 |
 |
|
|
NOT SO PERFECT PARENT Blog |
|
March 2009
Categories
More WFAA Blogs
|
January 2007 ArchivesIt’s hard to know what’s worse, Snakes on a Plane or Children on a Plane (my money is on the children). For parents, there is nothing more anxiety producing then boarding a plane with your kids. You feel the tension from other passengers as they pray not to be sitting anywhere near your family. Often, your worst nightmare comes true and the screaming begins shortly after take off and continues until the plane touches down. Recently... What is it about change that’s so scary? At my age, you would think that change would be easier and I wouldn’t be as freaked out about the unknown. However, like all creatures of habit, I am much more comfortable when my crystal ball is cloud-free. Some people are better with change than others. They kinda go with the flow and don’t stress about the little things. Me? I like knowing my dinner plans before breakfast. I like know... I lay down next to him; close enough to smell his sweet breath. “One more time Mommy”, he said in a whisper. I obliged by singing “You Are My Sunshine” for the third time. This time, he sang with me and ran his little fingers across the top of my eyes and around my face. His voice was the sweetest ever heard and I tried to sing softly so I could hear his precious melody. “You are my sunshine. Random thoughts for a Thursday morning… Do you ever feel that you are simply doing tasks rather than living life? Do you ever wonder if you are going to wake up one day, look at your grown children, and regret cleaning the dishes rather than tossing the football? Do you ever have a desire to get in your car and just drive, and drive, and drive? Do you ever listen to a song over and over again and let the tears f... I did my first cooking segment today. This is frightening on many levels. To begin with, putting me in a kitchen of any kind is a little scary. However, add a famous chef and live television, something is sure to go wrong. It started off okay. I asked simple questions and got some expected answers. Not exciting, nothing fancy, just doing the basics to get me through my kitchen premier. It was when I actually “assisted” in th... And the hits just keep on coming…. It started Saturday morning with an 8:00 am basketball game (yes, I said 8:00 am). I overslept and woke at 7:25. I had been up all night with three kids and a dog who all decided to sneak into my bed at 2:30 in the morning. Not to brag, but I had all three kids dressed and in the car at 7:35 and managed to stop for donuts before arriving at 7:55 in time for the tip-off. I was disappointe... I am glad football season is over. Although they would never admit it, I believe most men are also relieved that the season has ended. Each game is stressful, even when your team’s not playing. I always feel for the coach’s wife or for the player’s mother. They are left cleaning up after a big loss by trying to rebuild a man that is feeling depressed and dejected. I began experiencing anxiety surrounding football when I was a ch... I guess Mother Nature decided to ignore my pleas and surprised us with yet another snow day. I whimpered a little thinking of another day locked in doors, with my children. To top it off, the cable wasn’t working leaving me without the internet and limiting our TV viewing to Barney videos. I thought to myself, maybe this would be a wonderful time to do some arts and crafts projects. We could make some pipe cleaner animals or be c... Texas has been experiencing an "ice storm". For any northern friends that may be reading this, an ice storm in Texas means that there is a slight covering of frozen moisture on the roads causing the entire city to shut down. I have been locked in too long and I am experiencing a dose of “Climbing the Walls” syndrome. I can hardly take any more family time and I am desperate to get to the mall, to work, hell, to the dentist for a root canal ... Mommy: “Who is Martin Luther King?” Colton: “He let the black people go free.” Mommy: “You may be thinking of Abraham Lincoln.’ Colton: “Oh yeah – Martin Luther King let the black people and white people play equal” Mommy: “What do you mean by ‘play equal’?” Colton: “Go to the same school and sit anywhere on the bus.” Mommy: “What happened to Martin Luther King?” Colton: “He was shot in D... Okay – maybe I’m wrong, but I think parents are acting a little skittish lately. I’m no exception. Before my child can go to a neighbor’s house, I have to meet the parents, inspect the house, and play twenty questions to make sure that there are no guns or open bottles of pills lying around. When I was a kid, parental control was limited to “be home before dark” and that was about it. Recently, a friend went to pick her son up f... What is it about kids and bedtime? Every night, without exception, we undergo a negotiation process about bedtime. This is baffling to me because bedtime has been consistent - 8:00 pm on school nights. It has never been up for debate. However, once bedtime is announced, it is met with a series of groan, whines, and pleas for an extension “can we stay up a little longer… pleeeeeeese!” I also don’t understand the resistance to sleep.... One of the worst grown-up jobs that exists is taking down the Christmas decorations. I rate that almost as low as changing poopy diapers and cleaning toilets. I dread this seasonal chore every year. Not only does it represent the end of a holiday and the beginning of routine, it takes months to get the pine needles out of the carpet and it leaves holes in the wall where wreaths use to hang. This year we got rid of a bunch of old d... I am not much for New Year’s Resolutions. Last year, I took the time to list out specific resolutions for 2006. However, I made my list while sitting in traffic where the only paper I could scrounge up was a receipt and the only pen available was my eyeliner. I kept it in my purse for several months until, during a routine cleaning, I threw it out along with gum wrappers and old parking tickets. I have a vague idea what was on the origina... “You ruined my dress! You must pay to replace it!” I screamed to the owner. “How can you say that?” I cried “The dress was perfect when I dropped it off and damaged when I picked it up.” Regardless of the incriminating evidence, the things I said were used against me in the court of cleaners. Be... I was invited to attend a big fancy smancy event in Fort Worth where the women wear their finest and the men squeeze into their tux and strut around looking wealthy and hob-knobbing with the somebodys. Almost the instant I opened the eleven inch gold invitation shaped like Cinderella’s carriage, I, like all of the other women receiving the same invite, immediately thought, “What am I going to wear?” I began my hunt for the p... What I would give for a crystal ball! I would love to take a peek into 2007 and see how the unknown elements of my life will be transformed into outcomes or more mystery. I begin 2007 in the challenging position of beginning a new career. I went from being at the top of my profession to having to pay my dues. I recognize that what I am experiencing right now is the reason why most do not change careers. It is simply too hard to m... Top Ten “Not-So-Perfect Parent” New Year Resolutions 10. Give up on the Toy Closet – it will never be organized 9. Stop screaming “STOP SCREAMING” to my fighting children 8. Refuse to participate in my kids’ school fundraiser (Christmas is over and I still have 47 rolls of wrapping paper left!) 7. Four (okay maybe three) home-cooked meals per week 6. Boycott Chuck-E-Cheese 5. Throw out the coup... |
