Dear Caring

I’ve written no less than 17 different responses in my head since reading Caring’s comment last night.  Yesterday was a HORRIBLE day with Sweet Pea, made even worse when my Blackberry chimed with a new comment and I read what she had to say.  You all came to my rescue so beautifully and really lifted my spirits.  If you haven’t had a chance to go back and read what everyone wrote, I encourage you to do so.  Not for my sake…skip all the stuff about “funny girl’s a great mom” and read about YOUR children who are different.  YOU are a fabulous group of moms and educators, and I am just glad to be in your presence.

The thing that bothered me above everything else about Caring  is that she represented herself as a Christian by quoting scripture to me, and then went on to behave in a very un-Christlike way with her comments.  So lest anyone lump us all together, let me be clear about this.  As a Christian, I believe there are two things that we have to do:  love God, and love others.  The whole of the gospel is based on just these two things.  It’s what some call “the greatest commandment”.  Sadly, there are MANY individuals like Caring who get so busy trying to love God (quoting scripture out of context, judging people’s behavior) that they forget the second part.  See, she forgot to show love.   And in her righteous attempt at chastising me, I’m afraid that she only served to perpetuate the ugly stigma that all Christians are judgmental, narrow-minded, critical people.

We’re not.  And while the un-Christlike Christians seem to get all the airtime, let me assure you that there are plenty of non-jugmental, open-minded people in our faith as well.  People who are just going about life the best they can…loving God and loving others. 

Peace and love, man.  Peace and love.

I’m gonna need your help…

I just got a really nice  comment from “Caring” on my previous post. 

I’ll be back to respond later, but in the meantime, go read it, and then do whatever the spirit leads you to do.  It’s also my first experience with a flamer, so if y’all have any words of wisdom let me know.

This is what I’m talking about

I was talking to a couple of friends yesterday.  These girls both know Sweet Pea’s situation.  Anyway, we were talking about two year olds and their crazy, tantrum-throwing ways.  I joked that I had a 70-lb two year old.

Then my friend described her now-seven year old when he was a toddler.  She said he threw terrible fits, kicked through walls, etc.  So I said “Thank goodness he outgrew that stage.”  And her reply stung.  She said “Well, I don’t know if he outgrew it.  I like to think we just did something right.”

In other words, GOOD parents can change that kind of behavior in their kids.

And since mine still displays that kind of behavior, she clearly didn’t have that kind of GOOD parenting.

Now this is a friend who has stuck her foot in her mouth many times before.  I did not respond in anger; I didn’t really respond at all.   She has no idea how badly her comment hurt me.   The time will come when I can gently help her understand how her off-the-cuff remarks are so painful to Hubs and me.  But it’s not the right time yet.

I laid in bed last night, after working with Sweet Pea for two hours to get to sleep, with the devil whispering in my ear:

She’s right, you’re not a good parent.  You could’ve and should’ve and you didn’t and now look what you’ve got.

And then I told the devil to SHUT THE HELL UP!!

Holy hairbrushes, Batman!

I don’t want to say anything, but SWEET PEA DID HER OWN HAIR THIS MORNING!!!!!!!!

And it was cute!

I’m in shock.

Instabook Club

My new bloggy friend Instamom has set up an Instabook Club. (How fun is that??) I am thrilled to say that the first book chosen is Revolutionary Road.  I mentioned to y’all before that I read this in the fall in preparation for The Pajama Game.  And although it is not a happy book, I highly recommend it. 

So, join us over at Instamom’s place.  Here are the details:  http://insta-mom.blogspot.com/2009/01/and-winner-is.html  Basically, get the book, read it over the next month, and then discussion will start around the first week of March.  I think the discussion will be powered by Twitter, but don’t be scared.  She’ll give us the scoop so we can all get Twitter-savvy together.

Okay, go, go, go.  And READ!!

Lagniappe

SO much to talk about…none of it important, but whatev.

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GASO Update:

Sweet Pea has continued her hygienic ways.  She actually took two (!!) baths last week.  And no fighting whatsoever.  WOO-HOO!!

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The Spelling Bee!!

Sweet Pea was in the school spelling bee last week.  If I may brag for just a minute, she was one of the top 8 scores in the fourth grade on the preliminary test, which earned her a place in the school-wide competition.  I like to think she got her spelling genes from my side of the family. 

Anypoo, I offered her the opportunity to wear her fancy dress, as she would be in front of the whole school and all.  She LOVES her fancy dress, so she was happy to wear it. 

How is it that she was the ONLY child on the stage wearing anything other than jeans and a t-shirt!?! Where I come from the Spelling Bee is a BIG deal.  You dress up.  Is it just me??

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My Happy Place

Last week we are walking through church and Sweet Pea looks up at Hubs and says “When are we going back to Disney World?”

That’s the Spirit moving, y’all.

As it turns out, there’s a pretty good deal at WDW right now:  buy 4 days, get 3 days free.  So we booked it!  I love trip planning.  This one will be filed under “Doing Disney on the cheap during an economic recession.”    Now I’m not much for Disney in the summertime…I’m spoiled that way.  But our new school district actually CARES if you take your kids out of school, even if it’s for an EDUCATIONAL excursion that includes topics such as Mouse Studies, Physics of Amazing Indoor Coasters, The High Finance of Pin Trading, etc.  So we’ll be going the weekend after she gets out of school for the summer.  (June 7, for those keeping track.)  Hopefully the rest of the country won’t be out yet, and hopefully it won’t be ridiculously hot yet.  But if they are and it is?  Who cares?  It’s Disney!!

