I am so thankful that I met my husband. So many of the amazing things that have happened to me have happened because I met my husband. I am so thankful for my kids, family, Ethiopia, love, health, employment. And it all started here:
Ignore the bear and the guys on people on the bikes, but the place in the background is where I worked and met Bill. It was so awesome to see this place that was such an important place in a commercial.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Even though it isn’t even Thanksgiving yet. Why does Christmas start earlier and earlier every year?
The kids were more than happy to see Santa and tell them the one thing on their Christmas list–they both want Nintendo 3ds and Zoë wants a unicorn pillow pet to go with her lady bug pillow pet.
That’s it. One thing on the list. Santa likes it when things are easy.
This sums up why I chose the school my kids go to.
So, things have reached a certain place where they just aren’t manageable any more. I am tired of yelling at my kids. Part of that is me and my own tendency to think yelling will magically make everyone do what I want. Yeah…this is not really working.
Today, I just reached my breaking point. I got to that place where I realized what I was doing was not working and that if I wanted to see a change, I needed to be willing to change to. So, I had a “Come to Jesus” talk with my 5 and 4-year-old. I know that even sounds asinine. But here I am sharing it out on the Internet–because that is what well-adjusted parents do right?
We talked–okay, I talked and the kids listened. They seemed to begin to grasp what I was saying about the not listening and the constantly telling us “NO,” along with the whole “we don’t have the same rules–because daddy and I are adults and you are kids.” You know, basically all those parent-like things I swore I’d never have to say to my kids.
So, I feel a lot more relaxed knowing that I am not going to yell. I’m going to talk to them and then punish them–with a smile on my face.
Somehow that is better–at least for me. So, we’ll see how this works.
So, my dad got an iPhone. Lori–you should stop reading now 🙂 He was able to text me using SIRI–impressive. He called to check-in with me and we talked about the phone, etc. He really is enjoying having advanced technology. But he is having a problem setting up his email.
“I can’t get my phone’s email to work.”
“What do you mean, Dad. You have to set it up.”
“I tried to . I’ll just go back to the store and have them help.”
“Dad, it’s not their job to set up your email.”
“Well, I typed in my user name and password and the phone says it can’t guarantee that user name.”
“Dad, do you have a gmail account?”–really, I shouldn’t have to ask this question right?
“I’m setting it up on the phone.”
“No dad did you set it up already with gmail?”
“No. When I did Lori’s I just set it up on the phone and it was really easy.”
“Dad, you can’t set up your gmail account on your phone until you have done it online with gmail.”
“But I don’t want the email on my computer.” WTF? At this point I am trying not hard to laugh.
“It won’t be on your computer–it’ll be on the internet.”
“I just want to be able to get email on my phone. I don’t want it on my computer.”
“Dad, it won’t be on your computer. But you can check your gmail account from anywhere–computer, phone, anywhere that has the internet.”
“Oh. So I just go online and set it up.”
“Yes.”
“But I don’t want it on my computer.”
I give up at this point.
“It will be on your phone. You can check it from your computer–but it will be on your phone.” I am no longer unable to hid my laughing at this point.
“Okay. I don’t want you kids making fun of me.”
Well…sorry dad. That is what kids are for. But I totally love you.
Embracing Imperfection 