Friday Funny- Warning! Contagion!

A few weeks ago, I was taking Z2 and a neighbor child to school. We passed a bus stop that was clearly for high schoolers. There were four teens waiting for the 7:45.

"Look at that," I remarked. "They're all standing ten feet away from each other because they can't take standing next to each other."

"Why are they like that?" asked the neighbor child.

Before I could engage my brain-to-mouth filter, my post high school reunion self said, "Oh.... it's puberty. Messes up your brain and thinking and you think you can't be seen with this person or that person and if everyone would just get over themselves and learn to accept people with their differences, they just might find out they could get along and actually like each other and can be pretty good friends."

His eyes got wide and he looked at me with great concern and said,"Is puberty contagious?"

If he only knew. But then again... he's about to find out! 

Yours, thankful to be over the contagion called puberty,

Melissa

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

It’s time once again to say THANKS to all of you, dear Readers, for your continued support over the years. Melissa and I love writing this blog in connection with our eBook series, The Caregiver Organizer, and we love knowing that we touch you a few times a week (when we remember to post!). Usually with our funny stories, sometimes with our outrage or frustrations, but always with our honesty. And we love hearing back from you. So keep those comments coming and let us know you’re out there and what you’re thinking!

Have a wonderful, wonderful Thanksgiving. We’ll be back soon!

Karen

Monday Madness-Where Have We Been?

So sorry for our absence, dear readers. I had a major fundraising event a week ago Friday, Karen's been sick (Pneumonia? It's going around!) and then there was the election. All of that to say, yes, it's been quite chaotic as of late. And from all of these activities we go straight into the holiday season, which for the musicians, means a whole lotta work right now and not much after Christmas. Not that I'm tweaky about it yet or anything like that. :)

But today, I'm taking a moment to breathe. I'm doing the 21 day thankfulness challenge. And even though today's thankful list includes being thankful for steam cleaners and the extra time to clean up that coffee spill out of the carpet right away and the fact that The Hubs was not there to see me do it (priceless!), I still have to admit, we live pretty good lives. Yes, we all have inconveniences. And heart-stopping moments. We have even experienced catastrophic things. But we're still here, still chuggin' along, still finding things to laugh about. And for that, I'm thankful.

So go ahead- I dare you. For the rest of November- heck, the rest of the year!- find something every single day to be thankful about. Bet it just might do you some good.

Yours, thankful the coffee actually came OUT of the carpet,

Melissa

ADULTS CAN BE SUCH CHILDREN

It amazes me how childish some adults can be, and what poor examples they set for their own kids at times. I’ll tell you what happened this past weekend.

My (11 year old) sons and I were at Target on Saturday. I was checking out while they were waiting for me by the door. Apparently, Adam was standing a little too closely to the electronic door, so when a man and his 2 daughters tried to walk through them, the door didn’t slide open right away. So what does the man do? He turns to Adam and says something to the effect of, “Thanks for messing the doors up, Jerk.”

JERK. A grown man called my 11 year old son a JERK because he unknowing stood too close to the door and kept it from opening correctly. He called my son a JERK in front of his 2 school-aged daughters. This is the example he wants to set for them? Because in my book, this man is one thing: a BULLY.

Did it make him feel like a big man to intimidate and scare a child? Because that’s all it succeeded in doing. Oh, I guess it got him to move away from the door as well. Good job, Mr. Bully.

All I can say is he’s lucky I didn’t hear him say this to my child. In the heat of the moment I’m not sure exactly what I would have said to him, but I’m sure it wouldn’t have been pretty. And I’m sure there would have been a lecture in there somewhere about setting a better example for his daughters. But I know this: It would have been something that my boys would have been proud of!

Karen

Monday Madness- One Week Left

Only one week left. Most of you know of what I speak. The oncoming storm- and I'm not referring to Hurricane Sandy- rivals any other political campaigning week. And if you think it's bad in The Lou, you should try Chicago! Merciless does not begin to describe!

