How To Spend A Day

It's become an unwritten rule that orthodontic treatment equals skipping school. Oh, and having your mom buy you lunch.

So it was today. And in a strange way, I like it when this happens, because I have her all to myself. No one to text. They're all in school. So, she's stuck with me.

She requested I buy Cake Flower for a cake she wants to make. And also enlisted my help to get her Converse squeeky white again.

Luckily, I grabbed a $5 craft kit at Target, and the Baby Child and I crafted together. And she talked to me {gasp}. I might venture to say she liked me. For at least 30 minutes.

I hung it in the kitchen over our missionary board. She looked at it and said, "I like it." I nearly fainted on the floor from the whole experience.

 

 Every now and then these teenagers give you the briefest glimpses of the girl they are inside. Today I shared several hours with that girl, and I adore her. A day well spent.

 

When To Stop Caring

You wouldn't believe what mounds are in the other daughter's rooms.

When they were little, I spent 99.8% of my time cleaning up. I thought I would die holding a broom in my hand. Little people produce large messes.

And then they grew up. You'd think the messes would diminish. Nope. They just rotate to their bedrooms. I literally avoid going in those rooms unless it's necessary. And I advert my eyes. On the good days I humor myself and count all the bottles, chip bags, cups and bowls. I have a strange way of entertaining myself.

Oh, and by the way, when we moved into this house a made a grand, final, foot-stomping rule that food stays in the kitchen. You hear me? The kitchen only!

I clearly have authority around here. In fact, in order to have authority, they'd actually have to listen to the words that come out of my mouth. That right there is the real culprit.

At some point, I stopped caring. About a lot of things. Teenagers will do that to you. It's like they whittle you down to a nub. And the list of what you really care about becomes quite small. Crap all over their bedrooms? I'm over it. The words you decide to speak to me? Ah, now there's something that's on the list.

There is freedom in not caring. About the stuff that doesn't really matter. Take a look at the list of all the things that drive you crazy and just remove a few (or a lot) items. It's rather life changing.

From Erma Bombeck:
"My theory on housework is, if the item doesn't multiply, smell, catch fire, or block the refrigerator door, let it be. No one else cares. Why should you?"

Amen.

Y'all, We Went To The Rodeo

The Rodeo. It's a Spring Break tradition with my sister. And this year? I'm down to one kid who will actually go and only with a friend. I had to bribe her to take a picture with me. Life with teenagers.

This year we discovered that Wednesdays are half price. That means all of Houston and Louisiana and probably Florida were all there. I've never seen so many people in one place. And a majority of them were wearing cowboy boots.

We ate corn dogs and treats and rode carnival rides until we were sick. The best kind of fun.

Can't wait until next year. It may just be me and the twins by then. I'll work on my bribery and blackmail skills. Maybe I'll get 2 teenagers to come instead of just 1. What a likely story.