Lipstick Cover-Up

Oh, this is a good one, one of those stories that Buddha would say to me, "that is such a bloggable story"...so here goes.

I live in a small city, there is a portion of very wealthy folks here, as in all small cities, their kids go to the very expensive private school, that most of us regular folks can't afford, but I'm ok with that. Well, there is this woman, she owns a business on the walking mall of the downtown area where I work. She doesn't have to work, this is her hobby, she has a salon, it's glamorous didn't you know, her ex whatever, or father of her child I should say, is wealthy. I think the kid is maybe in 2nd or 3rd grade, looks about the same age as my Loud Girl. The woman has one of those little trophy dogs, the kind people have taken to dressing up and spending more money on than my mortgage on a monthly basis, you know the kind I mean.

Well the other day I'm walking to the little store to get some water, and the kid comes out the door of her mom's shoppe (that's how they spell it, oh and you have to get buzzed in, you can't just walk into it) with one of the peeps that works for her mother. The woman is in her 40's older than the mother of this rotten little girl, and certainly deserving of respect from this child. Well the little rat on 4 legs is with them this is the conversation that followed:

Woman: (with leash in hand) "you are walking the dog, you wanted to bring her with us"

Nasty kid: "no, you're walking the dog"

W: "No, you wanted to bring her, here's the leash"

NK: "Fine, but you're picking up the poop"

W: "No, you wanted to bring YOUR dog, you're picking it up"

NK: "No I am not, YOU WORK FOR MY MOTHER"

with that the girl hands over the leash and starts skipping up the walkway, much to the chagrin of the employed woman and to the delight of little rat on 4 legs.

Ok, folks, let's teach the kids some manners shall we. The NK scampered off too fast for me, but as I passed the woman and the dog, we did share a look, a look that said, "I'm sorry you have to deal with that little bitch, you deserve better and if she were mine, I'd smack her butt for how she just treated you." She smiled and sighed and we walked on.

I read something that Hippi said today, "there are 2 kinds of people out there, the kind you like to see coming and the kind you like to see going" I, like her, hope I'll be one you like to see coming, and if I begin to be one of the other kind, do let me know. I fear without some intervention the NK above will continue to the be the kind I like to see going.

Lots of love to you all in bloggy land.

-Lil'sis

Hope everyone had a nice weekend, we did sort of, uneventful, not busy, so that was good.

Loud Girl had a tough weekend, just not feeling great I guess, she was angry a lot, cranky.

So I've written about this couple we know, we are friends I'd say, we see them occasionally, talk, etc., I like the wife, we're friends, her husband is odd, and likes to bring up sex A LOT, thankfully not when the kids are around, but nonetheless, it is just odd sometimes. Well, they stopped over with their daughter and the kids were playing, they ended up staying for dinner, nothing fancy, but it was nice. The next day she calls and said that he left his wallet on my counter by accident, and they were going to stop by to get it, sure enough there it was, I had put the newspaper on top of it when I was setting the dinner table, no big deal. They arrive, say hellos, etc., the kids start playing OF COURSE, and they need to go to their grocery shopping, their child does not want to go shopping. Now I know what it's like having to do this with my 3, difficult at best, so I say, why not just have her stay here and play, you can pick her up when you're done...time passes, and passes, the kids are having fun, the phone rings, "Hey, little sis, can kid stay for a little while longer, husband said to ask you b/c he needs some 'attention'" HUH? Well I say, the kids are playing, I'm making lunch soon, you go ahead and unpack your groceries, and get done what you need to, and we'll see ya later. Just odd right? I thought so, I didn't need to know really, they could've just done whatever and not said a word and I'd not known any different. Funny I guess, but weird.

Loud Girl has a male teacher for the first time ever this year. She loves the man thus far, and I've heard great things about him to be sure. Friday I get home and she says to me, "Momma, did you know that Mr. E plays in a BAND, guitar! They PAY him to do that!" He also has long hair and decided to build his own home many years ago, so lived in a teepee on his land for 5 years while he got it done, I don't know about water or anything, but I bet he's got some really good stories, now she wants to go see him play, so I'll let you know how he is. We meet him for the first time this Wednesday, I'm looking forward to it.

