Today started out full of promise but quickly took a turn. I became irritable, grumpy, and didn't want to be bothered. I needed a break. Just an hour or so. Luckily Collin was working from home this morning so I was able to take off.
I headed to a Starbucks that is located in our newly opened Target. I grabbed my tall vanilla latte and got cozy at a corner table.
A mom walked in with two toddlers. They were all smiling and chatting with each other. It appeared she was treating them to something special. The little girls were so excited. Their time together was full of promise but it quickly took a turn. Within 3 minutes of receiving their drinks, two of the drinks ended up on the floor. A minute later, one of the replacement drinks spilled all over one of the girls. The mom was clearly frustrated and disappointed. Little did she know, I needed to witness her mishap. I needed to be reminded that I am not the only one who tries and sometimes things don't quite go as planned.
Lady at Starbucks...I hope your day is going better. Mine is.
Sometimes when my days start out with promise, they quickly take turns because of the boys' behavior and my laziness to not want to deal with it at the moment.
After the lady gathered up her milk covered girls and left, in walked another mother with her kids and a girlfriend. As soon as I saw the kid, I knew it was his voice I had been hearing echo through the store..."Mom, I want this ball! Mom, I want this ball! MOM!!!! Mom, I said I want this ball! Mom, buy me this ball!" I could go on about the fireman's hat, the bag of chips, and the pencils he also wanted, but I think you get the picture. It was clear the women were there to chat and it was also clear the kid was not going to allow that to happen...AT ALL. I have never in my life watched a kid interrupt an adult, demand something from them, and the adult cater to that child so much as I did those 5 minutes. It was unreal. The one time the mother said no, she was met with fists and a bite to the leg. It worked...the child received the strawberry/banana smoothie he wanted. I could go on about the displays he knocked over, the handful of straws he wasted, and the shaker full of sugar he dumped out on the counter while his mother very gently said, "no, no" but I won't. Little did she know, I needed to witness her unruly child and her lack of discipline. I needed to be reminded that I am a good mom and that I have great kids.
Lady at Starbucks...I hope you learn to become a parent. Kid at Starbucks...I hope you receive the discipline you need. Lady's friend at Starbucks...I'm sorry.
Edited to add...I know there could be a number of reasons for that child's behavior (medications, emotional, mental, ect.) but I used he and his mother as an example because the lack of discipline was clearly evident.
Showing posts with label Off My Chest. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Off My Chest. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Monday, February 16, 2009
My Poor Thane
Well, I took Thane to the doctor today. He has been running a fever since Thursday and coughing consistently for the past three days. For those of you who do not know our medical history with him, I'll just tell you he has asthma and has been in and out of the hospital since he was born. So when he gets to coughing, we brace ourselves. Turns out he was wheezing a bit so they gave him a breathing treatment. I didn't like it. I don't like it. This was his first treatment in two years.
Why, you ask? When we lived in TN we were blessed by a man name Dr. Tom. He is a chiropractor. He viewed his practice as a ministry and therefore gave us a huge discount. He just wanted to see people well and healthy. Our entire family began seeing him in Jan. of 2007. We all started seeing benefits to the treatments right away. The one who benefited the most was Thane. Thane was taking 6 daily medications, sometimes in 4 hour intervals. By March of 2007 he was down to one. A few months later, he stopped taking that one. He (and all of us) were medication and sickness free for almost two years!
Fast forward to now...Magnus was sick all last week, Thane is wheezing, and Collin and I are feeling "old" again. We are kind of stuck between and rock and a hard place...we can't afford the outrageous prices of the "voo-doo" doctors here but yet we can't afford not to afford them. Why oh why can't insurance cover preventive care instead of the medications? Ugh!
Okay...rant over.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
School Is Upon Us!
School is starting next week for the fam. Everyone, with the exception of me, seems to be ready.
Collin is taking a class on Chaucer's Troilus & Criseyde, Introduction to Graduate Studies, and a "directed study" with one of his professors. *I* think it is going to be good for him to get the analytical side of his brain in motion again.
Thane is taking a class, through our charter school, that is created to give the kids a "kindergarten experience". He'll be reviewing (I say 'reviewing' because he already knows it) the ABC's, memorizing poems and nursery rhymes, working on handwriting, and even participating in a play at the end of the year. I am glad he is getting the opportunity to learn in an environment like this. Magnus was able to attend preschool at our church and it was a fantastic experience for him. Oh, and the class is only once a week for 2 1/2 hours.
