chaos

5 Things Keeping Me From Blogging

May 11, 2013 By AnnMarie

This week was insanely busy. I know I do posts all the time about the chaos over here and it seems that will be the case until Gia goes to college. I love blogging. I love reading blogs and I love keeping up with the friends I have made through blogging. I didn’t realize until this week that all of those things keep me sane as well. Without these things, this week drove me a little crazy. Here’s what kept me away:

1. Doctor’s appointments. Besides the ones I missed, I had a few others. I am happy to say that we got great news. An answer to prayers. Nico does NOT need surgery! When I took Tommy to get checked, Nico had the same symptoms so the doctor had assumed he’d need the surgery as well. With his history, I thought that would for sure be the case. He put him on a new medicine and I was to bring him to see the doctor in ten days. The new medicine has worked and he’s feeling better and his sinuses look pretty good (or at least as good as they can get). We are ecstatic about this. It was a huge life lesson for Nico. If you take the medicine that the doctor gives you consistently, you will feel better.

2. Cleaning. This is not my strongest attribute. I hate cleaning but I love having a clean house so this week, I made the effort to clean up after every one of the kids’ messes. Well, I did that for Gia. For the older kids, there was a lot nagging to get them to clean up after themselves. I love the way my house looks but I am exhausted. To be fair, the cleaning lady came and did the bathrooms and the floors but I am proud of the fact that the house was all picked up and clean so that she could do what she needed to. I am even prouder of the fact that these pictures were taken this morning and the house is still clean. Again, it’s been exhausting.

3. Other writing. I was hit with a creative windstorm this week and have been rewriting and adding to some of my existing writing. Will I do anything with it? Maybe someday but for now, I am loving getting lost in the characters and story.

4. Baseball, basketball, Gia’s last ballet class, Belle’s dance classes, school stuff. I think I put more miles on my car this week than we did driving to Indiana. Enough said, really.

5. The last reason is a good one. I stepped away this week to really spend time with the kids.

With a little help from the sibs.

I am hoping to get back on schedule and figure out how to clean, spend time with the kids and blog at the same time. Wish me luck or send some tips.

I received the best Mother’s Day gift from a few bloggers. Mommifried, A Dish of Daily Life and Writer Mom’s Blog are hosting a Ladies Only Blog Share on the Joys of Motherhood and they featured me! Thank you, Ladies! I am honored and will link up and read and follow some new bloggers. Can’t wait!

Tune in tomorrow for a blog done by my kids. If you are busy and don’t get to it, Happy Mother’s Day to all the Moms out there, women who are still waiting to be moms or mom’s whose children are in Heaven.

Filed Under: Blogging, chaos 22 Comments

Six Thoughts for Saturday

May 4, 2013 By AnnMarie

When I use numbers, it’s easier for me to narrow down what I am thinking about. Otherwise, I’ll write like I talk and that is a lot.

1. I really, really love our dentist, Dr. Dykes and my kids’ orthodontist, Dr. Golden. I think they are the most trustworthy people in the dental field. Both could take us for a lot of money because what do I know about teeth? They never do things just because they can. They always do what is best for the patient. I will forever be grateful to Dr. Dykes for sending me to get my tongue looked at. It ended up a little bit of a nightmare but had I not gotten it taken care of, it could have been a lot worse. Belle and Nico both have cavities and need fillings but I am rest assured that they truly need them because he’s been watching those areas for a little bit and they haven’t gone away. Dr. Golden saw both Tommy and Isabella and said at this time, they do not need braces. I thought for sure that they were going to. Right there, $10,000 saved.

2. I am soooo behind on reading blogs. I am hoping to catch up tonight. I’m buying myself some wine to sit, read and enjoy. Please know that if you haven’t seen me around, it’s only because I am insanely busy. I try to read blogs from my phone while in carpool lines or dentist’s offices but can’t comment on them. I miss you all!

3. I need someone who has or had teenagers to please tell me how you get them to MOVE. I am very close to buying 5 alarm clocks and setting them myself to get Nico to wake up and get a move on. It is causing major issues over here, one being that I am mad at him all the time. Am I not supposed to say that? Is he going to read this years from now and feel bad? Um…I don’t really care because at the moment, he changes the atmosphere in this house. I can’t turn around and play Doc McStuffins with a smile on my face when I just finished yelling for Nico to get in the shower or do his treatment for the 5th time.

4. I need prayers that the surgeon can fit Nico’s surgery in sooner than the July 15th date they gave me. I see him on Friday and Nico sounds awful. I don’t know how to get him some relief. Meds aren’t working and unless I am up his butt, he doesn’t do what he is supposed to. In case you haven’t figured it out, Nico is a little exhausting these days.

5. We just got back from the ER. Yes, you read that right. Belle and Gia were running away from an ANT and Belle accidentally tripped Gia, who fell on her face. You know how they say the head and the mouth bleed a lot? They aren’t kidding. Blood everywhere. And after 15 years at this gig, did I stay calm? No, I did not. I panicked so much so that Nico, just like Leo kept telling me to stop freaking out and it was ridiculous to take her to the ER. Isn’t that lovely to hear from my 15-year-old when I am mid-panic? Plus I am getting no Mother of the Year award for not reassuring Belle that it was okay and was an accident. It would have helped if she didn’t call me or text me every two minutes while I was gone, with the nurse or with the doctor. When I finally talked to her and told her that it was okay and was an accident, she insisted that it was not. It was like banging my already throbbing head against a wall.

6. This week was a tough one. Leo was gone. Dentist appointments galore. Running around from one carpool to the next. Finding out the boys need surgery. A frustrated teen. Unexpected basketball games. A canceled birthday celebration (an example of walking the walk after talking the talk…your party, you help…you don’t help, no party). So, I decided that I am not going to go to any games this weekend. Leo is going to them all. And I don’t feel one ounce of guilt. Thank you L.B. for freeing me of it. My house looks like a battleground, I can’t remember the last time I washed my hair (yep, that bad of a week) and there is a headache lurking that I’m afraid if I go to any sporting events will develop into a full-blown migraine.

I’m looking forward to next week. Tomorrow is a new day with a fresh start. It seems strange already thinking of tomorrow’s fresh start when it is only 1:30 in the afternoon. Strange or sad?

What are some of your thoughts on this Saturday?

