It Really Does Hurt Me More

I have been on a cleaning and organizing rampage the last few weeks. I decided to attack BB and DQ's rooms with a vengeance. I regretted it later for various reasons, but the main one is it wound up hurting me way more than it hurt them. How is that you ask? Well, on top of the room cleaning, I have decided to really clamp down on how they take care of the said rooms. I am sick and tired of buying clothes to replace missing ones when all along the missing clothes were stuffed under a bed or in the back of a closet. I am sick of finding wet towels on the floor. I am tired of stuffed animal guts everywhere because Bear the puppy got to it because it wasn't put away.
Anyway, back to my original reason for this long, drawn out post. Last week DQ was given several chances to clean her room. I repeatedly threatened her, fussed at her, hinted at her, attempted to bribe her, etc. Why go to all this trouble you ask? Because her punishment definitely hurt me more than it hurt her. DQ lost her riding lessons this week because she refused to clean her room. It broke my heart! I have always wanted to teach her how to ride. I have always wanted to take her to horse shows and give her a taste of my childhood. Not to mention,she's a pretty darned good little rider!
Needless to say, I could no longer justify letting her get away with not cleaning her room. When hubby and I agreed the time to dole out punishment arrived, I tearfully informed DQ of her loss. I cried secretly all afternoon as this is killing me! My one hope is that hubby and I have always given our children the opportunity to earn back a lost item/privilege. I sure hope she cleans her room this week cause I really want to watch my daughter take her first victory lap around the ring with everyone watching and clapping at her brilliance!!!!

Summer recap

Not My Child Monday

Okay, I've never done a Not My Child Monday, but currently at the moment they are giving me fits. What a better way to vent? To read more hilarious stories head over to Mckmama's "house" and grab a cup of coffee and enjoy!!

So BB has been testing the waters lately. As our reasonable and level headed child he would never just decide he didn't want to ride the bus anymore and just miss it on purpose. He would especially not do that knowing how difficult it would be for me to go get him. He also wouldn't decide to play hookie from worship service at church and pick a fight with another boy. He is a holy and righteous child who ALWAYS does what he is told!!!



Same boy, different day. BB would never sit there and constantly blow spit balls at the back of DQ's head even after she repeatedly told him to stop. Oh, and DQ would NEVER let her emotions get the best of her and haul off and give him a left hook!

DQ would never watch as I cleaned out under her bed and whine about EVERYTHING I DID to help her. She would never then turn around and dig out something out of the trash and put it back under her bed. NO, NOT EVER!!! My child does not go through the trash and she is not a future star on the reality show Hoarders. Nope, not my baby.

DQ is not currently obsessed with a red plaid fedora that she wears everywhere she can. She didn't also elbow me in the ribs when someone told her they like her hat. We never fight about how she dresses!




All in all I have to say though that I love my kids. They are good ones!

Not Me Monday

It's that time of the week again.... confession time! However, if you would rather skip over mine and read someone else's humiliation feel free to visit Mckmama's blog and read those instead!!

I did not drop my son off at the middle school and then get yelled at by the officer directing traffic. Apparently I can't follow directions. I also didn't fuss at said officer once I drove out of view and I didn't call him an uptight stale butt cheek in front of my daughter! I also didn't go back to bed and sleep for 2 hours after dropping my daughter off at school. I have absolutely nothing to do today; nope, no laundry, no dusting, no closets to clean out... NOTHING!

I didn't fall asleep on the couch right in the middle of DQ's birthday party. 3 hours of sleep in 24 hours is PLENTY of sleep, why should I be tired? I also didn't cancel my daughter's riding lesson the day of the party because I had so much to get done before everyone got here, and I needed hubby's help more than DQ needed to ride that day! I would never do such a thing!

I did not hide two full laundry baskets in my bedroom so no one could see my continuous, never ending pile of laundry. Again as stated in previous posts: I am always caught up on my laundry!

OK, I'm feeling cleansed and renewed now, my confessions have been confessed!
Amy

Manners Much?

This post is meant purely for venting purposes only. If you don't care to hear about my pet peeves then I wouldn't read further. If you care to contribute feel free.... you have my blessing!

OK, so when you want to carry a conversation with someone in a public place fine, but please move off to the side and don't block the whole entrance/exit of the walkway... some of us have an hour long drive and we want to get to our car. On the same note, don't block the whole isle at the store either. While I'm very happy that you have found a friend to converse with, I have things to do and would like very much not to be a part of your conversation!

When there is a merging line of cars, please be kind and use the zipper system. I mean really,are you going to get where you are going 2 seconds faster by not letting one car over?? REALLY, will you?

Please for the love of God don't be a parking place stalker! If someone has just walked up to their car with a buggy full of stuff, it's going to take them awhile and you could probably have parked your car and gotten into the store before they finished. Also, chances are if you are really finding it necessary to wait for a closer spot then 1. you probably need the exercise of walking a bit further, or 2. you probably need to be at home dry, cool, in bed, or whatever you reason is for needing that closer spot.

When at the store, please walk down the side of the isle, not the center; especially if you are walking slowly. Seriously people, just because you are not in a hurry doesn't mean somebody else isn't. Also on that note the same rules apply in parking garages and parking lots. Are you really so important that you deserve the whole isle to walk down?

