A Halloween Memory

We were discussing today whether or not the squirrels are too old for trick-or-treating.  They're 15 and 16.  I said the last time I went trick-or-treating when I was a kid was when I was 6 or 7.  My dad died when I was newly-turned 8, and I know I didn't go after that.

I remembered something, though, about that.  When I was probably 10 or 11 - still tiny by my standards today ;-) -  my brother and I were waiting on our mom (she was teaching then, and late at school working on something, and we were swinging outside while we waited) and talking.  He said it was Halloween, and remember what fun we used to have going trick-or-treating, and wouldn't it be nice to get free candy?  We talked a bit about that, then what we could do for costumes, and it sounded like a Good Idea.  So he said I should ask mom if we could go.  We went inside, and I asked, and she looked SO horrified and said NO we could NOT go, and WHAT kind of a person was I to even THINK of going out on such a HORRIBLE day and celebrating the DEVIL?  I felt about 2 inches tall, especially when my brother said, "I TOLD her it wasn't a good idea, but she wouldn't listen."  (In his defense, he would have been 11 or 12.) ;-)

I was ashamed to think that I might have fallen so far as to want to celebrate the devil's day.  I can still remember the shame I felt for suggesting it.

I'm glad my kid's memories of halloween are happier ones. :)

Facebook is the Strangest Place on Earth

"Classy is the right thing to be...not trashy" - says the girl wearing a bikini and high heels in her profile picture.... :P

Easter for my Squirrels...

and my doggies, too, of course. ;) The dogs got ice cream toys - and they went WILD over them. Although there were three in the box, as we see here, the only one worth having is the one your brother has. ;)










Since I flubbed up Valentines Day (not getting them anything, thinking they were a bit old for Valentines gifts from Mom, then realizing they were disappointed and finding a good gift but missing - by minutes! - a chance to give them a Valentine gift on Valentine Day) I just went all out for Easter. Like I haven't done in Years. They each got lots of candy....I also found more candy I forgot to give them, so they got that Wednesday ;)....makeup, new mugs for hot cocoa, perfume, jewelry, makeup brushes - looks like Emma has some stationary there, too, and Anna has a Piglet pencil. Oh, and Easter "grass" to throw all over the kitchen. ;P

Regarding Violent "Discipline" for Teen Girls

I've heard that there's a father who read a message his daughter put on facebook, got mad about it, and shot her laptop to death.

I've only heard about it, because I will not watch the video - nor am I linking to it - because I do NOT think we should invite shows of violence into our lives.

I am going to give my opinions on it, though.

First, for all the people who are applauding his act of "discipline"...Discipline is "Training expected to produce a specific character or pattern of behavior, especially training that produces moral or mental improvement." (Free Online Dictionary)....what part of shooting a laptop was training to produce moral or mental improvement? What does that possibly teach besides violence?

Teen daughters. I have 2. I have read that the girl in question is 15....I had one of those up until November, I'll have another in July. 15 is a HARD age! Sometimes I questioned whether we'd make it through. We literally ended up in the emergency room there toward the last of her 15th year.......it was THAT hard.

She cussed us.

She called us Dreadful, terrible names.

She did things I wish she hadn't.

She was mean and cruel.

She was a scared, hormonal, trying-to-grow-up-but-still-a-kid, going through a tough patch with old friends and family, deciding who she was and what she wasn't, CHILD. 15 is a child. It seems so young now...although I at 15 was sure I was ready to take on the world. ;) 15 is so tiny....still small enough to need hugs and kisses from momma, but old enough to think it's silly to want them. ;)

We held her as close as possible and loved her through it. There was no grounding, spanking, threats or -horrors!- shootings.

HOW.....how on earth could the people who are supposed to love you MOST treat you the worst when you're already so stressed? I don't understand it. Parents are supposed to be the ones the kids can Trust most. How could you trust someone who would SHOOT your property?