Filed Under: chaos, Family, Gia, Odd things that happen in my family, Random Thoughts, Uncategorized 20 Comments

I Misplaced My Cape

May 1, 2013 By AnnMarie

Yesterday had all the potential in the world of being one of those days where everything went right. I could have been the hero that my children looked at with admiration at the end of the day. One that they would look back on and say, “That was a great memory”. It started a little shaky when Gia woke up at 5:30am and wanted to go downstairs and eat at 6:00. That is really early for Gia (and me). Gia and Tommy were the only ones going to school at the normal time so I went about making lunches and getting everybody up and showered. Nico and Isabella had an orthodontist appointment.

Immediately, Belle started in with a stomach ache. Nico complained that he didn’t feel good and that his throat was killing him. Just once, I’d love to wake up, have the kids jump out of bed, get themselves ready and not complain about some ache or pain. I think I have a better chance of Gia reading War and Peace right now at age 3 than that ever happening.

Everyone got to school on time and we got to the ortho early. While waiting for the kids to be called back, Nico saw on Twitter that the high school had another fire happen (it turned out to be an experiment that generated a lot of smoke causing the alarms to go off). The last time which was on his birthday, the day was a wash and he was mad that I didn’t excuse him. He kept checking to see what was going on and when he said that everyone was on the football field, I made the mistake of saying, “Maybe we should go get your permit instead of having you miss another day” so I am sure that all thoughts of returning to school flew out the window.

It turns out that Isabella doesn’t need braces at the moment. I love our orthodontist. I love that he is the most trustworthy dentist that I have ever encountered. I never get the feeling that he does things just because he can. I feel like he really looks at each kid and thoughtfully thinks about how he can help or whether he can help. Sometimes it is yes and sometimes it is no. For both Tommy and Belle, he says to wait and he thinks some of the issues will work their way out. I love that he could have made $10,000 and instead saved me that money. I am pretty sure Belle will end up needing them but she doesn’t right now. Yay! The day was off to a great start!

You would think that Belle would feel better after she found out she didn’t need braces but she worked herself up in such a state of anxiety that her stomach still hurt and then her head hurt from having to keep her mouth open for so long. It didn’t make sense to me to bring her back to school, only to have her call me to come get her when I had to get Tommy at 2 for his doctor’s appointment (yes, all the appointments on the one day a week when I can do what I want because Gia is in school).

We decided to take Nico for his permit which had me really nervous because it is about a half hour away and we all know how crazy the DMV can be and I needed to pick Gia up around 1:15. We got there to see a HUGE line out the door. I looked at Nico and said, “Forget it.” He claimed the line was moving fast so we stood there for about five minutes before someone graciously told us we were in the wrong line. From that point on, it went pretty fast. He passed and got his permit so see, should be a great day. One for the books.

It was all downhill from there.

We had plenty of time to get some lunch so we celebrated at a Mexican restaurant that I really like near Gia’s school. I don’t know if we were wearing an invisibility cloak or gave off the vibe that we had all afternoon but it took forever for our waiter to do anything. Oh, and in case you are wondering, going for Mexican food with a kid that already had a stomach ache is probably license to hear complaining for the rest of the afternoon. We made it just in time to get Gia. She was thrilled to see Nico and Belle. It was cute because she can be pretty mean to Nico so to see her rush into his arms made my heart squeeze a little.

We got home with about 15 minutes to spare before we had to get Tommy so I let Nico drive around the block. He did fine but I can already see myself being annoying with “Brake…okay…brake…brake” and I am hoping I hid that I felt like throwing up the whole time.

I left to get Tommy from school with Gia and Belle. My sister, LeeAnna, was meeting me at the doctor’s office because she lives over there and was going to watch the girls. I called the school earlier to tell them that I was picking Tommy up at 2. I went in and they called him again. I had to run back out to the car because I left the girls in it while I ran to get him. And then I waited and waited. I ran back in the school and still no Tommy. He was called down again and they said he was on his way. And then I saw my son, my lovely son, sauntering as slow as could be down the hall. I was like a crazy person motioning for him to hurry up with what I am sure was a mean, crazy lady face.

And off we went to the office that was FAR. Catching every stop light and getting stuck in construction. Gia thankfully fell asleep. I made pretty good time and was only 10 minutes late. The funniest part of the whole thing was I jumped out of my car yelling to my sister that I didn’t care if she waited or left or did whatever. She looked stunned as Tommy and I ran into the office. I texted her to just leave my keys in the car if she took the girls. She texted back that she was going to her house and the keys were in Gia’s seat. We made plans for me to pick up the girls after 6:30 when I picked Nico up from Driver’s Ed. And then…

We waited…and waited…and waited. It became clear to me in a moment of panic that I wasn’t going to make it back in time to get Nico to Driver’s Ed. I texted a friend whose son is also in the class and she said if Nico could get a ride to her house, her neighbor would take him. I texted a bunch of friends and with everyone’s schedule as crazy as mine, no one was around or was around after I told him to start walking or ride a bike. One friend even offered to call her older son to see if he was around.

My friend, Kim texted that she could take him so I called him and did he answer? No, he did not. He called me right back, aggravated because he was on his bike. I called Kim back and said nevermind, he was on his bike. Nico called me back not even two minutes later and said that the bike broke and that he was at CVS. He might have muttered a bunch of curse words and I can’t even say anything because he gets that from me and I was muttering the same because someone tell me what are the odds of that? I called Kim back and asked if she could please go get him and told her to just leave the bike. I don’t care about the damn bike.

She texts me: CVS?

I text back: That’s what he said but who knows with him. I’ll double-check.

She texts: Are you sure not Walgreens?

I call Nico. He doesn’t answer. I am sweating. The doctor comes in and says Tommy doesn’t look great and he wants to scope him. He sprayed numbing spray and said, “We’ll look in a few minutes.” I call Kim and she said she had Nico and they have no idea whose bike it is that he grabbed. We have a bunch in our garage from kids who left them there. Leave it to Nico to grab one that wasn’t his. He said he did because since it wasn’t, it wouldn’t be a big deal to leave it at his friend’s. Teen logic.

Nico calls me panicked because he just realized he needed his folder for class. Where is his folder? In my car all the way in Geneva. Where is he? Wheaton. I tell him that I’m sorry but there isn’t anything I can do other than drop it off when I get done.

The doctor scoped Tommy and the polyps in his sinuses are bad and he needs surgery. I tell him that Nico, who was supposed to have an appointment but had Driver’s Ed, has the same issues. He said when I schedule Tommy’s surgery, to just go ahead and schedule Nico and we can do it the same day. He wants to see Nico, of course but is pretty sure he’ll need it. Great. Nico called me one more time and I swear this is what he said:

Nico: Where are you??

Me: I am still at the doctor with Tommy.

