Just wanted to wrap up the whole irritating lady incident.
The finale was very amusing, though probably shouldn't have been. The lady who has been bugging me and other parents with her rude comments (I'm not the only one, she's been judgmental towards many parents, apparently) finally stepped on the wrong person's toes.
I was picking up Becca, and I was really early this time. I parked and waited for a while. About 20 minutes before the bell was going to ring to release the students, I saw her. I was pretty much avoiding her, and I have been for a while, so I was just praying that she didn't approach me again.
She apparently had someone else on her mind today.
She approached another mom. She said something to that mom to the affect of "you need to bathe your kid more often." That mom did not appreciate her at all. Irritating woman decided not to stop the insults in front of everyone, so the other mom slapped her.
I laughed. I feel bad about it now, but really, the lady deserved it. It ended up being a big deal and the sheriff was called and everything. Still, everything was taken care of rather efficiently because by the time the kids were released, the women were both out of the picture. That was nice. Other moms around me were pleased to see the whole scene, too, and so there is definitely some history with this woman and several other moms. I do my best to avoid other parents for the most part, so I really didn't know the extent of this woman's problem.
I feel bad for her. I don't know if there is something wrong with her or what. Hopefully whatever her problems are, they will be addressed now that it's gotten too far.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Messy girls
My kids come by it honestly. They are generally a big mess, but then so is their mother. They were playing outside on the front porch where I can see them while I was taking care of a few chores. I looked away for a little bit while I was putting laundry away. I came back as my mom came home from work and asked the girls in her "scary voice" "what are you doing?"
I come back and laugh. I guess I have more laundry to do. Not to mention hosing off some muddy little girls. Before they leave the mud, though, I have to take a few pictures.
One day I will embarrass my offspring with pictures like this. It' going to be awesome. Notice Becca in the background of these pictures just laughing at them. It's entirely possible that she put them up to this, but I couldn't prove it.
I come back and laugh. I guess I have more laundry to do. Not to mention hosing off some muddy little girls. Before they leave the mud, though, I have to take a few pictures.
One day I will embarrass my offspring with pictures like this. It' going to be awesome. Notice Becca in the background of these pictures just laughing at them. It's entirely possible that she put them up to this, but I couldn't prove it.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Sleepovers
Today Becca is going to spend the weekend with her Grammy. Ali and Zoe are terribly jealous. It didn't help that Becca accidentally woke up Ali this morning with questions about when and how Grammy will get her, and then rubbed it in a bit. If Becca hadn't worked to hard to earn this weekend, I would have taken it away from her for the attitude this morning.
I consoled Ali with telling her that Daddy was going to take her somewhere special. Becca then went to her Daddy and asked him where he was taking the twins tomorrow, and he told her that he would be taking them to Micah's first baseball practice. Tony had no idea what was going on, so he really can't be blamed. Becca came back gloating that Ali and Zoe were just going to Micah's practice, and that they went there all the time.
Grr.
At this point Ali is bawling and asking why Grammy doesn't want her over. I'm trying to explain that it's just for the weekend and that Grammy loves her and wants her to come over when it's her turn.
Then Zoe starts crying. Same thing. At this point I'm just irritated at Becca. She sees this and starts to apologize to the girls. She doesn't know what to say to make them feel better, though.
Finally they are distracted by breakfast. I'm busy thinking of how I'm going to make this weekend special for the other kids. The problem is that I'm busy most of Saturday, and the kids are going to be with Tony. I'm pretty sure Tony can do something cool with them, though. Saturday evening for dinner, Tony and I will be out and the Micah and the twins will be with my mom, and I'm sure my mom will make that fun if Tony doesn't come up with something.
Micah's totally fine because he gets to start baseball this weekend. That is going to make his weekend great. Anything more than that for him is just icing. He used to care when Becca got to go to Grammy and Grandpa's house, but he really doesn't anymore. He just likes it when there are fewer people in the house so it is quieter.
Tony came in the door from dropping off Micah and Becca at school and started playing with the girls. He has them happy again, and I know that they will have fun with him tomorrow.
I consoled Ali with telling her that Daddy was going to take her somewhere special. Becca then went to her Daddy and asked him where he was taking the twins tomorrow, and he told her that he would be taking them to Micah's first baseball practice. Tony had no idea what was going on, so he really can't be blamed. Becca came back gloating that Ali and Zoe were just going to Micah's practice, and that they went there all the time.
Grr.
At this point Ali is bawling and asking why Grammy doesn't want her over. I'm trying to explain that it's just for the weekend and that Grammy loves her and wants her to come over when it's her turn.
Then Zoe starts crying. Same thing. At this point I'm just irritated at Becca. She sees this and starts to apologize to the girls. She doesn't know what to say to make them feel better, though.
