Ah Halloween. ON top of the 500 million things we have going on this month, I'm left to #1 purchase numerous accessories for G's Roller Derby Girl costume. Roller skates, shiny silver hot pants, green and black ZEBRA striped leggings, and of course none of these things are found in stores and must be shipped. (Have I mentioned that G is INCREDIBLY artsy and original and I don't dare stifle her creativity). #2 Purchase fabric, pattern, batting and other items for the baby's costume that G's ALSO creating. We have a back up plan because this will be the first pattern G will be following, but I know she'll do great. She's a whiz at the sewing machine.
And #3... Izzy. Yes, Izzy. My little Virgo. Demanding, dominating, more opinionated than me, Izzy. Trying to get my 4 year old to MAKE A DECISION, is like trying to get the Republicans and the Democrats to AGREE on this stupid bail out plan. I know it will happen, but if I have to hear her negotiate about it with me one more time I'm going hurt someone!!! "Mom, if you let me wear RED lipstick, I'll be Scarlett OHara! Mom, if you die my hair ORANGE, I'll be a pumpkin" etc. etc. Just pick a frickin costume before I dress you up as my prisoner and lock you in your room all night instead of trick or treating!
The problem is that I have SO much going on this month, with countless birthdays and parties, D taking his engineer courses, Izzy starting soccer, and my high school reunion that almost fell in the toilet but has magically come to life (and did I mention that I'm in charge of it with one other person!)... I don't have time to have a kid keep changing her mind!!!!!
So I have two down... and one to threaten!
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
It's so freakin cliche'
I'm living the real life partial version of Inventing the Abbots. Remember that movie? About all the rich sisters who's father is overbearing and freakish who won't let his daughters date anyone he thinks is possibly beneath him and so the girls go behind his back and date these boys and sleep with them, and sneak around behind their parents backs. Joaquin Phoenix is in it with Liv Tyler. I recommend it to any parent thinking about forbidding their daughter from seeing a boy. I'm thinking about watching it over and over again.
D and I decided (with a professional opinion, mind you) that G is not ready to "date" and that for now, she can't have a boyfriend. A myriad of reasons I won't say, but basically it comes down to the DISASTER of a "boyfriend" she had for about six months last year, and the majorly unnecessary chaos it created in our lives. I mean, we're talking like teenager Armageddon over here. Grades in the toilet, head up behind, just god awful. D even talked to G's mother about it, and she agreed. Boys are nothing but a DISTRACTION at this age and only make teenage girls act more crazy than they already are. So when G decided she liked this boy... we said great, like him all you want, but there will be no dating until you are 16. Hanging out in a group setting, fine. Hanging out by yourself with said boy, no. If only we had come up with that plan BEFORE she had that first boyfriend I already mentioned.
I can't say I learned anything from any of the boyfriends I had when I was a teenager. Yeah it was fun to have someone to hang out with. TWO of them were actually VERY nice and my parents actually sorta liked them, but I mean, did they shape me into the person I am today? Doubtful. Did they make me look at my relationship with my husband in a different light? Uhh... I don't think so. I did get two great friends that I still talk to out of my teen love years so that was worth it. Besides that, the only thing the boyfriends I had did, was piss off my parents and make me irresponsible. Oh and one made me hate red meat, but that's a whole different blog. The only real people I learned my relationship traits from is my parents. (and they are reading this thinking they are so cool right now or wondering what I'm smoking)
So we're not totally the Abbots. We're just trying to keep this child on the correct path and have her look back one day and be like... derrrr I was so stupid! Is that too much to ask?
Gosh I hate it when my parents are right!
D and I decided (with a professional opinion, mind you) that G is not ready to "date" and that for now, she can't have a boyfriend. A myriad of reasons I won't say, but basically it comes down to the DISASTER of a "boyfriend" she had for about six months last year, and the majorly unnecessary chaos it created in our lives. I mean, we're talking like teenager Armageddon over here. Grades in the toilet, head up behind, just god awful. D even talked to G's mother about it, and she agreed. Boys are nothing but a DISTRACTION at this age and only make teenage girls act more crazy than they already are. So when G decided she liked this boy... we said great, like him all you want, but there will be no dating until you are 16. Hanging out in a group setting, fine. Hanging out by yourself with said boy, no. If only we had come up with that plan BEFORE she had that first boyfriend I already mentioned.
