My kiddo loves to hug and snuggle; I know she will outgrow that tendency eventually, so I like to make time to cuddle and squeeze her...most of the time. When I am busy, I have to tell her "no"--more like "so sorry, sweetie, I will snuggle with you later", which often prompts her to cling to me.
The clinging is slightly (OK, extremely) annoying, and downright dangerous when I am standing in front of the stove, stirring a pot of hot food or working at the counter, chopping food with a sharp knife. Today, though, it is even worse because I have aggravated a hip injury, resulting in sharp, stabbing pain in my lower back, hip and leg. Now the kiddo won't stay away from me (good to know when I need her for something--just pretend to be hurt/uninterested in a hug). I have actually said "Get off me!" and have caught myself about to say "Go away!. "Go away!" is harsh and I really don't want to say that, so it becomes "Go somewhere else!", which still hurts her feelings.
The more pain I am in, the grumpier and meaner I get. The solution: get off me! Stop making my life harder! OK, that won't make an impact on her. I might try "Be kind, let me relax and do my stretches without jumping on me, and I will be warm and cuddly later. I may even 0read a book out loud if I'm not grousing about how much I hurt." Prescription painkillers would be nice, but I get loopy from over-the-counter meds. Not a good idea when I have to take care of the kiddo. My only other option is to run away...but my hip hurts too much to do that.
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Missing Teens: A Mean Mom Didn't Go Far Enough
I just read this article on Yahoo news, and I think the mom's idea is genius. The gist of the article is that two teenage boys got busted by the police for breaking their curfew, and the mom of one of them tried to ensure that they would not try to sneak out again:
"This is going to sound really stupid, but I took all the shoes downstairs and put them in a bag and took them up to my room, thinking if I had the boys' shoes, they couldn't go out and go skateboarding again," she said.
Unfortunately, they found some boots in the garage and snuck out to meet up with two teenage girls they met online. So, the shoe idea would have totally worked if the mom had thought of the boots in the garage. I guess she didn't realize how determined the boys were. I hope I never have to resort to such drastic action, but I commend this woman's thinking.
The boys stopped at a store and asked to use the phone; an employee let them, on the condition that they use speakerphone. Good thinking! He was able to glean a bit of information about their plans.
The two boys and two teenage girls they met up with are still missing; I am including the link to the Yahoo article in case you want all the details. And, if by chance you know where they are, please be mean, ruin their fun, and turn them in!
Read the entire article here: http://gma.yahoo.com/four-teens-missing-xbox-romance-233811767--abc-news-topstories.html
"This is going to sound really stupid, but I took all the shoes downstairs and put them in a bag and took them up to my room, thinking if I had the boys' shoes, they couldn't go out and go skateboarding again," she said.
Unfortunately, they found some boots in the garage and snuck out to meet up with two teenage girls they met online. So, the shoe idea would have totally worked if the mom had thought of the boots in the garage. I guess she didn't realize how determined the boys were. I hope I never have to resort to such drastic action, but I commend this woman's thinking.
The boys stopped at a store and asked to use the phone; an employee let them, on the condition that they use speakerphone. Good thinking! He was able to glean a bit of information about their plans.
The two boys and two teenage girls they met up with are still missing; I am including the link to the Yahoo article in case you want all the details. And, if by chance you know where they are, please be mean, ruin their fun, and turn them in!
Read the entire article here: http://gma.yahoo.com/four-teens-missing-xbox-romance-233811767--abc-news-topstories.html
Food for Thought
The kiddo came home from school today, and since the weather is beautiful, she asked to go outside in the front yard. After a recent, local attempted kidnapping scare, I'm hesitant to let her go out in the front yard if neither hubby nor I can watch her. As I was already cooking dinner, I told her she could play in the back yard. For some reason, the back yard has lost all its appeal, so the answer was "no, thanks" (give her points for good manners). Then she asked if she could watch cartoons. I hesitated, because, although I don't want her to become a tv-zombie, I had to prep some veggies for the Morrocan Stew we are having tonight, and I didn't want her to see them.
She will eat broccoli, spinach, asparagus...but not peppers or eggplant or tomatoes (which is strange since she loves salsa and ketchup). So, in order to keep my list of ingredients secret, I sent her on her way.
There are cookbooks on the market that propose hiding veggies in kid-friendly foods like brownies or macaroni and cheese; the kiddo has always liked a variety of foods, so I haven't had to resort to that yet. But, until I can get coordinated enough to have dinner completely prepared before I go get her from school (fat chance!) or until I have the fortitude to make her eat things she dislikes (not gonna happen!), I will have to be sneaky. Bahaha!
She will eat broccoli, spinach, asparagus...but not peppers or eggplant or tomatoes (which is strange since she loves salsa and ketchup). So, in order to keep my list of ingredients secret, I sent her on her way.
There are cookbooks on the market that propose hiding veggies in kid-friendly foods like brownies or macaroni and cheese; the kiddo has always liked a variety of foods, so I haven't had to resort to that yet. But, until I can get coordinated enough to have dinner completely prepared before I go get her from school (fat chance!) or until I have the fortitude to make her eat things she dislikes (not gonna happen!), I will have to be sneaky. Bahaha!
