A Touch Of The Homesickness......

I remember when I went away to 6th grade camp... I was so excited to go away for the first time without my parents.... On the fourth (4th) day - I became sick and developed a fever.... The camp counselor drove me down the mountain through the snow covered roads.. At the base of the mountain - my parents picked me up and took me home. When I arrived home - I slept for a few hours.. woke up - fever gone and I was hungry for a Taco Bell -Burrito Supreme....

Today - I received a phone call from my oldest daughter- she's been spending time with her grandma (my mom) and having a great time..... Today- even though she is having fun - she said that she wasn't feeling good and thought she might have a fever.... I asked my mom if she felt warm and she did not think so.....

The phone call reminded me of my 6th grade camp experience - even though I was having a great time with my classmates - I was homesick and my homesickness became a fever and when I got home - I was miraculously well... I have a strong suspension that my "I want to be grown up and independent daughter" has a touch of "The Homesickness"....

I look forward to seeing her tomorrow.... I miss her too.

Redecorating Without Leaving The House....

One of the major downfalls of being a business owner is the time that it takes away from my family. I never have time anymore to jump in the car and shop.... I had promised my oldest daughter that we would redecorate her bedroom and bathroom a year ago .... She is now a teenager and has no desire to keep the yellow walls I had painted five (5) years ago... or the Hawaiian motif I had created by using bright floral bedspreads, Hula skirt valances (each flower painstakingly hot glued by yours truly), and Hibiscus shower curtains that have seen better days in her bathroom.. Each time she asks me if this weekend is a good time to go out and shop - I always say I think so..... What do they say about good intentions?

Recently I was introduced to a great site www.bedbathstore.com. I have to tell you - we had a blast looking for decorations for her room and bathroom.. The selection was incredible. Nikki's favorite color is purple.... Do you have any idea how hard it is to find a purple that we both can agree on? Can you image how many stores we would have to go to if I was driving around town? This is what is so great about the Bed Bath Store on line - we had a huge selection to browse through without jumping in the car... or jumping to different sites.... We found the sweetest bedspreads and comforter sets. Just look at this very sweet eyelet lavender 4 piece set comforter set we just picked up... There were so many designs to pick from...

We were able to pick up Hypoallergenic Bedding for the entire family... We found pillow case covers, mattress covers, and pillows... As I was putting these items in my cart - I noticed on the side bar that were other areas I could go - we purchased a few decorative pillows to accent Nikki's new comforter... We also found some great deals in their outlet section - lavender sheet sets for over half off... I love a good discount...

The Bed Bath Store has a great selection of shower curtains and bath accent rugs.. I was leaning towards the Betty Boop shower curtains or the little yellow duckies but Nikki being the teen has outgrown my sense of humor and my idea of cute... Nikki ended up choosing a beautiful dolphin and sea life curtain with accessories... I could not have chosen better... Very nice... We found a toilet cover and bath accent rug to match.... All this done in less time than it would have taken to jump in the car and drive to a store and the best part - Nikki and I had a great time doing it...

Jake and Vienna - Over? Are You Surprised?

A few months ago I had the privilege of going to the taping of 'The Women Tell All' for The Bachelor... I was very excited because I liked Jake Pavelka... I thought he was a little "girly" for my taste but he seemed like a down to earth kind of guy.... During the taping - I discovered that this bachelor had no idea what he wanted.... Sure he picked Vienna "the most hated girl on the show" but during the taping he told Ali - that he really "loved her"... I know this is a reality show and you can only believe about 5% of what you see... with that being said - how the heck can someone really love more than one person... love them enough to propose to them... Personally I think the decision to marry someone has to be a well thought out... seriously considered... and the potential spouses should have loved each other for a long time.... Love is not found in rebounds... or the day after you made out with someone else on National TV... Come on...

So I was not surprised when I heard that Jake and Vienna broke up... What did surprise me was the way it happened.. The way they both turned on each other.. The viciousness of it... At first I was inclined to believe that it must be Vienna's fault but watching and listening to the verbal bashing by Jake - I have to believe they are both at fault.. Both immature... Both seeking the spot light... Both no where near the maturity level it takes to be married till death do you part...

I have to admit I am a Bachelor/Bachelotte junky... I do enjoy watching.... But after every season I tell myself that's it - I will not watch again.... Who was I kidding, right? So Monday nights has become the night that mom (me) and my two (2) girls sit and watch the bachelorette and my husband watches us with his famous 'I can't believe they're watching that crap' smirk on his face..... I'm thinking it's a girl thing.....

My opinion on who Ali will pick? I personally like Chris the best... But I have a strong suspicion that she won't pick anyone..... What do you think?

The Break Up Interview

A Message Thirty-Three Years Later...

When I was in the 7th grade I had two best friends - we were the three musketeers... We did everything together... Well - one day I was at one of the girl's homes and we were having a good time and I said - that I enjoyed being with her the most... (I truly felt that at the time) A week or so later - I was at the other girl's home and we were having a good time and I said - that I enjoyed being with her the most.. (again I truly felt that at the time)... My tender age of 12 did not prepare me for the backlash those innocent comments would create...

