OK,  I slammed my hubby a little too hard on that last post, so in all fairness, I think I should set the record straight on  some of  the GOOD STUFF he’s done!

I’ll start right after we met, just about 13 years ago, because that’s when I  got my first  glimpse of his kind heart.

Two of my daughters were still in high school and living at home.  We had the bad luck to come down with the flu all at the same time. Hubby’s car was broken down and he lived on the west side of town, yet he took two buses to get to our house and take care of us for two days. Major point score!

On our first date, we went to lunch, then we went to some thrift stores–not terribly romantic, but something we both like to do. At one store, I saw a pair of vintage pearl and diamond earrings I just fell in love with. He bought them for me and they became favorites; still are.

Too many incidents to recall them all, but these  stand-out:

Shortly after 9/11, I began to have violent nightmares and dreaded going to bed. He was living here at the time and did his best to keep my spirits up. One night, after a particularly stressful day, I was weepy and restless, dreading sleep again. I got  up to go to the bathroom, and when I got back into bed, he hugged me and I thought I felt something weird.  I turned on the light and he was wearing my sexy, one piece black bathing suit! I laughed so hard, all the gloom went out the window!  He’ll probably cringe at the re-telling of this, but it’s a favorite “good” memory.

More recently:  Last year we had a birthday dinner for my BFF, Mary. We invited some mutual friends to join us. Shortly before dinner, we found out our other friend’s mother was going to join us and it was her birthday too. Without asking me, he took the sheet cake I had bought at Fry’s back to their bakery department and had the decorator add the other woman’s name to the cake. I was amazed that he would even THINK to do something like that.

Just a few months ago: Hubby was picking up some parts for work at a local auto parts store. There was a young couple in there with a little boy about the same age as our grandkids. The little one had found a package of Hot Wheels cars he really wanted. Hubby heard the mom tell him they couldn’t afford them until Dad got paid on Friday. Hubby took the Hot Wheels to the cashier and after paying for them, handed them to the mom.  She protested that he didn’t have to do that. He replied that  “I have a grandson about his age, it’s ok.”

Random acts of kindness make the world a better place.  On THIS,  he does his share!

Do you feel overwhelmed much of the time? Wish your day was 36 hours, not 24? I can relate! Do you feel underappreciated, stressed to the max, and  exhausted most  days? Yep, me too!

Lately,  I have been feeling tons of pressure to be Ms. Perfect, for reasons I’m still contemplating. Mostly at night, when I wonder if I’ve done enough for one day.

It wasn’t always this way: I used to have an “Oh Well, What Gets Done Is Good Enough” attitude. Not now though.  I think I may have gotten a bit spoiled in the three years hubby was off work due to 2 knee surgeries.  Once he was well enough, I just had to ask for help and I got it.

Now, he’s back to work and does very little to help out. I don’t blame him, I totally understand the feeling of working out in the Phoenix heat all day and the toll it takes. Used to do it myself, way back when.  But hello: offering a helping hand would be SUCH a nice gesture! Yes, I am home on summer break, preparing to go back to school in August, but that doesn’t mean I’m the MAID, for gosh sakes! (Besides, I’d look ridiculous in  one of those stupid French maid outfits!)

Is it asking too much to take his coffee cup back into the kitchen when he leaves for work? Or, putting his dirty (black) socks in the BLACK hamper, not the WHITE one?? Or, my personal pet peeve: if you are putting the dumpster on the curb, why not make SURE it’s full first? Especially if you KNOW there’s garbage in the house/garage/yard that needs to go out!  DUH!!!

I know I’m not alone; I have friends and relatives that tell me constantly that their guy doesn’t do enough around the house to help them. Working or not working, if you are a man and you live with a woman, married or not, it’s YOUR mess too!!  This I AM MAN, you are Slave is just plain WRONG!

Is this an ages-old complaint or a product of current societal trends? Sometimes I wonder! In any case, if anyone can figure out how to get me more hours in the day, please let me know….SOON!!!

I’m off to Party City to check out French Maid costumes! 🙂

I recently overheard a young mother exclaiming that she must be “the worst mother in the world” because of something dumb she had done that could have potentially hurt her child.  I tried not to snicker, because I know that we moms have all been there.  Every Mom makes mistakes, it’s part of the learning process!