Magnus is also taking a class...a science class. This came as a huge relief to me as I still had not planned out my science for this year. I know we are going to start/continue Barb's Nature Study, but beyond that, I only had a few ideas mulling around. His class is once a week for an hour. They are going to be studying habitats and animals. I am hoping to expound on it and complete some activities like lapbooks, other hands on stuff, and reading.
I am having a hard time. I don't feel prepared. When I don't feel prepared, I start feeling inadequate to teach. I know that is a bunch of baloney! I am a good teacher and I know what my boys need. It's just hard. Maybe it's because of everything else that has been going on in life. Moving across country...away from my friends...away from my church (that I loved!)...away from the familiar...away from everything. I haven't made any friends, have only met a few people. We haven't found a church and that is really discouraging. I don't know where anything is, with the exception of In-n-Out Burger, Safeway, and Target (I know...what else does one need!?). Wow...I didn't intend to write about his, but obviously it is weighing heavy on my heart. Alright. I am off to think about this some more. I'll post about our school plans later.
Collin is taking a class on Chaucer's Troilus & Criseyde, Introduction to Graduate Studies, and a "directed study" with one of his professors. *I* think it is going to be good for him to get the analytical side of his brain in motion again.
Thane is taking a class, through our charter school, that is created to give the kids a "kindergarten experience". He'll be reviewing (I say 'reviewing' because he already knows it) the ABC's, memorizing poems and nursery rhymes, working on handwriting, and even participating in a play at the end of the year. I am glad he is getting the opportunity to learn in an environment like this. Magnus was able to attend preschool at our church and it was a fantastic experience for him. Oh, and the class is only once a week for 2 1/2 hours.
Magnus is also taking a class...a science class. This came as a huge relief to me as I still had not planned out my science for this year. I know we are going to start/continue Barb's Nature Study, but beyond that, I only had a few ideas mulling around. His class is once a week for an hour. They are going to be studying habitats and animals. I am hoping to expound on it and complete some activities like lapbooks, other hands on stuff, and reading.
I am having a hard time. I don't feel prepared. When I don't feel prepared, I start feeling inadequate to teach. I know that is a bunch of baloney! I am a good teacher and I know what my boys need. It's just hard. Maybe it's because of everything else that has been going on in life. Moving across country...away from my friends...away from my church (that I loved!)...away from the familiar...away from everything. I haven't made any friends, have only met a few people. We haven't found a church and that is really discouraging. I don't know where anything is, with the exception of In-n-Out Burger, Safeway, and Target (I know...what else does one need!?). Wow...I didn't intend to write about his, but obviously it is weighing heavy on my heart. Alright. I am off to think about this some more. I'll post about our school plans later.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
How NOT To End A Date...
“Get back in your car!”
“What?”
“Get back in your car! There is a man with a shotgun! I am on the phone with the police!”
These are the words being yelled at Collin and I by our neighbor as we were walking across the dark parking lot at 11:00om to our apartment from a great night out. Panic set in as we rushed back to the car and Collin fumbled for the keys. He was also trying to call Laura Beth (LBJ), our friend who was watching the boys, to let her know what was going on. The guy was walking down our walkway towards our apartment. No answer. He tried again. No answer again. He tried again. She finally answered and he told her to lock the doors. He stayed on the phone with her as we headed out of the complex. The first Sheriff pulled in with his flashlight and shotgun loaded. We pointed to the direction of our building and told him he was down there. Collin, still on the phone to LBJ got out of the car. He didn’t want to leave the boys and Laura Beth “in the dark”. He wanted to be able to let her know exactly what was going on as it was happening. Six other cop cars showed up and again, I pointed them towards our building, with our kids and our dear friend. Within 5 minutes, Collin was able to make it into our apartment and I was told to go wait across the street at Rite Aid, with our neighbors, until all was clear. After about 20 minutes, a sheriff pulled into the parking lot. They had the man in custody.
Apparently it was not a shotgun or even a sniper rifle as had been suspected. This bozo decided he was going to take care of the skunk population with his pellet gun and scope. Are you kidding me? Walking around, in the dark, at 11 o’clock at night with a gun? What the (insert profanity here)! I want to knock that guy up side the head!
