A friend just forwarded this link to me. Here’s a ”blind taste test” to figure out whether you really agree with the presidential candidate you’re supporting!
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/MatchoMatic/fullpage?id=5542139
I chose my candidate’s statements 12 out of 13 times! How about you?
My husband wrote the nicest post about me on his blog this week, and I just have to tell you why he’s the greatest!
The list could go on and on.
My mother-in-law called in tears this morning. Sammy, her dog for 13 years, died last night. She knew it was coming, had even said if he died this weekend that she’d bring him up to Como where we are headed for camping, and bury him. He waited until the perfect moment — she really wanted him burried there, where she has so many fond memories of spending time with friends.
So we’re picking up Sammy on our way out of town and Denise will drive herself up to our spot tomorrow. We’ll have him in the ground by then, and she’s bringing a grave marker. She would come today, but, giving soul that she is, she is spending the day with my sister, like she has every other Saturday for the last year-and-a-half. Ever since my sister was diagnosed with colon cancer early last year and has needed help taking care of her young children, Denise has been there. My mother-in-law. Helping my sister. Thanks, Denise, and goodbye Sammy.
David finally took the big plunge. He got his first tattoo last night. I was standing by with the camera to capture that first painfilled expression, which didn’t come until the needle got to the upper part of his arm.
Ouch!
The finished product.
The red is blood and bruise. It will go away over the next few days. Pretty cool, huh?
My first best friend ever (I was 4) sent me a fun link. You can click below and find out the #1 Billboard song on any day in history since Billboard started. I have to say, it’s rather humorous that the day I was born the #1 song was “Everything Is Beautiful”, while on David’s birthday it was “One Bad Apple”. The day I graduated high school it was “One More Try”, which is kind of funny.
Number One Song This Day In History
Post a reply and tell me yours!
As I look back over my underlines in Chapter 1 of Boundaries with Kids, my favorite quote is this:
“Children are not born with boundaries. They internalize boundaries from external relationships and discipline.”
You mean all of those so-called “experts” (who, by the way, have no kids of their own) who tell us children don’t need discipline, but will simply grow out of being little know-it-all’s who think the world turns on their whims, are wrong? But it’s on the internet, so it must be true!! Excuse me while I puke. Why is it that pet owners who use the principles of discipline and reward usually end up with well-behaved pets AND they don’t feel the need to take unsolicited advice from those of us who have never owned a labrador (shameless Looney Tunes reference). Now, I’m not saying kids are dogs (only some of them), but I am saying that many of the laws of nature apply both to our species and theirs.
I’m not a perfect parent (I tell my kids that, which lets them know it’s okay to not be perfect, and that’s good). But I fully intend to do whatever it takes to rear happy, respectful, God-loving, people-loving children who by adulthood will know the process of making a good decision and will have the guts to own their choices, good or bad. If I’m lucky they’ll also be rich and want to buy me cute things. What more could a mother want?
Coming up this Friday Kyle will be the proud owner of a blue cast. He decided to jump off some playground equipment at school yesterday and landed on his arm. Since the pain was still so bad today, I took him for x-rays this afternoon and he has cracked both bones in his right arm. He has a splint now and will get a cool cast on Friday to wear for 4 weeks.
David and I have been saying to eachother for a couple of years now, “How long until he breaks something?” August 12, 2008 was the answer.
Kyle’s pain is pretty well controlled with Advil right now. Say a prayer for his healing and for our sanity!
Ever heard that one? It’s true, you know. Somebody has to pay. Unfortunately, it’s often not the person eating the lunch. Yesterday after I dropped off the boys I went into the school with a check for their lunches this week. I explained to the office lady that I had tried to pay online but it wasn’t up-to-date. She assured me that they could eat lunch and told me not to worry even if I hadn’t paid. Nobody is refused lunch. She told me they would send me a bill if we got behind. So I guess it’s like the county giving a credit card to everyone, regardless of their ability or desire to pay. Pretty much if I just don’t pay my kids will still eat (not that I don’t want my kids to eat, I just think each parent should be responsible for their own kids!) Seems like more and more in our culture we are trying to upset the law of consequences. Your tax dollars at work.
This summer I read “Boundaries With Kids” and I highly recommend it. I’ll begin reviewing it here. David is reading it now too, and we’ve already implemented a couple of ideas. So often I’ve inserted myself into my children’s conflicts, just to get through the day, rather than teaching them how to resolve it the next time it comes up. This book is about teaching them the lifeskills they’ll need to become independent, productive, happy adults. It’s the long view. And I’ve honestly never read anything that gave me more hope that someday the whining can go away, the fighting won’t be my problem because I won’t put myself in the middle, and when my kids reach adulthood they will actually be equiped to live on their own. Now we just have to remember not to fall back into the old habits. More on the book tomorrow.
Well, the first day of school has finally arrived! Lindsay and Logan have been excited the last few days, but it took Kyle until this morning to be excited about it. Kyle got up at 7 (doesn’t have to leave until 8:30). He got dressed, tried to pack his own lunchbox (only needed 2 snacks; he packed about 6) and still had time for an hour’s worth of Power Rangers on TV. He was so revved up practicing his new Ranger skills that I wanted to find his teacher and apologize in advance, but I didn’t.
I drove the boys to school since they had so much stuff to bring and no idea what to do once we got there. We eventually found their respective teachers’ signs (kind of like finding your group for a guided tour). I asked Logan if I could kiss him good-bye. He said No. He wouldn’t even sit on my lap this morning. He informed me that he no longer wants to be treated like a baby. I assured him I wasn’t treating him like a baby, but that I just like to snuggle. Maybe if I keep saying that we’ll both believe it.
I’m going to lunch at my friend Donna’s house today to celebrate. I must admit, though, I had to hold back the tears walking away from my boys this morning. First day at a new school can be kind of scary (for us moms).
It’s 11:30 at night and apparently I have a touch of RLS (restless leg syndrome - can you have a “touch” of that?). I can’t sleep, can’t use up the energy in my legs. I don’t usually get up when I can’t sleep because I figure I’ll just get completely awake again, plus I might miss that certain moment when I would finally doze off if I’d stayed in bed. But, here I am so I might as well blog.
I took the kids to Cheyenne to visit my parents Monday morning and came back today. We’re cleaning out my Grandfather’s house to be sold (he lives with my parents now) and I brought home a couple of interesting old stamps. One is a profile of HItler and the other is also WWII era. They must have been stamps my Grandfather sent home on notes to Grandma during the war. I was fantisizing that they might be worth something. One we couldn’t even find a record of, but David found the other on the internet and guess what!? It’s one of a series of 23 stamps and, if I were to possess all 23, the set would be worth $2! That’s more than I would pay for anything with Hitler’s picture on it.
I’ll probably play Sudoku after this. I’m a little bit hooked. I have a friend who has one of those handheld games she plays before bed, but that’s another story. What do you do when you can’t sleep?