Category Archives: observations

Friends?

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Remember when I went bathing suit shopping?  Here’s a little snippet of that trip.

I found the bathing suit department in Dillard’s and quickly scanned the racks and racks of options.

I spent the next twenty minutes loading down my arms full of tops, bottoms, and full suits.

The dressing room was full so I had to wait in the little waiting area until one became available.

A teenager came out of the dressing room in this horrible little dress and looked at her friend who was standing next to me.

“What do you think?”

I thought the answer was obvious.

You look awful! You look like you should be walking the streets! Take that off!

Apparently I was wrong.

“You look great. I love that on you.”

People. Let me describe this doozey of an outfit to you.

It was a short black, teal, and white dress with the white part in the back covering her rear end.

There were cut outs on each side of the dress which exposed her stomach plus it had a cut out in the back.

The girl was squeezed into this dress which was obviously three sizes two small.

It looked painful and pitiful.

And this girl was pretty. She could have looked amazing in a different dress but instead she looked awful.

But there her friend was insisting, “You look great. You can definitely wear that to the movies.”

The girl decided to buy the dress and I just hope her mom had an ounce of sense and refused to let her wear it.

If asked, I would have suggested ditching the dress and the friend.

Actually

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It’s always both startling and exciting when your little one uses new grown up words.

Yesterday as I was trying to get everyone into their respective rooms for quiet time my 3 year old and I had this conversation.

‘Caroline, it’s time to go to your room for some quiet time.’

‘Well, actually, I’m playing now.’

‘Yes, I can see you’re playing but right now it’s time to go to your room.’

‘Well, actually, I have five more minutes to play.’

‘No, it’s time to go to your room. Where’s your underwear?’

‘I took them off.’

‘We need to find them and put them on.’

‘Well, actually, I don’t need them.’

‘Yes, you do need them to cover up your little bum.’

‘Well, actually I have a big bum.’

‘You have a big bum?’

‘Yes. I have a big bum just like you.’

I pondered her statement for a moment and decided,

Well, actually, I’ll take that comparison as a compliment. You get 5 more minutes of playtime.

Intellectual Balancing Act

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Parenting can be a delicate balancing act.

Whether you are guiding your children in friendships, school, or at home, parents are always looking for this balance.

This past holiday weekend, my husband and I decided to take our family on a short “staycation” in town, visiting local attractions and spending one night in a hotel.

Our first stop was the Dallas Museum of Art – a fine institution in the art world.

There we contemplated. Observed. Pondered.

Found what the art meant to us.

We were one with the art.

At this point of our trip we were enlightened and philosophical.

And oh so bored.

We decided to change things up for our second stop.

Yes. We. Did.

We went to the Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum!

Want to broaden your children’s horizons and redeem yourself in their eyes as a satisfactory trip planner?

Go here. Nothing like a few shrunkin’ heads to help with that.

As our day ended my husband and I reviewed our two museum stops and felt like we had done our job as parents and found some balance for our children.

Refined and freakish all in one afternoon, in terms of parenting, you really can’t beat that.

Memorial Day Goal

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My goal for today is the same goal I have for every national holiday.

Somehow I never accomplish it.

My goal is to not be that neighborhood idiot who goes and checks to see if they have any mail.

Every. Single. National. Holiday. I. Am. Out. There.

Once I’ve opened the mailbox, seen no mail, and remembered there should be no mail, I have to do the walk of shame back to my house, casually glancing this way and that way, hoping no one saw me this time.

Wishing you all a wonderful Memorial Day and hoping none of you take the walk of shame with me.

15 Years

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15 years ago today there was a wedding…

today there is a family…

I love you Derek – thank you for always being there when I need you. You are the best dad, husband, and technical consultant 🙂 a girl could ever ask for.

He’s Not Mikey…He Doesn’t Like It

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In an effort to have my boys try more food I took them to the grocery store to choose something for dinner.

My rule was the food needed to be something neither of them had ever tried.

We walked past the fruits and vegetables and nothing caught their eye.

The seafood department was different. I blame it on the worker who offered to take out a lobster for them. They were fascinated, getting to touch it and ask questions about the animal.

So they lingered in the seafood department and chose fish as their item to try.

Alex picked out some tilapia fillets while Andrew decided on catfish.

They decided to make their own fish sticks so we bought a fish fry mix as well.

Once we were home, the boys were very involved. Alex made the batter and they both dipped the fish.

Doesn’t quite live up to the Pepsi vs. Coke taste test hype but it worked.

Everyone had to taste both kinds of fish and give their vote as a favorite.

Alex loved the tilapia and ate several pieces. Of course, anything covered in tons of ketchup is always good. One vote for tilapia.

I chose the catfish as my favorite. One vote for catfish.

My husband chose the tilapia. Two votes for tilapia.

The deciding vote was all Andrew’s. Either a clear winner was about to emerge or he would declare a tie. This was his moment.

But …he was convinced we were trying to poison him.

“I can’t eat it.”

Eyes begin to water.

“It tastes terrible!”

At this point he’d eaten roughly one millimeter of the fish fry coating.

Cough, gag, cough.

“I can’t do it.”

“I hate this!”

Suddenly our fun experiment had come to a screeching halt. Just to be clear we were taste testing FISH STICKS! It can’t be that bad.

Maybe I should have just poured some Pepsi into a cup for them and called it done.

And so…the tilapia won by default.

I will call this experiment a success still and bring them to the store to choose something new to try. I’m not sure what item they will choose next but I can assure you when we walk past the seafood section Andrew will say, “There’s the catfish that I tried. It was gross. It made me cry.”

It happened again.

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It happened again.

But this time my husband was the victim.

If you ask me though, he was kind of asking for it.

Caroline was loose and there were consequences.

I’m thinking of possibly buying a cage to stick her in when I shower.

Or maybe I should just shower when she’s asleep.

 I left her watching TV on my bed so I could step in the shower – it’s roughly an eight foot walk.

I left the TV on and gave her some stickers with strict instructions to only put them on the paper I provided.

As I got out of the shower I saw she had moved from the bed to the floor.

She apparently listened because there were stickers on the paper.

But at some point while I was in the shower, she eyed my husbands Easter candy.

And ate it.

Notice the white chocolate flecks around her mouth?

Maybe I should be mad but frankly, who leaves Easter candy on their nightstand and expects it to be there in the morning? Plus, she didn’t put the stickers on the wall so I’m calling it a victory!