So now, I have to try to go to sleep with adrenalin pumping through my veins and a knot in my stomach that is trying like crazy to come up. Looks like I am in for a long night.
Monday, July 14, 2008
We Have An Offer!!!
We got an email from the Department of Student Housing today offering us an apartment! We have accepted the offer and move into out "little, tiny, baby, pretend house" at the end of August!
I am relieved! No more waiting. No more wondering.
So, what does this mean? Well, we will continue selling what we can on Craigslist, continue taking items to the Goodwill drop off, and continue scaling back. We have about 5 weeks to pack up the apartment now. No rush.
I am relieved! No more waiting. No more wondering.
So, what does this mean? Well, we will continue selling what we can on Craigslist, continue taking items to the Goodwill drop off, and continue scaling back. We have about 5 weeks to pack up the apartment now. No rush.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Finally...We Have Some Answers...Well, Kind Of
(If you missed the previous post concerning my anxious feelings about our up coming move, you may want to scroll down and read the post below this one.)
Here is the latest:
Student Housing...We found out there are 20 families on the waiting list ahead of us. 20 families! I submitted our application way back in February and we still have that many people ahead of us. Crazy! Anyhow, she did say that we will have a good chance getting an apartment sometime in August. So, that is good news. I think. I really have mixed feelings about living in student housing.
Cons...(1.) I am not sure how this can even qualify as a two bedroom family apartment. This thing is 594 square feet! For those of you who have been to our current apartment, that is like cutting off the entire Master Bedroom Suite and 31 more square feet from some place! Click here to view the floor plan so you can get an idea of what I am saying. We are going to have to get creative with our space and storage.
(2.) The noise level will probably be high. I guess the walls, floors, and ceilings are pretty thin. And it is graduate family housing so there will be lots of kids.
(3.) No more dishwasher, garbage disposal, washer/dryer, central heat and air. I know those are conveniences and not necessities, but I will miss those nice conveniences.
Pros...(1.) It's on campus and centrally located in Davis so we will be able to walk or ride our bikes most everywhere. We'll definitely save money on gas! We're also going back down to one vehicle so we'll save on insurance and maintenance costs too!
(2.) We will be living in a community full of people in the same situation we are in. We have great friends here in TN and we will miss them tremendously, but none of them are in the same situation we are in. None of them are married with kids trying to live on a very tight budget, juggling many jobs, while going to school full time. Granted, they have their own things they are dealing with, but it would be nice to have someone else who understands exactly what we are going through.
(3.) Free DSL!
(4.) No dogs allowed! Sorry "dog people". I like dogs but when they interfere with my well being, I don't like them anymore. So, no more stepping in dog droppings in front of my apartment! No more listening to unnecessary barking! No more worrying about my boys getting jumped on or bit!
(5.) Here is the biggie...the rent is roughly $250 cheaper than other two bedroom apartment in Davis.
So, now we just have to wait until they send us an email letting us know an apartment has become available to us. We will need to respond in two days by accepting it or declining it. If we accept, then we have to start paying rent from the day it becomes available to us whether or not we are able to move on that date. So, we pretty much have to be packed an ready to go by the first of August. If we decline, then we will be placed on the September move in waiting list. But, we will be placed ahead of those who requested a Sept. move in date from the beginning. Confusing!
We're going to give it a year commitment. If after that time we chose to move, so be it.
Natomas Charter School...Just received confirmation that our application has been received but I forgot to include some things. I'll be mailing that stuff out tomorrow. As far as the curriculum and books, I am going to wait to see what they have available for me to borrow and will also check out the Sacramento Library System's online catalog to see what they have. (Thanks for the information Sharon!)
Job Stuff...I am going to try not to worry about this until I get there. I really can't do much from here anyways.
So, I am feeling a bit better but am still a "glass half empty" type of gal these days. I don't like it and I am trying to snap out of it.
Here is the latest:
Student Housing...We found out there are 20 families on the waiting list ahead of us. 20 families! I submitted our application way back in February and we still have that many people ahead of us. Crazy! Anyhow, she did say that we will have a good chance getting an apartment sometime in August. So, that is good news. I think. I really have mixed feelings about living in student housing.
