Tenderheart and Buford Hogging the Friday Photo Blog
We go to church on Saturday nights. I say it’s easier to get teens going at 6:00 on Saturday night than 10:00 Sunday morning, but it’s really for me too. I like sleeping in. I love going to church, but I really like sleeping in. So Saturday night service works for us. Sometimes it’s after a rough Saturday like the girls have been bickering or I’ve had to take their phones away and I end up just standing there during the worship songs just letting it wash over me. Just enveloping me in grace and forgiveness and hope. Clinging to that gets me through every week. When I don’t go, I feel out of sorts. Now, of course I get a lot from the message, but those songs at the beginning really keep my sanity.
It’s been so long since I’ve done a photo Friday that I almost forgot what I was supposed to do.
In honor of Tenderheart’s 12th birthday this week, she not only got her own post, but she gets the retro picture of the week. 
How cute is that face! The correct answer is, very.
For Tenderheart’s birthday, we went to see Wicked. You can read HERE about the first time we saw it in October 2009. It was just as amazing as I remember and maybe even a little more as the girl who played Glinda was the best I’ve seen. Don’t get all, What about Kristin Chenoweth? Obviously, she’s the queen, literally. But this one that we saw was amazing and gave her own little mannerisms to the character and was incredibly funny.
If you’re my FB friend then you know part of this story, but right before the lights went down for Wicked to start, I leaned over to Tenderheart and hugged her and said, “Thank you for having a birthday. ” And she leaned back and said, “Thank you for having S-E-X.” And yes, she spelled out S-E-X. I almost died. See post before this one regarding things Tenderheart says…
Here are the girls after dinner but before the show.
Sunshine is almost unbearable. They asked the top 50 Juniors (she’s 27th) to help with the graduation ceremony this weekend. It involves them wearing a white robe and doing things like walking the Seniors to the stage or serving cake at a reception. And it’s like a four-day commitment. She’s just so tired with it being the end of the year that she’s really hard to be around. I know why they have them help with the ceremony, 1) they need the help, and 2) they want to get them excited about graduating next year. As my friend Heather (holla!)’s husband Mark said this week, they should get the bottom 50 to help and get them excited about graduation next year. To which I said, true dat!
Speaking of Sunshine. Here she is with Buford.
She said, hugging; I said, strangling.
I could make an all Buford Friday Photo Post, but I’m not going to. Here’s Buford after a long night of catting around. I’m going to keep using that joke until someone tells me to stop, thus confirming that real people read my blog and not just spam.
That Looks Uncomfortable
You have no idea how many times I say, Please put that cat down. Or, Please let that cat out.
Here’s Tenderheart and Moonshine before leaving for Wicked. I would have Sunshine in this pic too, but she was too busy texting everyone what a nightmare I was in not letting her take her cell phone with us to dinner or the show. Yay!
Oh, here’s Sunshine and Tenderheart at TGIFridays on a Wednesday.
And here’s Molly standing guard in my makeshift living room office/couch where I work three times a week. It’s really comfy, y’all.
And here is Tenderheart blowing out her candles on her birthday cake and saying goodbye to 11. What’s my motto? Getting through six more years with laughter.
I actually do have a pretty good story to tell you about Mother’s Day weekend including my review of The Avengers. Hopefully you’ll be able to wait. And if you’re wondering, like I know you are, yes, I cried during Defying Gravity again. That scene is just so moving. If you haven’t seen Wicked, you totally should.
Happy Birthday, Tenderheart!
I’m going to tell you why I love Tenderheart. 
I’ve talked a lot about how snotty she is, but she’s really a deep thinker. I worry about how much she keeps in her head because I need to tell her that useless knowledge isn’t going to get her anywhere in life. Don’t ask me how I know.
Tonight, Tenderheart was walking around the kitchen and asking about Sunshine’s friend Joy. Tenderheart loves Joy and always wants her to come over and hang out. She has deemed Joy her second favorite of Sunshine’s friends.
Let me back up. For my new reader, Sunshine had her first boyfriend this year, Wilson, and he never called her on the phone and didn’t want to actually go out with her. My theory is he just wanted to hang out with someone during the play and he kind of has a reputation for doing that. Anyway, after standing her up over spring break and then being a jerk to her at the prom, we decided he’s not a nice guy.
