My Sweetie & the Howler spent 3 days last week at my in-laws. Of course, they had to go to the County Fair while there--actually, going to the Fair was the main purpose of the visit, if you ask the Howler.
They left on Wednesday. It was peaceful & quiet here. The Toad pretty much ignored me, and I enjoyed that. The neighborhood terrors were all kept at bay, and I very much enjoyed that. I even managed to spend some QT with my mom--who fed me a tasty good dinner, too. I got the bed and it's covers all to myself (unless you count the bickering cats) and it's all good, actually.
They came home on Friday, and it occured to me while I was at work, that while I missed the Howler, I missed My Sweetie more. Waaaayyyyy more. Of course, the Howler has gone on week-long visits to the in-laws before, so I am used to her not necessarily being here. But this was different: comparing the two missing-you feelings, I was more lonely, and looked forward to seeing my husband than I did my daughter.
Is that weird? (I know it's not wrong, but is it weird, that I feel that way, and I admit it?)
What makes me think to post this is that today, on Facebook, there's a "LIKE" thing going on where "My Kids Are My World! Click Like & Post This If You're Not a Completely Sucky Parent" thing going 'round. Because the 25,000 over "LIKE" things about how great, fantastic, wonderful, second-coming my kids are. Son or daughter, I don't find either of them to be the end-all-be-all of my existance. (Truth be told, the Toad needs to move out. Soon, as in yesterday soon.)
Sure, today I am very worried about how school is going for the Howler--in part, a totally unknown entity in the teacher and add that 3rd grade is a tough year anyway...yeah, I worry.
It just struck me on Friday that so very much more of our culture is directed at our love for our children, rather than at the primary relationship with my husband (finally caught that little brain fart, sorry!). Even people who have known me for a very long time still seem put off or uncomfortable with the fact that I don't feel the need to be strapped to my children, EVER. And that find children, mostly, annoying. I like 'em best when they're like zoo animals--pretty to look at, but not close enough to do any damage.
My Sweetie, though, is pretty to look at (okay, handsome, if that makes you feel better) and I don't mind being close to him. Is that weird or what?
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Friday, August 27, 2010
Back To School
It's the most wonderful time of the year....BUT this year, we've got added stress.
The teacher the Howler was supposed to have got a job in a different district, and so what we were counting on and looking forward to is no longer an option. Having had the experiences I've had as a parent (never mind the crappy stuff from when I went there) I'm always nervous about it. But with the news that Mr. Jones has left the building, I'm back to my pre-Kindergarten stress about what can happen to my baby. It's not attractive, and I'm keeping a brave adult face on it, but I'm stressing about it. (It totally doesn't help that he was an excellent teacher in a building full of good teachers; and that his teaching style would have been wonderful for my headstrong Howler)
Anyway, that means that PTA is starting up again too. While I have managed to avoid being on the board again, I'm still going to be neck-deep in it. And that means stress--deadlines, and responsibilities, blah blah blah.
The fun part of it all is taking the Howler shopping. She doesn't need much by way of clothing, but a few new outfits won't hurt, and of course, there's always the accessories of being a girl.
Have you seen what's going on out there? The 80's are back. Fingerless gloves, neon colors, you name it. I spent at least 10 minutes in that store hyperventilating. And then I dropped money on a few things that were age-appropriate. Including said fingerless gloves.
My baby girl has, I must admit, similar taste in her accessories. She wanted the belt with the roses & skulls. She wanted the neon gloves. She is attracted to hats.
She also has her father's influence going on. She likes the knee-hi moccasin like boots (I LOVE those boots, baby) and peace signs and tye-dye. Gotta love this chicklet.
I did buy her the boots, too, although at first she didn't even want to try them on. Once they were on, though, it was hard to pry them off her. Once home, she kept putting them on again, just to see how they looked. Silly girly!
I'll have to post pics, especially of the gloves (gloves, which, I never owned. Neon clothing, yes. Marginally big hair, yes. Boots, not moccasins, yes. Belts and hats, you betcha. But fingerless gloves? Nope. She couldn't wait to call my mother and tell her aaaalllllll about it.)
The teacher the Howler was supposed to have got a job in a different district, and so what we were counting on and looking forward to is no longer an option. Having had the experiences I've had as a parent (never mind the crappy stuff from when I went there) I'm always nervous about it. But with the news that Mr. Jones has left the building, I'm back to my pre-Kindergarten stress about what can happen to my baby. It's not attractive, and I'm keeping a brave adult face on it, but I'm stressing about it. (It totally doesn't help that he was an excellent teacher in a building full of good teachers; and that his teaching style would have been wonderful for my headstrong Howler)
Anyway, that means that PTA is starting up again too. While I have managed to avoid being on the board again, I'm still going to be neck-deep in it. And that means stress--deadlines, and responsibilities, blah blah blah.