Cons...(1.) I am not sure how this can even qualify as a two bedroom family apartment. This thing is 594 square feet! For those of you who have been to our current apartment, that is like cutting off the entire Master Bedroom Suite and 31 more square feet from some place! Click here to view the floor plan so you can get an idea of what I am saying. We are going to have to get creative with our space and storage.
(2.) The noise level will probably be high. I guess the walls, floors, and ceilings are pretty thin. And it is graduate family housing so there will be lots of kids.
(3.) No more dishwasher, garbage disposal, washer/dryer, central heat and air. I know those are conveniences and not necessities, but I will miss those nice conveniences.
Pros...(1.) It's on campus and centrally located in Davis so we will be able to walk or ride our bikes most everywhere. We'll definitely save money on gas! We're also going back down to one vehicle so we'll save on insurance and maintenance costs too!
(2.) We will be living in a community full of people in the same situation we are in. We have great friends here in TN and we will miss them tremendously, but none of them are in the same situation we are in. None of them are married with kids trying to live on a very tight budget, juggling many jobs, while going to school full time. Granted, they have their own things they are dealing with, but it would be nice to have someone else who understands exactly what we are going through.
(3.) Free DSL!
(4.) No dogs allowed! Sorry "dog people". I like dogs but when they interfere with my well being, I don't like them anymore. So, no more stepping in dog droppings in front of my apartment! No more listening to unnecessary barking! No more worrying about my boys getting jumped on or bit!
(5.) Here is the biggie...the rent is roughly $250 cheaper than other two bedroom apartment in Davis.
So, now we just have to wait until they send us an email letting us know an apartment has become available to us. We will need to respond in two days by accepting it or declining it. If we accept, then we have to start paying rent from the day it becomes available to us whether or not we are able to move on that date. So, we pretty much have to be packed an ready to go by the first of August. If we decline, then we will be placed on the September move in waiting list. But, we will be placed ahead of those who requested a Sept. move in date from the beginning. Confusing!
We're going to give it a year commitment. If after that time we chose to move, so be it.
Natomas Charter School...Just received confirmation that our application has been received but I forgot to include some things. I'll be mailing that stuff out tomorrow. As far as the curriculum and books, I am going to wait to see what they have available for me to borrow and will also check out the Sacramento Library System's online catalog to see what they have. (Thanks for the information Sharon!)
Job Stuff...I am going to try not to worry about this until I get there. I really can't do much from here anyways.
So, I am feeling a bit better but am still a "glass half empty" type of gal these days. I don't like it and I am trying to snap out of it.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
What's going on this coming school year?
Things are up in the air and I am not liking it. I am a planner. I like to plan. I like having a plan. Right now, I really don't have a plan. I had a plan, but there is so many things I don't have control over that are messing with my plan. I don't like it.
We still have not heard from UCDavis if we have a place to live. We've been on a waiting list for student housing since February for a move in date of August. Nobody is returning my emails to give me some sort of indication of where we are at on the list. We have to give a 30 day notice at our current apartment. We have to pack. We have to reserve a truck. If we are unable to move into the large apartment (594 sq ft!), then we need to somehow find a place to live there, while we are here. Sight unseen. AND most other 2 bedroom apartments I have looked into are anywhere from $250-900 more a month! We are on a fixed income and that is just not going to work for us. Besides, a lot of these places have already leased everything for the coming school year. I need a plan.
Homeschooling...we have decided to register with Natomas Charter School. The boys will be able to take a few classes there (like Latin, Art, Martial Arts, Music, ect.) a couple days a week and they will pretty much buy/lend me curriculum of my choosing (with the exception of curriculum with overt Christian content). It will also provide us with an instant community which is something we will need since we know no one! With that being said, I am not sure if we have been accepted yet. If accepted, I don't know exactly what classes are being offered and when. I am also a bit unclear as to what they will buy/lend as curriculum. Do they just supply the framework (the teacher manual, the student manuals, ect.) or the additional books to supplement and read along with it. It's making it impossible for me to make final decisions to what we will be using next year as well as how to plan my time during the week. I need a plan.
Jobs...I will need to work part time. I don't want to, but it really might be good for me. It'll get me out of the house and with other adults. I need that. Plus, we need the money. But, where am I going to work? Who is going to hire a homeschool mom with scheduling issues? Okay, I am probably borrowing trouble from tomorrow as far as this is concerned, but it is still on my mind.