Green Bean is loving 1st grade so far, he's had some trouble with one kid, thankfully not in his class. Apparantly most of the kids are having trouble with this one kid though. He's got a very bad mouth, just lots of foul language and likes to pick on kids, call them names, you know the bully type. So Greenie is telling me about how he made fun of his shoes, called them "girl shoes" and "faggot shoes",,,so what's a faggot mom? We talked, I think it went well, he knows that we don't say that, he knows why, he knows that it expresses anger and hatred for someone who may be different than you. When we finish he says to me that it makes him sad that little LJ is so angry, that he must not be happy, that maybe his mommy and daddy aren't very nice. I'm proud of my kid. He said he'll just keep on being nice, but that when he sees this LJ being a bully he must tell him to stop it because it's not nice, he said he wouldn't hit him or call him bad names but that he wouldn't just "let him be mean" either.

I know of someone with the nickname Bootie, it's funny because I had to say today "Bootie called, to you want to take it?" and "When Bootie calls, put it through", me and the guy I work with found dumb humor in this.

Hope all is well with each of you!

I started the day with the dull ache, and so it remains, gained a little steam but I think the drugs are keeping it at bay, that and the caffeine.

So...the MRI had something of notice, we take Loud Girl to see the neurosurgeon in a week and a half, that's the first available, the big guns don't actually have office hours on a regular basis..but it is a well know doctor in the field, again I'm just so happy to be living this close to a great hospital.

Kids are enjoying back to school, next week will start homework and the fun will be less, no more of the "getting to know you" stuff and down to the real work.

I've been arguing with my husband and I hate that, it sucks, sometimes the work of marriage can be tough, we got lots of love, that's not the issue, but we work it out, when things are going on with the kids it's just to easy to forget to give the marriage some attention for both of us. So we refocus and put in some effort, and stop the nit pick arguing. At least we always can smile at one another, I don't forget even when I'm mad how deeply I love this man.

My boss just got invited to be in the production booth of a major TV network during a huge football game (not locally of course) think really big, and I think it's GREAT! very neat. In college I got to be on the sidelines during a couple of games that were aired live on ESPN, that was very cool, but never in the production booth, that would be neat, to see it all getting made so to speak. And the game that it's for, wow, is all I can say. If you're a football fan, college especially, you'd be like WOW too!

Green Bean got signed up today to play flag football this season, he's excited, no tackle yet, I wasn't ready, he was, I wasn't. I know I shouldn't do that maybe, but he's still a little guy, he'll have plenty of time to put on the pads and knock himself around, I'll hold off another year and let him get a better grasp of the rules, etc., before I let him loose on the tackle field, he can wait and I must give my psyche one more year before I watch my child be willingly tackled, maybe he'll change his mind by then and stick with just baseball, but we'll wait and see.

Have I mentioned before how much I love my job, yeah, I know I have, but I do!

Lastly, to all your road ragers out there....I know I shouldn't put make-up on when I'm behind the wheel, but I do it when I'm at a stop only, at the VERY LONG lights that I must sit at on my way to work. When the light turns green my stuff goes away and I DRIVE, I FOCUS. When I stop, if it's a wait, I'll finish my makeup. Don't honk and yell at me while I'm at a stop WAITING in line for the light to change only to move up 100 feet and stop again and wait for another light cycle before I actually get through it. I know my stop lights, i've done this drive for many years, I know when I have time to get the mascara on, or when it's just a lipstick light. Leave me alone and go pick on some other person, like yourself maybe, you know when you drive 80 friggin miles an hour in the 45 zone while yapping into your cell phone with one hand on the wheel and the other smoking your cigarette...at least I do my stuff when i'm sitting still, so don't yell out your window while at the light to me, while on your phone and puffing away, "hey, put your eyeliner away it's not safe!' Screw you ok, your face is not safe for viewing as far as I'm concerned and the toxic stuff oozing out of your tailpipe probably means you need some service to your 12 year old hunk o junk, and the hairspray and product holding the front half of your mullet up 4 inches in the air might just spontaneously combust when you light your next ciggie, so don't talk to me about SAFETY, K?

You all have a nice day now ya hear.