So, tonight, kitchen, Tenderheart, go:
Tenderheart: Do you think we’ll see Joy again before she goes to college?
Me: I don’t know, you’ll have to ask Sunshine.
Tenderheart: I really hope we get to see her again.
Me: I know, I like her a lot too.
Tenderheart: I really want to see Wilson again too.
Me: Oh, really?
Tenderheart: Yeah, I want to kick him in the nuts.
Me: on the floor….
I don’t even know what to say. She really comes up with some stuff that takes you completely off guard.
The other night at dinner:
So today during the fun run, John asked Jeff what he’d do if he teabagged his sister.
I really have to go to the bathroom but I don’t want to have diarrhea. You know, a public bathroom.
I framed someone for stealing today. I think she hates me now.
Laura got trampled coming out of the gym and burst into tears. She really is sensitive.
I could go on and on, but just know that she totally keeps us in stitches. And that’s how I’m going to get through the next 6 years, with laughter.
Happy 12th Birthday, Tenderheart!!
Always a Cop When You Need One
I decided I’m going to have Tell You Something Tuesday and Wordless Wednesday, but not this week.
I wish I could get paid to review products, I would be really good at it. I have a huge problem with late night internet ordering, which explains the Bob Harper $5 DVDs that are still in the package and the Zumba DVDs. Also the Trendy Tops and Magic Mesh screen door. It’s really a problem especially for someone who’s as underemployed as I am.
So I got really excited about my new job offering me a full-time position when they told me it would take months because it wasn’t even approved yet. I guess it’s just nice to be nominated and we’ll see what happens. Here’s what I know, somehow I’m making it through every month, but it’s defying logic and I’m definitely going to need to find another job soon.
I got pulled over last week. It’s the first time I’ve been pulled over in a really long time because I’m a good driver, y’all. In fact, I haven’t been pulled over for a driving infraction in the past 10 years. I got pulled over once because my tags had expired, but I’m a really safe driver. And I’m not just saying that because my insurance agent is my Facebook friend, not that anyone reads this blog.
So as I said, I’m a really safe driver until last week when I came out of the grocery store parking lot the wrong direction to take Tenderheart’s friend Minnie home and I needed to do a U-turn. The first place to turn around had a great big No U-turn sign and I said, “I know it says no U-turn, but I’m doing it anyway”. Of course, I didn’t say that to the policeman who I almost ran right into as I was completing my U-turn. He was like a predator, just waiting at the gas station for idiots like me making a U-turn at the No U-turn sign.
I don’t understand what you mean
Why did I do that? I could have gone around. It would have taken me longer, but I could have done it. It’s not like I was lost or something. I went to turn right as he pulled out behind me and I prayed loudly that he wouldn’t pull me over, but as I was turning right, his lights came on. I pulled into the gas station he pulled out of and under a tree because I might as well be out of the sun if I was going to be there for a while.
As he walked to my car, I decided I wasn’t going to cry. I could have, but that could go either way. I haven’t had a ticket in forever so I had no idea how much it was going to cost me, but any amount of money for something that isn’t budgeted is too much. He got to my window and he was the cutest!! Oh my gosh, police officers have gotten really cute. If I knew where older ones hung out, I might drive a little faster or make more U-turns in their area.
I rolled down my window and said, “Okay, I know what I did but I was already committed to it before I saw the sign.” I’ll bet he was the first police officer to ever be lied to. The first thing he did was ask for my phone number and write it down. Is that normal? Then he took my insurance, which I had about 15 proofs of insurance, all expired. I finally found one that expired in three days and gave that to him and then gave him my registration, surprise, also expired. I’m telling you, I don’t ever get pulled over. Everything was up-to-date, which I can’t say every year, but this time, I just couldn’t find the right one.
He made us wait, which is why I was in the shade, and then he walked back up and told me he was giving me a warning. This is where I started crying, more like burst into tears. I was so thankful for that guy, I didn’t know what to do with all that emotion. Anyway, he said there’s a lot of accidents there and he’d hate to have to respond to an accident involving me and my kids.