Last but not least, do your nurse a favor. If it's bad enough that you need to come to the hospital then for goodness sakes let us treat you. If your gonna come and refuse an IV, meds, pain meds, tests, etc then you are better off at home. It is not our goal in life to hurt you, ignore you, let you lay in pain, watch you bleed, or any other thing that may be going on. We have a job to do and you really need to let us do our job. Most of us really do care what happens to you. Trust me when I tell you most of us care more about you then your doctor so don't tell me you want to wait for the doctor because at 3:oo in the morning, if you aren't dying they aren't coming.

Nough said for now!!

Amy

Different Worlds

As I was driving home from work this morning I got to thinking about BB and DQ and how their childhood is so different from mine. It makes me kind of sad in some ways to think of some of the things they are missing out on.

I remember summer nights when the lighting bugs were so thick they would actually swarm around you. What a great time we used to have catching them at night!

Remember the ice cream truck? I swear he would pretend not to see us so we would chase him down. We would run till we couldn't run anymore then finally he would stop and what a great prize that ice cream was! I always got a rocket pop or a mickey mouse with a gum ball for a nose. Remember that?

There used to be a house at the bottom of our street with a creek running next to it full of tadpoles. They always had mason jars waiting for the kids to come catch tadpoles. They also had the best trees around. They were pines and they were so huge you could actually walk into the limbs and there was a secret world in there and nobody could see you from the outside.

Did any one's mother used to let them play with other kids who had the chicken pox? Mine did, it wasn't a big deal... in fact if you got them good cause then you get it over with!

Our town had bike trails that led all over the city. I remember going on the bike trails with my friends and spending all day riding our bikes. Oh what fun we used to have!

If we were at a friend's house and didn't behave, their mother spanked us. They were not afraid to call my parents and tell on me; my parents were not going to sue them for slander.

Today our children are living in a world where respect and courtesy are optional. They have no idea how to catch a tadpole or a lightning bug. Oh, and what in the world is an ice cream truck? Chicken pox??? OH MY!!! LITTLE JOHNNY HAS THE CHICKEN POX! LET'S QUARANTINE THE WHOLE CLASS!!!!!!

It's as if we weren't raised this way, but I was. I was raised that you play outside and come in for lunch and a band aide. I was raised that at dark you come in. I was raised to say please and thank you, and don't you talk back to adults or you are gonna get your mouth washed out with soap! My mom used to remind me every time I was invited somewhere "Don't forget to offer to help with the dishes after dinner!", and believe me I always offered! It was safe for children to ride their bikes to the gas station to spend their money on candy. It was a great idea to pack a picnic and walk to the park with your friends. Allowance was earned not expected. I think about this so much. I try to raise my kids in such a manner..... and I pray that they will raise their children the same way. Oh, and for the record, they have both had the chicken pox and everyone lived!!!

Amy

Not Me Monday

Well, it's Not Me Monday again! It's been awhile but I must admit I'm struggling coming up with Not Me's. Head over to Mckmama's blog for more laughs!

I did not go on my first camping trip in our RV and rip off my toenail first thing. I am not a drama queen and did not make a big deal out of it either!

I did not silently cuss out one of my coworkers for calling me in to work at 3am because they were getting slammed. I mean, why would I want to do that? Who needs sleep anyway? I also didn't silently apologize to her for the said not cussing that didn't take place. My conscious wasn't feeling guilty at all!

I did not spend 5 hours completely mucking out BB's room and then have such a sore back for the next 3 days I considered taking left over narcotics from my cabinet. I also didn't consider calling DFACS on myself for letting his room get so bad (For the record, my children do have to clean their own rooms, this was a drawer, toy, closet, under the bed kind of clean out)!

I am not now loving the fact that school is back in because now I can actually sleep during the day (night shift worker remember?). I didn't however cry for the first couple of days!

Finally, I am not now silently cussing out DQ's teacher in my head for actually giving her a homework assignment of doing things with her thumbs taped down and then journaling life without thumbs. It's really not annoying at all to watch!!

OK, so there I came up with a few!
Amy

So Far So Good

So call me a pessimist. Call me negative. Call me asking for trouble. I dare say that so far middle school and 5th grade are going well. BB is having a BLAST! He loves middle school, and so far he has had a pretty easy time of it. DQ is doing fine and looking forward to a birthday party next weekend. Hubby went in on an RV with big hubby boss man and now we are the proud (not me, hubby) half owners of a camper. We are going on our first camping trip this weekend. So I ask, when is the other shoe going to fall? Change has never been a good thing in Hworld, but wow are things going smoothly!

Last night at church BB was asked to be part of the drama team. That is a very big deal to him and he couldn't be more thrilled. This kid is hilarious. He really has so much potential; so naturally we are thrilled for him! I can't wait to see him doing those funny little skits.

Life is rolling on here. We are so busy that we just fall into bed at the end of the day (or night in my case). I am working a lot, and really worn out. This weekend will be a good one to unwind! I am looking forward to some very much needed rest!

Hope all is well in blogger land. Take care and pics are soon to come!

Amy