Straight Lines are Overrated

I mowed our lawn earlier this week. It's funny, my kid mows all our neighbors' lawns, but not ours.  Hmmmm...  Anyway, as I was mowing I'd make a pass and would admire his amazingly straight mow lines at the house across the street.  It looked like he actually measured it out and very deliberately mowed according to some mathematical formula.  I continued mowing, back and forth, back and forth, fully convinced that I was doing just as amazing a job as he had done.  I pushed, I pulled, I sweated...a lot.  And then I was done.  Yay!  I put all the equipment away and went out to admire my work.  Did my lines look straight?  Did I use higher level thinking whilst mowing?  Uh...apparently not so much.  Our lawn looked like a drunken combination of an Escher painting and a Rorschach painting.  Totally wacky.  But was anyone complaining about my work?  No way.  That'd just mean it would be their turn next time.  Right?  Right.

Thanks for "liking" my blog post on facebook!!!

Drive to Drive

Who loves driving?  My big guy loves driving.  How much does he love driving?


Big guy:  "Mom, want me to go grocery shopping for you tomorrow?"

Me:  "Really?  Sure!"

Big guy:  "OK, I'll need a list...and I'll need money for groceries...and money for gas...and money for Taco Bell."


OK, so he loves driving, gas money, and Taco Bell.

Smart kid.  He "drives" a hard bargain...and wins!

Thanks for "liking" my blog post on facebook!!

Age is only a Number

As I was heading to work today I was reflecting on my new "old lady" routines of late.  I've been finding myself slathering on moisturizer with an SPF each morning, packing my "real" shoes in my backpack as I walk to work in my "comfy" ones, and I've been wearing a hat or seeking shade whenever I'm outside.

So, I was delighted by this conversation first thing this morning upon my arrival to the school grounds.


Sixty-something-year-old Crossing Guard:  "I have a question for you."

Me:  "OK, sure, what?"

Crossing Guard:  "Do you go to school here?"

Me:  "Do you mean, 'Am I a student?'"

Crossing Guard:  "Yeah."

Me:  "No, I'm a teacher."

Crossing Guard:  "For how long?"

Me:  "This is my ninth year."

Crossing Guard:  "I thought you were a student last year when every day I'd see you ride your bike."

Me:  "Nope, but hey, thanks for making my day!!!"


So, chalk it up to my small stature, or perhaps the fact that my bike of choice happens to be a BMX, or quite possibly the fact that I'm not always the most mature person around...but hey, no matter how you look at it, that fella thought I was no older than twelve!

Thanks, life, for that little morning bonus!

"Liking" my blog on facebook will make you feel young!

Get your Motor Running

My big guy got his driver license today.  Such a rite of passage!  And, you know what?  I think his personality changed just a bit.  You know, kind of like when we trim our standard poodle and her personality changes because she feels all fancy and all.  OK, so not exactly like that, but my big guy is altered in a really wonderful way.  I think there's something about knowing that you can go somewhere...anywhere...all by yourself.  And you've got a lovely little piece of plastic to prove it.  And where did my lovely fella choose to go on this momentous day?  To a sub shop a few blocks away and a convenience store that was even closer.  Perfect!  Mom needs to ease into this new thing, too.

Way to go, big guy!!!  Love you, kiddo!!

Start your engines and "like" my blog on facebook!!

The student has surpassed the master...

...or at least the child has surpassed the parent.  And by parent, I mean me.  So tonight my big guy thought it was a great idea to ask his mom for help with math.  Now, I have to go ahead and say here that back in the day...WAY back in the day, as in over twenty-five years ago...math was pretty much my thing.  I remember actually doing unassigned math problems "just for fun"!

Well, it turns out it's true, "use it or lose it," and this chick has seriously failed to use it.  After thirty minutes of graphs, parabolas, translations, and on and on, I declared that I am here just for moral support (which is good, because I am able to rock at that).  So, I became his sounding board, someone he could explain things to and I'd let him know if it sounded logical to me or not.

I found myself looking over at him, fully aware that his brain was far more functional in this area than mine would likely every be again, and I rather loved it.

He found himself glancing over at me once in a while as I listened and slurped on a smoothie, pulling my straw out and sucking the contents from the bottom of the straw.


Big guy:  "Mom, drink your drink, don't play with it."


Yup, feeling like the goofy grown up I am...and knowing my kiddo loves me for it.

I'll hoot and holla if you "like" my blog on facebook!

Blended Family

So, you know we welcomed a new blender into our home earlier this week.  And we love it/her/him!!!  And, as we named our little robot vacuum cleaner, Rosie, we just HAD to name our new blender, right?  Right.


First I went to talk to the boys.

Me:  "We have to name our blender."

Little guy:  "Do you have any name ideas?"

Me:  "Chewie."

Big guy:  "Yeah, Chewie.  I vote for that."

Me:  "You're just agreeing with me to get me to leave your room."

Big guy:  "No, Chewie...like it chews up guacamole and smoothies.  I get it."

Me:  "Yeah, that and I'm a Star Wars geek."

Little guy:  "Susie...OK, Chewie."

Me:  "Awesome, thanks guys!"


Next I went to talk to Dave.

Me:  "We need to name our blender.  I've already got three votes for Chewie."

Dave:  "This is a big decision.  I need to process this."

Me:  "Uh, yeah, funny.  'Process' this because it's kind of like a food processor.  Sort of."

Dave:  "Ideas keep going around and around in my head."


I could tell I wasn't going to get anywhere with him  while he was being so darn punny and all.  So, I'd like to consider my name idea victorious.

Welcome to our home, Chewie!!!!!

No need to process or go round and round...go ahead and "like" my blog post.

Hair of the Dad

Driving around in the car last night with my little guy and a couple of his friends.


Boy #1:  "I'm going to be SO hairy when I grow up.  My dad has hair all over his back."

Boy #2:  "Dude, I'm going to be even hairier than you.  Have you checked out my dad?  He looks like a gorilla when his shirt is off."

Little guy:  "I'm going to have a lot of body hair, too."

Me:  "Um, have you ever looked at your dad?"

Little guy:  "Oh, yeah, I mean I'm not going to have a lot of body hair."


...and now I know too much about my kid's friends' dads.

Thanks for "liking" my blog post on facebook!