Today was the first day back to school for my two older children, Loud Girl is starting 3rd grade and my son Green Bean is starting 1st. Now before all you teachers out there blast me for celebrating, my reasons for happiness are not purely for having them out of the house.

1. Back on Schedule...this is huge for my family, we don't really schedule much over the summer time months, we relax, we play, it's all good. BUT...especially for Loud Girl, the schedule imposed by the school day and the back to school week really does provide a structure that is helpful. We get in a good flowing routine, we accomplish more, we focus better as a family.

2. Boredom...they were getting bored, TRULY. The excitement they had for getting back was contagious for all of us. We've gotten more done in the past week on the home front than in the prior month, it's been fun. We're heading up a neighborhood picnic in a month, it'll be in our back yard and our neighbors back yard, but I'm the "committee" so to speak, it was my idea and hubby and the kids are onboard to help out. So that has been fun and the productivity in the house has given all of us another reason to focus and work together.

3. Daddy time...my husband is a stay-at-home dad, and although he has loved the summer time fun with all the kids, this gives him some sanity time, just him and the baby each day, he gets more done in and out of the house, errands are done without as much turmoil and planning. In short, I have less to do in my time at home, he can do the grocery shopping with one much easier than 3. He can go to DMV, dry cleaners, and bank quickly and efficiently. He feels better about himself and I feel better about the house running well.

4. WOO_HOO, BACK TO SCHOOL. I do have a few things that I will miss, too -- I'll miss the lazy days of summer, the kids playing at the pool with little care in the world but who's jumping off the diving board next. No homework each night, we'd play games, charades, read together, but no forced has to get done homework. I'll miss being able to talk to my sisters during the day, and knowing they can come up if I had any kind of tragedy during the week, I could go and see them and they wouldn't be really really tired and drained, we'd talk about lots of things and they wouldn't be overwhelmed with life coming at them and having to manage not just their own lives professionaly and personally, but the lives of the students they teach. Because let's face it, that's what they do.

They teach, yeah of course. But as I've said before, they parent, they guide, they inspire, they mold these kids. And unfortunately, they have to do this for a lot of the parents they have as well.

So for all the parents out there celebrating I'm with ya on that! For all you teachers going back to the schools, I feel for you, thank you and I'll keep on bringing in presents and care packages to get you through the next 10 months, hopefully it'll have some really good highlights for each of you. Especially for BG and Wine Girl..I love you two, MEAN IT!

Today has just been odd from the start, I should've known when the baby decided to sleep in and not be my external alarm clock that the world was tilting off it's axis a bit...I chose not to see the signs, I got ready and out of the home EARLY, with my lunch and breakfast??? And I was fully dressed with makeup on?? This never happens.

There was NO traffic on my way in??? What in the heck is going down today, I'm the luckiest little bee in the universe right, so I'm REALLY early to work and I'll get a few things done quickly and be able to enjoy my coffee without gulping, wow, this is good.

Days like this don't usually happen in my world, and I'm ok with that. I should've known better.

I exit the stairwell from the parking garage on to the cobblestone walking mall, it is lovely this downtown area where I work, pleasing in many ways. Pretty, culturally active, offers wonderful eateries and shopping, and a variety of human experiences with a diverse community.

Upon my exit, I begin my brisk walk to my office...there in the center of the mall is a couple, man and woman, of the street version, borderline personality appearing type. They are hollering at each other about who they want to go see and what they are going to do. *not a lot of folks out yet this time in the morning mind you, so they are either partially deaf or just very LOUD people*...the woman walks in one direction the man begins to walk in the same direction as I, he's a good 15 feet behind me. As I cross to the other side of the mall where my building is, I hear these fast, little footsteps, like the padding of a jogger coming up behind me. *pitter, pitter, pitter* then with warm smelly breath by my ear, in a whisper I get this...

"gojohnny, go johnny, go johnny, go"

over and over again, rapidly, at a whisper right next to my head...WHAAAAAAAAAT!

I just walk faster, i don't even look, i know it's the crazy man, crap, what should I say, "Please step back you're invading my personal space"? Well, before I can think about my response, there is this woman walking on the other side, with her kids, one in a front carry pack, and the other in a stroller, she hollers to me, "Come here! You OK! I didn't see you!" I don't know this woman from boo, I walk to her, whisper man shuts up and moves along....he's maybe 10 feet away and she's saying to me, "you ok, I saw that, how odd, you ok?" and he's starts yelling....