I can't say I learned anything from any of the boyfriends I had when I was a teenager. Yeah it was fun to have someone to hang out with. TWO of them were actually VERY nice and my parents actually sorta liked them, but I mean, did they shape me into the person I am today? Doubtful. Did they make me look at my relationship with my husband in a different light? Uhh... I don't think so. I did get two great friends that I still talk to out of my teen love years so that was worth it. Besides that, the only thing the boyfriends I had did, was piss off my parents and make me irresponsible. Oh and one made me hate red meat, but that's a whole different blog. The only real people I learned my relationship traits from is my parents. (and they are reading this thinking they are so cool right now or wondering what I'm smoking)
So we're not totally the Abbots. We're just trying to keep this child on the correct path and have her look back one day and be like... derrrr I was so stupid! Is that too much to ask?
Gosh I hate it when my parents are right!
Sunday, September 21, 2008
I'd rather someone else do it...
We've lived in the same rental for 4.5 years. Whatever. Renting doesn't bother me. I'd like to own some day, but then I'd have to ACTUALLY let my husband fix things instead of calling the landlord to do it.
Here's why.
It's a lot easier to be pissed at the landlord for not fixing it, or not fixing it RIGHT, or for taking his sweet time telling us when it will be fixed. I'd rather them do it. I know D's capable, but I'd rather be mad at someone else.
Is that so wrong?
Here's why.
It's a lot easier to be pissed at the landlord for not fixing it, or not fixing it RIGHT, or for taking his sweet time telling us when it will be fixed. I'd rather them do it. I know D's capable, but I'd rather be mad at someone else.
Is that so wrong?
Thursday, September 11, 2008
It's totally different this year...
I remember exactly to the second what I was doing 7 years ago today. For some reason that morning D and I got up extra early because his truck was in the shop and I had to drive him over to his grandparents to borrow their car to get to work. It was his first year working for CDF doing the seasonal firefighter stuff. As we were driving down the street we kept trying to figure out why there was no music on the radio, but a lot of chaos and talking about a fire in New York. We both shrugged it off, I dropped him off and went back to our apartment and he drove to work. When I got home I turned on the TV and realized that stuff on the radio was quite the understated version of what was actually happening in New York. I watched in complete horror as the second plane careened into the second tower and remember Katie Couric's shakey voice asking "Did you see that, oh my god."
And with the rest of the Today Show viewers, I watched my first terrorist attack on my country. I was completely on the other side of the country, but felt like I was standing in the middle of Manhattan like a frightened little girl. It's like a slow motion shot that is etched in my brain. Highly unlikely it will ever dissapate. Several phone calls back and forth to D later explaining the images I was watching unfold on television, I heard someone say on the TV that they were evacuating the Sears Tower. Umm... oh. my. god. My father was IN that tower that morning on his business trip. It was probably the worst call I ever have had to make, to tell my mom that terrorists were taking over planes and crashing them into buildings and oh yeah, papa's building is being evacuated right now. I could tell over the phone how scared she was with me. Thankfully, papa was safe, and eventually made it home to us.
The rest of the day and the days to follow were insane. I remember so much of it, it's almost eerie. I remember D coming home after his 4 days up there just heartbroken. I remember thinking, oh I do NOT want this life. I want my husband to find a nice 9-5 job so that I don't have to throw up a little in my mouth every time he heads to work and puts his life on the line.
This year, for some reason it's different. I think now that D is officially a firefighter for life and this is his CAREER, I've accepted his path. I could not be more proud of my husband. Because I KNOW that if something like 9/11 happened again, he would do everything in his power to help anyone he could. He'd be the first one there, inside the middle of mayhem working his ass off to help our Nation. I know in my heart that he was supposed to do this. He has been called to duty to serve and protect. 7 years after those horrific attacks, he has cotinued his path and has never looked back. He knows exactly what he wants to do, and that this is what he was born to do. I could not love that guy anymore for it. He is my hero.
Today especially, I honor my husband, firefighters, service men and women, police, EMS and everyone touched by 9/11.
