Mean Girls

Isn't it funny how our emotions can run the gamut from extremely happy to pretty sad all in one day.

Today I started out happy. Really happy, for some strange reason. I got up early, not grumpily I might add, taught seminary, then went to the high school to do flute sectionals. Then I went to Target and did some retail therapy. It was fun just to walk around. I had another sectional at school and then went to pick up my middle schooler.

Elizabeth Stone said this about motherhood: Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.

Today my heart felt crushed because my son was crushed. He has, well I guess had, a group of guys that he has hung around with the last couple of years. They have never really totally included him, but have tolerated him. This week they have been particularly mean to him. He asked one guy why they didn't like him, or why didn't he want him around. He answered, "because you exist". Ouch. Then today in the car he told me that the one guy who usually sticks up for him, or at least doesn't act mean to him, didn't stick up for him. They told him to go away. They said they wouldn't be so mean if he just left them alone. Then they all moved. There's way more to this story, but that's the gist of it.

When a child's heart hurts, so the mother's heart hurts. I knew girls could be mean in middle school, but I didn't realize 13 old boys could act that way. I know these kids parents. They come from nice families. I don't know where this comes from. Next time I see those boys, I will say "mean girls!" to them. Well, at least I'll think it!

Justification

The word of the day is: Justification
jus‧ti‧fi‧ca‧tion  [juhs-tuh-fi-key-shuhn]
–noun 1. a reason, fact, circumstance, or explanation that justifies or defends.

Malcolm Forbes said: It's more fun to arrive at a conclusion than to justify it.

See also rationalize

Life's Little Irritations (blogger's block cured)

So I was driving down the road and I looked at my hands and there's this black stuff all over my fingers. I've noticed it before but never realized where it was coming from. It looks like a black ball point pen leaked and got on my hand. I finally figured out it was coming from my steering wheel. It is so hot outside that when I park my car in the sun it actually melts part of my steering wheel, and comes off on my hands. Irritating. Just a little irritation that's part of life.

Then as I turned the corner there's a road closed sign going into my subdivision. So I turn the other way and go in the back way. There's another road closed! They are repaving the main road through my subdivision! Another irritation. Voila! Something to blog about. Things that irritate me. (I drove around the sign and made it home.)

I went to the gym again today. Yay for me! For five weeks I have been faithful. I lift weights three times a week and do cardio for 45 minutes to an hour, at least three times a week. I stepped on the scales and I'VE GAINED WEIGHT!!! What's up with that? I know muscle weighs more than fat, yada yada yada. But I want a payoff! Another irritation, this one more in line with life's major irritations.

Bryan calls. Why? Guess. Yes, he needs more money. I wanted to challenge him right then and there to call me at least once a week and NOT ask for money. I am not a bank. I know we made a deal that we would pay for books and food, but gosh, college books are expensive!

And... and...

And the strawberries were stale in my Special K Cereal.

And somebody drank all the skim milk before even opening the 1%.

And I wanted to go out to lunch with a friend, but a meeting got in the way.

Time to step back and look at the "BIG PICTURE".

At least I have a car to drive.
At least I am healthy.
At least we have the money to send two kids to college.
At least I have food to eat.
And last, but not least, at least I have friends!

Another Cartoon

I want to update my blog, and I think of things to blog about at the most inopportune times, like as I'm falling asleep at night, or when I driving somewhere. When I'm sitting down at my computer my brain seems to come up empty.

I guess there is a little family news. We are now a family of three. Last night for the first time we sat down for dinner with our little family. Kristen left for college on Friday. It will be hard to fix small dinners, and we will probably always have leftovers.

Bryan is surviving, I think. He got the classes he wanted. I hope he bought books. Band is keeping him busy.

Rebecca had a baby shower. That was lots of fun. On a selfish note, it was fun because everyone thought I was her sister, not the future Grandmother! The best gift was the Father's Diaper Changing Kit, in a tool belt. It had the necessary baby wipes, lotion, etc, but the added bonus of masks and goggles. Peter loved it! They will be such good parents.

And I will eventually succumb to the idea of being a grandma. Now there's something to blog about!

How I want to go...

MAN TRAPPED IN KNEE DEEP CHOCOLATE

Death by Chocolate. What a way to go. Okay, so he didn't die. He didn't even have any major injuries. But what a fun way to get minor injuries!!! I know, I'm sick.

Summer Vacation is OVER...