Here’s where it got a little questionable. He gave me a comment card. He gave me his card and a phone number to call and talk about my experience. Huh? Is that normal now? Does everything come with a comment card? And does he get a raise if he gets a good review? or does he get in trouble for not giving me a ticket? Is there some kind of quota they have to meet? I want to call and tell them how cute and courteous he was, but I don’t want him to get in trouble for not giving me a ticket, or they would give me a retroactive ticket?
I decided I’m calling though and I’m starting with how cute he was and ending with how nice he was and then see if I could set him up with Sunshine. It might be nice to have a cop in the family.
It’s Glass Half Full Day
After approximately 14 weeks of blogging every day, I think I’m done. Not done blogging, but probably done with blogging every day. It’s exhausting, y’all. And if only I’d been working out every day instead of blogging, I’d probably be a lot happier with myself. And now I have a job, which means I’m running out of hours in the day to devote to something that makes me no money.
And you or the d-bag that fired me might be surprised to hear, after three weeks in my new job they told me they didn’t know what they did before me and asked if I’d be interested in going full-time. That was quite the boost to the old ego I needed after being let go after 17 years and made to feel like an idiot for the last year or so. I do have some skillz, I can’t believe I ever doubted myself.
May the Fourth Be With You
In honor of Star Wars Day, I’ve foregone my photo Friday blog for this one. It’s going to be epic.
I’m still struggling after 300+ posts on what this blog is going to be about. It’s gotten really complain-y. My friend Gloria might say it’s dark, if she still read it. Parenting’s hard, y’all.
So I’m on the record as being terrible at small talk. I just don’t think things through. Need a couple of examples? I told someone “I’m sorry” when they said they got married. I suggested a type of dog food I would eat as a senior citizen when I couldn’t afford food. I told a woman her baby was so cute you could cook him like a Christmas ham. It’s a wonder anyone talks to me. The following example isn’t that bad, it’s just a commentary on what a nerd I’m not. Segue into the fact that I keep track of very few people from high school. Keep going, there’s no math.
I was at Moonshine’s volleyball a few weeks back and trying to make small talk with other parents. I’m terrible at it, but this mom and dad sat kind of close so I thought it would be more awkward if I didn’t. I asked whose parents they were because I’m really observant and they told me and they made the connection on whose parent I am. Then, Moonshine’s team put their hands in and said, “MUMBLE!” Whatever, I don’t know what they said, but it was the name of their team.
So I looked over at the other mother and asked what the name of their team was. She said it was the Jags. I said I thought it was Justice League and she said it was but they started calling themselves Jags. I don’t even know why. Then there was an awkward silence that I always feel like I have to fill and I said, Well, that’s timely since that new Justice League movie’s coming out. Huh? She actually went along with me and said, Oh yeah. Her face said she had no idea what I was talking about. Did you get it yet? Yeah, I meant the Avengers. I’m an idiot. I thought about just letting it go and I leaned back over and said, It’s the Avengers, and she said, *pat-pat* I know.
I literally have like four Facebook friends from high school. If you’re one of them, you’re welcome. You’re welcome for what? You’re welcome for flooding your timeline with nonsense and ridiculous pictures. How else would you know I have a blog?
So there’s a guy from high school who won a contest designing a shirt for the Avengers and I was going to put it on here like I do all the other pictures I find online, but then he blasted someone on his timeline for stealing his art. I don’t know what constitutes stealing, but I certainly don’t want to be on this guy’s bad side and he’s incredibly talented, like crazy talented.
So I asked him if I could borrow his picture and put a link to buy the shirt. It’s really cool. He gave me express permission and had no idea I had a blog. Whatever, I was only on Oprah. Yeah, just kidding. 
If you’re a Justice League Avengers fan, you’re totally going to want to get this shirt and wear it to the premier or the video store or your computer software job or a Star Wars convention. I realize I’ve stereotyped you into a geek, but I’m probably going to wait for the rental on this sucker. Hold everything….In doing my in-depth research about the Avengers movie I just saw that it was done by Joss Whedon. Well, hello, I will absolutely see this movie. Now, if he could only get on another Firefly movie, I could totally geek out with the best of them.
Back to you, however, YOU should totally support my friend The Illustrator Formerly Known as Jerry Bennett and BUY A SHIRT. Then you can click HERE to check out more of his work. Crazy talented.