One night I received a call from Kathy (name change) and she was mad... She said that her and Jennifer (name change) had talked and they realized that I can told each of them that I liked them the best... Kathy demanded that I choose which one I liked the best... I said I could not that I liked both of them... The call got pretty ugly and she said she would not be my friend until I picked one... Oh - the junior high drama of girls..... As it turned out - I became friends with another girl named Tammy - well Tammy and I just hit it off great and Kathy was not happy about that... So during lunch one afternoon (the last week of 7th grade) - Kathy (so I believed) dared a boy to throw an orange at me - he did as 7th grade boys do (they have to do a dare, don't you know?) and the orange hit me square in the back..... I turned around and all I saw was Kathy pointing her finger and laughing at me.... I assumed that she threw the orange and I was mad.... I walked right up to her and punched her in the face... *** This was the first and only time I had ever hit someone... Well Kathy ended up with a broken nose..... Our friendship was forever gone... beyond repair... I never saw her again except at a college party many years later.....

Thirty-three years later.....

The other day I received a message from a Kathy... Face book has made it quite simple to find people from your past and in your present.... So this is what Kathy said.....

" I was looking for someone we grew up with and saw your name, and I stopped... saw your profile photo, your kids, and your obvious love for them. Have wondered if you ever regretted turning on one of your closest friends, and the physical and emotional harm you caused. I had 3 surgeries to repair the damage to my nose. The other part was harder"

Talk about a shocker... I wasn't quite sure how to react... But I thought maybe she was looking for closure.. maybe - so this was my response.....

"I have often thought about you over the years and yes - I have regretted that day more than I can say. Now that my own daughters one finishing junior high and the other starting - I see the damage and immaturity that 7th grade girls can do to each other and it's awful. It's hard for me to believe I was once that self centered little child. I am truly sorry that I caused you so much physical and emotional harm thirty years ago. I hope that you were able to overcome it and lead a happy and healthy life."

The more I think about her note the more I wonder how her life has been the past thirty (30) plus years.... Has she lived her life as a victim? Is she a person that blames others for all the bad things that have gone on in her life? Is she a parent? Has she matured since the 7th grade? Did she forget her part in the drama? I can't imagine staying angry about anything for such a long time... I can not imagine holding my fourteen (14) year accountable for something she did two (2) years ago... This is just weird to me... Am I missing something? I do not take violence lightly nor do agree with it in any form - but we were children for crying out loud...

** Her family did sue mine for $50,000 - I'm not sure how much they received but I do know that it was more than enough to pay for surgeries and counseling.....

What do you think?

I Wrote The Book On 'Boy Crazy'

When I was a kid growing up my mom would often tell me that I was going to learn from her mistakes.... I had rules growing up -rules to protect me - rules to help me become responsible - rules to help me live in the real world... Of course, I thought my mom was over protective... completely irrational and extremely old fashion... So when puberty hit and I knew more than my mom ( every teen is smarter than their parents) - I looked for ways to work around her rules....

Now I have two girls... both are teens... both are "smarter" than me.. both think I am over protective... completely irrational and extremely old fashion.... Looking back on the things I did in my youth - I am lucky (seriously) that I wasn't hurt... or worse... It's funny how my daughters believe I have no idea what it is like to have my hormones take over my mind and body... They believe I have no idea what it feels like to be crazy about a boy or two or three.. When I was a teen - I could have written the book on "Boy Crazy" They don't believe that I "get" peer pressure... Oh my girls, I remember the pain and the joys of being a young teen... I remember wanting to grow up faster... I remember wanting my first kiss... my first boyfriend.. my first.....

Because of the things I did growing up - I am a stricter parent... (I did things that my parents never found about it.) I became the master of sneaking out of the house... Remember "party lines" that was the 1978 - 1981 version of the Internet to meet the opposite sex.. I got caught once and my phone was taken away for a couple of weeks.. The next time I wasn't caught and met a much older teen - I was 15 and he was 18... I climbed out my window and went to a Queen concert over 20 miles away.... other nights I was at "much older" crowd parties - hanging out at the beach .. I thought I was cool - I thought I was safe.... Now that I am a forty-four (44) year old mother of two daughters - the idea of my kids doing those things scares the crap out of me.... I was lucky.... In today's world - that kind of behavior may not be so lucky..... My youth may have made me become even more sensitive to what's out there thus being more protective... maybe..

So the other day - my oldest got caught doing something that she knows she shouldn't do.. She's been caught a few too many times lately - so she is being punished... She has lost all her privileges - Everything - her phone, TV, IPOD, computer, and has to go to bed early.... She can earn back her privileges but it will be only one privilege at at time.. All we ask is that she have a good attitude and use good judgment... Ten consecutive days of good behavior she can earn 1 privilege back.. I don't know if we are doing it right - I have to pray that I am making the right decisions.. that she will learn the consequences for good and bad behavior.. The world can be a scary place....

So my kids will continue to think that I am over protective, completely irrational, and extremely old fashion and that's okay..... I love them so very much and my goal is to give them the opportunity to have a life that is far better than mine... Just like my mom's dream was for me... So I really Have Become My Mother...