The Ability to Compromise
I believe I have many positive qualities I bring to all of my relationships in my life, be they with my coworkers, friends, family, or a boyfriend. As we mature we refine our qualities and everyone in our life helps to either buff or hone those qualities as needed.
I think one key quality to any lasting relationship is the ability to compromise. And recently I’ve noticed a lot of compromising going on at my end of the relationship. A few examples:
Share this:
I Said “No”
My 15 year old daughter is a freshman in high school. In one of her classes she has to rewrite and memorize a “slam poem” (don’t ask me, I have no clue what it is and I haven’t gotten around to Googling it yet). Continue reading →
Share this:
The Cookie War of 2016
I am a proud mother of two high school kids – a 16 year old boy and a 15 year old girl. They are both active with multiple after-school activities (baseball, softball, band, officiating games, social media, art, etc.)…so pretty normal, run-of-the-mill teenagers.
Until cookies enter the scene. Specifically, Oreos.
Every grocery store trip involves a stop in the cookie aisle. My daughter has always been the one with the sweet tooth but when it comes to Oreos my son is hands-down more possessive about the cookies.
2015 Christmas Haul
A few years ago their grandparents gave packages of Oreos as stocking stuffers to both my kids. Since then it’s a Christmas tradition – they are guaranteed Oreos in their stockings every year now. This past Christmas was the best haul yet. (The Caramel Apple Oreos were in my stocking and they are the best I have ever tasted!)
A typical sound heard in our home is one of the kids hollering, “Where are the Oreos?” Usually the other one starts giggling, either having hidden the Oreos yet again so they can keep them all to themselves or having already eaten all in the package.
As with any war, escalation was expected. Earlier this week I found war correspondence on the kitchen table.
Declaration of war
The struggle is real in our home. Perhaps we can call a temporary truce today of all days.
Got milk?
Share this:
Eavesdropping
It’s 10pm and I’m two hours away from home attending an all night, indoor softball tournament with my teenage daughter’s travel team. Our second game doesn’t start until 1:30am so I’m hanging out in the hotel lobby where most of the team and parents are staying.
I love people watching, and I especially love listening to the random snippets of conversation that flow my way:
“Look, Speedo Guy is back!”
“That Super Bowl commercial with the baby/monkey/dog face swap thingamabob creeped me out!”
“I ordered pasta and they gave me four orders of hot wings. I still don’t think this will fill me up.”
“You’re eating jalapenos? Third base is going to be napalmed tonight!”
(In a loud whisper) “Don’t get on the elevator with Speedo Guy!”
“Where’s Coach?” (Someone answers that he’s in the bathroom.) “Oh man, he’s gonna be gone for 20 minutes and I feel sorry for anyone who enters that bathroom now!”
“The whip cream tastes waxy.”
And something I didn’t expect to hear from my 15 year old daughter:
“I’m going to go heat up my coffee.”
It’s just the beginning of a long night. I think I’ll take my daughter’s lead and have another cup myself.
Share this:
I’m Still Here
It’s been a long time since I’ve attended to my blog. Life takes over sometimes, and when I started my blog in the past I was hung up on such things as, “What should my blog be about? Am I supposed to stick to one main theme? How personal can I get and what shouldn’t I talk about?”
All of those concerns and many more prevented me from JUST BLOGGING. There are many blogs out there that are themed-based, and that’s ok. I like those blogs and follow many of them specifically because of the themes they blog about.
I’m not that specific. My mind goes in a thousand different directions and I want to chat about all of them – sometimes. That’s another hang-up; being too closed-off. But I think it’s time I just let it all out there, consequences be damned, and hopefully experience a euphoric release of a mind full of topics in a world willing to soak them up.
So get ready, world. I’m about to open the gates. Let’s see what charges out, shall we?
