As I sit here, my silly 13 year old daughter is wearing a wig. Last night she came up the basement stairs wearing this short curly gray wig she got from her great grandma. I howled with laughter, begging her to take it off because I was afraid I'd get laughing too hard and start to cry. (So embarrassing!) She just kept on wearing it, loving any attention she can find!
Tonight she decided to be funny again, so she carefully arranged her own hair under the wig, placed a couple of flowers in it, and decided to watch TV in it. She threatened to go get her big ole CMU ball cap to plop on top of it. Oh, now that might make the bladder fail too.....yikes!
I love her impulsive sense of humor, and I have a sneaking suspicion where she might have gotten it. I used to do crazy (and crazier) stuff like that when I was a kid. (and still) I just always had this little 'bug' inside me to just do something impulsive. Believe me, it wasn't always funny, but it was fun!
I think it was one of the things that attracted my husband to me, so hey, nothing wrong with a little crazy, right? And for those of you who think they know Steve...you are probably wrong in your assumption. He's as crazy as they come. At home!
The one thing the four of us have in common is that on the outside, we're a little on the quiet side, but inside, there's a fire brewing! And once in awhile, we eat unwashed produce! Oh, yes we do!! We also tear the tags off the pillows and return our library books a day late. We're rebels, I'm telling you. Don't even get me started on Serena...
Natalie never ceases to make us laugh, as she imitated Larry the Cable Guy by saying (while in her wig), "I don't care who ya are, dat's funny right der!"
And dat, my friends, is funny!
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Stuff From a Sleepless Mind
Good morning! It's been a long morning for me, as I decided after tossing and turning a bit to just drag it out of bed at 4:50am. Do you know there is nothing good on TV at that hour? Not even a good old Three's Company episode!
So what's a sleepy girl like me doing in a place like this? Well, sometimes when I can't sleep, I begin praying, which leads to thinking! Thinking keeps me up more than anything.
What made me feel better about getting up with the roosters is a song I heard the other day. Don't ask me the name or who sings it. I was trying to hear it while someone was talking...rude, I know, but it really caught me and I wanted to know what the lyrics were. The line that caught me was something about "sleepless nights are for letting me know you're still there" or something like that. I guess the jist of the song was that when God is taking you through rough times, he uses it all to help us to grow. Like a tossing turning worrying restless me. He used my sleepless night to remind me of His presence. I will be listening for that song again for sure!
We've had a bunch of busyness going on so far, with appointments and jam-making, pool and deck building, and the other stuff in life. We always think summer is a laid back time, but that really is just a state of mind!
Just a sidenote: I bought a bathing suit yesterday! It was a monumental moment for me! Did it have something to do with my favorite number? Oh, yes, I would say "17" had something to do with it.
I'll leave you pondering on that! Enjoy your summer. I'm going back to bed.
So what's a sleepy girl like me doing in a place like this? Well, sometimes when I can't sleep, I begin praying, which leads to thinking! Thinking keeps me up more than anything.
What made me feel better about getting up with the roosters is a song I heard the other day. Don't ask me the name or who sings it. I was trying to hear it while someone was talking...rude, I know, but it really caught me and I wanted to know what the lyrics were. The line that caught me was something about "sleepless nights are for letting me know you're still there" or something like that. I guess the jist of the song was that when God is taking you through rough times, he uses it all to help us to grow. Like a tossing turning worrying restless me. He used my sleepless night to remind me of His presence. I will be listening for that song again for sure!
We've had a bunch of busyness going on so far, with appointments and jam-making, pool and deck building, and the other stuff in life. We always think summer is a laid back time, but that really is just a state of mind!
Just a sidenote: I bought a bathing suit yesterday! It was a monumental moment for me! Did it have something to do with my favorite number? Oh, yes, I would say "17" had something to do with it.
I'll leave you pondering on that! Enjoy your summer. I'm going back to bed.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Just Twinkle
"We can't all be stars, but we can all twinkle." (unknown)
When I first read that, I thought it said "tinkle". Of course we can all do that!!
I have been twinkling at least in some areas of my life, which is pretty normal. Life isn't twinkly all the time, only if you're tinkerbell or maybe Dolly Parton.