Nico: What are you still doing there??

Me: You and Tommy both need surgery.

Nico: I get that but why in the heck are you still there?? I need my folder. When are you leaving??

Me: When I’m done here.

Nico: Maaaaa!

I hung up. He began rapid-fire texting me that he had a test and needed his notes and his instructor was being a jerk and making him write a paper about why it is important to come prepared to class and whether he is taking it seriously. The last text was “I’m for sure going to fail. Thanks a lot.”

I picked up the girls from my sister’s so that I wouldn’t have to drive out to St. Charles later and raced back to Wheaton trying to get his folder to him. Tommy texted him that we were almost there and he texted back: Too late. I brought it anyway, went to Target because I had to (I really wanted Pina Colada mix with the alcohol already in it but they didn’t have it) and went home and ordered a big, deep dish LouMalnati’s pizza.

He came home not feeling well but passed his test. Oh, and fought me on whether he needs surgery or not.

So instead of being Super Mommy, I must have misplaced my cape. I take comfort in that I am still the reigning queen of chaos, though.

Did I mention that Leo has been gone since Monday on a business trip?

Did this post feel like it went on forever? Because that is EXACTLY how it felt going through it yesterday.

And how has your week been?

Filed Under: chaos, Odd things that happen in my family, orthodontists healthy snacks, Parenting, Rants 17 Comments

Say Cheese!

April 3, 2013 By AnnMarie

We are the worst at taking family pictures. And that bums me out because it’s important to me to have a family picture at family parties or events. I love looking through them to see how we have all changed and how the kids have grown (I do not enjoy seeing how I have ). It always starts and ends up the same. Complaining and whining from the older kids in the beginning and then yelling, sweating (sometimes a pinch or two) and everyone mad at everyone involved. I’ve decided to share so that some good can come from it. A laugh or two:

First there is finding the person to take the picture. If it is anyone from the generation above me, there is an explanation of how the camera works and a for sure, “Oh, wait…where do I look? Uh, the screen is black. What did I do? What is this green box? So I hold it half-way and then what? Ooops, I took the picture. I didn’t know that was going to happen.”

The oops one.

Then there is the one where everyone looks okay except for Leo but it was too far:

So you tell the person you want it closer:

Yes, this was a second try at closer. You can tell by Belle’s head.

So you say, “CLOSER, PLEASE”:

Not bad but what is Belle doing and why is Leo smiling like a frumpazoid?

Not bad but why is Tommy sideways and Belle has a better smile than that. And why is Leo smiling like a frumpazoid? And why is there a line through my face?

And then we tried again:

Okay, cuter smile on Belle but still frumpazoid on Leo and now Nico’s one eye is closed. And why is it so grainy?

I just knew we could get a better picture so maybe closer would work better:

Oh, good, everyone is smiling but wait…we can’t really see Gia and why, why sunburn line, just why?

Let’s try again. One more time:

Stick your head out Gia. Good. Wait...we lost Nico.

Stick your head out, Gia. Good. Finally. Wait…we lost Nico and there is that unfortunate sunburn line showing again. Darn.

After this picture, there were beads of sweat on my forehead and possibly on Leo’s as well. I didn’t even include the pictures that were taken on accident because the person held it down too long and I forgot to switch it out of “sports mode”. Let’s just say, it was like watching a mini-movie with all the frames of the slow movement. And there were a lot of them. I’m not going to lie, there was yelling and arguing and maybe a tear or two by me for failing at something I wanted so badly which led to this:

Someone was in a horrible mood after.

In case you wanted another chuckle, this was what happened when I tried to get a family picture while we were looking for eggs:

Do I really have to explain why I don’t like this one? Nico and Tommy (in case I do).

Nico, Nico, Nico. He hates taking pictures but is the reason we have to do so many over.

And then everyone moving and Gia deciding she is done so we get the blurry one that was inevitable at some point.

And then I tried to get one as we were leaving to go home:

No explanation necessary.

One last time:

Really?

I quit.

Jody Byas, please tell me you are still taking pictures and that you’ll take ours again. Soon before I give up forever. Help a woman who just wants a decent family picture.

Tell me it’s not just my family or just tell me that my personal torture made you laugh so that something good came from it.

No Related Posts

Filed Under: chaos, Family, Holidays 27 Comments

Anger Issues: Part 2-The Joys of Raising a Tween Girl

March 22, 2013 By AnnMarie

Yesterday, I posted about how angry I was at Nico’s teacher but it isn’t the only thing making me angry these days. I love Isabella. I have loved her since the moment I found out I was pregnant with her. I used to look at her as a baby and say, “This is why people have a lot of kids.” Everything about Isabella was easy. She gave up the bottle easily. She didn’t have a hard time giving up the binky and she went to sleep like clockwork at naps and night. She potty-trained herself. She was so easy. Sometimes I would look at her with her mass of blond curls and her big green eyes and wonder how such a beautiful little girl ended up my daughter. She was/is helpful and so eager to please Leo and me and so affectionate always crawling up on my lap to kiss or hug me.

Her eyes started out blue but turned green when she was about 3. She is two in this picture.

And then…

The tween years hit. I could see it last year that puberty was not going to be fun with her. I mean, it is never really fun anyway and sometimes being a woman sometimes sucks but I think I might be in for it when it finally hits here. This leads me to my second reason I am angry these days:

I am angry that Belle and I can’t get to a place where we get along for longer than ten minutes. I heard from so many moms of girls when I was pregnant with her, “You are going to love having a girl!” “Little girls are so wonderful. They play quietly with dolls and they can sit still and color and read stories and don’t roughhouse” (I had already had Nico who was ALL BOY). “Little girls like to stay neat and clean.” “You will love having a mini-you”. All of you people who told me that…YOU ALL ARE BIG, FAT LIARS!!

First of all, why would I love having a mini-me? I am stubborn, hot-tempered and procrastinate with the best of them. Back in the day I was boy crazy (in the way that I thought a lot of boys were cute, not that I dated a lot of boys…big difference) and would rather dress comfortably than fashionably (okay, that last part is not just back in the day but very much to this day). I still don’t like being teased or criticized (does anyone, really?) and only now have learned to let things roll off my back so why would I like having to deal with all of those in another person? I don’t even like dealing with them with me. My mom got her wish. She used to wish that I’d have a daughter just like me and I do. Thanks, Mom. You know what’s helping me be less stubborn, less hot-tempered and helped me to let things go? Seeing all of that in another person…one that I love with all my heart and it’s not pretty.