"I RUN THE MARATHON, GO JOHNNY GO JOHNNY, YOU RUN THE MARATHON, I RUN IT GO JOHNNY GO JOHNNY"

I have no idea...I say bye to the lady thank her for her effort and comment on her adorable kids...I go to my office unlock the doors and skitter upstairs shaking my head.


Later this morning I had to run to the post office...I get yelled at by the post man behind the counter because the package I'm mailing has DUCT tape on it, and how come I don't know the rules, *said package is not even mine, mind you, but a co-workers whose wife asked him to mail and I was going already so took it* He reallly was upset but tried his best to be nice, I don't think those postal people are very happy.

I walk out of the post office, there is googly-eyed, goggle wearing, traveler man, I call him this b/c he has the big back pack piled high, he looks like he's been hiking through towns for the past 10 years with maybe 2 baths and no toothbrush on board. He has his arms crossed in front of him like he's sizing all the passersby up, I walk by, make eye contact, so I smile, and he says, "Hey, You're just a trouble maker!"

I never have days like this, I've never been a stranger magnet of any sort, I don't make trouble.

I get back to the office and tell my friend who's package it was about the day, he says, "you should just go home now, it's probably safer there"

Any tips on dealing with people who are living out there on the streets and like to chat you up? Feel free to pass them along.

I think I've got slacker syndrome, really today I'm the poster child for slackers.

My mother was coming by the house today to pick up my oldest for a "girly day" and I didn't really clean up much, that is odd for me, I always feel her pressure and I just didn't,,,my hubby felt if for me and did all the pick up and organize crap after I left for work, I'm sure not enough and I'll be mortified later and have to hear her say stuff like, "you still have the cleaning woman come every 2 weeks don't you, she must be due any day now I'm sure" and then this "you know dear, are you sure your husband isn't depressed, by the looks of the house he must be and I can see he's put on a few pounds since he's been a stay-at-home dad, I think he needs to go back to work don't you?" and there's always the "I really thought I taught you girls better, I mean look at how unorganized that place is Lil'sis, you better teach those children better than that, their rooms could be much more presentable you know. You should keep your house well enough that people can just drop in and it be presentable." I like that one especially....

People drop by all the time, and my house isn't neat, but it sure isn't dirty. I have 3 kids, 8, almost 7 and soon to be 9 month old. It's not going to be all that neat if I'm going to have time to sleep at night. I KNOW i could do better, I KNOW i've done better than it currently is, I KNOW I'll do better given some time. I am a bit ashamed of it really when I think about it, I just don't usually have time to think about it to feel so badly.

I have friends whose homes look amazing, inside and out, they are organized, they have things in their rightful place, all repairs and clean-ups are done in a very timely and efficient manner. I do envy these friends, tremendously even, I'll probably get a few extra months in Purgatory for this clean house/organized person envy that I harbor. I don't know why I have such a hard time with this stuff, I try, but I always get side tracked, caught up in something with 4 projects going...on the rare occaision that I stay focused and finish up a project it normally looks quite good.

My sisters have both said to me in the past, "other people will be mean to you, say mean things, don't say them to yourself".

Moving On...we traveled this weekend. First to the beach where my one sister and her children live then the next day further south to the "resort" beach where friends of ours own a vacation home, we had such a lovely time.

Isabel LOVES the ocean, the sand, the wind, the people, the noises. She just loved every bit of it. It was so cool to see her seeing all of it for the first time, her reactions to the different sensations, I remember the first time I brought each of my children to the ocean, and each time they were amazing experiences. The kids body surfed and built castles, and dug for little sand crabs and walked in the bay and caught real crabs and clams later that day too.