One area of particular sparkle is my diet plan. I have lost 16 pounds! I can't say it's easy, but it's getting more normal. I still don't love exercise, and I probably never will, but I will do it. The trick is to find something I like to do and do lots of it. Hmmmm...donuts probably don't qualify as exercise, right? Get your mind out of the gutter, I was talking about the donuts you do while driving, not the ones you eat!
That's all the twinkling this star feels like doing today, I guess.
Now, you get out there and twinkle (or tinkle) yourself!
When I first read that, I thought it said "tinkle". Of course we can all do that!!
I have been twinkling at least in some areas of my life, which is pretty normal. Life isn't twinkly all the time, only if you're tinkerbell or maybe Dolly Parton.
One area of particular sparkle is my diet plan. I have lost 16 pounds! I can't say it's easy, but it's getting more normal. I still don't love exercise, and I probably never will, but I will do it. The trick is to find something I like to do and do lots of it. Hmmmm...donuts probably don't qualify as exercise, right? Get your mind out of the gutter, I was talking about the donuts you do while driving, not the ones you eat!
That's all the twinkling this star feels like doing today, I guess.
Now, you get out there and twinkle (or tinkle) yourself!
Monday, June 20, 2011
Sunday and a bit of Monday
As I type, the pool is filling with water! Wow, what a job that was on Sunday. My dad came out to help us unroll the giant spool of steel that eventually became the pool. My job was to help guide it into the track while trying to balance a million pounds on my shoe. It was hard, but I surprised myself with my ability to keep right up with those big tough guys! Dad and Steve did lots of picky little adjustments, but we eventually got to the lining part, and hopefully things will be easier from here on out!
We celebrated Father's Day while working all day. Steve seasoned up a pork loin and put it on the Weber...man was it good! I added some sides and the girls made an appetizer (such good cooks already!). Mom added a yummy spice cake and it turned out to be quite a nice day.
Off the subject, Steve came home with a story for me today. He knows I've been really hurting over losing Sophie, so he hasn't shared his own feelings with me. I feel bad that he hasn't even told his friends at work because they've been so busy and crazy there. I kept praying that he would be able to talk to someone too. I know he's a guy, but guys feel things too! He sure had a far more difficult task than I would have been able to take on, and yet he did it with so much courage.
So, he came home and told me he ran into his old co-worker, Tom. Steve went with Tom 11 years ago to the animal shelter to pick out a dog. I believe Tom was inspired by Steve's decision to get Sophie from there as well. He named his dog Lucky. Anyway, Tom went on to tell Steve that he'd had a rough week, as he had to make the decision to put Lucky to sleep. He added that he thought of Steve as he went through that day, remembering the day he picked Lucky out of the shelter. Steve was then able to share, "yeah, we just went through that too." I could see the softness in is face, just being able to let it out a bit with someone who had just been there. Wow, God, so two guys from Dow just happened to run into each other at the local Walmart? You're good!!
I said, "That is so like God to know just how to speak to us. It's like he is saying, 'i know you're hurting, i care, and you're not alone.'"
Steve replied, "That's exactly what I thought too."
Thank you, God for knowing just what we need and for Your perfect timing!
We celebrated Father's Day while working all day. Steve seasoned up a pork loin and put it on the Weber...man was it good! I added some sides and the girls made an appetizer (such good cooks already!). Mom added a yummy spice cake and it turned out to be quite a nice day.
Off the subject, Steve came home with a story for me today. He knows I've been really hurting over losing Sophie, so he hasn't shared his own feelings with me. I feel bad that he hasn't even told his friends at work because they've been so busy and crazy there. I kept praying that he would be able to talk to someone too. I know he's a guy, but guys feel things too! He sure had a far more difficult task than I would have been able to take on, and yet he did it with so much courage.
So, he came home and told me he ran into his old co-worker, Tom. Steve went with Tom 11 years ago to the animal shelter to pick out a dog. I believe Tom was inspired by Steve's decision to get Sophie from there as well. He named his dog Lucky. Anyway, Tom went on to tell Steve that he'd had a rough week, as he had to make the decision to put Lucky to sleep. He added that he thought of Steve as he went through that day, remembering the day he picked Lucky out of the shelter. Steve was then able to share, "yeah, we just went through that too." I could see the softness in is face, just being able to let it out a bit with someone who had just been there. Wow, God, so two guys from Dow just happened to run into each other at the local Walmart? You're good!!