Second of all, neat and clean?? When she wants to be, she is absolutely neat and clean. But when she doesn’t, my darling, beautiful daughter is kind of a slob. Her room is by far the messier one. She stomps her way to the shower complaining the whole time. Arguments about finding clean clothes are a daily battle. I can’t even get mad at her because again…a mini-me. I have told her that because she has trouble deciding on an outfit to wear, she has to do it at night. The problem with that is that something happens in the middle of the night where she wakes up that morning hating what she picked out so either she goes to school crying because I make her wear that outfit or she is frantic trying to choose another. NO WIN.

Third of all, quiet? Ummm…how do I say this nicely? How about just no. No. No. My darling child goes from 0-60 reaching a sound that breaks glass and only dogs can hear. And once she gets there, there is no turning back. It doesn’t matter if Gia is sleeping. It doesn’t matter if anyone is sleeping. It doesn’t matter if we are at a store or a restaurant. It doesn’t matter. What, you might ask, gets her to that point? Two things: Nico and Tommy.

This week has been rough. I curse our school with their week before spring break activities and assignments. Why? Why? Why must we cram everything in this week? They had a book report, a quick-write (I admit, I don’t know what that is but the kids were stressing over it), and the ever-loving Greek Day (I love you, my Greek friends. So much that I almost called on you guys to come here and dress my kids).

When Nico did Greek day, I sent him to school wrapped in white sheet. That’s it and he survived. I said this to Belle when she gave me a list of 50 things she needed for her costume and her answer was, “That won’t work. I’m a girl. I need more stuff.” So, for the last two weeks, I have been running to stores finding things that she can use to make her sheet look more “Greek”. I should have just bought the damn costume at Party City for $20. Oh, and she HAD to have a lot of stuff to sell at the Greek market. In short, she and Tommy drove me crazy about this. She, more than Tommy, because Tommy listened to Nico who said, “Dude, it’s not that big of a deal.”

All of the arguing came to a head Tuesday night.

While at a party on Saturday night, Belle texted me: Mom, my book report is due Wednesday and I haven’t even started and I left my book at school. Now, how would you have responded at 8:30 on a Saturday night? I replied: Don’t worry. We’ll figure something out.

On Sunday, I went to Barnes and Noble and bought the book she needed…the book I already bought once. I “helicoptered” in rather than taught her a lesson because she had a volleyball game on Monday and Belle is prone to loooong book reports needing constant encouraging that she is on the right path. Anyway, I suggested she do a diorama since she was doing Jim Henson. I gave her some suggestions and she shot them all down as if it was the dumbest idea ever. I suggested a time-line. She said no to that as well. I walked away saying that I made some suggestions, she didn’t like them so she should choose herself. She decided she wanted to dress up and where could she get a Muppet costume? I just stared in disbelief. She chose a time-line.

I told her to do as much as she could on Sunday and not to wait until Tuesday. Long story short (even though that ship sailed a paragraph ago), she was doing it Tuesday night. I told her that I would help her until 9 and then I was going upstairs to bed. She goofed around with the boys until about 8:50 and then came and asked me to help her. I did something I didn’t want to. I went against the grain as a Mama Bear and teacher. I told her to ask her dad and I went to bed.

Tears. Loud cries of unfairness. Stomping. Begging. It.Was.Ugly.

I heard her arguing with Leo trying to get him to help while he was watching a basketball game. I heard Tommy asking her why she waited until the last-minute (his was done on Saturday night) and Nico aggravating her by telling her she was “screwed for waiting ’til now” (yes, I’m so proud). She came upstairs hysterical several times saying Leo wasn’t helping her, the computer was frozen, she didn’t know how to do the lines on the poster board, she didn’t know how it was going to fit, she didn’t know how many pictures to use and so on. Each time I sent her back downstairs. I did go downstairs and ask Leo to help her and he said he tried and that she got upset. Is it wrong that I felt better knowing it wasn’t just me?

He ended up being her hero and he helped her until she was done. Two things happened on Tuesday night. Belle learned that when I say something, I mean it and I fell in love with Leo all over again for allowing me not rescue her again. Should we have let her go to school on Wednesday without her report done to teach her a lesson? Maybe but there is something to be said about a daughter knowing her dad is there to help her out. I remember when my dad would help me with something for school. It let me know he cared, took an interest and would be there for me when I needed him. I didn’t go running to him every time I had to do something but I knew if I really needed him, he’d be there.

I think waking up early after being up late doing it was enough of a reminder not to do that again. She was CRABBY and I couldn’t help but point out to her why and how to avoid it in the future. To say that she took those words to heart and didn’t at all stomp her feet, roll her eyes or snap at me would be a lie.

Getting ready for today’s Greek Day activities has been less than fun. She procrastinated taking a shower to get her hair ready and then expected me to do it at 10:00pm. When I did, it wasn’t the way she wanted. She has gorgeous hair (that I would pay good money at a salon to get) that I could really love fixing and playing with but it doesn’t work that way. She cries when I am doing her hair saying I am hurting her (just combing it causes her to say this) so I rarely do it anymore. She didn’t like the way I was draping the sheet. She didn’t want her butt to show (it didn’t because neither did I). She didn’t know what to wear under the sheet (ANYTHING). Finally, at 10:30 she went to bed happy and I went to bed satisfied that I made her happy. I was exhausted but satisfied.

I have a feeling I am in for a lot more exhaustion and I can only pray for more satisfaction. This was not meant to be a bash on Belle. I am working on a post that tells all of the reasons why I love her so much. This is a post for all of you moms out there that might be having the same issues with your tween girls. I don’t know about you guys but I am constantly asking, ”Where is my little girl and why did she leave this tornado of emotions in her place?”

Final products of Greek Day costumes.

Edited to add that Tommy said the class talked the teacher out of the Quick-Write because of Greek Day.

Filed Under: chaos, Isabella, Parenting, Rants, Uncategorized 18 Comments

This Week is Winning

March 5, 2013 By AnnMarie

It’s only Tuesday and already this week is kicking my @ss. Let me just give you a glimpse of why this week is winning:

Leo’s gone: He left Sunday afternoon and is due back tonight. I don’t sleep when he isn’t here. I hear weird noises and I’m afraid I won’t hear the kids so even when I try to sleep, my mind races. Our heat still isn’t 100% working. It clicks off and doesn’t click back on without someone flicking the switch. I am thankful we have heat at all but it is so annoying when it clicks off in the middle of the night. I don’t like going into the basement during the day and like it even less in the middle of the night. I did treat myself (and the family) to Entrée Kitchen meals for this week so that is a silver lining.