We made it through fairly unscathed. When she turned 16 it was like flipping a switch. She's fun, and funny, and enjoyable again. She and her sister laugh all the time! Days go by without a fight between them! It's amazing. :)

I have a theory about parenting teen girls.....don't disturb them. ;) Kind of like a "Don't feed the bears" sign. From the ages of 13-15 you don't touch them unless they initiate it, you don't speak to them unless it's something happy and friendly (and even then you proceed carefully, taking into consideration the time of month, cycle, and wind changes), and you bite your tongue a LOT. I think more teen girls would come out relatively unscathed if these few basic rules were followed. (I'm having a hard time myself, this time around. My little one has always been my snuggle bunny, and it's difficult to remember to keep my hands to myself!) ;)

I do, however, look forward to the last few years before they're both adults with hope. I believe we'll make it through. I believe they'll grow up with less angst than their contemporaries and they'll go on to make a difference in their worlds.

I believe in my kids.

Even when they don't believe in themselves. Or in me.

Two Things

"I wouldn't let her
walk in traffic because she doesn't like the sandy broken sidewalk or something.
She might NOT get hit by a car but it's just too risky."

" If she has the the flu
but wants to play out in the snow all day? "


These two quotes are brought here from an unschooling group I'm on. I brought them here, to my blog, so I can comment on them without hurting anyone's feelings. ;)

First part: traffic - I can completely imagine Anna not wanting to walk on a sandy/broken sidewalk. She has little quirks, and things that don't feel good to her feet is one of them. HOWEVER, just because she doesn't want to walk on the sidewalk doesn't mean she'd be - like it sounds like the OP is saying - walking in the middle of traffic. It's one thing to have a three-year-old playing in the middle of a busy street, it's quite another to hold your child's hand while they walk beside you on the edge of the street, stepping back onto the sidewalk or stopping when a car passes. Silly, silly people who can't see options!

Second part: flu. That's just nuts. What kid with the flu WANTS to play out in the snow all day anyway? No one. Not one kid who has a choice of what to do, and isn't being told repeatedly "It's too bad you're sick, you CAN'T go outside in the snow!" wants to go out when they are sick! I'd be willing to bet that if your kid has the flu and you leave it alone, staying outside in the snow all day will NOT happen.

Okay. Glad that's off my chest. ;)

Helping

Emma is reading a story Anna is writing -

"You could change the format, so it will look better."

"How?"

"Like this...."

**click, click, click**

LOVE!!!

Game Over.

I Win.

Helping?

A friend was telling a story today, about after her son had to have surgery on his head to repair a skull fracture, and when he went back to school all the other kids wanted to help him with his schoolwork, doing his homework for him, and helping on his tests.

She said, "They didn't mean to cheat. They just wanted to help him. They didn't know any better yet."

Yes....I knew - in my head - that schools discourage people from helping each other, but it had never quite hit me like it did when she said that.

I am SO glad my kids have NEVER learned that it's "wrong" to help someone!

I was watching tv with them one night, and there were various crimes....can't remember the show, but it had clips of people being robbed, or beaten, different crimes - some sort of news show thing....and my kids were SO compassionate to the victims *and* the perpetrators! Along the lines of, "What kind of life must he have had, to do that?" Such beautiful people I have living with me! What a blessing!

The Things You Can't Say Out Loud

From facebook today:

(Me) had an awesome church meeting to start off the new year this morning! The preacher was HOT....and I'm not just talking about the sermon. ;)

(Friend) i assume the preacher was your husband but some folks on here that may know you but not anything else will see this as you were lusting after some preacher. choose your words carefully in a dark world!!!!!!!!!!

(Me) My facebook friends are carefully chosen so as to be only those who get my jokes.

(Friend) understood but friends of your friends and their friends may not know

(Me) Which is why my settings are set to friends only.

And the part I won't say *outloud* there......"Guess who's getting ready to be unfriended?"

;P

Just wanted to get that out there. ;)