remember) and follows it up with a ghoulish reply, "Watch out for Women, boy, they will suck out your soul!" (Maaahaha!) My little baby boy says tentatively, "Like.....my.....mommy?"
Last weekend a bunch of us were up at the lake gathered in somewhat of a family reunion. Now, just a little bit about Duluth for those of you who don't know....or at least the part we are subject to. If you think about Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox, take Paul, with red plaid flannel shirt on, shorten him by about half (but the same weight), change the ax to a fishing pole and add the ever-so-delightful Tim Allen "Ahr, ahr ahr" and that pretty much sums up the men of Duluth. They have fancy man-caves, they go out on boats for hours together, they bring each other beers, they gossip about neighbors and throw sticks into the water for their dogs to retrieve. They change shoes and hats depending on the weather, talk sports and secretly (yeah right) smoke cigars and think they are super sneeky. Then to top it all off they make jokes about "Man tests" and "woman's work" -- now, if you look at this paragraph again, I coulda been talking about a bunch of "chicks", as they say.
The women however are sturdy, hardworking, take no BS kinda women. They know the men are joking, roll their eyes and make sure all that needs to get done, gets done. The men might make it for a week (Duluth women at this point again rolling their eyes would say, yeah, more like a day, an hour, 5 minutes they'd say) or so without his partner but after that.....completely helpless. (I guess that is most men...) Anyway.
So back to the story, the gaggle of men go to play golf one day. Logan is the lone male, left with 3 adult women, and two pre-teen girls.....we were going to take the "kids" fishing off the pontoon. Logan asks me, "Does this mean I get to drive the boat?" (he is 6 mind you) "What do you mean buddy?" I say. He says, "Well all the other men left, does that mean I get to drive the boat since there are only girls left?" As I vow to never let my little boy get initiated into the man-club, I choke out...."You don't think the women can handle it?" He knows he's stepped in it by now and starts backing away from me, he gets that ornery glint in his eye (exactly like his mother's) and says with a grin....."Uhmmm, no???"
Rotten boy.
So the real life solution, mama's don't let your baby's grow up to be cowboys or Duluth "men".
Last weekend a bunch of us were up at the lake gathered in somewhat of a family reunion. Now, just a little bit about Duluth for those of you who don't know....or at least the part we are subject to. If you think about Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox, take Paul, with red plaid flannel shirt on, shorten him by about half (but the same weight), change the ax to a fishing pole and add the ever-so-delightful Tim Allen "Ahr, ahr ahr" and that pretty much sums up the men of Duluth. They have fancy man-caves, they go out on boats for hours together, they bring each other beers, they gossip about neighbors and throw sticks into the water for their dogs to retrieve. They change shoes and hats depending on the weather, talk sports and secretly (yeah right) smoke cigars and think they are super sneeky. Then to top it all off they make jokes about "Man tests" and "woman's work" -- now, if you look at this paragraph again, I coulda been talking about a bunch of "chicks", as they say.
The women however are sturdy, hardworking, take no BS kinda women. They know the men are joking, roll their eyes and make sure all that needs to get done, gets done. The men might make it for a week (Duluth women at this point again rolling their eyes would say, yeah, more like a day, an hour, 5 minutes they'd say) or so without his partner but after that.....completely helpless. (I guess that is most men...) Anyway.
So back to the story, the gaggle of men go to play golf one day. Logan is the lone male, left with 3 adult women, and two pre-teen girls.....we were going to take the "kids" fishing off the pontoon. Logan asks me, "Does this mean I get to drive the boat?" (he is 6 mind you) "What do you mean buddy?" I say. He says, "Well all the other men left, does that mean I get to drive the boat since there are only girls left?" As I vow to never let my little boy get initiated into the man-club, I choke out...."You don't think the women can handle it?" He knows he's stepped in it by now and starts backing away from me, he gets that ornery glint in his eye (exactly like his mother's) and says with a grin....."Uhmmm, no???"
Rotten boy.
So the real life solution, mama's don't let your baby's grow up to be cowboys or Duluth "men".
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