No internet: I was in the middle of a blog post yesterday when my internet died. I spent the better part of the day trying to fix it. I was finally able to get on Facebook to post about it and someone replied that it was AT&T. There was an outage that wasn’t going to be fixed until midnight. I felt better knowing that it wasn’t my connection but a whole day…without the internet. I might be a tad addicted to it. Just a tad. I had several ideas for posts floating around and I was planning on catching up on the blogs I read. Without the internet, I was going to be forced to do laundry and put my house back together after the weekend chaos. Gia and I did get some cuddle time, watched Beauty and the Beast about 5 times, built 3 Lego towers, had 2 tea parties and exercised.

Sick kids: Well, only one but she puked and that’s like having 5 sick kids. I hate dealing with puke. I’d rather deal with anything else. Leo is the puke parent. He deals with that but since he’s gone (another reason to hate him being gone), I have to. I woke up at 4am (after finally falling asleep at 3) to Belle at my bedside telling me she puked. Luckily she puked in the bathroom garbage can and luckily it had a Target bag in it so it wasn’t as bad as it could have been. I am no Mother of the Year when my kids are sick. Yesterday she had a volleyball game at 7:00. At 6:15, she said she didn’t feel good and her stomach hurt. I asked if she thought she could play in her game. She started crying saying she didn’t know. I told her she wasn’t going to go and she lost it begging to go and play.The conversation went like this:

Me: ”Fine, get in the car then.”

Belle: “No. Now you don’t want to watch me play.”

Me: “If you are sick, no, I don’t want to watch you play.”

Belle: “But I want to play.”

Me: “Fine, get in the car.”

She doesn’t move but proceeds to sob that she didn’t feel good. I called another mom to tell the coach that she wasn’t going to be there because I didn’t have internet, I couldn’t look up the coaches number. Belle completely flipped out that she was fine and wanted to go.

Me: “Belle, do you feel sick?”

Belle: “Yes.”

Me: “Then you can’t go.”

Belle: “I feel fine.”

Me: “Then you shouldn’t have said you feel sick if you didn’t.”

Belle: “But I do. I just want to play.”

She woke up at 4am puking and said, “I guess it was good I didn’t go to volleyball.” I started praying immediately that the other kids don’t start puking.

Snow Storm: I know I was born and raised here in the suburbs of Chicago but I HATE winter and think that snow is only pretty on Christmas and when we are in Wisconsin skiing. I know I have said it here before that I am petrified of driving in it so I feel paralyzed when there is snow on the ground. I am glad the kids are off because I didn’t want to have to take Gia to school or lose money for the day if I didn’t take her but there was school. The thing is I want this to be a “we all stay inside today” kind of day instead of a “we have no school so I need a ride to hang with my friends” kind of day. I got the call at 5:20am as did all of my emergency contacts (why???). With the snow storm, there is a chance Leo won’t make it home tonight which means I’m in for the above all over again.

Thursday: Nico gets his braces off in the morning. The hour-long appointment with Gia should be fun. Then Leo is taking the boys (thank God) for their CF appointments. They only go every 3-4 months but it is always stressful. I’d appreciate any prayers you could spare that it is a good one. The boys have to give blood and I always worry about the results of that. Thursday night we have a couple of things that are going to cause us both to be running around.

I hate to be a Negative Nelly but I know when to throw up my arms and say, “You win!” I am about there. Say a prayer or send wine…on second thought, say a prayer and send vodka and chocolate.

Chaos: High School, Volleyball and Sick Kids

Filed Under: chaos, Parenting, Rants 22 Comments

Nothing is Ever Routine

February 22, 2013 By AnnMarie

Ever since the note about 6th grade physicals came home, Tommy and Belle have been obsessing about them.

“How many shots do we have to get?”

“Do we have to give blood?”

“Does the doctor have to see me naked?”

“Do I have to pee in a cup?”

“How many shots?”

I put off telling them that our appointment was yesterday because I didn’t want to hear the complaining. Tommy, however, saw the calendar and saw the times with his name and Belle’s and outed me. Nevermind that Tommy has NEVER looked at the calendar…EVER. All of a sudden, Belle had a stomach ache. She thought she was coming down with what everyone else had that she escaped getting. Anything but having to go to the physical. I made the appointment for the morning and told the twins that we’d go to McDonald’s for lunch before I dropped them back off. That seemed to quiet the complaints a little. I think Belle set a new record for how many times she said, “I don’t want to do this” or “I’m scared.” Once in the waiting room, she flat-out said, “I’m freaking out.”

Not really that nervous.

Super nervous

Let me take a moment to tell you that Gia was with us. Sweet, newly potty-trained, Gia was right there in the middle of everything.

Tommy’s appointment was first (they have different doctors, Tommy has the male doctor and Belle the female one) and it all seemed very routine until the nurse casually said, “Okay, now to the eye exam.” Then it was my turn to quietly freak out. See, I have glasses and I really don’t care if my kids end up with them. But having to go see another doctor when I feel like we see a slew of them right now sends my anxiety through the roof. Having to constantly remind any one of my kids to take care of their glasses or contacts will do that, too. What’s the big deal, you ask? You see, I am already fighting such a big battle daily, I don’t think I can take.one.more.thing. Tommy left and Belle immediately said, “I’m going to fail. I can’t see anything.” She then started to test herself with the magazines on the wall. She had completely psyched herself out which was freaking me out and I was already mentally trying to find room in our schedule for an eye doctor appointment.

By this time, Gia had peed and pooped three times. Seriously. No.lie. Big announcement to the nurses on her way in. It was hilariously embarrassing the first time…not so much the third time.

Tommy passed and while he waited for the nurse to come in with his one shot of Prevnar, Belle was having a slight nervous breakdown. I say slight because I had no idea what was coming. Tommy got his shot, the nurse said, “Stick around for a little bit to make sure he doesn’t have a reaction,” and she left. Tommy stood up to play catch with Gia and that’s when it all fell apart.

He quietly complained that he had a bad headache all of a sudden and his eyes hurt. I looked up at him and I noticed that all the color had drained from his face at the same time he said, “I don’t feel good. I’m dizzy.” I went and got the nurse and probably wouldn’t have gotten as scared as I did except the look on her face was fear. It was not good. She took his blood pressure and nervously said she was going to get the doctor. The doctor came in along with two nurses and said he had vasovagal response which is when the heart rate slows and the blood pressure drops and sometimes ends up with the person passing out. Thank God, he didn’t. But it was enough to scare everyone that was in the room, most of all…

Belle.