And with the rest of the Today Show viewers, I watched my first terrorist attack on my country. I was completely on the other side of the country, but felt like I was standing in the middle of Manhattan like a frightened little girl. It's like a slow motion shot that is etched in my brain. Highly unlikely it will ever dissapate. Several phone calls back and forth to D later explaining the images I was watching unfold on television, I heard someone say on the TV that they were evacuating the Sears Tower. Umm... oh. my. god. My father was IN that tower that morning on his business trip. It was probably the worst call I ever have had to make, to tell my mom that terrorists were taking over planes and crashing them into buildings and oh yeah, papa's building is being evacuated right now. I could tell over the phone how scared she was with me. Thankfully, papa was safe, and eventually made it home to us.
The rest of the day and the days to follow were insane. I remember so much of it, it's almost eerie. I remember D coming home after his 4 days up there just heartbroken. I remember thinking, oh I do NOT want this life. I want my husband to find a nice 9-5 job so that I don't have to throw up a little in my mouth every time he heads to work and puts his life on the line.
This year, for some reason it's different. I think now that D is officially a firefighter for life and this is his CAREER, I've accepted his path. I could not be more proud of my husband. Because I KNOW that if something like 9/11 happened again, he would do everything in his power to help anyone he could. He'd be the first one there, inside the middle of mayhem working his ass off to help our Nation. I know in my heart that he was supposed to do this. He has been called to duty to serve and protect. 7 years after those horrific attacks, he has cotinued his path and has never looked back. He knows exactly what he wants to do, and that this is what he was born to do. I could not love that guy anymore for it. He is my hero.
Today especially, I honor my husband, firefighters, service men and women, police, EMS and everyone touched by 9/11.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Smarter than a grown up.
I don't understand teenagers today, or better yet... I do NOT understand PARENTS of teenagers. I mean, I'm not even that old, but how is it that I KNOW BETTER THAN A GROWN PERSON?
I went to Trader Joes today with the babies like any normal weekday excursion to our favorite grocery store. I have to drive to the next town over because we don't have one in my town. Trader Joes is freakin fabulous, and low priced (I'll save that for another post though). I nicely refer to my neighbor town as Snob-ville. It's full of rich, bratty, irrational teenagers and their million dollar mansions that their parents own. As if normal teenagers weren't already morons. I don't frequent Snob-ville very often. I make it an art to go directly into the location, do what I need to do, and go directly back to car without speaking or making direct eye contact with anyone for fear that they may notice my Old Navy flip flops and mock me in front of my children for not wearing more sophisticated expensive flip flops! Having to explain why I am not a millionare is something I'll save for the babies when they are older. But I digress. As we're doing our shopping and I'm keeping my eyes pointed directly at my shopping cart, I notice a swarm of teenagers entering the refrigerator section scoping out lunch. Crap. I picked a bad time to shop. The parking lot of the high school is literally next door to TJ's and it was lunch time.
I figure with teenagers, it's my right to stare at them with distaste as I try to shelter my children from their pierced, pink haired, weirdness. And as I was staring or maybe glaring, I realized I was staring at a pierced, pink haird weird girl with the words TRUE RELIGION spelled across her jean pocket.
Oh. My. Lord.
Does that girl have any idea HOW MUCH THOSE JEANS COST??? Who the hell bought them for her? Because I KNOW SHE DIDN'T! How in the world could a 16 possibly 17 year old CHILD pay $200+ dollars for a pair of JEANS? And then as I stared at her ass, I started checking out other asses surrounding me. And seriously, it wasn't just the pierced pink haired weirdo! It was nearly ALL of the teenage girls in the aisle! Citizens of Humanity, Sevens, Paige. $175, $145, $230. I mean what the frick? And this was only the lower halves of their bodies! I was so shocked staring at name brand asses, I'm sure most of them also had some ridiculously over priced hand bag with them that carried their IPhones and Mercedes keys. I couldn't see past the BLUE! I mean, when I was a teenager, Guess jeans were cool, but they were so NOT $200 bucks! And if they were, my parents would have laughed in my face and then driven me to Mervyn's to buy some generic jeans.