I said, "That is so like God to know just how to speak to us. It's like he is saying, 'i know you're hurting, i care, and you're not alone.'"
Steve replied, "That's exactly what I thought too."
Thank you, God for knowing just what we need and for Your perfect timing!
Friday, June 17, 2011
Trying to Keep Keepin' On
It's been almost a week since we lost her, and for the most part I'm doing okay. I have my moments of unexpected tears, and I notice I haven't done much smiling or laughing lately. It'll come..I'm a slow healer inside. Everyone else seems to be handling it so much better than me. I'm a wallower, I guess. Oh well.
What I've been doing to counteract my sadness is lots of physical labor. I spent 6 hours digging up sod around the patio, wheeled 4 loads of black dirt in, transplanted and planted, and hauled all the sod away. I stopped only to drink water! The next day I thoroughly cleaned the living room, and the neatest thing happened. I am a pretty regular "under the couch duster", because our dog would leave little tumbleweeds of dog hair everywhere, so when I moved the couch out, I wasn't expecting what I found. Next to a couple of dog food pieces lay Sophie's old dog license tag. How it got there, I have no idea. None whatsoever! The last time I saw that, it was stuck in a garden stone we made of her pawprint for father's day one year. I can't find the stone, but there was the license tag. She must be playing with me. It brought a smile to my frowny face anyway.
This weekend I will be engaging in even more labor, as we assemble our new pool! What a lot of work it has been to excavate the area (by hand no less), haul all the sod and dirt away, and do all the measuring for the "footings". The pool is pretty heavy, so I will be eating my wheaties for breakfast for sure! I love a good challenge. As always, Steve and I enjoy working on big projects together. Weird, I know, but it works for us.
Our garden is doing really well, and it has been such good therapy for Steve and I. Among other things, we planted our "salsa garden", complete with tomatillos for the first time. I like to plant things the kids have never tried, so we planted purple kohlrabi this year. I grew up eating everything in our garden without blinking an eye. The girls are pretty good about trying new things. I hope they like it and all the salsa verde this fall!
The fruit trees are looking great and we're going to have a good crop of raspberries and blackberries again. Not so much for the blueberries, but they'll get there. We sure loved our asparagus patch this spring. Having fresh produce really helps me stay on a healthy diet and be a better cook for these turkeys too.
Speaking of turkeys, Miss Henny Penny has been frequenting the feeder lately, and doesn't seem to mind my presence on the patio swing at all. She clucks at me a bit and then continues to peck away. We have chickadees nesting in the birdhouse, orioles, and hummingbirds like crazy. It has been very comforting to sit outside and just be with the beauty that God created just for us to enjoy!! Don't you just feel special when you realize that? I sure do.
be blessed by all that you see!
What I've been doing to counteract my sadness is lots of physical labor. I spent 6 hours digging up sod around the patio, wheeled 4 loads of black dirt in, transplanted and planted, and hauled all the sod away. I stopped only to drink water! The next day I thoroughly cleaned the living room, and the neatest thing happened. I am a pretty regular "under the couch duster", because our dog would leave little tumbleweeds of dog hair everywhere, so when I moved the couch out, I wasn't expecting what I found. Next to a couple of dog food pieces lay Sophie's old dog license tag. How it got there, I have no idea. None whatsoever! The last time I saw that, it was stuck in a garden stone we made of her pawprint for father's day one year. I can't find the stone, but there was the license tag. She must be playing with me. It brought a smile to my frowny face anyway.
This weekend I will be engaging in even more labor, as we assemble our new pool! What a lot of work it has been to excavate the area (by hand no less), haul all the sod and dirt away, and do all the measuring for the "footings". The pool is pretty heavy, so I will be eating my wheaties for breakfast for sure! I love a good challenge. As always, Steve and I enjoy working on big projects together. Weird, I know, but it works for us.
Our garden is doing really well, and it has been such good therapy for Steve and I. Among other things, we planted our "salsa garden", complete with tomatillos for the first time. I like to plant things the kids have never tried, so we planted purple kohlrabi this year. I grew up eating everything in our garden without blinking an eye. The girls are pretty good about trying new things. I hope they like it and all the salsa verde this fall!