It's just hard. This summer has been hard. We know we are not staying here. We know where we are going. We are doing our best to prepare for the coming school year, but it kind of feels like we're running in place.
That's all. Thanks for "listening".
We still have not heard from UCDavis if we have a place to live. We've been on a waiting list for student housing since February for a move in date of August. Nobody is returning my emails to give me some sort of indication of where we are at on the list. We have to give a 30 day notice at our current apartment. We have to pack. We have to reserve a truck. If we are unable to move into the large apartment (594 sq ft!), then we need to somehow find a place to live there, while we are here. Sight unseen. AND most other 2 bedroom apartments I have looked into are anywhere from $250-900 more a month! We are on a fixed income and that is just not going to work for us. Besides, a lot of these places have already leased everything for the coming school year. I need a plan.
Homeschooling...we have decided to register with Natomas Charter School. The boys will be able to take a few classes there (like Latin, Art, Martial Arts, Music, ect.) a couple days a week and they will pretty much buy/lend me curriculum of my choosing (with the exception of curriculum with overt Christian content). It will also provide us with an instant community which is something we will need since we know no one! With that being said, I am not sure if we have been accepted yet. If accepted, I don't know exactly what classes are being offered and when. I am also a bit unclear as to what they will buy/lend as curriculum. Do they just supply the framework (the teacher manual, the student manuals, ect.) or the additional books to supplement and read along with it. It's making it impossible for me to make final decisions to what we will be using next year as well as how to plan my time during the week. I need a plan.
Jobs...I will need to work part time. I don't want to, but it really might be good for me. It'll get me out of the house and with other adults. I need that. Plus, we need the money. But, where am I going to work? Who is going to hire a homeschool mom with scheduling issues? Okay, I am probably borrowing trouble from tomorrow as far as this is concerned, but it is still on my mind.
It's just hard. This summer has been hard. We know we are not staying here. We know where we are going. We are doing our best to prepare for the coming school year, but it kind of feels like we're running in place.
That's all. Thanks for "listening".
Monday, June 30, 2008
Boundaries...Don't Leave Home Without Them
Yesterday when we were out having lunch, a lady stopped me and made this comment..."Are you having a girl? Maybe it'll be a girl this time." I was caught off guard by this so I just shook my head and said, "I don't know" and walked off. A few minutes later she came to our table and said something like, "I am sorry if I said something to offend you. You'll be happy no matter what it is." Are you kidding me?!? I just politely nodded and smiled as my husband and kids were wondering what-in-the-heck was going on. Then the flood gates opened.
You know what? I will be the first to admit that when I gain weight, it is not evenly distributed throughout my body. No. I get a "pooh tummy". I don't wear tight fitting clothes/shirts to accentuate it. I wear the A line style shirts that everyone seems to be wearing. I am okay with myself. Do I wish I had a flatter stomach? Like most women, yes. But I don't and I am seriously okay with it for now.
So why am I so upset by this? I'll tell you why. 2 reasons...
1. Why can't people just mind their own business? Why do they need to make assumptions and then tell you or ask you about those assumptions? Do I even know you? What makes you think I want to talk to you? Did I invite you to converse with me? Who are you anyways?
2. When people do make comments and ask those questions...this is not the first time this has happened...why can't *I* tell them like it is? Why can't *I* just simply say, "Oh, I'm not pregnant." Maybe not even rudely and mean like, but just let them know. I'll tell you why. Because I don't want to hurt their feelings. I don't want to make them feel bad. I don't want them to have to live with the consequences of their "boundary crossing" comments. Ugh!
I am a nice person. I like people and I can small talk with anyone 'til the cows come home. But, don't make assumptions and don't cross "the line".
Guess I am going to have to learn to draw those boundaries more clearly and let people know when they need to step back.
***By the way...if you are inclined to leave comments about this post, that is fine. Just don't defend those people in any way to me. Be gentle. I am pretty fragile right now.***
You know what? I will be the first to admit that when I gain weight, it is not evenly distributed throughout my body. No. I get a "pooh tummy". I don't wear tight fitting clothes/shirts to accentuate it. I wear the A line style shirts that everyone seems to be wearing. I am okay with myself. Do I wish I had a flatter stomach? Like most women, yes. But I don't and I am seriously okay with it for now.
So why am I so upset by this? I'll tell you why. 2 reasons...