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I told my brother the other day that I have a K-mart blog in a world of Anthropologie blogs.  In other words?  I really don’t like WordPress.  When I started blogging I didn’t do any research; I just jumped on and started writing.  But now I want things like a hip theme and customizeable widgets, none of which are available on WordPress.com. 

So I’m asking your opinion:  What should I switch to?  Do you love your blog-host?  Do you hate yours and want to warn me against it?  PLEASE give me feedback, as I’m going to be switching.

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Okay, that’s it.  That’s all I have.

Muah!!!

One Love

EVERYBODY!

One love…One heart…Let’s get together and feel alright…

Oh, my friends, there is a celebration to be had.  Did you hear our shouts last night? 

Stink Pea took a bath!!!!

WOO-HOO!!

(Clearly there’s going to be an overuse of exclamation points in this post, but I think they’re warranted!!!)

I’m sure many of you are wondering how it happened, so let me break it down.  Everyday at some point I have said the same thing:  “Think you might want to get a bath and wash your hair tonight?”  Well, yesterday she actually took me up on it.  I lit a bunch of candles and the next thing you know, she was in the bath.  Hubs and I just kept looking at each other and holding our breath, ’cause we didn’t want to jinx it.  I scrubbed her down and washed her hair twice, all the while praying that it’ll never again be 10 days between baths. 

She was totally cool about it…no fight.  AMAZING!

So now we start again.  I think it’s very possible that some of you with later predictions will still win a second place prize, because she very well may repeat the cycle. 

So, Miss Alison, you’re the winner!!   Congratulations, girlfriend…I’m awfully happy for you, although not as happy as I am for ME!!!

Thanks to everyone for your ongoing encouragement.  I’m telling you, I couldn’t have made it through the GASO without you!

Great American Stink Out – Update #2

Happy MLK day, everyone!! 

Thought y’all might like an update from the stink-front.  First, poor Hubs is going out of his mind.  I guess working in a hospital sort of immunized me against certain things…let’s put it this way:   I worked with LOTS of kids who stank.  So it doesn’t really freak me out.  But Hubs?  Freaked out.  It’s killing him.  Send him some love, wouldja?

Second, I’m gonna need a ruling on what occured Saturday.  Hubs talked her into a “wipe-down” – meaning she stood in the tub while he bathed her (shoulders down) with a washcloth.  Her hair is still unwashed, her fingernails are filthy.  In my mind it doesn’t count, but in the interest of complete disclosure I felt I should share that with y’all.

Interestingly, she keeps talking about the “fight” of taking a bath.  This morning I suggested that since she’s going back to school tomorrow she might want to consider getting a bath and washing her hair today.  Her response was “if we’re not going to fight about it, I’m not going to do it.”  There is something about that power struggle that must feel REALLY good to her, even though in the midst of it she screams bloody murder.  I am resolved that we are NOT going to fight about it, so this could be awhile.  I know I have quite a few readers with kids who are similar in temperment to my Stink Pea, so if y’all have any thoughts or suggestions I’d love to hear them.

I have to say y’all’s encouragement has truly buoyed my spirits this week.  Meg’s suggestion to “stay upwind” got me really good.  And Vaniqua keeps singing Bob Marley songs on my voicemail, as she’s got her fingers crossed that Stink Pea grows some dreads.  That is good times. 

We also have two more additions to the pool:  Paul has chosen the 23rd, and my dad (who for some reason didn’t want to comment) has chosen the 31st.  I’m letting him play anyway because, you know, he’s my dad.

Hope everyone has a great day today, and a fabulous Inauguration Day tomorrow.  Peace!!

PS.  Big shout-out to Paul, who will be working behind the scenes for the Air Force at the parade tomorrow.

Great American Stink-Out…Update #1

No bath yet.  We have had little conversations here and there about it.  Last night I suggested some deoderant and she got VERY offended.  I had to laugh. 

Hubs got home last night. (Yesterday was a great day to have your husband on an airplane –  let me tell ya.)  I woke him this morning with the news of the GASO (LOL…GASO!!!) and he was thrilled, to say the very least.

 

If you’re keeping score, here are the predictions going into next week:

GiGi 1/17 (Count on Grandma to be optimistic)

Leanne 1/19

Julie, Barbara, Jessica  1/20 (Inauguration Day!!)

Allison  1/21

Melinda 1/22

Paul 1/23

Darla, Vaniqua  1/24

Spring 1/25

Meg, Jane, Stacey  1/26 (Chinese New Year!)

Donna 1/27

Dad 1/31

Erin 2/1 (Superbowl Sunday)

Patrick 2/6

 

If you haven’t had a chance to make a prediction, by all means, join in the fun!!  And if this wasn’t enough reading for you today, click on any of the highlighted names to check out some really great blogs.

Happy Friday!!

What’s in a name?

Here’s a little snippet of a conversation Sweet Pea and I had last night during American Idol:

SP:  Asa?  That’s his name?  A-S-A is not a name.

Me:  Well, yes, that’s his name.  Pretty much anything someone can think of can be a name.

SP:  So Buttface is a name!

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In other news, I got to explain the birds and the bees to Sweet Pea last night.  Oh, and she lost a tooth. 

Big night at Funny Girl’s house…and all with Hubs out of town.  He always gets off scott free.