The fruit trees are looking great and we're going to have a good crop of raspberries and blackberries again. Not so much for the blueberries, but they'll get there. We sure loved our asparagus patch this spring. Having fresh produce really helps me stay on a healthy diet and be a better cook for these turkeys too.
Speaking of turkeys, Miss Henny Penny has been frequenting the feeder lately, and doesn't seem to mind my presence on the patio swing at all. She clucks at me a bit and then continues to peck away. We have chickadees nesting in the birdhouse, orioles, and hummingbirds like crazy. It has been very comforting to sit outside and just be with the beauty that God created just for us to enjoy!! Don't you just feel special when you realize that? I sure do.
be blessed by all that you see!
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Until We Meet Again
Saturday was the worst day I've had in a very long time, as we said goodbye to our 15 year old beautiful bearded collie, Sophie. She has been our family for so long that we couldn't remember a time without her. She was our practice "child" before we had our babies. She greeted both babies with a sneaky kiss when they came home from the hospital. She soothed me as the kids went off to kindergarten. She took the kids to school with me every day and greeted them as they got back in the car at the end of the day. Everyone who met her immediately fell in love with her sweet nature. She was gentle, cuddly, and above all, a wonderful companion to us all.
She loved green peppers and helping me chop veggies in the kitchen, flashing the big puppy eyes when it was potato time. I could never tell her no, and when I needed her, she never told me no. She was crazy playful as a pup, and loved to race me to the mailbox and back. Oh, how I miss teasing her, "I'm gonna beat, I'm gonna beat..." and watching her beat me mercilessly. Sigh.
I won't be able to tell you about Saturday or the week before. All I can say is that a piece of my heart is gone. Even as I write this, the glib, clever writer is gone. Replaced by a weary heart and contemplative mind. I just want to sit and think about her and I want those thoughts to be shared with the ones who loved her as much as I have. The ones who understand that in some ways, she was so much more than a dog to me.
So, until we meet again, I guess it's 'see ya later', cuz I don't do goodbye.
Thank you, all you kind friends who understand our pain and have helped us through. You are blessings to all of us. WE LOVE YOU!
She loved green peppers and helping me chop veggies in the kitchen, flashing the big puppy eyes when it was potato time. I could never tell her no, and when I needed her, she never told me no. She was crazy playful as a pup, and loved to race me to the mailbox and back. Oh, how I miss teasing her, "I'm gonna beat, I'm gonna beat..." and watching her beat me mercilessly. Sigh.
I won't be able to tell you about Saturday or the week before. All I can say is that a piece of my heart is gone. Even as I write this, the glib, clever writer is gone. Replaced by a weary heart and contemplative mind. I just want to sit and think about her and I want those thoughts to be shared with the ones who loved her as much as I have. The ones who understand that in some ways, she was so much more than a dog to me.
So, until we meet again, I guess it's 'see ya later', cuz I don't do goodbye.
Thank you, all you kind friends who understand our pain and have helped us through. You are blessings to all of us. WE LOVE YOU!
Friday, June 10, 2011
Untitled Sadness
Our family is about to face an extremely difficult day. On Saturday, we are taking our 15 year old dog to the vet and we will probably not be bringing her home the same way she came in. This week has been emotionally draining, and I have no words to say except that I will not be posting for awhile because I will be too heartbroken.
I can't talk about this yet, but I wanted to share it with you, as so many of you have prayed for us and for Sophie and have shown us so much care in the last couple of years. I truly appreciate that and it has helped us all to know you care about the condition of our hearts at this time.
Thank you and I hope one day I can talk to you about it and post a picture or two.
I can't talk about this yet, but I wanted to share it with you, as so many of you have prayed for us and for Sophie and have shown us so much care in the last couple of years. I truly appreciate that and it has helped us all to know you care about the condition of our hearts at this time.
Thank you and I hope one day I can talk to you about it and post a picture or two.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
'S Up?
Somehow my 13 year old daughter has turned into a hat-wearing rocker. Yes, you know the one; the avid reader, piano player, former Littlest Pet shop collector (FORMER, she would say), sweet quiet girl in her church youth group, straight "A" student since she started walking, and still likes us to come up and tell her goodnight. Yup, that one.
