Prankster also starts with P

If there is a person out there with a really odd sense of humor, please give us back our forks. Thank you for leaving us with 3, since there are 3 of us, but we used to have at least 12. I promise I won't be mad, we just want to quit washing our 3 forks over and over again.
Thank you!

Procrastination

It starts with P, just like perseverance, so it's just as good, right? Of course it is! I am sure you are all thinking that I am the SPEEDIEST cleaner/dog washer errand runner in the world, if you have been paying attention to me facebook update. In fact, my house is dirty, my dog is dirty, even my hair is dirty. Since the letter of the week seems to be P, I wanted to throw procrastination in the ring as a contender for something that can be just as useful as perseverance, and isn't NEARLY as bad as pride. OK, so I am not cleaning my house, dog or hair, but I am taking a few minutes to "be bad". A few stolen minutes that don't involve a gross task, and that won't use my gas, and don't give off harmful toxins! Procrastination is looking pretty peachy now, don't you think? I mean, if we all did everything right on time, big money would be the only winner. We would have so much more time and money to watch TV and buy the products advertised. So, the 5 minutes it took me to write this, was 5 minutes network TV and Walmart can't have. You're welcome!
Happy Friday pretty people! What should next week's letter be?

Perseverance

My son's homework assignment is to write a paper on perseverance and how he has persevered in his life to make something better. It really got me thinking about life, both his and mine, and what a wonderful topic that is for a 4th grader in public school. Growing up, I went to a girls school where we had weekly circles dedicated to living virtuously. At the time I really liked them, and I do believe that religious or not, living with virtue is important. I remember learning about perseverance, courage, friendship, all the big ones, and I want that for Liam too. Just because one grows up without a church does not mean one has to grow up without character. In addition to learning by my example, Liam needs to learn the words, and that it is not just his crazy mom who thinks he needs to know these things. So I am really glad that in a public school, in an academically deficient state, my son is not only learning math, science, and reading, but he is also getting some character development. I am also very thankful that a public school pointed out something we can certainly do more of at home.
Now a total side note:
The other day, Liam needed to call a friend for homework help, and the little boy's mom answered the phone. Bad parents that we are never taught Liam phone etiquette, so he says "Hey. (LOOOOONG PAUSE) Is Doug there? (LOOOOONG PAUSE, I am assuming the mom was talking at this point.) This is Liam. OK, See Ya. (and he hangs up!) So I taught him that when calling someone you start by saying, "Hello, this is Liam, may I please speak with ______). He is SO incredulous, he asks how I know this. I reply that everyone knows this, but in the cell phone era you don't use those manners as much because you are calling a specific person and your name will show up on their screen, but when calling a landline you have to identify yourself. And also say Thank you, goodbye. I make him call Brian at work to practice this, but instead he calls to ask him if it's true or I just made this rule up! Then, the next day Liam tells me that I couldn't possibly have learned it from Ouma (my mom) because she never answers the phone or calls anyone up! He has since not made any phone calls!!!

Friends are total game changers.

Yesterday was a really tough day for me, coming at the end of a really tough year, midway through a really tough month, of a really tough year. In case you are more than a little brain damaged, things have been tough for me lately, get it? Good. But yesterday I texted my friend Jessica, went to her house, and had a few beers. While there my other friend Amy gave me tickets to her sketch comedy too, so I went from a super foul mood to laughing my butt off! Jessica probably got 3 words in, but she let me just talk and talk and talk and bitch and be afraid and angry, and it was amazing. Brian also lets that happen, but he is here every day, and he tries to offer solutions, because he loves me, and I know he really feels my fear and anger and sadness, so that is a whole different kind of help, and sometimes you just need a girlfriend! So after a few hours of hanging out organizing medicine with Jessica, we all went and saw the sketch comedy that Amy wrote, and it was amazing to laugh my ass off and not think about life for a while. After that, since Erin gave me 10$ yesterday, we went to Taco Cabana and I had delicious taco's and tea, which probably saved me this morning! So, all in all, the girls in my life were total game changers yesterday. Oh, AND, Brian had magic erased the whole house, after he cleaned it while I was at Jessica's! So, clean house, free comedy show, amazing time with Jessica, Taco Cabana. Am I lucky ducky or what?

In the spirit of solidarity...my life is also kind of sucktastick right now.

So, my friend Dwija recently wrote a couple blogs about her frustrations and also her hope while going through a less than ideal time financially. I admired her bravery, and decided that I would join her super cool band wagon. Although, she manages to say things without sounding like she is complaining, and I don't really possess that gift! Anyway, everyone who knows and loves me, and doesn't just know me professionally or PTAally knows that things have not be ideal, but I melted down today after the teeniest little setback just seemed like a mountain of crap. Generally, the melt down means it is time to put it out there and get over it. So that is what I am doing. I am not even sure where to start, but I guess I will say that the worst parts are not being able to buy groceries with debit, and actually using a credit card today, also, knowing that I am letting down people I really love by not being able to fix everything, and even more because while they are starting to feel stressed, I am starting to breathe, and the feeling of being totally and completely stuck in metaphorical cement, (or Ceement for you Texans). After that, I am pretty mad about my car being in the shop for 3 months, and costing us 1000$ to fix. The plus side of that one has been getting to hang out with Brian a whole lot more, the down side has been making Liam come with me to pick him up from work sometimes at 9:45 on a school night, and not being able to socialize as much, due to all the driving (that's probably a plus and a minus!!) I am grateful and annoyed that Liam has no clue how tough things are and still treats his things like crap and asks for more all the time, but he's a kid and is spending this fine afternoon cleaning as soon as he gets home from school! Also, I feel pretty crappy for melting down because of a car, or buying groceries on credit. I mean, we have another car, and we have plenty of credit. Our bills are paid, our friends are awesome, we are happy and healthy, what is WRONG with me?!?!?! As I look around the house, which needs to be cleaned but we lost the maids over a year ago and I don't like cleaning, I know what the problems are, and they don't have immediate solutions. I can't have more money right now, I can't have my car back right now, I can't wave a magic wand and have a decent landlady, I can't poof the past 4 years away and wake up to a thriving career for myself and Brian, and it sucks. I made all the choices and went down all the roads that led me right to where I am. So, now I have to make the most of the Louisiana style highway I am on right now, and work toward finding an exit onto a brand new toll road with fewer bumps and cleaner rest areas! And if anyone has ever had the desire to be a maid, and just needs practice before getting into it, we are here for you!