Do parents have no shame? Wait, more importantly do kids have no fear? I don't think I would have even uttered words like "Can you buy me those $200 dollar jeans" before my mom could slap the thought out of my head! I mean yes, I have TWO pairs of these questionably over priced jeans, but ok first of all, I bought a pair AFTER my first baby when I was EMPLOYED and 25 years old! And I'll be damned, but I wore those things basically every day for TWO years straight until I got pregnant again. (Still sad that I can't squeeze my ass into them after the second kid, but hence the SECOND pair of jeans!) I did NOT ask my MOMMY to buy them for me for no apparent reason!
I just can't help but blame parents for this hysteria. I'm secretly hoping that pierced pink haired True Religion weirdo girl gets a frickin 4.0 GPA because then maybe for a second I'd be like... well I guess you deserve the $200 dollar jeans? That sentence isn't sitting well with my stomach.
You can't send a teenager off into LIFE like this. What will they do when they realize their boss doesn't even PAY them enough to afford the jeans after the rent and food? Where are the parents priorities to TEACH the child about real stuff? Independence, self worth, accountablilty? All those things that D and I have been trying to BANG INTO G's HEAD for the past two years? Do we have not have morals anymore? Where have our brains gone? Maybe it's the ozone depleting or something? It's sucking the oxygen out of our heads and imparing our ability to train our kids!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm seriously so unbelievably terrified for our youth...
I went to Trader Joes today with the babies like any normal weekday excursion to our favorite grocery store. I have to drive to the next town over because we don't have one in my town. Trader Joes is freakin fabulous, and low priced (I'll save that for another post though). I nicely refer to my neighbor town as Snob-ville. It's full of rich, bratty, irrational teenagers and their million dollar mansions that their parents own. As if normal teenagers weren't already morons. I don't frequent Snob-ville very often. I make it an art to go directly into the location, do what I need to do, and go directly back to car without speaking or making direct eye contact with anyone for fear that they may notice my Old Navy flip flops and mock me in front of my children for not wearing more sophisticated expensive flip flops! Having to explain why I am not a millionare is something I'll save for the babies when they are older. But I digress. As we're doing our shopping and I'm keeping my eyes pointed directly at my shopping cart, I notice a swarm of teenagers entering the refrigerator section scoping out lunch. Crap. I picked a bad time to shop. The parking lot of the high school is literally next door to TJ's and it was lunch time.
I figure with teenagers, it's my right to stare at them with distaste as I try to shelter my children from their pierced, pink haired, weirdness. And as I was staring or maybe glaring, I realized I was staring at a pierced, pink haird weird girl with the words TRUE RELIGION spelled across her jean pocket.
Oh. My. Lord.
Does that girl have any idea HOW MUCH THOSE JEANS COST??? Who the hell bought them for her? Because I KNOW SHE DIDN'T! How in the world could a 16 possibly 17 year old CHILD pay $200+ dollars for a pair of JEANS? And then as I stared at her ass, I started checking out other asses surrounding me. And seriously, it wasn't just the pierced pink haired weirdo! It was nearly ALL of the teenage girls in the aisle! Citizens of Humanity, Sevens, Paige. $175, $145, $230. I mean what the frick? And this was only the lower halves of their bodies! I was so shocked staring at name brand asses, I'm sure most of them also had some ridiculously over priced hand bag with them that carried their IPhones and Mercedes keys. I couldn't see past the BLUE! I mean, when I was a teenager, Guess jeans were cool, but they were so NOT $200 bucks! And if they were, my parents would have laughed in my face and then driven me to Mervyn's to buy some generic jeans.
Do parents have no shame? Wait, more importantly do kids have no fear? I don't think I would have even uttered words like "Can you buy me those $200 dollar jeans" before my mom could slap the thought out of my head! I mean yes, I have TWO pairs of these questionably over priced jeans, but ok first of all, I bought a pair AFTER my first baby when I was EMPLOYED and 25 years old! And I'll be damned, but I wore those things basically every day for TWO years straight until I got pregnant again. (Still sad that I can't squeeze my ass into them after the second kid, but hence the SECOND pair of jeans!) I did NOT ask my MOMMY to buy them for me for no apparent reason!