Share this:
Toxic
Not all toxic people are cruel and uncaring. Some of them love us dearly. Many of them have good intentions. Most are toxic to our being simply because their needs and way of existing in the world force us to compromise ourselves and our happiness. They aren’t inherently bad people, but they aren’t the right people for us. And as hard as it is, we have to let them go. Life is hard enough without being around people who bring you down, and as much as you care, you can’t destroy yourself for the sake of someone else. You have to make your well-being a priority. Whether that means breaking up with someone you care about, loving a family member from a distance, letting go of a friend, or removing yourself from a situation that feels painful — you have every right to leave and create a safer space for yourself. — Daniell Koepke
Share this:
Me
I hate assessments. The ones usually given at a work conference that ask questions such as, ‘If you had the choice between matching socks or no socks, which would you choose?’ designed, of course, to determine if my personality will mesh with the rest of my coworker’s. I hate those questions. My answer will never be the same on any given day. Ask me that question after I’ve had my bowl of Wheaties and my adventurous nature will answer, ‘No socks!’ Ask me the same question the next day during a rain storm in the late fall and I’m definitely not leaving the house without socks on.
The same goes for what I want to write about. I have a ton of thoughts going through my mind, seventeen different answers to the same question posed to me-the answer you get will change depending on when you ask it and what’s going on in my life at the moment.
Needless to say my kids are never bored with me as a mom and my coworkers are constantly shocked and amused and surprised by what I might say or do at any given moment. Sometimes I even surprise myself; more often I think I should have said thought #7 vs #8, but oh-well, maybe next time.
All of that was my way of saying you never know what I’m gonna write about and when I do write about the same topic again it could be a completely different aspect than the one I wrote before.
Definitely won’t be finding my niche anytime soon-and I’m cool with that. 🙂
Share this:
Play Ball!
Since my son was four years old he’s played baseball in the local youth league every spring. He’s now 13 and we finally have our first baseball practice of the season under our belts! I look forward to the kids’ sports every spring and fall – softball and baseball are at the top of my favorites list (soccer I merely tolerate). Since I have a better camera now, I took over 400 pictures of his team’s first practice. Here are just a select few of my favorites.
So handsome! (Even in mom’s hat since he left his in the church bathroom)
Ready for the pitch
Right in the zone!
It’s a hit!
Gotta love that grin
Did you say something?
That’s in the strike zone, buddy
Heads up!
I got it!
I said I got it!
Out!
I got this one, too!
Ok, I forgot my hat and you made me wear your pink and white one in front of all my friends. Happy now mom?
This is my new cover photo on fb – one of the balls landed close to me and I made a quick out-of-focus snap. I love it!
Love this pic
Share this:
J.B. Weld Can’t Help Me Here
Background info: Due to an insensitive prick of an ex-boyfriend my indoor cats of six years became outdoor cats last year. Long story, will get to those rants another time. Also, J.B. Weld and I became intimately related during the Patio Door fiasco of 2010.
Today: The kids and I arrive home and unload ourselves from the car. Trinity heads upstairs when we all hear a very loud, “Meow!” Then I hear, “Holy cow! Mom, Curla is in the house!”
Since it was a gorgeous day we left a bunch of windows open – all of which are fully screened. Looking around I see this:
Knock Knock Bitch
I tell the kids to stop looking for Cowin since he’s outside enjoying the work of his partner in crime. We boot Curla out of the house and while the kids eat the leftover tacos (leaving me NONE, the turds!) I pull up my big girl tool belt and tackle the screen repairs.
Nailed it!
PS: I hope her claws are as shredded as my screen.
WANTED: Curla Cat
Crime: Breaking & Entering
Share this:
That’s It, You’re Grounded!
Leftovers have never gone to waste in my house. We eat leftovers. We love leftovers. The kids actually claim first dibs on leftovers before we are even done with the meal. I had to laugh the other day when Trinity told T-Bone, “Hey, don’t eat the rest of the chicken! I want to take it to school for lunch tomorrow.”
I’m fortunate to have two kids who have never been picky eaters and have a love of all foods to rival my own. Italian, Mexican, American fair; spicy (hot!), sweet, tangy; seafood, chicken, veggies – you name it, they love it. Even their favorite TV shows revolve around food: Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, Man v. Food, Rachael Ray, etc. We are definitely a “foodie” family. And because I love to cook and try new recipes they are never bored with the same meals week in and week out.
Of course, we all have our favorite meals and this week they were treated to one I haven’t been able to make in almost two years: marinated grilled chicken with awesome sides! Continue reading →
Between the Eyes 