And this is how I feel about it:

 

 

I had way too much fun this summer and I know it's time to get back to real life.  I think I'm almost there.  Joshua is back in school, and Bryan has moved into his dorm. Kristen leaves to go back to BYU on the 25th.  Life is almost back to normal. Flute lessons are back on a regular schedule.  I'm not teaching seminary anymore, so no more having to get up at 5.  Until I substitute for two weeks in September! 

Eeeeewwwwww!

What I ate for breakfast:



Article I read after eating said breakfast:

"What's in my food?"

"Few people know that the food coloring listed as cochineal extract comes from female beetles. Food activists want to spread the word.

When you dig into a strawberry Yoplait yogurt, take a moment to contemplate where the beautiful pink color comes from. Strawberries? Think again. It comes from crushed bugs. Specifically, from the female cochineal beetles and their eggs. And it's not just yogurt. The bugs are also used to give red coloring to Hershey Good & Plenty candies, Tropicana grapefruit juice, and other common foods."

EEEeeeeeeeewwwwwwwwwwww!

opposite day

Interesting conversation in our house:

Kristen (telling a joke): Teacher: What are the Great Plains? Pupil: 747, Con-kerd and F-16!
Bryan: It's Con-cord
Mom (who overheard this and said from another room): That's the first time that's ever happened!

If you know my kids well, you are laughing out loud right now. If you don't, let me explain. Kristen is the linguist major, the word freak, the diction expert.
Bryan is, well, not. In fact, Kristen keeps a "Bryan Dictionary" on words that Bryan mispronouces. So it was amusing to see the tables turned!

What makes me happy...

The other day I was in a sad mood, feeling sorry for myself. I had talked to a friend on the phone earlier, and was in a good mood, and then I just started feeling down. You know, the usual, I'm getting old (the grandma thing), my kids are leaving home. So I called this friend up again, because I knew that friends can make things all better. And I felt better! So today, I was reading an article in a magazine about making a list of 100 things we like. And I thought to myself, I should make a list of 100 things that make me happy, so when I get feeling down again, I can look at it, and realize that there are so many things out there that bring me joy. Especially friends who don't mind when you call them for no particular reason.

100 Things That Make Me HAPPY!
1. Words
2. Dark Chocolate
3. Cheese
4. Freshly washed sheets
5. Clean hair
6. Grand pianos
7. Baskets
8. Magazines
9. Giggling children
10. Laughing out loud
11. A clean kitchen
12. Cameras
13. A Thesaurus
14. Photographs
15. Office and school supplies
16. Sunsets
17. Juicy pens
18. Inspiration
19. Wise and witty quotes
20. Friends
21. Target
22. Scrapbooking
23. Fresh squeezed Lemonade
24. Ice cubes
25. Adventures
26. Travel
27. Europe
28. Drinking out of a Glass (not plastic)
29. Sunflower fields
30. Impressionist Art
31. Old building
32. Cool looking doors and windows
33. Gelato
34. Sleeping in
35. Lists
36. My laptop
37. My flute
38. Mahler’s 6th Symphony
39. Instant Messaging
40. Fonts
41. Christmas Lights
42. Post it notes
43. Oreos and milk
44. People watching
45. Tall snowcapped mountains
46. Green rolling hills
47. Geodes
48. Billy Joel
49. Almond scented anything
50. Books
51. Libraries
52. Bookstores
53. Going out to eat
54. Textured cardstock
55. Desktop publishing
56. Good designs
57. Paisley
58. Flower gardens
59. Fresh cut tulips
60. Exploring old European towns
61. Train travel
62. Bed and breakfasts
63. 5 star hotels
64. Lucky Charms cereal
65. Fresh strawberries
66. Homemade blueberry jam
67. Sunglasses
68. Happy children
69. Peaceful moments
70. New fallen snow
71. Warm rain
72. The color Blue
73. Beaches
74. The sound of crashing waves
75. Learning
76. Teaching
77. Pillows
78. Fun jewelry
79. Winter Scarves
80. Fresh tomatoes
81. Corn on the cob
82. Steamed crab legs
83. Air conditioning
84. Paper
85. Christmas
86. Weddings
87. Love songs
88. Connecting with someone
89. Mail
90. A good haircut
91. Sharp knives
92. Painted toenails
93. Finishing a project
94. Performing well in a concert
95. Juicy, sweet oranges
96. Someone smiling at me
97. Feeling the spirit
98. Writing
99. Comments on my blog
100. A phone call from a friend!