What sort of Mother am I?!?!

Today, I picked up my daughter from school, as usual. I asked the same questions.

"What did you eat for lunch today?"

"Uhm, chicken nuggets!"

"Where they good?"

"Oh yeah!"

"How was your day?"

"It was good, we had another SCA meeting today, and voted on prizes."

Pause

"What kind of meeting did you have today!?" - confused

"Uhm an SCA meeting." - like duh, didn't you hear me?

"So does your whole class get to go to these meetings?" - me thinking maybe they rotate the kids in and out for the experience etc.

"Uhm, no, just Dhruvil and I go, and guess what's the best! We voted for a week of no homework for the winner! Wouldn't that be so great!?"

"Yeah... " - stunned - "So uh, how long have you been having these meetings?"

"I dunno, like from the beginning or something." - obviously has no idea

So there you have it folks. Proof that I'm obviously not paying enough attention! Here I thought we were so close... I mean she tells me when she forgot to stop biting her fingernails, and that one time when she picked her nose in class...


So... don't let the picture fool you!

EDIT: My dear friend Reagan has pointed out, ever so eloquently, that this is all Mr.T's fault. Saying "It's the Karlan in her. Wouldn't he be on some committee at work and then tell you later only b/c y'all ran into someone on the same committee and that person mentioned it?"

It's all a matter of perspective..

Totally worth the watch.

*pause* to reflect on the put upon...

Here he is, so put upon and jaded, you expect him to have written volumes of bad poetry and have an intense collection of whiny emo music. It's finally that phase... God help me it's barely even begun.


This pause is brought to you by the frustration of being a Mom to the likes of a pre-teen.

Hormones, I realize, play a big part in why my son is acting like he has lost his brain and replaced it with mush. This seemingly normal phase of growing and maturing, this developmental period that assuredly affects all of us, somehow doesn't resonate with my brain when I'm talking to my kid sometimes.

You must realize there is no point in trying to have a conversation with a twelve year old (when you have opposing views), who really, should move out before he gets old and forgets that he knows everything.

So, we're talking, about his grades, one of which was pretty much failing, the rest were A's, (he has since brought it up to at least a B), and he starts to say "I don't try in school because I don't have to, and why should I have to if it's easy?" So, of course, this riles me up enough to have a conversation with him, about his future, ethics, character etc. Then he says something, and I'm just like... huh... then I realized, he doesn't know what he just said, he must not have heard himself. He said 'I have to try in Spectrum because it challenges me and makes me think, not that I have to try, because it doesn't challenge me really though.' So, he's just contradicted himself, and I repeat his words back, and ask 'wait did you just say this, and follow it up with this', and he flips out and decides I'm mean, and then starts to cry. Seriously.

There was no yelling. I was baffled really. So I really just repeated his words to him, asking if he meant to say what he said, and that's when he went all 'pre-teen' on me. We all know, that I'm evil of course, and like a total bitch, and completely unfair... but I can handle that. Tears though?

In the end, it doesn't matter who is right or wrong, and I guess I just need to get over myself. He's going through this, and I can't stop it, and I can't fix it, and I just have to be there when/if he makes it out on the other side of things alive and maybe singed, but mostly, hopefully, unscathed. I can only hope for the best, and apologize for the ego in him that I fed, and do the best that I can to be here for him.

Really though, he's totally emo and actually proud of it in a weird way, so I guess I should go buy the eyeliner and black nail polish now and get a head start on things. It might be nice to get my old Smiths CDs out and really show him how to do it right - oh wait, can't do that - because then I'll be doing it all wrong!!! Especially since he just got his very first pink polo shirt, and LOVES it, and wears it proudly with his skull watch, black jeans and studded belt.

He doesn't look so emo here.. but there is the pink shirt. He was actually very pleased.

Oh joy.

If my life was simple...

...I'd be so relaxed and happy too.

Isis really likes the new red couch.

Does that make sense?

Who uses AdSense and likes it?

I was like ( _) this close to putting it on my blog, until I started reading all of the agreement terms. Really I'm just curious if it ever pays anything at all, much less if you like the way it ever looks on your blog?

History Lesson - Tagged - HNT-cheating

Reagan tagged me with a history lesson, so here I go!



Thirty years ago, February 28, 1978 I was born at Camp Pendleton in Oceanside, CA. I was born during a really terrible storm and I was exactly two weeks late. I was born at 12:25pm during Days of Our Lives, which my Mother pointed out to me frequently. I was also the first born grandchild and that made me a spoiled brat, which I loved until my evil cousins were born! GRRR!










Here we have a picture with the interlopers! Look carefully at their shifty cuteness!