The fun part of it all is taking the Howler shopping. She doesn't need much by way of clothing, but a few new outfits won't hurt, and of course, there's always the accessories of being a girl.
Have you seen what's going on out there? The 80's are back. Fingerless gloves, neon colors, you name it. I spent at least 10 minutes in that store hyperventilating. And then I dropped money on a few things that were age-appropriate. Including said fingerless gloves.
My baby girl has, I must admit, similar taste in her accessories. She wanted the belt with the roses & skulls. She wanted the neon gloves. She is attracted to hats.
She also has her father's influence going on. She likes the knee-hi moccasin like boots (I LOVE those boots, baby) and peace signs and tye-dye. Gotta love this chicklet.
I did buy her the boots, too, although at first she didn't even want to try them on. Once they were on, though, it was hard to pry them off her. Once home, she kept putting them on again, just to see how they looked. Silly girly!
I'll have to post pics, especially of the gloves (gloves, which, I never owned. Neon clothing, yes. Marginally big hair, yes. Boots, not moccasins, yes. Belts and hats, you betcha. But fingerless gloves? Nope. She couldn't wait to call my mother and tell her aaaalllllll about it.)
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Opposites
Yesterday, My Sweetie cleaned the house--the mopping, the dusting, the wiping up. When he does this sort of thing, he rightly expects the house, in spite of it's slackers & slobs, to stay nice at least 8 hours (he's an adorable thing: he used to expect it to stay nice for a day or two. it's only taken 8 years of marriage & Howler to whittle him down to 8 hours.)
Anyway, I was at work, and met them at the pool around 4pm. By 5pm, we were home, and there were toys strung across the playroom, and potato chip crumbs in the living room. God bless the Howler! She's truly a committed professional when it comes to disregarding the ideals of the grown up people around her!
My Sweetie stomps out to the front porch, where I am sitting, reading a book and oblivious to the carnage being wreaked inside.
He tells me that she's washing things--I ask what she's washing. He tells me "fu-ifiknow." I laugh. My Sweetie is not amused, and is actually a little offended that I would laugh.
Turns out that there's a dead spider in the McDonald's playhouse, and I'm giggling because the Howler is also very skeeved by the spider--she won't even acknowledge that it's a DEAD spider.
And we're walking...and we're walking...
My Sweetie & I realize, once we're in the kitchen, that there's something missing from the counter. What is it? What is it? Oh, yeah, it's the roll of paper towels. Wait, no, there's the cardboard tube still there...
He calls the Howler out to the kitchen and asks her just why she would need 1/2 a roll of paper towels--a large wad of paper towels--to clean up the sloppin' mess she made on the countertop when she was washing her stuff.
"Oh, no, Daddy, it wasn't a laaaaarge wad, it was a small wad. HONEST!"
And, yet, he still got huffy with me because I laughed.
Anyway, I was at work, and met them at the pool around 4pm. By 5pm, we were home, and there were toys strung across the playroom, and potato chip crumbs in the living room. God bless the Howler! She's truly a committed professional when it comes to disregarding the ideals of the grown up people around her!
My Sweetie stomps out to the front porch, where I am sitting, reading a book and oblivious to the carnage being wreaked inside.
He tells me that she's washing things--I ask what she's washing. He tells me "fu-ifiknow." I laugh. My Sweetie is not amused, and is actually a little offended that I would laugh.
Turns out that there's a dead spider in the McDonald's playhouse, and I'm giggling because the Howler is also very skeeved by the spider--she won't even acknowledge that it's a DEAD spider.
And we're walking...and we're walking...
My Sweetie & I realize, once we're in the kitchen, that there's something missing from the counter. What is it? What is it? Oh, yeah, it's the roll of paper towels. Wait, no, there's the cardboard tube still there...
He calls the Howler out to the kitchen and asks her just why she would need 1/2 a roll of paper towels--a large wad of paper towels--to clean up the sloppin' mess she made on the countertop when she was washing her stuff.
"Oh, no, Daddy, it wasn't a laaaaarge wad, it was a small wad. HONEST!"
And, yet, he still got huffy with me because I laughed.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Presque Isle, Erie, PA
This is the Howler--she's beautiful!
This is the Howler daring Mother Nature to "Do yer worst"
This is Mother Nature doing her worst--knocking my beautiful girl ass-over-tincups. HAH!
The Howler loves going down to a beach on Lake Erie after a fun day at Waldameer...and she's absolutely wonderfulgorgeousfabulous there. (June 2010)
This is the Howler daring Mother Nature to "Do yer worst"This is Mother Nature doing her worst--knocking my beautiful girl ass-over-tincups. HAH!
The Howler loves going down to a beach on Lake Erie after a fun day at Waldameer...and she's absolutely wonderfulgorgeousfabulous there. (June 2010)
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