It all started with her obsession over a hat. She wanted one of those big billed hats that you see 13 year old boys with baggy drawers wearing. I was a bit shocked, but my instincts told me to let her get the silly hat. We went to the mall and she chose a CMU big-billed hat. She put it on in the store, and I really can't describe the face I must have made. Maybe somewhere between pain and train wreck, I'm sure. She tilted the brim to one side, lifted up her chin and said to her mother, " 'S up?"
Oh, great, I thought, as we left the store, somehow believing this latest fad choice would pass and we'd be back to normal. No chance so far. She is still obsessed with her CMU hat and in fact, wears it to school every day. I think it's ridiculous, her friends love it, and no other girls have copied her so far. ( I see that as a bad sign, she sees it as a good one)
I often come up behind her and knock it off her head and say, "OOPS!" Steve took it one day, put it on top of a bookcase, and there it stayed for 4 days while Nat was oblivious! Must be nice to be 13, right? She finally spotted it one day, and plop, back it went onto her head. She wears it with every outfit, no matter if it matches or not. She looks at hats on the internet and posts her favorite ones on facebook. What's a mom to do? It could be worse, truly.
It could be the Mork and Mindy suspenders I wore to school every day when I was her age. It could be gold snake belts and big hair. I'll take the hat, I guess, but I'm still hoping one day it gets put in the back of her closet with the Littlest Pet Shop stuff and my suspenders.
Lately she's been taking her electric guitar and amp to school to play for people at recess. A boy walked by and said, "I know what's missing!", took her hat and placed it upside down on the grass beside her. Next thing you know, she's made a buck and a half! Too funny, I know.
So she's not only into wearing her silly hat, but she plays her guitar non-stop! She has taught herself songs, chords, licks, you name it. She played it in class the other day and a couple of boys sang the lyrics, cracking up the entire class. Yeah, she's my quiet one. The one who despite her shyness, loves all the attention she's getting lately.
And what does mom think of that? It could be worse! The kind of attention she seeks is based on her talents, so I guess I'm okay with that. Once in awhile, I just look at the individual she is becoming and I just smile. She really knows and likes herself, and there's no stopping her when she sets her mind to something.
If only she'd just take off that ridiculous hat....dude.
It all started with her obsession over a hat. She wanted one of those big billed hats that you see 13 year old boys with baggy drawers wearing. I was a bit shocked, but my instincts told me to let her get the silly hat. We went to the mall and she chose a CMU big-billed hat. She put it on in the store, and I really can't describe the face I must have made. Maybe somewhere between pain and train wreck, I'm sure. She tilted the brim to one side, lifted up her chin and said to her mother, " 'S up?"
Oh, great, I thought, as we left the store, somehow believing this latest fad choice would pass and we'd be back to normal. No chance so far. She is still obsessed with her CMU hat and in fact, wears it to school every day. I think it's ridiculous, her friends love it, and no other girls have copied her so far. ( I see that as a bad sign, she sees it as a good one)
I often come up behind her and knock it off her head and say, "OOPS!" Steve took it one day, put it on top of a bookcase, and there it stayed for 4 days while Nat was oblivious! Must be nice to be 13, right? She finally spotted it one day, and plop, back it went onto her head. She wears it with every outfit, no matter if it matches or not. She looks at hats on the internet and posts her favorite ones on facebook. What's a mom to do? It could be worse, truly.
It could be the Mork and Mindy suspenders I wore to school every day when I was her age. It could be gold snake belts and big hair. I'll take the hat, I guess, but I'm still hoping one day it gets put in the back of her closet with the Littlest Pet Shop stuff and my suspenders.
Lately she's been taking her electric guitar and amp to school to play for people at recess. A boy walked by and said, "I know what's missing!", took her hat and placed it upside down on the grass beside her. Next thing you know, she's made a buck and a half! Too funny, I know.
So she's not only into wearing her silly hat, but she plays her guitar non-stop! She has taught herself songs, chords, licks, you name it. She played it in class the other day and a couple of boys sang the lyrics, cracking up the entire class. Yeah, she's my quiet one. The one who despite her shyness, loves all the attention she's getting lately.