Twenty years ago I was in the fourth grade. Ms. Thang was my teacher and she was very nice. I think she ended up having an affair with this other teacher that ended up getting fired. We used to play dodge ball for P.E. and Mr. Amos would actually pit the boys against the girls and then PLAY on the boy's side. The boys, which in number was higher by far than that girls as it was, would win and learn to insult girls for being weak and whiny. I ended up faking a serious injury, and getting a removable cast because the doctor couldn't even be sure if there may be a hairline fracture that he couldn't see. Go HMO! I blamed this injury on Mr. Amos - and then they found out he had been actually curving the grade in favor of the boys for all of his classes. Well and he'd also been doing other malicious things, but I think I helped get him fired!!

Ten years ago I was living in Dallas, TX dating Mr.T and totally goth'd out. I was also a happy goth! I know, it doesn't fit.

Notice, the electric tape, purple lipstick and black nail polish. It's not a flattering picture, but I thought it held the most 'hey look at how weird she was!'

Five years ago we had just moved to San Ramon, CA.
My daughter was just almost 5 months old and she was amazing us on a daily basis. Thankfully, though, we got out of the tiny little house and expensive area.








Here is my favorite little interloper and her cuteness, and standing in her crib at about 5 months old. Four months later she was walking.



I'm not tagging anyone back, but I REALLY loved this one. Thank you Reagan!

However, if anyone would like to do this, I would love it!

Seven Things - Been Tagged..

...by KittieKate!

1. I follow other people's lists more readily than I can follow my own.

2. People who bite their nails or nervously twitch and move all the time frustrate me when I have to sit on the same couch with them.

3. I really do prefer my cotton panties.

4. My elbows need a LOT of lotion because my skin is not naturally smooth and wonderful; though the men I know have perfect soft wonderful skin and I'm SOOOOO jealous.

5. When the mood comes upon me I stitch, needlepoint and quilt. Lately though I've been a little strung out on black and white photography.

6. I'm going back to school!

7. I wish I was more consistent when it comes to keeping up with friends.

With this I'm tagging the following:

~Reagan
~Parabolist
~ListeningTree
~TheMomBomb
~Jen.M
~TrezBizzare

Water Conservation, HNT, and Comment Whoring

That's quite a load!

Lately around our neighborhood there are signs posted saying "Mandatory Water Conservation". Big bold letters on this small sign. Mostly this is supposed to mean, 'Hey you, stop watering your lawn during the day asshat!' I take this to mean, 'Hey woman, stop taking a bath AND a shower every day.'

So what I'm doing is turning the water off in between washing and rinsing my hair and I'm going to cut down on my evening bath's and not fill up the tub all the way when I do. There is no way I'd let anyone in this house not flush the toilet so don't even suggest it!

Moving on, the camera doesn't work right now for some reason, so maybe there will be HNT later and maybe there won't.

~*~*~*

On to comment whoring!

In THIS post you will find a contest. If you would be so kind as to traipse over there and leave a comment and let Sunshine know I sent you, I'd appreciate it! In an effort to compete in the contest here are my links!

Mr.T is my husband. He talks about man-stuff mostly, but has a secret political agenda...can you guess what it is?

CosmoGirl is the most loyal, loving and well-traveled person I know. She's got a heart of gold, a sense of style and fun travel stories, who could ask for more?

The Parabolist is something of an enigma still. Will he actually start to blog more than once a month?- time will tell.

The Listening Tree is one of my oldest friends, and a very talented singer, musician and artist. She knows entirely too much about me and has known me for years.

Pole Hill Sanitarium is the home of my dear Dr. S! An intelligent read and all around good person, I even enjoy reading his blog even if its about sports.

Moving on, we're at the motivating blog here Sunshine! Here at the Pursuit of Happiness, you can find interesting photoshop skillz, fun contests and a sense of humor!

If you're looking for something a bit different and fun stop by Trez Bizarre! There you will find a fun English teacher who likes her art raw and has a love for Jesus too!

My new favorite is the MomBomb. She gets real and doesn't need her hair done to drop her kids off in the morning.

She who doesn't write in her blog anymore but should is here. However, she DID comment for me in Sunshine's blog because she's just that prompt and nice, and picking me up from the airport next week so I can't leave her out.

Looking for something a little deviant? Not Safe for Work folks, but most of the time a steamy read AAG's blog is where to go.

Rhea found me, I think. The BabyBoomerBlog is just fun! Who says Boomers are a drag? Not me! She likes aliens and chocolate, thats just fun.

Men aren't the only people who game. Here you will find Sandie. She is awesome and a lot of fun, gives great reviews on movies and books and is health conscious too!

Again, proving the stereotype wrong, my girl Liz is the D20Blonde! She hasn't blogged much yet, but give her time.

Post Secret is self explanatory, and a guilty pleasure of mine.

Half-Nekkid-Thursday is Osbasso. He's a fun guy who runs HNT and with people who participate who are far more bold than I ever could be.

The Nanny Diaries are about my friend Jan and her life as a nanny on a ranch in Texas.

Dooce is as Dooce does. A fun read and very popular on this thing called the internet.

Okay - there are my links, this is my post about the contest :)

HNT.. back on the block..

This HNT picture is brought to you by the life and times of my years gone past... thank you Kristal for posing for this one 10 years ago.. :P