The only bummer the whole weekend was that all the fun came along with lots of great food and wonderful drinks of a tropical nature...these all reaked havoc with my WeightWatchers plan that I started nearly 6 weeks ago, I'm doing well, some days are better than others, but I've lost each week and enjoy the positive changes in me and my family so far. But I just put all my food/drinks in for the weekend and am chagrined to say the least about GOING OVER my set points total!! Holy cow, how did that happen, I'm usually so full just eating my regular points they are right when they say "empty calories" a Daquiri with Rum is 7 points, that's about a third of the point I should eat in a DAY, and not filling at all! But I had a wonderful time and visit, and wouldn't change it. Just glad I don't eat and drink like that daily, I'd be a drunk fat homeless woman living in the sand at the public beach in Key West! I did see plenty of them when I visited there too a few years back, but I guess if you're going to be homeless, doing it in the warm soft white sand of Key West wouldn't be the worst location.

I've rambled enough...lots of love to you all.

I have a friend whose oldest child (7) went to sleep away camp for the first time, she asked, begged and pleaded...one of her very best little friends was going to this camp. Now the camp itself doesn't really fit her personality, she's a quiet, artsy little girl, not the outdoorsy hanging in the dirt type of kid, she lives with a lot of structure and thrives in it.

So she goes.

They get a card today, written the first day she arrived, saying "Mom, I want to come home. Me"

Well Mom wants to drop all and go get her NOW, Dad says No, she needs to know she can do it, she wrote the card the day she arrived, she's probably having fun by now...you see the argument here really.

So what do you do? As a child of 6 I went away for a month with my next oldest sister she was 7, to another state entirely, on a plane, we hated it the first week really...then we got in a routine, we had fun, we made friends and they are some of my earliest real memories of things, where I remember it all, not just snippets or a feeling, I remember it all. I'm glad I stayed, now it wasn't a camp per se, it was the Florida home of my great Aunts, we were pretty much left to do what we wanted and we played with the cuban children that lived next store most of the time and went out to eat at early bird specials and swam with the neighborhood kids and boiled in the heat of Florida in the summertime. The Aunties were old, good people, but old and they smoked a lot and had the largest breasts I've ever seen on any woman EVER, my sister and I called them Rockets at the time. They loved us, we didn't know them well before we went, and I don't remember seeing them all that much on a regular basis after that, but they loved us.

So I know it's different, but we did it. We stayed even though we protested and begged to leave. Probably killed my mom at the time with the sobbing on the phone.

So do you have a good camp story, a good memory, or no? Should they let her stay till Saturday or rush in and save the day and take her home? It's a tough one and as a parent, just tears you up.

Your Deadly Sins
Lust: 40%
Greed: 20%
Pride: 20%
Sloth: 20%
Envy: 0%
Gluttony: 0%
Wrath: 0%
Chance You'll Go to Hell: 14%
You'll die from overexertion. *wink*

Found this here: http://www.blogthings.com/howsinfulareyouquiz/

But I couldn't get the format to paste right, so here's my cut and paste version. How did you do?

I'm so happy that my hell chance is low, I knew I'd score low on wrath, thought I'd be higher on sloth, and was happy at my envy results.

I'm sure most of you can agree on this point, I really don't know anyone who thinks otherwise. I've yet to find the novelty or charm in being broke. I have a nagging suspicion that there really is no novelty or charm in it, it just sucks. Feel free to enlighten this working mother of three on this point. Suffice to say, right now I just hate it.

I also hate that I'm blogging on it, another peeve of mine is people who can talk of nothing but there money, either their money woes or their overabundant supply that they need ideas on how to spend it.

I keep feeling like I'm nearing the end of this long tunnel, and at the end, which I'm sure is just around the next corner or pay day if you will, I'll actually see the light a bit, I'll be getting a small step ahead. But I'm just not getting there, I feel so in the dark. I know where my money goes, it's just there are so many places, and I only have one credit card and it's not maxed out....I just want this money stuff to get easier. I worry that my husband will have to go back to work to a job that is just that, a job that he hates, just work for the money. Right now him being home with the children has been such a blessing. So good for the kids and our marriage. When he used to go to work (he was a police officer) I hated it. Come to think of it I hated it more that these current money woes, so I guess there's an answer for me right. It could be so much worse. I can do this, we can do this I'm sure.

The world's a very big place, and in the big picture I know this is all very small potatoes, really not a big deal. No one is bombing me, I have a great home and family. I don't have to worry about IED's or WMD's around the corner or anything. This really is so trivial now I'm just pissed off for blogging on it!

Oh happy day!

