If only we could know why they think what they think

I've been sick and haven't really had anything to say for several days.  But this morning a conversation occured in my kitchen that was too funny not to mention.  My oldest child, E, is going to Texas to spend the summer with his grandma after school gets out.  We've talked about this as a family a few times, haven't made a secret out of it or anything, E has certainly mentioned it often.

So this morning E is saying something about it again and all of a sudden my middle child, R, catches on.  Like he finally understands what we've been discussing all along, and once he realizes that E is actually spending all summer with grandma he starts whining and yelling and crying things like "Nooooo, no you're not!" and "That's NOT FAIR!!!"  He spent a good 3 minutes agonizing over the injustice of his brother visiting grandma for the whole summer and him having to stay home.

And then?  Well then the wheels began to turn in his crazy mixed up little mind.  As suddenly as the whining started, a switch was flipped and he really got the message.

Now he says to his brother with excitement in his eyes..."That means you're not going to be here!"  And the smile returns to his face.

Ahhhh, can't get enough of that brotherly love.

Inappropriate parenting?

My almost 8 year old has a new favorite song.  A song that uses a phrase many, many times that contains a word that most parents would discourage their youngsters from using.  I'm not sure if he likes it because of that word and he can get away with saying it because it's in a song and he's singing it....or if he likes it just because it's a song with a catchy beat that gets stuck in your head. 

But he loves it, and it probably doesn't help that I'll play it for him pretty much whenever he asks.  *blush*  My bad.  So I encourage my kids to use bad words for the sake of music...they're gonna learn it someday, right?  Might as well be under my supervision.  No?  Probably not, but it's kinda late now, oh well.

The song.

Freeeee!!!!

My dysfunction today involves shopping.  Well, it wasn't actually supposed to involved shopping.  It was supposed to involve me going into Lane Bryant and collecting my free pair of Cacique panties and leaving.  (You still have 3 more days to get in on this if anyone is interested....click here.)

But I am indecisive, very indecisive.  If I see a bunch of good choices in front of me I just can never tell what the BEST one of those is.  So I wander around looking at my options (plain color only), and seeing all the others that aren't my option, and really liking them better.  Then I see that there is a sale.  5 for $29.  If you get the non plain color that's like getting 3 free.  Who can pass up 3 free pair of underwear? 

Not me, that's who.  So much for for the free shopping trip, but really that's their goal isn't it?  But now I don't have to pick just one, I have to pick 6 (my 5 + the free one).  Ok, who thought THAT was a good idea???  That only makes it harder.  So I'm searching and searching, thinking it really shouldn't be so hard, I mean nobody but me is going to see them, and I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they aren't going to look as cute on me as they do laying on the table.  My daughter is totally unimpressed by this shopping adventure and can't understand why we can't just leave and go get lunch.

There are 2 other women there with their free coupons in hand as well.  One lady took about 2 minutes to choose the one (and only one!) she wanted.  What's up with that?  Why am I incapable of that?  The other lady...she took some to the dressing room to try on.  Ummm...ewww.  I mean, I get it (you want to make sure they are the right size/fit, and the saleslady did remind her she needed to keep on her own undergarments)...but, but I don't get it.  Ok, well really my problem with this is totally my own issue.  I would be mortified to try on underwear and bring them back to the table if I didn't like them.  Why?  Because I would be afraid you could tell they were tried on, like they'd somehow be stretched out twice as big as they are supposed to be.  Seriously, you couldn't get more humiliating than that, right?  No matter if there was no perceptible difference at all, I would still see them as humongous.

I wonder if skinny chicks overthink stuff like this, or maybe it's just because I'm a fat chick, or maybe I'm just some sort of freak.  But, really...please tell me I'm not the only one who thinks trying on underwear is kinda weird?

Brain vacation

I'm having one of those weeks where I can't seem to accomplish anything at all.  Truth be told I have a lot of those weeks, but that is why I haven't posted in a week.  I've had laundry to do that I can't seem to remember.  It doesn't help that I knew I was low on detergent, and yet made a trip to Target totally forgetting to buy more.  A co-worker of C's who likes our kids is coming to babysit on Saturday.  And instead of keeping the house picked up so I don't have to bust my ass cleaning all day Saturday, I've let it slowly collect more and more crap so that I more than likely will have to bust my ass cleaning all day Saturday.  It is now almost 3 pm, I've been telling myself all day that I would start cleaning the downstairs.  And I've accomplished exactly...2 loads of that laundry (which originated upstairs.)  And now, here I am, writing a blog post instead of doing anything productive. 

