Let It Go

I probably shouldn't type when I'm angry. I never intended this blog to be a means of airing grievances as I cannot stand when people use Facebook as a forum for putting all their dirty laundry out there for everyone to sniff. No, thank you. I'm good. Keep that to yourself. Please. However, this is my blog and I'll use it how I see fit. You're welcome.  Here's a little rundown of the things that make me go "grrrrr" lately. 

1.)  These utility companies here in Oklahoma raping my wallet without the decency to buy me dinner or at least tell me I'm pretty.  We are getting ready to move into a house in two weeks and need to get the utilities switched over to avoid them being terminated. Fine. I'll make the 5 phone calls. Fine. I'll hold for an average of  17 minutes per call.  What won't I do? I won't pay 25 bucks per utility in the form of a transfer fee. I won't pay a 170 dollar deposit for the gas bill. I won't pay the 109 bucks that the electric company wants for the transfer/deposit.  Oh, excuse me? I'll do that too? FINE.

2.) Well-meaning/good-intentioned albeit unsolicited advice.  I think it should be clear if I'm trying to get advice or just using you as a sounding board. Here's the difference: If I want your input on what I'm talking about, I'll drop this crazy hint. I'll usually say something like, "What do YOU think?" I know, I know. It's sneaky and it's subtle, but now you know.  Moving right along...

3.)  My children fighting. It's getting pretty ridiculous. Having to yell over them this morning while trying to herd them out the door to school is not my idea of a good time.  I hate being perceived as THAT mom. "Here comes that crazy screaming woman again. Run!"  It's sad that I no longer wonder why my mother walked around with a wooden spoon in her purse, handle sticking out, just visible enough to serve as a warning.  "Don't make me use this thing on your sorry butt."  This is an issue I will gladly take advice on. Bear in mind that my children don't respond to guilt, punishment, waterboarding or reasoning.

4.)  Unreturned texts. Okay, this has always been a personal pet peeve of mine. Recently, it's been rearing it's ugly head and I'm just going to lay my feelings about it on the line. Texting is meant to be an easier form of communication. It exists so we don't have to call and say, "I'm running 5 minutes late."  "Do you want to meet for lunch on Thursday?"  "Here's a question..." Now that we can send a quick text, it saves the phone call, the leaving of the voice message and the painstaking task of retrieving a dreaded voicemail. Does anyone even leave a voice message anymore?? They should be shot.  Anywho, what I'm trying to say is this: You are not too busy to return my text. How do I know this? Because I wasn't too busy to send it. There you have it. If you happen to be reading this and haven't returned a text message from me, then yes. This means YOU.

Okay, well that pretty much clears up what I've been bothered by these days. Now that I've gotten it all off my chest, I wonder if I'm going to get my band of marauding idiots cheering me on. You know the ones who leave the comments on the Facebook rants like, "You tell 'em girl," "I completely agree with what you're saying," or my personal favorite, "I could not have said it better myself!" Really? You couldn't have said THAT any better?  Hmmm.

Geesh. I feel loads better, y'all. Thanks for "listening."

Love and hugs to all...until we see each other again,

Aub

The Thunder Rolls...

I should be sleeping. Tomorrow is Monday. The boys need up early for school. I desperately need a workout.  The way tomorrow goes will set the tone for the rest of the week.  Sunday nights are crucial.  Sleep is a must.  What keeps me from my bed?  A storm.  And not just any storm - a good ol' Oklahoma storm.  This place does it up right, too. Hail.  Pounding rain.  Thunder that'll make ya go deaf.  It's a very unsettling feeling.

Part of me expects one of my kids to come running out here crying even though they fell asleep before it started and are pretty much impossible to wake once they're out.  Josh can fall asleep to anything. Must be from all these years of nagging at him. "Did you take the trash out?? You know how I feel about you saying you'll take it out in the morning. You SAY that's what you'll do and then who's the one stuck dragging those cans out to the bottom of the driveway? ME, that's who. And I have better things to do with my morning than --ARE YOU EVEN AWAKE???"

I, on the other hand, am a completely different creature. A storm once I'm asleep means nothing to me, but there's a certain time of day that I require peace and calm and that's when I'm trying to fall asleep.  So much goes on during the day that causes ripples to the calm I work so diligently to keep for myself and my family. Like a rock thrown into a still pond were my boys arguing most of the way back from Dallas.  It made me realize that we are entering the "conflict" years with our kids. The closer they get to puberty and *gulps* being teenagers, the more rippled my peace pond is going to get.  Pretty soon, it won't matter what I try to do to calm those waters, something is always going to come up and keep the waves going.  That is my future. That is the future of every mama out there. This, I will accept and concede.

What I will not give up is my peace and quiet when I lay my head down at night.  So, I'm gonna sit this storm out.  I'm going to risk a smooth Monday and stand my ground. Come hell or high water, I will get that still pond.

Love and hugs to all...until we see each other again,

Aub

A Time to be Quiet

Why do I even open my mouth sometimes?  I was just bragging to my friend the other day on the phone that I thought having two boys would mean endless trips to the e.r. and broken bones, doctor's bills and physical therapy, but that I had actually lucked out and didn't have to contend with any of that.

And then it happened.

Friday night, while enjoying some outside play with the gang here in our little community, Cameron got tackled after a pretty sweet over the shoulder catch and came up...screaming.  I immediately knew something was wrong with his left shoulder.  It was lower than the other one. It was hunched forward. It was awful.

It was my fault...

Now, I know I didn't cause the injury to my son.  Obviously, I was not the one who tackled him.  But did I indirectly cause it?  Why is it when you brag about something ("I never get sick!") and then bam! (swine flu)?  Does this happen to anyone else?  And why doesn't it happen when you brag about something that could have a great outcome?  I'm going to start telling everyone I know that I've never won a million dollars.

So, of course, on the way to the e.r. Josh and I were diagnosing our child. I said his collarbone was broken. Josh said he had a dislocated shoulder. Turns out we were both wrong. He has an AC joint separation (shoulder separation).  These words meant nothing to us until the words "specialist" and "surgery" were being thrown our way. Ugh!!!  My poor baby. And poor me, dang it.  Who do you think is going to be schlepping him around and worried sick until it is all settled?

We will know more tomorrow after seeing the ortho specialist.  This should be most interesting...

I will be sure to keep you all posted. Oh, and my big fat mouth shut, too.

Love and hugs to all...until we see each other again.

Aub