And what does mom think of that? It could be worse! The kind of attention she seeks is based on her talents, so I guess I'm okay with that. Once in awhile, I just look at the individual she is becoming and I just smile. She really knows and likes herself, and there's no stopping her when she sets her mind to something.
If only she'd just take off that ridiculous hat....dude.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Parenting "Whoa.....s"!
I guess I have forgotten what it was like to be eleven, because my youngest daughter seems more foreign to me every day! That girl is just a bundle of impulses, energy, surprises, and lots of independence. And to all of that, I say, "WHOA!"
I don't want to say I've been frustrated with her, because that would be so "un-motherly", wouldn't it? Baloney! We're all frustrated with our kids at some points in their lives. It's not their fault, they're just trying to grow up in a great big world. Maybe that's the problem. As parents, we're constantly in a tug-of-war over just how much of that world we want our kids to know. Hold them too tight, you squeeze the life out of them, let go too soon and like a balloon, they're gone.
Yesterday was just one thing after another, starting with my instructions to Serena before school. It was simple and it went like this: "Today is field day. DO NOT forget to put on the sunscreen, which is in this tube and in your bag. DO NOT forget it! You are irish. You will fry like a potato chip!" To that I get the normal rushed, hurried Serena-ish reply, "Yeah, yeah, I know, I will, I will."
When I picked my pale-skinned child up from school that afternoon, she was no longer the pale-ish white of our irish ancestors, but a bright and lobsterish version of a child who didn't listen to her mother. It was hard for me to contain myself and I unleashed a lecture to her all the way to Lewis Road. As usual, I got her canned excuses of "I forgot", "I didn't have time", "they were telling us to hurry", all of which failed as good reasons to forget your sunscreen while sitting on metal bleachers in the hot sun for hours.
Of course, I gave her the "skin cancer" talk, the "being responsible" talk, the "why don't you listen to me?" talk. Why do I feel those talks went in about 1 centimeter and no further? Because we will most likely have this discussion again. Probably tomorrow.
The child has her own agenda, and I'm assuming by the repeat offender nature, our consequences haven't been severe enough. You'd think having a monster sunburn would motivate a person. Not when you're eleven, apparently. I love her free spirit, I really do. She reminds me a bit of me as a youngster, when I feared nothing except the wrath of my parents. I guess I'm not wrathy enough for this eleven year old copy of me.
So, last night I told her to find something loose and comfortable to wear to school as it was going to be 93 and humid today. I said, perhaps capris would be a good idea and a loose tee shirt. Like it mattered what I said.
She came downstairs for breakfast in skinny jeans. Skinny jeans on burned shins! Add to that a nice hefty sweatshirt! Oh, we need to have the ears checked, I think, or put me in a loony bin. Probably both.
Knowing my daughter as I do, I know that the jeans and sweatshirt were for vanity reasons. She felt so embarrassed for not putting on sunscreen and getting burned that she didn't want anyone at school to see her burn and make a big deal out of it. It doesn't help that it looks like she's wearing bright pink knee high socks! Oh, dear Serena..... The school will probably call me, telling me she passed out or something. That's just the way she rolls.
And because I love her and can somewhat relate at times, I will just roll with her. But I won't stop trying to pull the reins and yell out a hefty, "WHOA, girl!" now and then.
I don't want to say I've been frustrated with her, because that would be so "un-motherly", wouldn't it? Baloney! We're all frustrated with our kids at some points in their lives. It's not their fault, they're just trying to grow up in a great big world. Maybe that's the problem. As parents, we're constantly in a tug-of-war over just how much of that world we want our kids to know. Hold them too tight, you squeeze the life out of them, let go too soon and like a balloon, they're gone.
Yesterday was just one thing after another, starting with my instructions to Serena before school. It was simple and it went like this: "Today is field day. DO NOT forget to put on the sunscreen, which is in this tube and in your bag. DO NOT forget it! You are irish. You will fry like a potato chip!" To that I get the normal rushed, hurried Serena-ish reply, "Yeah, yeah, I know, I will, I will."