I’m Back Just in Time for Photo Friday!
Wow, where ya been? I know it’s Monkey Bashing Thursday, but I just don’t have the energy anymore. I mean, I do have (at least) one more story, but it will have to wait until next week.
It’s been a very tumultuous weekend and week at the Shine’s home and it’s not showing signs of letting up. Sunshine is playing tennis in a regional tournament today and has an IB test and she told me she doesn’t want me to go watch her play, or I’m sure her test either. Fine. It all started last Friday when there was a huge blow-up between Sun and Moon Shine and I suspended their cell phones.
I’ve been threatening forever, but to be honest, you just get used to being able to get ahold of them at any minute and there’s safety in that. So I never have suspended their phones, but I was so mad after Friday night that I went on to see how to do it and it was so easy, I just clicked the button.
That click of a button made this weekend as awesome as you can imagine. Moonshine, surprisingly, was not the one I had trouble with. She got up Saturday morning to see what she could do to help, what did I need, and of course, how does she get her phone back on. Sunshine, however, was probably exactly as you can imagine with her entitled self. She couldn’t believe I turned their phones off and she didn’t think she had any part in the Shine’s blow-up and was just snotty.
Then I made them do yard work. If you can remember how much I hate yard work, you can understand how much they hate it. And again, Moon, perfectly willing to help; Sun, it was like pulling teeth. If you’re wondering, Tenderheart was at her friend Minnie’s house so completely out of the crossfire. I asked Sunshine if that was the attitude she thought would best get her phone back, but she didn’t care, she was just mad.
My friend Heather (holla!) said once that she thinks the strife you develop between your teens is so it’s easier for them to leave home. If everything stays peachy keen (yeah, I said that), then they’d never want to leave. And I think what’s going on with the Shines is that it’s the end of the school year. And Sun is under a remarkable amount of pressure, which she doesn’t deal with well. I would say, “I understand,” but she doesn’t think I know what high school’s like. But then ask for help. When I offer to help, she just shuts down and then I rescind my offer of help. It’s as dramatic as it sounds.
We just desperately need summer to get here. Moonshine and Tenderheart are going to Oklahoma and Sunshine’s either going to get a job or go to Dallas to get a job. Either way, she’s getting a job.
So, I’m sorry for my three-day absence, which only one person asked about, but to be honest, I’m just trying to hold it all together while feeling like I’m completely falling apart. And no one wants to hear about that.
Yup, it’s Friday Again
I’ll get the unanswered question out of the way first. What’d you do this week? I celebrated my 300th blog by going out, getting drunk, and telling everyone I have a blog doing nothing. I actually had a busy week with three days in the office and two days working at home, which was fabulous. I saw a post on Facebook about how to make a computer shelf for your treadmill. Of course, I was on my laptop in a recliner at the time, but it seems like a good idea.
I also had Moonshine’s last volleyball practice where the parents played the kids. The moms would have won if so many of them hadn’t brought younger siblings to play. And it’s a sad state of affairs when there wasn’t one dad there to play. We’d been told a week ago that the last practice would be parents against the kids, but only moms and a bunch of annoying siblings.
This is where I discovered that my kids all have the worst qualities of their parents. I tend to let everything I think show on my face, so does Moonshine. Tenderheart is a fatalist. She thinks if you’re 10 minutes late, you must be dead. Yup, I have that too. Unfortunately, the kid that got the worst of it is Sunshine who got her sports ability and attitude from her dad. Poor thing. I watched her play tennis today and she was just walking through the points. I literally wanted to punch her in the face because I’m out there like a tool in the rain giving her encouragement and she’s got the worst attitude of anyone I’ve seen for a long time. I try not to scream, You’re just like your father!!, because keeping my PTSD down is really hard, y’all.
Here’s the retro picture of the week. 2002 was an easier time with a 4, 7 and 2-year-old. 
Moonshine, Sunshine, and Tenderheart
I tried to find one where Tenderheart didn’t look startled, but couldn’t. There was no teen angst in this picture, no cell phones, those girls loved me so much. Tonight when I was unable to kill a moth and I ran downstairs to get away from Sunshine’s moth tantrum, she yelled, “You Suck” at me. The little girl in that picture never thought I sucked, she thought I hung the moon. One day the monkey told me, “I wish I could see you like they do. They think you’re beautiful.” Awwwww, can’t believe I let that charmer go, can you?