Finally they are distracted by breakfast. I'm busy thinking of how I'm going to make this weekend special for the other kids. The problem is that I'm busy most of Saturday, and the kids are going to be with Tony. I'm pretty sure Tony can do something cool with them, though. Saturday evening for dinner, Tony and I will be out and the Micah and the twins will be with my mom, and I'm sure my mom will make that fun if Tony doesn't come up with something.
Micah's totally fine because he gets to start baseball this weekend. That is going to make his weekend great. Anything more than that for him is just icing. He used to care when Becca got to go to Grammy and Grandpa's house, but he really doesn't anymore. He just likes it when there are fewer people in the house so it is quieter.
Tony came in the door from dropping off Micah and Becca at school and started playing with the girls. He has them happy again, and I know that they will have fun with him tomorrow.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Chores Part 2
Today I wish I was late to pick up my daughter from school instead of early.
I found out who was feeding my kid all the crap about not having to do chores. She actually had the nerve to come up to me and address the matter. She said that children weren't to be raised for "little maids" and that I was being cruel to my daughter. She ended the whole tirade by telling me that she was going to call CPS. I laughed. I shouldn't have, but I did. Honestly, if CPS took that call, I'm pretty sure that they wouldn't even bother to come out to check it out. I would welcome them anyway. They wouldn't be doing anything that isn't done on a yearly basis for my son, anyhow. They come in, see that nothing is wrong with my home, see the chore charts or whatever method I am using to motivate my kids at the time and see that they are wasting their time.
I don't know if I should complain to the school, or if it would do any good anyway. This lady is a parent volunteer and pretty active at the school. Still, she's just a volunteer.
I drove away from the lady without really answering her, which probably made her mad, but nothing that would come out of my mouth at that moment would have been good.
I went home to set my daughter down with her snack and her homework...then I would have followed it by chores except I got a phone call. Completely unrelated, but it required me packing up the girls into the car and going to Micah's school.
Micah hates the bus. I really don't blame him. His school gets out at basically the same time as Becca's (I think there's a 3 minute difference). I have to pick up Becca, so he rides the bus. The problem is that Micah sits and waits for the bus to get there for 15 minutes, then has an hour long ride home. No one should have to be tortured that long. He isn't allowed to bring a game system to play on the drive. He just has to sit there. He finally decided that enough was enough today and refused to get on the bus.
I am already not in the best of moods, and this is not making it better. I get to the school, which is a 15 minute drive for me, and there I find him in the office. I get the teacher to come to the office to talk to me...not that I'm incredibly easy to talk to at this point, but I do need to know the specifics so that I can address them. I try to be as nice as possible, and the teacher is really apologetic. She knows that Micah is probably going to be worse from now on because she called me...she still had to. Now my son knows that all he has to do to not get on the bus is to frustrate his teacher. Ok, at least she gets it, but it really isn't doing her any good if she doesn't act on it.
So, that was my day. Aren't I just the best parent ever? It's been confirmed over and over today. Oh, yeah, and because of this whole mess, the twins missed their nap, so they are going to have a super evening. I think I'm going to go tenderize some steak...
I found out who was feeding my kid all the crap about not having to do chores. She actually had the nerve to come up to me and address the matter. She said that children weren't to be raised for "little maids" and that I was being cruel to my daughter. She ended the whole tirade by telling me that she was going to call CPS. I laughed. I shouldn't have, but I did. Honestly, if CPS took that call, I'm pretty sure that they wouldn't even bother to come out to check it out. I would welcome them anyway. They wouldn't be doing anything that isn't done on a yearly basis for my son, anyhow. They come in, see that nothing is wrong with my home, see the chore charts or whatever method I am using to motivate my kids at the time and see that they are wasting their time.
I don't know if I should complain to the school, or if it would do any good anyway. This lady is a parent volunteer and pretty active at the school. Still, she's just a volunteer.
I drove away from the lady without really answering her, which probably made her mad, but nothing that would come out of my mouth at that moment would have been good.
I went home to set my daughter down with her snack and her homework...then I would have followed it by chores except I got a phone call. Completely unrelated, but it required me packing up the girls into the car and going to Micah's school.
Micah hates the bus. I really don't blame him. His school gets out at basically the same time as Becca's (I think there's a 3 minute difference). I have to pick up Becca, so he rides the bus. The problem is that Micah sits and waits for the bus to get there for 15 minutes, then has an hour long ride home. No one should have to be tortured that long. He isn't allowed to bring a game system to play on the drive. He just has to sit there. He finally decided that enough was enough today and refused to get on the bus.