If I thought she was having a nervous breakdown before, that was nothing compared to the conversation that followed Tommy’s episode. While he was on the table wincing in pain, Belle was circling the room. It sounded a little like this:

“Why? Why does that happen? Why?”

“Is that going to happen to me?”

“OhmyGod, that is totally going to happen to me.”

“We’re twins. Of course it is going to happen to me.”

“I don’t want it to happen to me.”

“I’m scared it’s going to happen to me.”

“Is it going to happen to me?”

“What if I pass out?”

“Do I have to pee in a cup?”

“Do I have to take the eye test?”

“I’m going to fail the eye test, pee all over my hand and pass out. I know it.”

“I think we should leave.”

“I want to leave.”

“Can we just go?”

“I’m freaking out!”

“You don’t even care that I’m freaking out!”

“DOES ANYONE CARE THAT I AM FREAKING OUT!”

Let me just share with you that by this time, Gia peed and pooped two more times. I.kid.you.not.

When you are stuck at the doctor for 3 hours, taking pictures helps pass the time.

Belle’s doctor came in examined Belle, and knowing her gave her a Sprite to sip on while she was doing it. The funniest part was that while Tommy was still on the table in pain and dizzy and sleeping, the doctor was trying to be all secretive about what happens to some girls that are Belle’s age. I finally told her that there was no such thing as privacy in our house and anything she was saying to Belle, Tommy already knew. Here’s where it all fell apart for Belle. Her doctor has a different view on vaccines and when they are to be given so Belle had to get two shots. Well, that completely set her off and she burst into tears. I really didn’t and still don’t like that two of my kids have different schedules for vaccines. Tommy’s doctor doesn’t believe in giving the TDaP until they go into high school. Belle’s believes in doing it now. Tommy’s didn’t say anything about Hep A, Belle’s recommended it.

After Tommy’s response, I said fine to the TDaP for Belle so she got the Prevnar and that one and was completely distraught with the added one. There was a long wait, so long that we thought they forgot about her and in that time, so much freaking out. I am actually proud of myself that I didn’t lose my patience with her stomping and yelling and crying. She got the shots and immediately said, “I think I’m fine. Wait…I have a headache but I hit my head on the window sill. It’s from that right? Not the shot, right?”

After drinking some Sprite and eating some candy (because both the nurses and the doctors told Tommy that “a little sugar would make him feel better”) and taking it easy, Tommy’s blood pressure went back to normal but the dizziness persisted so we had to stay for him to keep getting checked out. We got to the doctor’s office at 9:15 and didn’t walk out until 12:30. I’ll let all of you mothers that have ever had to be at a doctor’s office for a fraction of that shudder at that thought.

Deciding the twins were getting two much attention, Gia, herself felt a little faint.

We went through a drive-thru and for the rest of the day, the twins used getting shots as a reason to have to eat a lot of sugar. Tommy slept the entire day only waking up to aggravate Gia a little. Belle complained the rest of the day that she didn’t feel good and was worse off because she couldn’t move BOTH her arms and Tommy could at least move his right arm.

I needed a nap, a glass of wine, and a Xanax after that morning but instead got playing with babies (her dolls), lemon water and an Advil for the splitting headache I had.

Why did I ever think that a routine physical with my kids was going to be just that? After 15 years at this gig, don’t I know better by now?

So what are your thoughts? Weird that two doctors in the same practice have different plans for vaccinations? Did your kids get the TDaP at 11 or high school? Did your kids get Hep A? Did you ever pass out from getting a shot?

Edited to add that I just called the middle school and TDaP is required. Darn the doctor for not knowing that and now I have to take him back. Crap.

Filed Under: chaos, Isabella, Odd things that happen in my family, Parenting, Tommy 26 Comments

Chaos: High School, Volleyball and Sick Kids

January 30, 2013 By AnnMarie

You know it is going to be one of those days when it’s only 7am, Gia’s up asking for ”more juice and more ice” (though her juice doesn’t have ice in it, she still asks this way) and you already have kids fighting. Can I just yell something right now? I HATE LATE ARRIVAL!!!! And yes, if you are a high schooler and don’t care about the traffic going in, then you probably love late arrival days but OMG, I want to find the person that came up with this idea and make them spend a late arrival morning here with us and then tell me it is still a great idea. Let me just give you the run down: A tween girl is in the shower taking waaaaaay longer than anyone ever needs to take in the shower (she is convinced that she NEVER gets the soap out so she stays in extra long). I swear, I have told her the steps to taking a quick shower: wash hair, rinse hair, put conditioner in, wash body, rinse conditioner and done. I’m pretty sure she stands under the hot water, realizes she has to wash her hair, rinses for about 10 minutes, stands under the hot water some more, realizes she has to condition her hair, rinses for another 5 minutes before I start yelling to get out and then shut the water off because someone else has to get it and then she cries that she didn’t get a chance to wash her body. Then the person (Nico) that got in the other shower, having no idea that there was someone in my shower finds himself under a lot of cold water. He starts screaming, jumps out and starts yelling at everyone. He is talked into having breakfast first and then showering. Meanwhile my sick baby wakes up from all the yelling. She.is.miserable.

Tommy woke up to the yelling, figured out what was going on and said, “So there is probably no chance that I’ll have hot water for my shower, right?” I replied, “I doubt. Sorry, Honey.” He then made me smile by saying, “That’s okay. I’ll just man up.” I love that kid.

Tonight I have curriculum night and I know a lot of people don’t go but I do so I have already started stressing about finding all of Nico’s classes and not walking in late. Amazing. Twenty-five years later and I am still worrying about the same stuff.

Dear sweet Isabella has started volleyball. She had been begging me for the last three years to sign her up and I had always been a day late and a dollar short. Two of her friends told her about the league that they were doing and she came home begging me to try to get her on the team. So like a good mom or crazy mom…whichever you think fits (I think crazy), I got her on the team. So now she has dance on Mondays from 4:15-5 and volleyball games from 7-8. On Tuesdays she has volleyball practice from 5-6 (Tommy has basketball practice from 6:30-8), Thursdays Belle has dance from 4:00-4:45 (Tommy has basketball from 6:30-8). Nico has practice every day after school until 4:30. CRAZY and my “no” button must be broken because I really wanted to say, “No, you are doing too much right now but instead I said, “Sure, Honey, you can do it.” Did I mention that after one of the dance classes , she told me that she really doesn’t want to give up cheerleading but still wants to do dance? Now I know I sound like an unfair mom (because the boys do so much) but in the interest of saving my sanity, I told Belle she had to choose. Is that fair since the boys have been three sport athletes for a long time? Probably not but the boys don’t have costumes that cost $80 a pop that they will only wear once (unless you count the rehearsal) and the boys don’t have recitals that cost $25 a ticket to see them for maybe 10 minutes total. It’s not fair and I get it and that is why I said yes. Craziness is just adding more crazy to the chaos.