1. Why can't people just mind their own business? Why do they need to make assumptions and then tell you or ask you about those assumptions? Do I even know you? What makes you think I want to talk to you? Did I invite you to converse with me? Who are you anyways?
2. When people do make comments and ask those questions...this is not the first time this has happened...why can't *I* tell them like it is? Why can't *I* just simply say, "Oh, I'm not pregnant." Maybe not even rudely and mean like, but just let them know. I'll tell you why. Because I don't want to hurt their feelings. I don't want to make them feel bad. I don't want them to have to live with the consequences of their "boundary crossing" comments. Ugh!
I am a nice person. I like people and I can small talk with anyone 'til the cows come home. But, don't make assumptions and don't cross "the line".
Guess I am going to have to learn to draw those boundaries more clearly and let people know when they need to step back.
***By the way...if you are inclined to leave comments about this post, that is fine. Just don't defend those people in any way to me. Be gentle. I am pretty fragile right now.***
Monday, April 28, 2008
Why are some kids so mean?
Ugh! I am so frustrated and so mad!!!!!
Magnus has a very creative imagination. He likes to dress up and pretend he is different people living out different adventures. I love it and encourage it greatly.
Well, this afternoon he was outside playing and some teenagers walked by and laughed at him and said he was "a silly kid". I am furious! As they walked back by I confronted them. They said they didn't say anything, but I know they are lying. Magnus is inside crying because they hurt his feelings and now he won't go back out.
My heart is hurting for him.
Magnus has a very creative imagination. He likes to dress up and pretend he is different people living out different adventures. I love it and encourage it greatly.
Well, this afternoon he was outside playing and some teenagers walked by and laughed at him and said he was "a silly kid". I am furious! As they walked back by I confronted them. They said they didn't say anything, but I know they are lying. Magnus is inside crying because they hurt his feelings and now he won't go back out.
My heart is hurting for him.
Friday, April 4, 2008
Cyberspace Presence...non-existant
Maybe you have noticed (and maybe you haven't) but I have not been blogging lately. In fact, I haven't been visiting the Well Trained Mind Forums or my favorite blogs much either. I didn't even participate in my beloved Wordless Wednesday. Truth be told, I am kind of having a hard time. I feel like I have been thrown a curve ball but I am holding a tennis racket. I know I am partly to blame. I let myself dream and hope as I listened to people paint a successful and bright future for us.
Don't get me wrong, things are still looking up (at least that's what Collin says), but not panning out the way I had hoped. I don't handle disappointment well. Thankfully I have a husband who is strong and loves me and is helping me work through all of my questions and doubts.
That's all.
Don't get me wrong, things are still looking up (at least that's what Collin says), but not panning out the way I had hoped. I don't handle disappointment well. Thankfully I have a husband who is strong and loves me and is helping me work through all of my questions and doubts.
That's all.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
And now for something completely different
Valentine's Day, 2008
My wife is a little out of it after a long day with children. The late dinner we ate just took it right out of her. She's next to me on the couch, dressed to kill, and we're blogging.
I don't know why people say we're not like other families.
She assures me that we're only blogging for now. And that's reassuring for me, because hey, you buy a girl a nice dinner, bring her flowers, put the kids to bed, and then...homeschool blog? I dunno.
We're writing this (well, I am. She's making a valiant effort not to fall asleep on my shoulder) because although bad news travels fast, good news seems to go nowhere. It seems like doom and gloom is everywhere (you've all heard about the poor kids at Northern Illinois by now), but people often seem to keep their good news to themselves.
We're bucking the trend. We've got an announcement to make (hi, mom!) and we won't be silenced. I hope you're ready because here it is:
We've been married nearly ten years
- that's not it, wait for it -
and we're in love.
That's right. We're married and have two kids. We live in a little tiny baby pretend apartment with noisy litterbugs for neighbors. My car smells like puke. I made, like, $20,000 last year. Next year probably won't be a lot better.
And we're wildly, passionately in love.
DW (dear wife) just said, "I think you're right!" as I typed this, so that clinches it.
Maybe some time soon we'll go into how this came about, but for now we hope it's enough to know that somewhere out there are two people in love, making it work, fighting like cats and dogs sometimes, but in love.
Ewwww. Our poor kids.