I am already not in the best of moods, and this is not making it better. I get to the school, which is a 15 minute drive for me, and there I find him in the office. I get the teacher to come to the office to talk to me...not that I'm incredibly easy to talk to at this point, but I do need to know the specifics so that I can address them. I try to be as nice as possible, and the teacher is really apologetic. She knows that Micah is probably going to be worse from now on because she called me...she still had to. Now my son knows that all he has to do to not get on the bus is to frustrate his teacher. Ok, at least she gets it, but it really isn't doing her any good if she doesn't act on it.
So, that was my day. Aren't I just the best parent ever? It's been confirmed over and over today. Oh, yeah, and because of this whole mess, the twins missed their nap, so they are going to have a super evening. I think I'm going to go tenderize some steak...
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Chores
I am not a bad parent because my kids do chores.
Someone is feeding my kid this garbage at school. Becca seems to think that she is just too young to have any responsibility all of a sudden. Well, it isn't really all of a sudden, she just is more adamant about it suddenly.
"None of my friends have to do chores"
"I'm only 6, too young to have to clean anything"
"I don't get anything for working! Can't I at least get an allowance?"
Complain, complain, complain...
No, I don't give her an allowance, but I don't make her pay for her tennis lessons (or whatever whim she comes up with that I have to pay for). I don't give her the option of having money because I know what she wants to spend it on. The ice cream guy, cheap toys that she won't play with more than once, etc. One day we will probably work on that, but for now, we work in a points system. It gives me a bit more freedom with the money, and controls Becca's spending. It works for us.
As for her being too young, that's absolutely ridiculous. She knows it, too. The twins have chores. All of my kids have had some sort of chore (even if it was just picking up after themselves) since they have been able to get around. Yes, that means crawling. I taught my kids to put their own toys away when they were done with them as soon as they could get a toy to the container. It didn't seem to stick as well with the twins, but we're still working on it. They are 3...and really good at being 3.
Why such high expectations? I refuse to be one of those moms who have to do everything for their kids. I do a lot. Really. Part of that doing for them is to teach them how to be responsible human beings. That means, yes, Micah can do his own laundry. Becca is learning how to do her own, too. She pretty much has it, I just observe her doing it.
Whoever is feeding my kid the line that she shouldn't have to clean up after herself needs to stop. It's messing up Becca's attitude and getting her in trouble. My expectations may be different for my kid's than you have for yours, but that doesn't make either one of us wrong. It just makes us different. If I expected my kid to do all of the house work (I'd probably have a really dirty house), then that would be wrong. She is only 6...still, if I expect her to clean up after herself, empty the dishwasher, and do her own laundry (well, some of it. I'm not completely unreasonable) before she goes out and plays, then what's the big deal? I'm teaching my child to be responsible. Poor girl. Maybe she will grow up and be a responsible adult. Who knows what might happen if there are more of those around?
Ok, I'll leave my soap box now.
Someone is feeding my kid this garbage at school. Becca seems to think that she is just too young to have any responsibility all of a sudden. Well, it isn't really all of a sudden, she just is more adamant about it suddenly.
"None of my friends have to do chores"
"I'm only 6, too young to have to clean anything"
"I don't get anything for working! Can't I at least get an allowance?"
Complain, complain, complain...
No, I don't give her an allowance, but I don't make her pay for her tennis lessons (or whatever whim she comes up with that I have to pay for). I don't give her the option of having money because I know what she wants to spend it on. The ice cream guy, cheap toys that she won't play with more than once, etc. One day we will probably work on that, but for now, we work in a points system. It gives me a bit more freedom with the money, and controls Becca's spending. It works for us.
As for her being too young, that's absolutely ridiculous. She knows it, too. The twins have chores. All of my kids have had some sort of chore (even if it was just picking up after themselves) since they have been able to get around. Yes, that means crawling. I taught my kids to put their own toys away when they were done with them as soon as they could get a toy to the container. It didn't seem to stick as well with the twins, but we're still working on it. They are 3...and really good at being 3.
Why such high expectations? I refuse to be one of those moms who have to do everything for their kids. I do a lot. Really. Part of that doing for them is to teach them how to be responsible human beings. That means, yes, Micah can do his own laundry. Becca is learning how to do her own, too. She pretty much has it, I just observe her doing it.
Whoever is feeding my kid the line that she shouldn't have to clean up after herself needs to stop. It's messing up Becca's attitude and getting her in trouble. My expectations may be different for my kid's than you have for yours, but that doesn't make either one of us wrong. It just makes us different. If I expected my kid to do all of the house work (I'd probably have a really dirty house), then that would be wrong. She is only 6...still, if I expect her to clean up after herself, empty the dishwasher, and do her own laundry (well, some of it. I'm not completely unreasonable) before she goes out and plays, then what's the big deal? I'm teaching my child to be responsible. Poor girl. Maybe she will grow up and be a responsible adult. Who knows what might happen if there are more of those around?
Ok, I'll leave my soap box now.
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