Gia is sick. Pitiful sick. Fever, constant drippy nose and a cough that sounds to big for someone so small. She missed school (which bums me out so much I can’t even tell you) and ballet (which bums her out) and has been extra clingy and crabby which I get but it is still no fun. We have built 47 Lego towers and have had about 20 tea parties, all ending in giant messes. Please send a prayer that she’s the only one that is going to get this.

For those that have been reading for a while, I have big news…we finally did it. We got Gia a twin bed! The days of me in the toddler bed are OVER!!! Gone are the nights of crawling out of the bed with sore knees from being all bent into a pretzel trying to fit. What is even more exciting is that Gia slept all the way through the night. She still needed me to fall asleep and since she is sick, I am giving her a pass. Who are we kidding? Even if she wasn’t sick, I would have still helped her.

Could you have said no to this face?

Sicky, sicky baby

What about you? What is causing chaos in your life or are things pretty calm right now?

Filed Under: chaos 22 Comments

End of Year Recap: 2012

December 31, 2012 By AnnMarie

As I sit here at 5:00am, courtesy of Gia, a few things have occurred to me. First, Gia needs to go to bed earlier because her sleep schedule is way off. I know I keep saying it but “tough love” is in her 2013 future. Second, I should be using this time to catch up on laundry, put my house back together or read and comment on a few blogs that I am behind on. Third, this might be my last post of 2012 and I haven’t done a recap yet so here goes:

January: There were a lot of posts with me thinking out loud and looking back it was obvious that I still loved to blog. If you feel like having a laugh at my family’s expense, click here: When a Hypochondriac and Neosporin Meet.

February: I learned the hard lesson that not everyone is going to like the blog and some people will misconstrue or misread everything I write about. I toyed with the idea of giving up blogging and then realized, I love it too much. My favorite post of that month was: Things That Shaped Me: Becoming a Teacher.

March: We didn’t go anywhere this year. Oh, wait…I did go somewhere. I went to the edge of sanity because Leo went away on business that week leaving me with the four children and a bad case of cabin fever. There were a few Spring Break posts but my favorite one was: If I had the Money.

April: April was a huge month for me with the blog. I joined the blogging world and haven’t looked back. Thanks to Shell and Ashley at Other Half Media, I expanded the blog and made some really great friends. My hope is that my writing grew as well. There were too many posts that I had fun writing but I’ll share this one: Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me.

May: May was filled with guest posts and guest posters and I started linking up with other blogs. After reading through, baseball was the reason for a lot of chaos. One of my more popular posts and one that reitterated why I blog (to let women/men know they aren’t alone in some of their feelings and to feel not so alone): Would Meds Help? A lighter one was Things I Never Thought I’d say.

June: In June, Leo spoke up after someone under the shield of “anonymous” questioned my love and devotion to Leo. If you missed it and since he NEVER writes, it’s a good one: Leo Speaks.

July: The post that gets the most views is the one that came from this month: 7 Reasons Being an Adult Sucks.

August: August was the month that I had the MOST perfect day. That day is still number 1 in my book. You can read it here: Memories Captured: A Perfect Day.

September: September was the month having a teen started becoming hard. There were many posts trying to work out my frustrations. I have a feeling it is going to be an ongoing thing. No Longer in the Know

October: It was another month of growing as a mom of a teenager. Helping Nico grow and mature and not be dumb. Yes, it was a busy month. I wrote a post that might prove to me more than just a post about football. Wheaton Football: A Mom’s Perspective

November: Looking back to last month, there was a lot of chaos. Through it, though, we managed to do a few nice things for others: http://tidbitsqueenchaos.com/2012/11/so-close.html I took time to think about what I am truly thankful for: http://tidbitsqueenchaos.com/2012/11/22-reasons-to-give-thanks.html

December: After three months of feeling like family-time was falling by the wayside, this month was about instilling new traditions and revisiting old ones. This was my favorite post from that month: http://tidbitsqueenchaos.com/2012/12/essence-of-now-memories-in-the-making.html

As 2012 comes to a close, I just want to say THANK YOU to all the readers, followers and commenters. I love that you are here and I appreciate that you give a little of your time to be with me in all this chaos. I would hope that this next year would have less chaos but first, we both know that isn’t going to happen and second, what would I have to write about? 2012 was the year I really put myself out in the blogging world and I am so glad that I did!

HAPPY NEW YEAR! May this year bring all of us good health, a few financial windfalls, children who behave, husbands who help, yoga pants that make us lose weight the more we wear them and more good than bad in the world!

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Filed Under: chaos, Family, Family Fun, Holidays, Parenting, Uncategorized 23 Comments

Chaos Stops For Nothing

December 20, 2012 By AnnMarie

If I am friends with you on Facebook and you were on it yesterday, you might have seen this status from me:

Wow. Just wow. It’s a patio not a meth lab. In the grand scheme of things, this is what we worry about?

I am not usually a vague poster on FB. I usually just post my blog or a question about local things on my personal page and on the blog page, I’ll post my blog links and sometimes stuff involving Leo or the kids. Let me back up a moment so you can fully understand why I posted this as my status.

Leo left for a business trip at 6am yesterday morning. I made sure he left me a charger for my phone and as it turns out, I should have checked a few more things. Nico woke up feeling sick again so it was decided that he would stay home again. With everything else going on, I thought it was insignificant to discuss that Belle tested positive for the flu on Saturday and the doctor put them all on Tamiflu. Belle was home on Friday and Monday. Tommy came home on Monday, Nico came home on Tuesday and was home again yesterday.

Tommy yelled down at about 8am for me to check his 5 paragraph essay before I printed it out. Now, if you read this, you know that checking 5 paragraph papers in the midst of morning chaos isn’t going to be a good thing. As I looked for the computer that his paper was on, I realized that…yes…Leo took it with him to Toronto. Tommy freaked out as I emailed his teacher. Belle freaked out because she needed to work on her paper on that computer. Two freak outs and it was only 8:00.