And the conversations on facebook- whoa. People are really beginning to get nasty about things. While I understand there is a lot to debate, I'd like to offer up a few points to consider:

1.) Debate, but don't get ugly.  I've seen true friendships ruined by political differences. There is no reason for namecalling, arrogance or slamming someone in the name of satire or whit.

2.) Did I say arrogance? Yes. People! Take the high road! Conviction is admirable, but when it comes off as an "I know so much better than you" attitude, well, I cease to listen.

3. Listen to what the other person is saying before you write them off. In our school district, all of the kids are learning the seven habits of highly effective people, one of which is: seek to understand, then be understood.  I wonder what would happen if we all did that with each other? I know it doesn't mean we are going to agree and life will be nirvana, but we might get a whole lot closer. 

4.) Discussion is key. See point #1. Discussion, not arguing, not lamblasting, not fighting. Discussion. 

And if you happen to be in the Northeast, hunker down and stay safe. You've got it going on on all fronts!

Yours, counting the days until the election is complete,

Melissa

Friday Funny- So much worse...

And the hits keep coming. We continue our foray into the land of middle school tween boy development. I was helping him through his agenda/notebook and noticed a fill in the blank worksheet that said: 

Pimples are overactive (sweat glands) that have become (clogged). How will I take care of them?

I was thankful that this week's health unit was on personal hygiene. And I think it was good for him to hear it from another person in an academic setting. 

Btw, did I mention his gym coach is an old high school classmate? No. Kidding. My kid is going to be getting facts of life videos from someone with whom I graduated high school. Somehow I didn't imagine it like this. (He is, however, a great person, it's just amusing to me.)

So Z1 comes home from school last week and walks into the living room, drops his bag and flops his skin and bones frame onto the couch. 

"How was your day, honey?" I ask gingerly.

"Mom, we saw another video today," he replied. And it's so much worse."

Thinking he was finding out about more of his own body changes, I stupidly innocently say,"Oh, it's not that bad. What did you see?"

"Oh yes it is. It's the worst one yet! It was on the female endocrine system!!!"

I couldn't help but laugh. Out loud. Poor kid. "Yup, buddy. I think you're right."

Yours, thinking he's wise beyond his years,

Melissa

Honey Boo WHAT???

So we’re flipping through channels the other night (and the fact that we have over 1000 channels and still there is nothing to watch is an entirely different post!) and we come across the show Here Comes Honey Boo Boo.

ARE. YOU. KIDDING. ME?

Have you ever seen this? What am I missing? Because I REALLY don’t get it. If this little girl is supposed to be a “beauty queen,” then I should think about entering my son, because he could do better than her in ALL categories: poise, talent AND looks!

Okay, I really hate to be snarky here, but this must be a joke, right? The episode I watched (or as much of it that we could stomach before we just had to switch to another, equally stupid but less disturbing, reality show) was about one of her sisters, a teenager mind you, having her own baby. Yes, we’re watching a show about a child, with no boyfriend that I could see, having a child. There was no lesson to be learned here, no Dr. Phil moment, no motherly advice about how wrong it was. (Although there was a brief moment where Mom asked Daughter about how much pain she was in and said something like, “See what a bad idea this was?” Uh huh.) And throughout it all, Alana (aka “Honey Boo Boo”) is whining that she wants to see the baby (double thumbs and all!) and how excited she is. It was like a big party!

So back to Honey Boo Boo. First of all, what’s with the name? In fact, they ALL have weird nick names. Secondly, being in pageants is expensive, so how do they afford this? Have you seen their house? (Sorry, getting snarky again. But maybe they could put some of that money towards cleaning up their house and getting parenting and nutrition classes to clean up their family. Just sayin…)

And now Rosie O’Donnell wants to renovate Honey Boo Boo’s home for her. I have nothing to add to that. I’m stunned.

I’m all for seeing how a family less fortunate lives, and how they manage to keep it all together and make ends meet, etc. But I feel like if that’s the show, then help the family get ahead in a productive way. Don’t just put them out there for the world to laugh at. And I’m pretty sure that when people aren’t gaping with their jaws on the floor, that’s what they’re doing – laughing.

I think I’ll switch the channel now!

Karen