So this week found us at Sunshine’s performance of five one act plays. Here, she’s a jester in Hamlet in 15 Minutes.
Here’s Tenderheart and Minnie who I did take to the play, but made them wear headphones through Sex Lives of Superheroes. 
One of the lines in the play was, Question: Did Superman and Lois Lane ever have sex; and the main character said, No, the force of his ejaculation would have blown her head off. Yeah, performing arts at its finest. Sunshine said the funniest part of that one act play for her and her friends was watching my reaction to it. Great, glad I could be there for you.
We also went shopping this week where Sunshine got a t-shirt that I can assure you she won’t wear more than once.
Moonshine tried on the most atrocious shirt and I shut her down so she ended up doing this the rest of the time.
Here’s Tenderheart, who I conned into helping Moonshine mow the grass. Yes, folks, we’ve come to the time of year where I complain for five months about how I don’t have anyone to take care of my yard. 
Moonshine told me I should hire a Mexican, so I did.
Here is my beautiful lilac bush, which I was going to call an azalea until someone posted a picture on their Facebook of their beautiful lilac bush. What do I know.
My yard needs some serious work. Here’s my one tulip that came up this year. 
Here’s Buford after a long night of catting around. I’m going to keep using that joke until someone tells me to stop, thus confirming that real people read my blog and not just spam.
And here’s poor Molly, who probably has the best life of all of us except that Moonshine never gives her fresh water or remembers to feed her, but she doesn’t have a job, she’s laying on the couch and not on her dog blanket so her life really can’t be that tough. 
So that was my week, this is my life. And my sister thanked me for all the call-outs on my blog but told me I can stop acknowledging her now. However, my planned blog on Monday is to tell you 43 things I love about her in honor of her birthday! I guess after that I can stop talking about her, but she’s just so much fun.
And how cute is she!!
Happy 300th Post, Christyd4!
I really feel like I should have a plan for my 300th post. Working is really getting in the way of the daily blogging. I’m afraid this is just going to be a ramble. You might want to get out now. Oh, and I just got my 100th like. So 300 posts and 100 likes, those numbers aren’t great. And you know who’s probably liking my blog posts? Spam.
Sunshine used to do competitive dance. Not like Dance Moms where she learned a new dance every week and we flew to California on a moment’s notice. Who are those people?? But the normal competitive dance where they learned a dance in August and September and competed it all season. I think that’s the more likely way to do competitive dance. I’m not saying anything’s dramatized for reality television. She was like 8 or so and then stopped when she started middle school.
When she was 10, she had a tap solo where she had to ride a skateboard out and then do a tap dance. It was adorable. I have had to teach them everything, reading, potty training, riding a bike (except Tenderheart because she was taught by both Sun and Moon shines), manners, but I asked the monkey to teach her how to ride a skateboard. Since I’ve had children, I have no equilibrium, so I was going to kill myself if I tried. He was yelling at her within 10 minutes because she was scared. She was able to limp through it and got out on stage every time on that skateboard but learning it was a really bad experience, and while he has the ability to help her be better at tennis, she would never let him work with her.
A better blogger would have a picture of the dance, but I’m already late and my sister refuses to ask me about my blog since she’s mad about the pic I put up yesterday. I thought she looked adorable.
Last Friday I was able to watch Tenderheart and her volleyball team play. I stupidly asked the monkey to coach because they didn’t have a coach and they wouldn’t have had a team. Her team sucks, the parents suck, the kids suck, the coach sucks, not one of those kids besides Tenderheart looks like they even want to be there. He’s a terrible coach, but even when he tells them they have to move or something, no one moves. Honestly, it looks like only 8 out of 10 of those kids even wants to play. So after the game last Friday, Tenderheart was coming with me to Moonshine’s game, which she’s never asked him to go to, and Tenderheart has tears in her eyes. I said, What’s wrong? Are you getting ready to cry? And she said, I usually wait until right before I go to bed to cry about it.