Remember that part in Jerry McGuire when Rene Zellweger's character says "I love him for the man he wants to be, and the man he almost is"? Or something? Well, we've learned to love each other for the man and woman we are today.
So that's it. We now return to our regular programming.
Just thought you should know.
My wife is a little out of it after a long day with children. The late dinner we ate just took it right out of her. She's next to me on the couch, dressed to kill, and we're blogging.
I don't know why people say we're not like other families.
She assures me that we're only blogging for now. And that's reassuring for me, because hey, you buy a girl a nice dinner, bring her flowers, put the kids to bed, and then...homeschool blog? I dunno.
We're writing this (well, I am. She's making a valiant effort not to fall asleep on my shoulder) because although bad news travels fast, good news seems to go nowhere. It seems like doom and gloom is everywhere (you've all heard about the poor kids at Northern Illinois by now), but people often seem to keep their good news to themselves.
We're bucking the trend. We've got an announcement to make (hi, mom!) and we won't be silenced. I hope you're ready because here it is:
We've been married nearly ten years
- that's not it, wait for it -
and we're in love.
That's right. We're married and have two kids. We live in a little tiny baby pretend apartment with noisy litterbugs for neighbors. My car smells like puke. I made, like, $20,000 last year. Next year probably won't be a lot better.
And we're wildly, passionately in love.
DW (dear wife) just said, "I think you're right!" as I typed this, so that clinches it.
Maybe some time soon we'll go into how this came about, but for now we hope it's enough to know that somewhere out there are two people in love, making it work, fighting like cats and dogs sometimes, but in love.
Ewwww. Our poor kids.
Remember that part in Jerry McGuire when Rene Zellweger's character says "I love him for the man he wants to be, and the man he almost is"? Or something? Well, we've learned to love each other for the man and woman we are today.
So that's it. We now return to our regular programming.
Just thought you should know.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Proximity to Others
Currently, we live in a very small, 2 bedroom apartment. We call it our "little, tiny, baby, pretend house". It's not ideal (ideal would be a single family house on a large wooded lot with trees, cows, chickens, and a school room), but has been a positive experience overall. It forced us (well, mainly me) to purge a lot of things we had been holding onto for one reason or another, we have had to be creative with storage solutions (the boy's shower is filled with bins and paper goods and the laundry room doubles as a pantry...which is working out rather well), and we seem to finally be organized (for the most part).
In the 5 months we have lived here, people have come and gone. The ones that are here now, at least in our building, are making it unpleasant to live here. I have to wade through cigarette butts, empty beer bottles, and discarded fast food bags in order to get to my car. It's disgusting! Why are people too lazy to walk 15 yards to the dumpster or reach for an ashtray? I have personally gone out and picked up THEIR trash only to have it littered up again within a few days.
Even as I write this (4:54 am), my neighbor is saving the world by blowing things up. The bass from his video game is annoying and unnecessary. On occasion, it has rattled the stuff on my wall. Now, I understand this is the sort of thing you have to deal with when living in an apartment, but this is extreme in my opinion. We have talked with him twice and the apartment managers 5 times. I have even kept a record of the times the noise had occurred, which was all hours of the day and night. I am pulling my hair out!
What have I learned from this? I need space. I can not live in close proximity to others. We only have 4-6 months left in this particular place and then we are moving to one of 9 states for grad. school. Hopefully I will be able to find my ideal living situation.
In the 5 months we have lived here, people have come and gone. The ones that are here now, at least in our building, are making it unpleasant to live here. I have to wade through cigarette butts, empty beer bottles, and discarded fast food bags in order to get to my car. It's disgusting! Why are people too lazy to walk 15 yards to the dumpster or reach for an ashtray? I have personally gone out and picked up THEIR trash only to have it littered up again within a few days.
Even as I write this (4:54 am), my neighbor is saving the world by blowing things up. The bass from his video game is annoying and unnecessary. On occasion, it has rattled the stuff on my wall. Now, I understand this is the sort of thing you have to deal with when living in an apartment, but this is extreme in my opinion. We have talked with him twice and the apartment managers 5 times. I have even kept a record of the times the noise had occurred, which was all hours of the day and night. I am pulling my hair out!
What have I learned from this? I need space. I can not live in close proximity to others. We only have 4-6 months left in this particular place and then we are moving to one of 9 states for grad. school. Hopefully I will be able to find my ideal living situation.
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