Now I don't have a dog, have had one since we've had children, and it did not work for us, she went to a very good home, so don't wag your fingers at me on this, I didn't and wouldn't dump an animal at the pound. When we "babysit" others dogs I always carry the baggie and pick up the poop, I've stepped in my share over the years to know what goes around comes around.

I had to run an errand today, while walking I see this enormous load of dog crap on the way, I can see that a wheel of some sort just went through said pile...not 20 feet ahead of me I see a very busy mom, 2 kids in tow, pushing her stroller...she's tired hot and now she's smelling something foul. I let her know that I think she just strolled through poop, she sees, she sighs, and says, "what more can happen today?" I get her some paper towels and we clean the stroller up. She was not having a good day, and I think this last little bit was about to break her, her eyes looked weary.

I hope the dog takes a poop on it's owner's pillow tonight and they roll face first into it.
Sorry nice lady that you had a bad day, hope it gets better.

enchilada baby..

Those are words I spoke to my father when I was a rebellious teenager, if you can even call it that, I was so goody goody it makes me a bit ill now even, but this particular evening I had actually gone to a party and had a few drinks, and when I arrived home late he looked at me and told me he was disappointed.

Thus my response. I believe if not for the presence of my older sister Buddha Girl at the time I would have been whacked really hard, but she stepped in and Dad cooled off, like he usually did. I was never hit by my father, spanked once when I was 5 and I remember it vividly and I deserved it probably. But outside of that, it was all about the "I find this very disappointing"...that was the worst, I hated to disappoint my parents, and for the most part I don't think i did disappoint my father really, my mother is another story, in her eyes I'm sure I'm a constant disappointment, from the way I raise my children to my choice of spouse, when I got married, how many children I have, my hair, my looks, all of it never really measure up and like an idiot I keep trying to fix it. I keep trying to do my best in her eyes.

Well I've realized, (not really, but maybe a little) that I more than likely will never change her opinion, she will always "tsk, tsk" me, and my choices, she will criticize in her oh so subtle mild way that is supposed to sound like its a compliment in a round about way. She will be disappointed no matter what I do, so why try I ask myself, and I continue to try.

I've made lots of choices in my short life, some I'm very proud of, others not so much, but they are mine. I've chosen not to go down roads and not to associate with people for many reasons, but mostly because I don't like negative situations or people. I'm basically a happy person, I get through things well I think, deal with what I'm given, try not to complain too much. I can't choose her , she's my mother, and I just hope I don't end up like her.

I don't think I will, but one does worry about these things.

Lately I find myself looking for contentment, I just want an even keel, no drama. Just content, I don't need to be too happy, I can deal with the run of the mill troubles that arise, no problem. Life happens, just your basic contentment is what I'm looking for.

Had a great evening yesterday with my kids and husband, it was nice, nothing amazing, we just sat, played games, read, they put on a puppet show and we snuggled. Uneventful, but so what I've been longing for. Sometimes you do get what you need.

I hate talking about money, it's stressful for me lately, so I'm not saying any more on that topic, I know wishing it away doesn't work so I deal with it head on but it leaves me spent and stressed.

Hippi chick did her list of 5's so I'm doing mine:

5 things Always in my purse:

My favorite Kate Spade wallet
Hairbands (for me and children)
Altoids (hate any hallitosis)
Fruit, today it's an apple, Fuji
Halls lemon flavor, you just never know when you may need one

5 Things always in my wallet:

Drivers License
Variety of discount cards for grocery stores
More hairbands and paper clips
Lint
the charm my mother gave me that is made from the gold/platinum from my father's wedding band

5 Things always in my fridge:

Milk
Apples
Wine
Salad fixings
Salad dressings

5 Things always in my closet:

Shoes, and lots of them
My wedding dress, never to be taken from the packing I imagine
a Light fixture I want to put up in my bathroom
My husband's old briefcase from when he used to work out of the home
A box of keepsakes from highschool and college(letters, pictures, etc.)

5 things always in my car:

Parking card for work
umbrella
tissue box, (sometimes it even has tissues left in it)
2 DVD players for the kids
Books for the kids

5 things always on my desk:

water
papers
calendar
coffee
financial calculator

5 people to tag:

If you haven't done it try it