Then, Belle…my sweet Belle. She came downstairs to see if the Elf came. My friends, I suck on so many levels at the Elf stuff that just when I thought her status rivaled the Tooth Fairy’s as the forgotten magic maker, I manage to suck a little more. I have a Target bag full of stuff from the dollar part to have the Elf leave. I forgot to move her and leave something (forget about answering her letter or even eating the candy that was left…there wasn’t time). I grabbed two things and threw them under the tree. Belle came up and said, “Um…it’s great that KiKi came but um…these chapsticks are open and I think used. You left me open chapsticks.” I looked in horror and yes…yes I did. My answer to her was, “I didn’t leave anything. KiKi did.” If she is going to play that game, I am going to play it right back. Ugghhh…30 years from now when she is in therapy, I fully expect how bad I sucked at the Elf to be a topic that comes up. I mean…I left my daughter used chapsticks as a gift from the Elf.

They went off to school and I got a phone call from Nicor gas. There was a problem with our bill. Why? Why when Leo is not here does that happen? I left him a nasty text (this making a world a better place did not include mad texts to the hubby) and he said he’d take care of it. I need to be more Lynette Scavo and less June Cleaver. I know. I am working on it. *Edited to add that it was Nicor’s mistake.

Nico let me know that his raffle ticket money for basketball was due today. It’s hard asking people for money around the holidays. So guess what that meant? I had to buy the tickets that he did not sell which was $100 worth. Can I ask why the sports people don’t just tell us that it will cost $350 for our kid to play and to give them a check in the beginning instead of want money a week before Christmas? Oh, to stress us out? Well, then they are succeeding. Okay, so next year, I’ll know this and allocate that much money but that doesn’t help me right now, today…a week before Christmas.

I was sitting and talking to Nico over lunch when I saw (and may lightning strike me if I am lying), a truck come to a screeching halt in front of my house. I said to Nico, “Uh oh, someone is mad.” And that someone marched (I swear, I am not exaggerating) up my driveway and banged on my door. When I opened my door, I was greeted by the inspector from our village and he immediately started yelling (okay, maybe not yelling so much as talking in a raised voice) about an “illegal patio” and “property lines” and “permits” and blah, blah, blah. He ordered the men to stop working and said he’d be back in a half hour and if they weren’t gone, I was “in big trouble and will be fined”. He might have said some other things but I cut him off and with a shaky voice (I am a rule follower and getting into trouble makes me feel like I am 10 years old again) said, “I’ll take care of it. Calm down.”

He saw that he was being a complete asshat and apologized letting me know that it was his day off so he was aggravated to have to come to my house to tell me of my “illegal” activities (okay, I made up the illegal activities part). Well, guess what, Buddy? This is no picnic for me either. Blame the big tattle tale in the neighborhood. Speaking of which, it is an awful feeling not knowing who ratted you out. There was a blue car that drove slowly past my house about 5 times yesterday with an elderly man in it craning his neck to look at my yard. It freaked me out a little and made me mad so I went and stood on my walk way and stared back at him. He left and I didn’t see him again but it felt very “Big Brother watching”. In 42 years, other than drink when I was in college and not yet 21, I have never done anything illegal and THIS is what I get in trouble for? An illegal patio. Wow.

After mad, little inspector guy left, I had to go tell the two guys in back that they had to stop working and that they had to leave. In moments of panic, which I was in, I forget all the Spanish I know and am reduced to what I know from Dora which is pretty much colors and numbers. So I did what every smart person does. I spoke louder and slower in the language that they still didn’t understand. When that didn’t work, because why would it, I started to act out what I wanted them to do. I looked like a complete idiot. That and what they saw when they busted me doing Zumba should solidify their opinion of the American housewife which is I am sure that we are nut jobs…and they aren’t wrong.

They left after the boss guy came and said he’d take care of it. I don’t know what that means but I hope Leo is home when it happens.

In this digital age that we live in, I did what any freshman girl would do…not just any freshman but a scorned freshman…I posted a nasty status on Facebook. I got some support from friends and neighbors and then I did say this:

I do find it funny that a lot of dogs can freely take a crap on my yard and no one gets in trouble but I try and make my yard look nice and they are all over me. I also said something about not having the time to care about what others are doing to their own house.

Why in the world do people care what the Hell anyone does to their own houses? I can see in the front. Fine, I’ll give you that but in a fenced in yard? C’mon, people…get a life (wow, I haven’t used that phrase since a a floor monitor took my id for belting out George Michael’s “I Want Your Sex” back in college in 1989 and no, it wasn’t just me. It was a group of us. We were wild like that). After a friend (thanks D.W.) helped me look up codes and rules and whatever of this town, I saw that just about everyone I know has innocently broken one of their rules in the interest of making their house a nice place or even a functional place to live. We are supposed to register if we want to work on our own house for anything. We are lucky they aren’t fining us all over the place for mowing our lawn because “A homeowner engaged in constructing, altering, or repairing his/her personal residence or lot shall not be considered a contractor and should fill out the Home Owner’s Letter of Intent.” How many of us have repaired things in our “personal residence” and didn’t think twice? Hmmm…maybe that is why Leo never fixes anything. He is just following these dumb rules. Rules that I am sure no one reads or follows. I don’t care if it is just a formality. It’s a pain in the ass. It’s just like when I was younger. Everyone was doing things we weren’t supposed to and not getting caught but I knew that if I did, I’d be the one that would get caught. Over 40 years later, it still holds true.

I had to go to my mom’s to pick up the raffle tickets that are due today and then I went to Target to pick up the rest of Nico’s very expensive flu medicine and had the high hopes of doing a few good deeds. I really wanted to feel good after having the day I had. Let me tell you, people are mean. There were at least three people who were just awful. I wanted to ask one woman if her face would crack if she smiled because I made the unfortunate decision to walk next to her and smile at her. She scowled at me. I tried smiling at the crabby man who tsked me when my cell phone rang with my kids on the other end and I had to stop to answer it but he was not going to be smiled at. I wanted to ask the very nasty woman whose cart I accidentally touched when both our carts were going down an aisle (in opposite directions) if she thought rolling her eyes and pinching her lips together was a good look or even necessary but I did not. I, instead, bought a gift card with the intention of leaving it. The guy at the register looked at me like I had five heads so I chalked it up to it not being the right time or right person and went home. Now I wonder, find a different cashier or tape it to a box of diapers with a note that says “Merry Christmas from Santa”?

It shouldn’t be that hard to do something nice.

Alison from Writing, Wishing, if you are reading…my ordinary is definitely back. Whether I want it to or not, chaos stops for nothing.

Filed Under: chaos, Uncategorized 13 Comments

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