When I picked my pale-skinned child up from school that afternoon, she was no longer the pale-ish white of our irish ancestors, but a bright and lobsterish version of a child who didn't listen to her mother. It was hard for me to contain myself and I unleashed a lecture to her all the way to Lewis Road. As usual, I got her canned excuses of "I forgot", "I didn't have time", "they were telling us to hurry", all of which failed as good reasons to forget your sunscreen while sitting on metal bleachers in the hot sun for hours.
Of course, I gave her the "skin cancer" talk, the "being responsible" talk, the "why don't you listen to me?" talk. Why do I feel those talks went in about 1 centimeter and no further? Because we will most likely have this discussion again. Probably tomorrow.
The child has her own agenda, and I'm assuming by the repeat offender nature, our consequences haven't been severe enough. You'd think having a monster sunburn would motivate a person. Not when you're eleven, apparently. I love her free spirit, I really do. She reminds me a bit of me as a youngster, when I feared nothing except the wrath of my parents. I guess I'm not wrathy enough for this eleven year old copy of me.
So, last night I told her to find something loose and comfortable to wear to school as it was going to be 93 and humid today. I said, perhaps capris would be a good idea and a loose tee shirt. Like it mattered what I said.
She came downstairs for breakfast in skinny jeans. Skinny jeans on burned shins! Add to that a nice hefty sweatshirt! Oh, we need to have the ears checked, I think, or put me in a loony bin. Probably both.
Knowing my daughter as I do, I know that the jeans and sweatshirt were for vanity reasons. She felt so embarrassed for not putting on sunscreen and getting burned that she didn't want anyone at school to see her burn and make a big deal out of it. It doesn't help that it looks like she's wearing bright pink knee high socks! Oh, dear Serena..... The school will probably call me, telling me she passed out or something. That's just the way she rolls.
And because I love her and can somewhat relate at times, I will just roll with her. But I won't stop trying to pull the reins and yell out a hefty, "WHOA, girl!" now and then.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Smitten with the Mitten.....again
It's official. I decided I like Michigan again. For months I questioned why we even stay here. It always seems cold or rainy or something unpredictable. After watching the last few weeks of news coverage of all the tornado-stricken and flood-ravaged states, I am now grateful to be here in chilly ole Michigan. After all, we might have some windy days, rainy days, and lots of snow, but it's all pretty moderate when you compare it to other states and areas of extremes.
I complain about garter snakes and spiders, but when I hear about the snakes and spiders in Missouri and Florida (and other places), I'm suddenly naming my garter snakes, "Cutie" and "Rocky". I'm liking the skinks now that I heard about a gator getting into someone's house (house!) in Florida. I no longer freak about a bee getting into my kitchen or ants in the laundry room when I hear stories of termites and cockroaches in warmer places. EEK!
Today happens to be a perfect Michigan day...low 70's, sunny, light breeze...beautiful. Birds are singing and the sky is blue as blue can be. I'm watching my newly planted garden come to life and all the beautiful flowering shrubs smell like heaven. There was a time we went a few years without grass and plants because we had just built the house. Our house was surrounded by sand and dirt and I couldn't stand it! It took some time, but 6 years later, I love to look out the window and admire all the green!
It feels like home here now, and while I get wanderlust now and then, it would be hard to leave this paradise, even for warmer places! Paradise is where you make it, and it feels like home to me.
I complain about garter snakes and spiders, but when I hear about the snakes and spiders in Missouri and Florida (and other places), I'm suddenly naming my garter snakes, "Cutie" and "Rocky". I'm liking the skinks now that I heard about a gator getting into someone's house (house!) in Florida. I no longer freak about a bee getting into my kitchen or ants in the laundry room when I hear stories of termites and cockroaches in warmer places. EEK!
Today happens to be a perfect Michigan day...low 70's, sunny, light breeze...beautiful. Birds are singing and the sky is blue as blue can be. I'm watching my newly planted garden come to life and all the beautiful flowering shrubs smell like heaven. There was a time we went a few years without grass and plants because we had just built the house. Our house was surrounded by sand and dirt and I couldn't stand it! It took some time, but 6 years later, I love to look out the window and admire all the green!
It feels like home here now, and while I get wanderlust now and then, it would be hard to leave this paradise, even for warmer places! Paradise is where you make it, and it feels like home to me.