She was saving those tears for her pillow like Abby Lee told everyone on Dance Moms. I had no idea it was so bad for Tenderheart. And I have to preface everything by saying she’s the most tender of the bunch, while being the most snotty, but he feels like she’s the only one he can yell at because she’s his kid. He really has no idea how to deal with any of his kids. And I usually help him because I wish they had a better relationship than the one I had with my dad, but there’s really only so much I can do for him.
A lot of my adult decisions were based on the relationship I had with my dad. My parents got divorced when I was young and he moved to Colorado when I was 8 so I saw him maybe once a year until I was 19 and moved in with him. It only lasted a month because the idea of having a relationship with my dad and actually having a relationship with my dad after all those years was very difficult, to say the least. I wanted my kids to have a better relationship with their dad and I forced it a little. Maybe it will come around when they’re adults and they’ll have a relationship with him, but I’m through trying to push it when he has no idea how to be a parent. If they want to go over there, fine; if they don’t, fine. They’re at the age where they don’t have to do anything they don’t want to, which is why Sunshine’s hasn’t been over to his house in years.
So instead of 300 awesome things about me, I’ve wasted my 300th post and the last 20 years on that monkey. He’s not going to change. You know what I hate? Him…..and 24-hour news. I think 24-hour news and reality television are the demise of our civilization. Why is everything so sensationalized? I actually saw a news story that said, “Texas boy starved to death?” And in the article, they have no idea. Why do they ask a question in a headline? Shouldn’t they already know the answer? Why would you report it if you don’t? I get so sick of the “news”, and I use that word very broadly. Headline – “How does Jennifer Anniston feel about Brad Pitt’s engagement?” Story – She doesn’t care. Why is that news? Aren’t we still at war?
And I never got to post my review of 11/22/63 by Stephen King. Really good, there you go. Now I’ve moved on to reading The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly. I never saw the movie, but am really liking the book. My sister has some really good books on her Nook that I can hack into. I think I’m going to start making requests although she refused to get that Fifty Shades of Grey I’ve been hearing about. She called it trash and told me I’d have to buy it myself.
And I’m going to finish up this momentous blog post with a story about my awesome dog Molly. She’s been a little out of sorts since I started back to work and our schedule of take kids to school, come home and nap has been really thrown askew. I now have to work in the office two days a week and the other three days I either tell her, Molly, let’s go work and she goes to my office to lay on her bed under my desk.; or I say, Molly, let’s go nap and she runs straight to my bed. She’s brilliant. I’m going to start letting her make my life decisions.
My dog really is better than yours.
You Get What You Pay For
My blog is late today. You get what you pay for. This is actually my 299th post. I feel like tomorrow’s should be really good. There’s a lot of pressure. My sister actually texted me this morning and told me she was going to have to find someone else to follow if I couldn’t keep up. To which I say, Good luck finding someone who has so many pictures of you!
I wish I could find the picture of her trying to strangle me when I was a baby. This is cousin Cari and my awesome sister at Easter 1979.
The problem I had last night, I don’t get up early so I usually blog the night before, is that I went to a performance at Sunshine’s school. The advanced performing arts class did a series of four one act plays and then Hamlet in 15 minutes, which was hilarious. Sunshine was in three of the plays and in one she played a psycho ex-girlfriend, which was really funny. It was free and I was one of only like 10 people in the whole place. Where are those other kids’ parents? I didn’t invite anyone else because she told me about it Monday night, but that place should have been full of at least parents.
So I told my friend Heather (holla!) that I was taking Tenderheart tonight and I’d take her daughter Minnie, and then they performed the one act play Secret Sex Lives of Superheroes…….I have to say I think they must have picked it based only on the title because it wasn’t really funny and it was really risque. Like, I was looking around and cringing at the people who had brought kids. Now, I will still take Tenderheart to see Sunshine and probably make her cover her ears, but for Heather (holla!) who always seems to pick our church service where they talk about sex, I’m going to have to warn her of what Minnie’s going to hear tonight. Maybe I should just take ear plugs for both of them.
I know I’ve told you Moonshine and Tenderheart are playing volleyball because the monkey is Tenderheart’s coach. And he’s a terrible coach. I’m not going too much into it because it’s going to make a good Monkey Bashing Thursday blog, but he’s an awful coach. So I was at Moonshine’s volleyball match when I heard the ultimate “My kid’s better than your kid” conversation going on. I was fascinated by it. It was like watching a tennis match and then the dad’s got involved and that took it to a whole new level.