Further proof that my brain is not functioning on all cylinders...on Tuesdays the boys get out of school at 1:40 instead of 3:20.  It is this way every week as it has always been, even at their old school Thursday was an early day.  At 2:00 on Tuesday the phone rang, I see it's from the school, I think "Oh great, who's sick/got in trouble/what dumb recorded message do I have to listen to now?"  Then I hear the office lady's voice "Mrs. Fischer, it's Tuesday."  CRAP, CRAP, CRAP.  (And, um, no, this is not the first time this has happened, not even the first time this year, and likely won't be the last. But, but, but...I only did it once last year and that was at the beginning when I wasn't yet used to a different day, or maybe it was twice last year, I can't remember.  And I've only done it twice, er maybe 3 times, this year.  That's not bad, right?  Right?  There's always other kids wiating in the office too, so I can't be the only one.)

Eh, who needs to be on top of things?  Cleanliness and organization is overrated.  And having my kids come home after school is highly overrated.

P.S.
In case anyone might be wondering how E is doing after poor Harry's demise.  We had a small funeral for him on Saturday morning and buried him in the yard.  We put roses from our rose bushes on his grave and E made a grave marker for him.  He was sad, but that didn't keep him from obsessing over how soon we could get to the store to get a new hamster.

And so, off to Petco we went, and came home with a new little rodent.  E wasn't so happy about him at first, he was quite skittish and didn't want to be touched, much different from Harry who was very sweet and enjoyed being held. We gave him the name Zeus in honor of E's current obsession with Greek mythology.  He bit me, he bit E.  BUT, all is well now.  He has calmed down and will allow the kids to hold and pet him.  He loves running on the wheel, and destroying the cage every couple days.  He's darn quick though, if he ever gets loose I don't think we'll ever catch him!  Which may be good, because if he ever got loose Abby the dog would love to "play"!   

Goodbye Harry

Yesterday was a blah, boring, just want to take a nap kind of day.  I never got around to posting about anything, and probably wouldn't have come up with anything to say anyway.

And today I'm here to say goodbye to Harry the Hamster.

This morning I was woken by E bursting in my room saying he saw Harry laying in the cage and not moving and asking if that meant he was dead.  I get up to go check it out, as we're walking to the boys room E says that Harry was cold too.  Oh great, I think, how did the fates know I wanted to start my day with a lesson in pet mortality.  And sure enough Harry is laying in the middle of the cage, all stretched out, stiff as a board, eyes closed, cold, and very much dead.

As soon as I pronounced the fate of E's poor hamster he says "Is there such thing as getting a new one from Petco?  Will I have to pay for it with my own money?"  Gee kid, the poor animal hasn't been gone but a few hours and you're wanting to replace him?  How's that for loyalty, remind me not to die, ok?

So, rest in peace Harry (formerly known as Cupcake.)  We didn't know you long (just 2 months since E's birthday,) but you were cute and cuddly and very nice as far as hamsters go.  We will miss you.

Going in a different direction

I don't really consider this a dysfunction, it's actually useful, a talent almost..albeit not one most people would boast about.  But me?  I don't have many talents, so why not celebrate the ones that I do.  I'm sure there are others who have this ability, I'm just the only one in my house.  You see, I have a 6th sense.  A bad milk sense. 

You know how gross it is to pour a glass of milk and take a big chug only to find out it's gone bad and is totally disgusting and makes you want to puke.  Well, I can tell when milk is just on the cusp of starting to go bad.  I can smell and taste the difference instantly, no matter how small. 

This morning I had to dump almost half a gallon of milk because of this.  Normally I consider this ability a good thing, but on the other hand, it really kind of sucks.  Milk is expensive!

I'm so sick of myself

Today's post will fall under the heading of "self-loathing".  I've spoken many times about my issues with my weight and how it seems that no matter how many times I try I keep failing.  I understand that since I'm still trying that's a good thing, I understand that it's only when you totally give up that you're really failing.  But I can't look at myself in the mirror and accept that because occasionally I get my fat ass up and move around or eat less at dinner that I'm not failing.

Yes, I have lost somewhere around 20-23 lbs, depending on the day.  But that is a drop in the bucket and simply not good enough.  For the past 4 months I have been stuck right in this spot, not gaining or losing, just coasting.  Sure, it could be worse...but I want better.

It has never been more apparent to me than in the past week just how screwed up my head is when it comes to this weight loss stuff.  A week and a half ago I decided I was tired of this maintaining crap and I was going to work really hard for the remaining 3 weeks of April and lose at least the 8 lbs left to make it to 30 lbs lost.  I was motivated and ready to get going.  So what happened instead?  I immediately did nothing but crave sugar, lots and lots of sugar.  It's like there's a disconnect between my brain and my body.  My brain is screaming at me "You shouldn't eat that! You do not want to eat that! Stop eating that!"  But my body is picking up the crap and shoveling it in my mouth as if it were the last food I would ever get to eat.  Like no matter how much I don't want to eat the sugar I'm going to anyway.  The more determined I am to be good and do the right things, the more I cannot control my body's intense addiction to sugar.

I HATE that, it is SO messed up.  What I want more than anything is in my power to have, and yet I will not allow myself to have it.  It is supremely irritating and I am so annoyed with myself.