More Ramblings

I just realized that some of these are kinda negative. So be it.

Being sick. I was sick this past weekend. I don't get sick very often, maybe once or twice a year. I literally had no energy to do anything but sit and stare at my kids and tell James "I'm sorry I can't play with you. If I get up and chase you like you want me to, I will either pass out or throw up on you." It reminded me to be grateful for my health. Being sick with an energetic little boy is by far one of the hardest things to me about being a parent--I can't call in sick and have someone else watch my kids for me (if you have family nearby and can do this, you are totally cheating). What's worse is when you pass your illness along to your five-month-old baby girl. I would take that illness back ten times over to keep her from the agony that is the flu.

Cucumbers. I have tried to like them in the past. Okay, scratch that. I have not tried to like them. Ever. They are nasty, terrible things. Oddly enough, I love dill pickles. Go figure that I got like half a dozen larger than normal cucumbers in my CSA share this week. And lots of tomatoes, which are about the only things that have actually grown in my garden this year and which we have plenty of. Better luck next week.

Shopping. I know so many people who detest grocery shopping. I, on the other hand, find it stress-relieving and I love it. I love it even more when I am doing it by myself, but even James likes it so it's not so bad with him either. Today though, we braved the grand opening of Trader Joe's. Not a smart move on my part. Try maneuvering a stroller, with a two-year-old who insists on pushing it, through a crowd of hundreds of people who have no rhyme or reason to which direction they are going. It was a traffic jam at every turn. I'll probably wait a few weeks before going there again.

Scrunchies. I find it curious how gymnasts all over the world seem to embrace the scrunchy when the rest of the world rejected them decades ago. Over the past few days watching the Olympics, I've seen metallic scrunchies, glittery scrunchies that perfectly match the face glitter (another oddity) the athlete is sporting, scrunchies with butterflies poking out of them, etc. Where are they getting these things? Are there companies that still make them?

Blogs. I have all these grand ideas for blog posts and even new blogs entirely. I get really excited thinking about all the possibilities, etc. And then I look around me and realize that I can't even keep my own house clean, so I should probably concentrate on that first.

Facebook. It's interesting to me, this whole Facebook thing. I think it's funny when people post their every emotions, actions, problems, health updates, etc. It especially intrigues me when I see things like "My stress level is through the roof right now!" or "I'm having the busiest day of my life!" I just wonder why posting about it on Facebook is a priority. I guess this is what our total technology world is coming to, when people on the verge of nervous breakdowns or a health crisis still have to take the time to post about it.

Texting. I hate it. Yes, it is nice when you don't actually want to talk to the person. But it is NOT real communication. It cannot take the place of real human interaction to people you are supposed to care about. It should not count for visiting teaching, home teaching, etc.  (UPDATE: I did not mean to offend anyone who has ever sent me a text. If I would never hear from you otherwise, I do not hate hearing from you! I was just suggesting that texting should not take the place of real communication.)

Grudges. I sometimes get mad for dumb reasons. At people I love. But my anger doesn't usually last long. So grudges I do not understand. Life is just too short. If it's something that is THAT big of a deal, then agree to disagree and move on with it. Why drag it out and let that kind of anger/resentment/drama fester inside for so long? Easier said than done, I know. But none of us are perfect so to hold someone else accountable for not being perfect either is a mystery to me. Life is just too short and family, especially, is just too important.

Families. Speaking of family, my entire family is all together this week without me. Again. It's my fault this time, though. I could have gone but the whimpy part of me chose not to. Flying alone with one kid was stressful enough. Flying alone with two terrifies me and I have to do it in a couple of months anyway.

Flaky me. I am about four or five months behind on sending out baby presents to various family members/friends. So if I've recently asked for your address and you've received nothing and think I'm a total flake, please know that yes, yes I am. But not usually. Just lately. And you will get something if you are patient. I promise.

I just finished reading The American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin. All you Downton Abby lovers will probably get a kick out of it. I thought it was well-written and entertaining but predictable and something about it kind of bothered me. I think stories about women who are supposed to do exactly what society expects of them and who will go to any lengths to get a husband, without stopping to think what they're even doing, get to me. That's probably why I really hated These Is My Words when everyone else loved it.