Things I learned last night

Always bring an umbrella for rain and/or sun.
If you are a nasty spectator...your kid will be a nasty player.
Good friends make losing an easier thing to deal with.
Never give Molly treat she has never had before at 11:05 pm cause she will wake you up at 2:00 and 4:00 and 5:45.
When Molly has to go, you better get the hell up and get her outside FAST.
Crackers taste really good at 2:00 and 4:00 in the morning.
Chickens talk in their sleep.
At 4:10 in the morning, even the most mundane neighborhoods seem dark and scary.
I love my dog, even when she has an upset stomach.

Options.. you can go with this.. or you can go with that.

I am an optionizer.  Don't look it up, it is my own word.  I give options, lots of options.  So many options that my children become annoyed at my always giving options.  Take this morning at breakfast. The child wanted cereal.  Nothing bad about that right?  easy peasy.

Me:  "ok, we have frosted flakes".

Child:  Ewww, I don't want that, don't we have any other cereal?

Me: "yes, we have Fruit Loops... but I don't think they are fresh.. probably stale.  Hey, what about oatmeal?  I have some oatmeal.. I can make you some, of course they are not the dinosaur oatmeal that you like but I can.. no?  Don't want that.. um..oh wait.. what about grits, I can make you grits."

Child:  "forget it mom, never mind".

Me:  "Grit are good!  I can put cheese in them..or I can make you a breakfast burrito?  Or how about nutella on toast?  hmm  I can make you regular toast with eggs.. or how bout just toast?  I have bacon.. want some bacon?"

Child:  "UGH MOM.. Forget it"

Me:  "you can't not have breakfast.. what about a granola bar?  Apple?  I can make bacon and eggs really quick...oh what about a rice crispy treat?  OOOOOh  Boniva bars? "

Well you get the picture.  By the time I was done giving options she was giving me the silent treatment which, as far as I know, continues.

I personally like options.  I like to know I am not being forced into things.  I HATE being told what to do.  I do not like it at all.    I may acquiesce to your request (did you see a pirate) but it will be the slowest possible speed that I can get away with.  I never really thought about it being annoying.  Apparently it is.  Ah well, too old to change now but I can leave you with a bit of fun for those of us who like options.  You can watch the link below, or not, you don't have to, you could just go to youtube and watch it there or something else, it is entirely up to you.

I love options :)

I Miss You Jenny

Today is my 13th year here with the firm.  Nobody remembered.  I guess I should not expect much from a bunch of guys but still it made me scowl once or twice today.

School has begun again, the child #3 is a sophomore now.  She has grown up so fast and so smart.  I feel like Forest Gump.  "She's so smart Jenny".    I love that part of the movie but don't you just want to know what Forest's kid wrote in the letter?  That is how I know I can never be as good as Forest because I would have totally read that letter.  

I have so much to say but the words are not here so it will have to wait for another time.

I was going to post the video but I won't move over so I will leave you with Forest's words:

You died on a Saturday morning, and I had you placed here, under our tree. And I had that house of your father's bulldozed to the ground. Mama always said dying was a part of life. I sure wish it wasn't. Little Forrest, he's doing just fine. 'Bout to start school again soon. I make his breakfast, lunch and dinner everyday. I make sure he combs his hair and brushes his teeth everyday. Teaching him how to play ping-pong. He's really good. We fish a lot. And everynight we read a book- and he's so smart Jenny. You'd be so proud of him, I am. He, uh, wrote you a letter, but he says I can't read it, I'm not supposed to, so I'll just leave it here for you. Jenny, I don't know if Mama's right or if its Lieutenant Dan, I don't know if we each have a destiny or if we're all floating around accidental, like on a breeze. But I think maybe its both, maybe both is happening at the same time. I miss you, Jenny. If there's anything you need, I won't be far away.

Hard Sayings

My dad had a term he would use called “hard sayings.   It was things that I needed to hear but it was hard for him to say and hard for me to hear.   Even though my dad has been gone for a long time now I can still hear his voice at times saying “Little girl, these are hard sayings but hear me now”.  This weekend was one of those times.

It is never easy to admit when your life, attitude, direction is wrong but this weekend some things were broken that will never be the same again.  A relationship has been changed, maybe for the better who knows.  But for right now it is heart breaking for me.  And during the hurricane of emotional turmoil I could hear my dad telling me some “hard sayings”.  And the truth hurt, I didn’t like it but I know I have to change some things in my life.

Thanks dad.