How Not to Have a Conversation About Hurt Feelings

E:  J, you really hurt my feelings when you called me a pest.

(Long, awkward silence)

E:  Like, I left the room and cried two times today because you called me a pest.

(Long, awkward silence)

Me: J, she's talking to you.

J:  Oh.  I'm thinking what to say.

(Really long, awkward silence).

J:  Well, sometimes in life you're going to get your feelings hurt.  That happens.  That's a part of life.

Me:  (Slow, defeated head shake with concerned expression.)

J:  What?  It is.

Real Food

Me:  So there's this family that committed to eating "real" food for 100 days.

E:  What's real food?

J:  No junk.  You make everything at home.

Me:  Everyone's idea of real food is a little different, but I think they choose to define it by no processed foods, no sugar, and only whole grains. 

E:  Oh.

Me:  What do you think?

J:  I'll do 100 minutes of real food. 

A little more effort, please.

J:  Mom, do you think if a kid is really, really naughty and won't stop it that a teacher would say a naughty word?

Me:  No.

J:  Why?

Me:  Because they've trained themselves not to say naughty words around kids.

J:  Do you even try?

She IS my Daughter

Me to Siri:  Where is Complete Children's Health?

Siri:  I cannot find complete children's help.

Me:  Ugh.  Complete Children's Health.

Siri:  I cannot find complete children's help.

E from the backseat of the car:  Siri sucks at her job.

What Would You Do?

I've always admired the thoughtful, well-spoken, contemplators in this world because this concept is so foreign to me.  Before these types are able to even start an "I feel" statement, I've already spewed out strings of profanity and come up with a dozen reasons why something is stupid or unacceptable. 

 

I truly do feel that God's been at work in my heart, but those every day things can still get me so fired up. 

 

You know what I'm talking about...

school drop off and pick up,

discovering a termite infestation,

a neighborhood baby only wearing a diaper outside on a 40 degree day,

stupid, stupid people on The Bachelor,

inefficient and/or illogical processes,

or my son coming home from a haircut that we paid for with this hack job...

 

 

Even though I knew that a few weeks of growth was the only thing saving this disaster (his bangs were cut more than halfway around the circumference of his head), I insisted that Steve take him back.  My boys thought I was completely over-reacting. Who? Me?

 

Thankfully, a month or so has passed, and everything is looking better.

 

But I still am curious...

What would you do if your son came home looking like a brother to Lloyd Christmas?

Send him back to Edward Scissorhands so she can see what a terrible job she did,

or

just let it grow in peace.

 

 

 

 



Who needs a cat?

Winter Blahs

There's something about winter (lack of Vitamin D, frigid temps, negative wind chills, no grilled foods, layers of clothing, lost hats and gloves, more darkness, no flip-flops) that totally zaps my level of motivation.  For the most part, I just have to grin and bear it and push ahead.  But this past 4-6 weeks has completely gotten the best of me and my to-do list. 

Although I've found myself at home a bit more due to a thinned down winter activities schedule, I sure as heck am not accomplishing more around here.  There are plenty of things to do, but I've either gotten really (too) good at not caring letting go or I've managed to become a slug.  Case in point:  I put laundry away yesterday (Monday) that I washed last Wednesday.  It hadn't even been folded yet.   

Oh, boy.  Something's gotta change.  The good news is that Spring is in the air (minus the rain/snow mix that's forecasted for tonight), and hopefully, I'll thaw out of this winter funk.  Even more good news, the kids are sure getting to be fantastic helpers...Light bulb!  This blog would be much more up-to-date if I taught J and E to upload photos for me.  I'll add that to my growing to-do list. 

Come on, Spring.  You can't get here fast enough.