For you, my new reader, you can read HERE about the “My kid’s better than your kid” mom. I’m going to name them Mom A (of Suzy) and Mom B (of Jane and John) and then Dad A and Dad B are going to come in. You know people like this so you have to read it with the proper tone.
Mom A: Suzy tried out for poms at the high school already and made it.
Mom B: Jane’s going to play volleyball.
Mom A: Suzy’s playing volleyball too.
Mom B: Have you started looking at college’s? (these are 8th graders)
Mom A: Yes, we’ve already taken her to some.
Mom B: When we filled out all the paperwork for John, we found out how many scholarships are out there.
Mom A: I know.
Mom B: Did you know there’s a scholarship for left-handed people?
Mom A: Yes.
Dad B: He listed a bunch of other scholarships John was eligible for.
Dad A: We took a road trip last summer looking at colleges. Two weeks, nine states, and two countries.
Mom A: Did I tell you Suzy tried out for poms and made it?
Thank God the game started because I was exhausted just listening to it.
Life is So Hard in the Suburbs
I’ve run out of things to say and I’m mad at Sunshine so this blog is going to suck. I think I should just stick to the Friday photo blog because even if I just take pictures Thursday night, I have something good to talk about. Sunshine is under an inordinate amount of pressure right now with school work and I get it, although she said I don’t know what high school’s like, but she’s just shutting off and not saying anything and it’s driving me crazy. She obviously needs help managing things, but when I ask if she needs help she says no and then lashes out.
I think this is what Dr. Kevin Leman was talking about when he said you need to let them fail. I also think I was supposed to have a new teen by now, but I don’t. I probably need to get that book again.
Sunshine’s taking the ACTs tomorrow and she’s nervous, but snapping at me only makes me mad and I had to just walk away tonight. Dr. Leman would say the next time she asks me to go somewhere I should tell her no because of her attitude. I told her if she continued talking to me like that she wouldn’t have a car doing it or a cell phone or Tumblr. I told her I had no problem taking her to school and tennis and her performance this week, but she wasn’t going to be snotty and me buy the gas for that.
We also started something new this week. In the midst of The Great Laundry Debate, I made a proclamation that I had had enough. It was as dramatic as it sounds. No one does the laundry, no one puts it away, it sits in the washer for days, and I’m the only one seemingly responsible for it even though there’s no way in hell I could wear their size. So starting this week they have a laundry day and they bring down their laundry once a week to do like two loads, take it back upstairs and put it away. I told Sunshine it’s exactly how she’s going to have to do it in college. And now, normally, when it’s just sitting in the washer like it is right now, I would just cycle it for her but I’m mad so I’m not going to. I honestly don’t care if you have clean clothes or not.
And I don’t know why I’m so grouchy. I should be happy that she’s stressed about school. I should be happy that she’s doing her homework and taking such responsibility for it. And the reason I should be happy about it is…..Guess who got kicked out of school today? If you said Moonshine, you’d be wrong, and how rude, she’s doing much better, thank you. If you said, Mary Jane, you’d be right. For my new reader, you can read about Mary Jane HERE, and I gave an update HERE, but Mary Jane and Sunshine were best friends in middle school and the beginning of freshman year until MJ started hanging with the wrong crowd, getting high, and lying to Sunshine, that’s when Sunshine stopped being her friend. Sunshine said, I have to worry about my dad lying to me and now my best friend? It was a really sad time for her and she has no tolerance for lying.
I would see Mary Jane sometimes when I went to the school and she would be smoking on the grassy knoll. Sunshine doesn’t know what happened, but she knows that MJ had to clean out her locker today and leave the premises. That sounds like expulsion, my friend, or her parents got wise and took her out completely. And I feel terrible for her. Sunshine never understood the soft spot I had for Mary Jane, but I WAS Mary Jane in middle school and high school. And she had so much potential if she could just see past high school. All of them have so much potential if they can just keep their head on straight and think through all the hormones and emotions. I would tell Sunshine that, but apparently I don’t know what high school’s like. Good thing I never had to go.
