How Was YOUR Day...

Sometimes your kids do something that reflects on you and tells you that you're doing it right and your heart swells and you know that all those arguments and repeating the same thing over and over and over is working. It's getting through.

Last March, for our anniversary, the kids stayed at our friends Rick & Carrie's house overnight while we went away for the weekend. Just this week another mutual friend relayed to me that Zack was so polite and had such a big heart that Carrie shared it with her.

Carrie works crazy hours. Apparently she came in in the evening and Zack asked how her day was, said she looked tired and should sit down, and then complimented her hair. What a love.

This stems from way back when I used to pick the kids up from school/daycare everyday and they would immediately start in on me with the whining and the "I want..." and the begging to be taken somewhere or given some thing. I lost it one afternoon and snapped "You KNOW, it would be NICE if before you start whining at me about things that you want you asked 'Mommy, how was your day?'" This has stuck with both of them. Apparently when your head spins around the kids pay attention. Zack will sometimes run up to me in the afternoon with "Mom, I need to get *abrupt pause* How was your day? Oh good. Mom, I need to get poster board for my project that's due tomorrow".

My friend Ashley would call this a paycheck.

We'll Get You Out...

Matt and I came upon something interesting while sitting in our local Starbucks this past Sunday morning. We fully admit that we have trouble minding our own business and usually spend more time eavesdropping on other conversations than having our own.

At the table next to us were three men. One of them was attempting to sell the other two on prepaid legal services. Now, many corporations offer this for their employees. The sell is usually encouraging people to prepare a legal Will, a Power of Attorney, maybe help with an adoption. Not here, oh no. THIS guy was selling prepaid attorney services for thugs. I don't want to judge, but the two guys he was speaking to looked like they might have been in the position to need a lawyer in the middle of the night and that's just the sell this guy was using "When you get arrested in the middle of the night, and you've got your lawyer on call, you're going to spend less time in jail. We'll get you out right away, sometimes all it takes is a phone call."

At first I was all hanging mouth open at the fact that there is a market for this, and then I was impressed at Mr. Legal Services that he's just getting in there before the other guy. I mean if two thugs are going to pay a lawyer, he might as well get them before they do the crime. Then he can be sure they'll call HIM when they get arrested.

How disturbing is it that this is a thing?

Aware of the Pink...

This past Sunday I happened into the living room while Matt was watching some football game.  I'm not certain which one but I vaguely remember Skyler speaking of Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders so maybe it was Dallas.  I looked at the television for a minute and said to Matt "Hey, I think something is wrong with the color on the tv.  Everything red looks pink."  He rolled his eyes at me like he always does if I bother to attempt to understand anything on television during a sporting event and pointed out that it WAS pink and that they were supporting Breast Cancer Awareness month.  I watched for a minute more, looking at all the things that were pink, cleats, gloves, hats, t-shirts, cups, towels.  You name an item on the sideline of a football game and they had it in pink.

Here's where I'm going to get on a soapbox.  Just think for a moment about all the money that they spent this month to change all of those items to pink.  Everything had to be purchased/created anew, in pink.  And then they claimed that they were supporting breast cancer.  Really?  I'm just guessing but I'd estimate that most people are aware of breast cancer and all of the money spent on all those pink cleats would have been better spent as a donation to breast cancer research.  Maybe someone is going to come here and argue that the NFL DOES donate to breast cancer research.  It's possible.  They could have.  I didn't research it.  But they could have donated even more.  Much much more.

Retail Therapy...

The wife of one of my coworkers works for Gymboree. Once in awhile she'll give me a coupon with a really great discount. This weekend it was 50% off which was so good that I went to the mall twice.

Skyler is now looking super cute in the following:

And Zack got this shirt to match his sister's dress (look for it in winter pictures coming your way soon)   

 

I get ridiculously excited when buying cute clothes for my kiddos!

Gone Crazy...

Do you ever get home in the afternoon, take one look at your child and think "oh, 8:00 cannot get here fast enough"? Skyler had that look about her yesterday afternoon. I was on the phone when I pulled in the driveway. I was talking to my mother. I said "hey kids, do you want to say 'hi' to Grammy?" Zack said yes and had a nice chat. Then he made the gross mistake of asking Skyler if she wanted to talk to Grammy. The little banshee starting screaming "No. NOoooo. I don't WANT to talk to Grammy!!" as though Grammy were going to poison her through the phone or some such nonsense. Zack and I looked at each other and I'm sure both decided that it was going to be a long night. As I was hanging up the phone she started screeching from the kitchen "MOMMY I'm SORRY I didn't mean to drop it." She was in a way oversensitive mood and I was sure it was spilled milk but nope, it was a bottle of nail polish. Long night indeed.

I got that cleaned up and went upstairs to call Matt and inform him that since I got three hours of sleep the night before and his daughter had gone crazy that I was going to bed and that he'd better be home quickly. He says "are you about to get your period?" I said "I'M not the one that's crazy here" and he made some complaint that she acts crazy and emotional when I do. Lovely. That's just what we need, two crazy women in the house.

Hopefully things will be better today!

Do You See All Those Pigs Flying Around Out There...

Skyler: Mom! This big girl on the bus said I was so sweet that she wanted to adopt me as her little sister.

*quietly from the other room*
Zack: I would be sad.

Still Missing...

Still Missing

Are you looking for a good book that is full of suspense and has a good twist at the end?  Here you go.  I read it yesterday while I was fostering this chest cold.  I'm itching to tell you more, but that will ruin it.  You've got to just read it on your own.  Let me know what you think when you do read it!