For instance, when I was a young mom, I was slightly (?) distracted a few times. Once, my car broke down at a McDonald’s late at night with my 6 year old daughter in the back seat. Back then, I knew little about cars except that you put gas in them and drove them. So, not knowing who could rescue me, I accepted a ride home from a  Phoenix police officer who was there having coffee. Naturally, my daughter woke up while I was moving her to his car and wanted to know what  “Mommy did wrong that we have to go home in a police car” !  Thanks to my oldest daughter, Cammy, for reminding me of this incident.

Another time, my husband and I were shopping in Kmart, I had one cart with newborn Katie in it, he supposedly had the other cart with Jenny in it. Evidently, he took her out for reasons only he knew at the time, and thought I  had picked her up. We came across each other in an aisle, looked at each other and said WHERE IS JENNY?   Just a few minutes later, we heard the PA system announce: Will the parents of Jenny please come to the customer service counter?  To this day, we blame each other “for losing Jenny in Kmart”!

Once, when Katie was very small, she was sitting in the yard, intent on something we thought was a toy. Upon closer inspection, we found her EATING TINY ROCKS!  Panicking, I called the doctor who informed me that she would outgrow this habit (called pica) as she got older. Almost on cue, she began eating paper, dust bunnies, bits of toys: anything  BUT food! The doctor was indeed right: she did outgrow it, but the memory of my precious little youngest daughter sitting in the yard eating rocks stayed with me!

Motherhood has brought me to tears many times, close to madness at other times and  to the most exhilarating joy in the world: I would not have traded any of those Mom moments for anything.  Besides, if I hadn’t had the KIDS, I would not have the GRANDKIDS!!

Today was the official last day of school for me. Saying goodbye to everyone, even though I have only known them a short time, was hard. Going back to school WAS the right decision for me, but I hadn’t anticipated that I might actually MISS school. And I think I will: the routine, the challenge, the anticipation of getting a good grade and the exposure to new things on regular basis. Ah, well, back to the challenges of FISHING and bringing in a record catch! And spending time with the grandkids. And getting housework caught up-to-date. And catching up on SO much stuff!!!

When does the next semester start???  🙂

Today we welcomed the latest addition to our ever-growing family…my nephew Kris and beautiful wife Casey brought a little baby boy into this world (not yet named!).  He will have two cousins, my new grandson Korben and my niece Jessica’s baby boy, due in July, that are very close in age to him.  I’m enjoying watching all these little boys arrive, especially since I raised three daughters and have never experienced the frog-in-the-pocket, hot -wheels- under -the -pillow or Lego Mania of young boys.  HOWEVER, since I do have four grandsons now, I am getting familiar with little boy antics and I must say, they sure are different from those of little girls! Little girls emulate their mommies and you can keep them occupied for hours with girl things. Little boys: well, they’re just non-stop action and unbridled  enthusiasm. Recently, I spent about four and a half  hours with my two oldest grandsons ( age 7 and 5):  Matthew and Michael. By the time Mom and Dad picked them up, I felt like I had run a marathon! Though I enjoyed every moment of their visit, it took me a good day and a half to recover! Could it be they’re very active, inquisitive little boys or am I just getting too old to frolic like a 5-year-old?

Kris and Casey, the fun is just beginning for you two and I wish you all the best in your parenting “adventures”!

Got a call the other day from Jenny, my mid kid. She was calling to thank me for teaching her and her sisters manners when they were youngsters. Jenny is currently living in the Baltimore, Md. area while her husband is stationed at a nearby military base. She gets out quite often with my little grandbaby, Avenleigh. Jen tells me she is amazed at the complete lack of manners she’s seen while shopping and dining out.

Mom, people here just don’t say Please and Thank you, she lamented.  I just can’t believe how rude they are!

Well honey I told her, perhaps they’ve just not been brought up that way.

But Mom, isn’t it common sense?

Well, no dear Jen, it is NOT common sense. 

There is rudeness everywhere, it’s not confined to the East Coast or anywhere else.  Please and thank you should be taught from the age a child learns to talk, but alas it isn’t always that way. I guess mine caught on, because I have very polite daughters who  are teaching their children manners as well. My grandsons all know the magic words. And if they forget, they get gentle reminders.

When I was a child, you had better mind your “p’s & q’s” – a phrase that has been interpreted many ways, but in OUR home, it meant you better behave and you better remember your manners.

It was great to hear from my own daughter that she did indeed learn the lesson!

BBut….bbut….. Mommy, I dont wanna be a reporter!!!.