independent thinking

One of my pet peeves is when people tell me that I don't think for myself. It's like Marty McFly in the Back to the Future movies when someone calls him chicken...remember that? He gets all wound up and acts kind of crazy? Yep, I'm a little like that. So recently one of my cousins and one of my sisters both told me that I don't make my own decisions that I let the church tell me what to do and think!!! ARRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH! I admit, it makes me see red. Those who know me well know that isn't true. But, I decided I would post an excerpt from my personality profile ordered by my completely non-religious employer. Here it is:

"Once she has arrived at a decision, she can be tough-minded and unbending. She has made her decision after gathering much data, and she probably won't want to repeat the process."

So there.

Vegetarian?

Oh my! My sweet daughter asked me one day about how cattle are killed for food, and I knew I was treading on dangerous ground....how can you not be when a 16 year old girl asks something like that? But it is one of my personal "Mom Rules" to always answer the question, even when it's a loaded one. So I explained it to the best of my knowledge (I admit that it's limited knowledge), and my precious girl promptly announced that she was going to be a vegetarian. Hmmm...I wondered how long her committment would last. Well, that was almost two months ago and she remains very committed to her new lifestyle. Even in the face (poor word choice?) of her Dad's famous grilled steaks which she has LOVED since she was old enough to chew.

I am amazed at how many people have given her a lot of crap about it...really? In the year 2011 people still get buggy about vegetarianism? What is up with that? Granted, we do live in Idaho, but still...I thought the world was a little more enlightened. Why can't a teenage girl try out a lifestyle choice like this without cringing everytime someone finds out? My aunt and uncle came to visit and she didn't want them to know because she was afraid they'd give her the same crap she's gotten from her uncles and grandpa and various other adults. SIGH. She may give it up tomorrow, or she may never give it up. No matter what she decides, she has my support. I just need to find some new recipes and learn some new habits to accomodate her.

A laundry story

So the other day my husband decided to do some laundry. He went downstairs with his laundry basket and hollered up the stairs about how much detergent to use, I answered. A few minutes later he started asking about how to turn the washing machine on, this time I went down to show him (much easier than yelling). I got into the laundry room and noticed that the washing machine was empty, so I asked him if he'd put his laundry in the washing machine. He was a little annoyed and said he had. I looked in the washing machine again and asked him if he was sure...he was a little more annoyed and assured me he had. So I pointed to the empty washing machine and said, "this is the washing machine". HAHAHAHAHA!

He had put all his dirty laundry and a scoop of detergent in the dryer!!!!

It's a hard knocked life...

Recently someone told Lilly that I have a hard life just like she does (like "someone", not like Lilly), this was part of a little "tell-your-mom-hello" conversation, so Lilly passed the whole thing on to me. I have to say that it kind of annoyed me. Really? Do people go around saying "Marie's got a hard life"?? I sure hope not...but just in case let me set the record straight.

I have a beautiful life with a fair number of opportunities to stretch and grow. Nothing I can't learn from and turn into a lovely pitcher of lemonade. Just so you know.

Life is lovely, and challenges are what make us strong, now if you want to walk around saying things like, "Marie is a strong woman"...that's totally OK! I am strong and I am strong because I've had opportunities to become strong. Strength doesn't come from sitting around eating bon bons and watching tv...believe me, I know!

Changes

Well, nothing stays the same forever, and it seems like a lot of times lots of things change at once. At least, that's what it's been like around here lately!

In May Thomas turned 18 and graduated from high school, Erin completed middle school, and I was released from my calling as the Young Women secretary. In June, Thomas headed off to Scout Camp again, Lilly got accepted back into Bel Cantos, and I got called to teach Primary again!

I don't know what I feel about Thomas becoming all adult on me...somedays it makes me sad and other days I am just proud of raising a child all the way to adulthood!!! wooohooo! Mission accomplished, one down, two to go!

Being released from YW was sad...I've always loved the young women program and I enjoyed every minute of it. It was great to spend that time with my daughters and to get to know the teenage girls, I was a little afraid of them at first but discovered they are a great group of girls! However, I do love Primary, I love the innocence of little children, everything is so new to them and they are so inquisitive, and they haven't been beaten down by life yet, so they'll tell you pretty much whatever is on their minds. Not to mention that the music in Primary is more fun and we get to do more singing!

Photo Card

Contempo Grad Forest Graduation

Shutterfly graduation announcements and gifts.

View the entire collection of cards.

Flashback...

Friday was Thomas's final ballroom performance of his high school career. The tradition is to spotlight each senior by having them stand in the middle of the stage with an escort of their choosing while they tell the audience about the soon-to-be-graduate. Seniors choose their escorts and I think most choose their Mom or Dad, but some choose a small child or a grandparent or a girlfriend or boyfriend...anyway, Thomas asked me to do it. And I forgot. Until they asked all the escorts to go backstage...HOLY HECK I'VE GOT TO GO ON STAGE! That was my thought...good thing I was still dressed for work, but it was a Friday so I was wearing jeans...Oh well...it wasn't too terrible....So we did it and I survived, although at one point I realized I was making a weird face on stage...so had to quickly adjust.

Thomas has improved his dancing skills a bazillion since he started dancing last year so it was really fun to watch him shake his booty on stage!

So by now you're probably wondering why I titled this post "Flashback"....Yeah, I'm getting to it, I promise.

When the show was done I gave my sweaty boy a hug and some money to go to the after party at Perkins, told him to buy his sister something to eat too, and he said "bye Mom, I'll see ya later"....And that was my flashback...to his first day of preschool. On that first day of preschool I was totally prepared to stay with my firstborn until he was ready to let go of his Mama and lo and behold, he was ready the minute he walked through the door, "Bye Mom, I'll see ya later". I cried that day and teared up when he said it again on Friday night.