I just can't help but blame parents for this hysteria. I'm secretly hoping that pierced pink haired True Religion weirdo girl gets a frickin 4.0 GPA because then maybe for a second I'd be like... well I guess you deserve the $200 dollar jeans? That sentence isn't sitting well with my stomach.
You can't send a teenager off into LIFE like this. What will they do when they realize their boss doesn't even PAY them enough to afford the jeans after the rent and food? Where are the parents priorities to TEACH the child about real stuff? Independence, self worth, accountablilty? All those things that D and I have been trying to BANG INTO G's HEAD for the past two years? Do we have not have morals anymore? Where have our brains gone? Maybe it's the ozone depleting or something? It's sucking the oxygen out of our heads and imparing our ability to train our kids!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm seriously so unbelievably terrified for our youth...
Thursday, September 4, 2008
The downside of learning online...
Mother FLIPPER!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I've been trying to complete these stupid online labs and quizzes for my Intro to Computer Science course and dang it the STUPID BLOODY WEBSITE KEEPS LOCKING UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm getting so frustrated I'm about to throw the computer out the window even though I KNOW it's not MY computer's fault!
This is the part that absolutely kills me about online courses. The instructors give you an assignment and then give you the website to do the assignment on. The whole 60 person class logs on at the same time along with 50 million other people using the SAME online learning tool, the site freaks out and overloads and then takes a poop. SERVICE UNAVAILABLE!
It's not even like the assignment is complicated. Click here, drag here, oh here's how you SEND AN EMAIL! Yeah, I could do that in my sleep, but I can't do it ON THIS WEBSITE because it SUCKS!!!!!!!!
I love taking courses that are NECESSARY to graduate. Jeez!
I've been trying to complete these stupid online labs and quizzes for my Intro to Computer Science course and dang it the STUPID BLOODY WEBSITE KEEPS LOCKING UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm getting so frustrated I'm about to throw the computer out the window even though I KNOW it's not MY computer's fault!
This is the part that absolutely kills me about online courses. The instructors give you an assignment and then give you the website to do the assignment on. The whole 60 person class logs on at the same time along with 50 million other people using the SAME online learning tool, the site freaks out and overloads and then takes a poop. SERVICE UNAVAILABLE!
It's not even like the assignment is complicated. Click here, drag here, oh here's how you SEND AN EMAIL! Yeah, I could do that in my sleep, but I can't do it ON THIS WEBSITE because it SUCKS!!!!!!!!
I love taking courses that are NECESSARY to graduate. Jeez!
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Can ya smell that... that's a little bit of fear!
Democrats beware... Sarah Palin's gonna gitcha!
Oh I am LOVING this woman! She stood up there tonight swinging that bat better than any man can! I'm so proud! WOW! For a first timer, holy crap she nailed it! I'm really excited to see what the polls say tomorrow. I think her speech was powerful, brilliant, funny, witty, and VERY straight forward. I swear I was in tears at one point when she started talking about McCain giving a grin and a thumbs up to the other POWs when he was being interrogated during war. She's a bad ass! She's going to be one hell of a VP slinging mud all while holding her special needs baby in her arms. What an amazing thing to see. I think all women in America must be so proud right now.
Now if we could have gotten Rudolph to shut his trap a little earlier, we could have watched the video introduction of her before she came on stage. Would have been nice, but apparently he needed his last 15 minutes of fame. Poor Rudy. Love ya buddy.
This is getting verrrrry interesting!! I love election years!!!
Oh I am LOVING this woman! She stood up there tonight swinging that bat better than any man can! I'm so proud! WOW! For a first timer, holy crap she nailed it! I'm really excited to see what the polls say tomorrow. I think her speech was powerful, brilliant, funny, witty, and VERY straight forward. I swear I was in tears at one point when she started talking about McCain giving a grin and a thumbs up to the other POWs when he was being interrogated during war. She's a bad ass! She's going to be one hell of a VP slinging mud all while holding her special needs baby in her arms. What an amazing thing to see. I think all women in America must be so proud right now.
Now if we could have gotten Rudolph to shut his trap a little earlier, we could have watched the video introduction of her before she came on stage. Would have been nice, but apparently he needed his last 15 minutes of fame. Poor Rudy. Love ya buddy.
This is getting verrrrry interesting!! I love election years!!!
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