Monday, October 15, 2012
No, I'm Not Starving My Child
It was a little bit before dinner this evening, and the kiddo asked for something to eat. I said "no", because dinner was going to be ready in fifteen minutes. She continued asking until I was ready to give in and shove a biscuit in her mouth just to make her stop talking (no, I didn't do that), but I still said "NO".
She had had a good breakfast, snack at school, filling lunch at school and a snack when she got home. So, the fourth or fifth or sixth time she asked for something to eat, I replied, sure, she could have undercooked fish. She declined. "How about some frozen sweet potato fries?" She refused. The next thing I offered was some boiling hot cauliflower. Again, she wasn't interested. Before I could offer any more suggestions, she threw herself down on the floor and began wailing that she was sooo hungry. I went through my list again--undercooked fish, frozen sweet potato fries, etc. She got up and stomped into her room. When dinner was ready, I called her and she came out, sat down sweetly, and ate (almost) everything on her plate. I "won" that one, but my goodness, what drama!
Sunday, October 14, 2012
40 Items in the Express Lane?? Really?
So here is the "Cornershot" from the October 13 local newspaper:
L., my favorite cashier, is trying hard to suppress a big smile — he knows what's coming.
I look one member of the group in the eye and ask if he ever wonders why the store puts up signs in the checkout lanes. He looks at me, uncomprehendingly.
I point to the sign. He looks at the sign and turns away. I wonder, out loud, if maybe the store should put up a picture for those who can't read.
He mutters, "I can read."
I say, "Oh, now I get it. You just don't care."
L., when they have left, laughingly reminds me that the cashiers are not allowed to say anything. I tell him not to worry; I will say something every single time.
So, if you are in front of me in the Express Lane with 40 items, you know what's coming as well." JS
Really, 40 items in the Express Lane? And he must have gotten away with it in the past, too. Kudos to the gentleman for speaking up! I hope that there were impressionable children within earshot who learned a thing or two!
If you are in that situation, especially if you are with your kids, please speak up!
Corner shot
"I'm in the "Express Lane — 12 items or less" behind a group of three with a shopping cart with at least 40 items.L., my favorite cashier, is trying hard to suppress a big smile — he knows what's coming.
I look one member of the group in the eye and ask if he ever wonders why the store puts up signs in the checkout lanes. He looks at me, uncomprehendingly.
I point to the sign. He looks at the sign and turns away. I wonder, out loud, if maybe the store should put up a picture for those who can't read.
He mutters, "I can read."
I say, "Oh, now I get it. You just don't care."
L., when they have left, laughingly reminds me that the cashiers are not allowed to say anything. I tell him not to worry; I will say something every single time.
So, if you are in front of me in the Express Lane with 40 items, you know what's coming as well." JS
Really, 40 items in the Express Lane? And he must have gotten away with it in the past, too. Kudos to the gentleman for speaking up! I hope that there were impressionable children within earshot who learned a thing or two!
If you are in that situation, especially if you are with your kids, please speak up!
Friday, October 12, 2012
Hello, again
Well, I'm back. It's been a few days, and after having felt under the weather for more than a week, I have good news to report:
1st, my family has been helping out; the kiddo (grudgingly, but I'll take it) has helped put things away, and hubby has been doing a lot with the kiddo, thus giving me a break.
2nd, I managed to attend a great parenting group meeting where we discussed the importance of family meetings, especially in regard to assigning chores and giving an allowance. This gives me lots of ideas to keep the kiddo in line.
3rd, I have not had to yell at anyone for random acts of inconsiderate, dangerous, or annoying behavior. W00t!
1st, my family has been helping out; the kiddo (grudgingly, but I'll take it) has helped put things away, and hubby has been doing a lot with the kiddo, thus giving me a break.
2nd, I managed to attend a great parenting group meeting where we discussed the importance of family meetings, especially in regard to assigning chores and giving an allowance. This gives me lots of ideas to keep the kiddo in line.
3rd, I have not had to yell at anyone for random acts of inconsiderate, dangerous, or annoying behavior. W00t!
Monday, October 8, 2012
Time to Pick Up...
As I was looking around at all the crap on my floor (OK, some of it is mine), I remembered my mother-in-law's story of how she got fed up with her (3!) kids' toys littering the house. She asked them to pick their toys up, then gave them an ultimatum: if the toys were still on the floor by whenever, she wouldn't ask them again, she would pick them up herself. And so she did--and threw them in the trash.
This morning, I asked the kiddo to pick up her stuff or I would take it. She put her candy away, but left some bracelets, play kitchen pots and pans, vampire teeth, whistles and a drum out. I can't bring myself to throw her stuff in the trash, but I will put it in a basket and hide it in the extra room and let her sweat over it a while. Then, I'll let her earn her stuff back. There are lots of chores to do around here.
This morning, I asked the kiddo to pick up her stuff or I would take it. She put her candy away, but left some bracelets, play kitchen pots and pans, vampire teeth, whistles and a drum out. I can't bring myself to throw her stuff in the trash, but I will put it in a basket and hide it in the extra room and let her sweat over it a while. Then, I'll let her earn her stuff back. There are lots of chores to do around here.
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