NO- I am NOT Ready for School to Start!

I have seen a million posts about how thrilled parents are to have their kids back in school. I however, am not. There are several reasons for this:

• Schedules: I despise schedules. I enjoy having no agenda in the summertime.
• Bedtime: I have to start having/enforcing a regular bedtime. No more letting the kids behavior dictate whether they need to go to bed or not.
• Early Morning Wake-Up Time: I enjoy sleeping in and also letting the children decide when to get up, whether that means they get up early, or around lunch time. Everyone wakes up whenever they want to, including me. I detest having to drag them reluctantly out of bed.
• Activities: Sports start when school starts, which makes me the taxi. Trying to cram dinner, baths, and homework sometime between activities sucks.
• Homework: I hate homework, and mostly, I hate that I can no longer help them when they get stuck. Their homework is way beyond my ability, with the first graders homework being the only exception.
• Laundry: During summer, it's play clothes or PJs all the time, and they wear them over at least once. With school they have an outfit a day plus sports gear and play clothes to wash.
• Bathtime: Instead of bathing once or twice a week, the kids need to bathe every other day during the school year. It somehow takes the 5 of them 3 hrs to bathe, which eats up entire evenings. I am the one who always ends up gathering the dirty clothes, draining the tub, and hanging up towels.
• Paperwork: It seems there are loads and loads of papers to go through and fill out on a daily basis. It's a huge time suck.
• No More Summer Fun: The days of swimming, fairs, bike rides, trips, and running around outside all day are a thing of the past. WAAAHHHH!!
• It's Expensive: School supplies, school clothes and shoes, field trips, sports, holiday party donations, fund raisers, book fairs, birthday invites, band instruments, concert attire... it's enough to put parents in the poor house. 
• They get a year older every school year: They grow up so much in a school year, it seems like I blink and they are a bigger kid. Why can't they just stay little forever?
• I Miss Them: Believe it or not, I miss being able to tell the kids whatever I want to whenever I want to. Also I miss cuddle time, cute things they do and say. and having a family TV day once in a while. It is so lonely when I am at home by myself.

See, maybe I am a FREAK, but there are a

lot of reasons to despise the start of school!

Cute Kidisms 10

I made it to number 10! Yippee! This series is so much fun!

I really want to know your kids Cute Kidisms!

What's With the Slouchy Beanie? It's Summertime!

A few weeks ago, the kids and I were watching Big Brother and I asked them why Vanessa is always wearing a winter hat. It is summertime! The 12 year old looked at me like I was an alien with two heads! He then explained it is a slouchy beanie, and that kids wear them year round. He then told me he wants one.

When did this become a thing? Where have I been? Who decided this was a good idea, and how in the world did it take off? Clearly I am not on the up and up with the current trends!

I started searching Amazon, and I decided these are actually very cute. I was searching for one for my 12 yr old boy, when I came across a lot of cute crocheted ones for women. I am now going to get one for myself also, but I intend to only wear it between October and April.

Wearing these in the summer is about the stupidest thing I have seen people wear. It would be equivalent to wearing a winter coat or mittens in the summer. No one would do that. So why the hat? Don't people who wear these in summertime get sweaty itchy heads?

I do not get it, at all, but they are very very cute, FOR WINTER!

I will continue to ask myself  "What's with the slouchy beanie in the summer?!"

What do you think? Summer attire, or strictly for winter?

Cute Kidisms 9

I am really loving doing this series! I plan to wrap it up at the end of August so be sure to add yours if you want them included!

What Cute Kidisms do your kids say?

Butthurt Epidemic

I am not sure what it is, but I am noticing a lot more butthurt than usual lately. I can only conclude that it is a contagious disease and that it is spreading like wild fire. I really do not know what is going on, but is seems people are taking others opinions personally and treating it as a personal attack against them.

In case you are not familiar with the term, Urban Dictionary defines the term as follows:

NEWSFLASH: EVERYTHING is not about you. People are allowed to have a differing opinion than you and it has noting to do with you personally.

We live in America, the land of the free. People are allowed the freedom of speech the constitution granted us. Somehow though, people are becoming more and more afraid to say what they think for fear some butthurt person is going to do something rash.

The butthurt is strong these days, and I do not know why. Maybe it is because everything is becoming so PC that it shocks people when others say exactly what they think. GASP! "How could they! Now I am all butthurt."

There is a solution though: IGNORE the stuff you don't like. End of story.

There are many ways to do this:

1. Don't hang around those who make you feel butthurt.
2. Unfriend people on Facebook that make you feel butthurt.
3. Unfollow pages that post things that cause your butthurt.
4. Learn how to be more accepting of differing opinions, and less butthurt.

There are things you should NOT do if you are butthurt also:

1. Report the persons post.
2. Make mean and nasty comments.
3. Talk about how horrible the person that caused your butthurt is.
4. Judge the butthurt causer.

I refuse to quit speaking my mind because someone may not like it. I say what I think and if someone doesn't like it they don't need to associate with me. Oh and also, if you don't like what I have to say, just don't read my blog! That is the easiest solution yet.

Are you noticing a lot more butthurt than usual lately?

Cute Kidisms 8

Aren't you just loving all these cute kidisms? Thank you for all your input! Keep them coming for more of these posts!

Add your cute kidisms in the comments!

Quit Crying! He's Working!

There is nothing I hate more than SAHM's who complain and cry when their husbands work too much or out of town. This has been bothering me for years! I have seen it in real life, and I have seen it on tv and it makes me want to puke.

I watched one show where the couple was in counseling and the wife was upset that the husband wasn't home much because he was at work. The therapist told the man he needed to work less and spend more time with his family. It made me sick!

HELLO!

Dear bitching SAHM's:

Did it ever occur to any of you that he is working so much to pay for you and the kids to live? You are at home right now because he is out there working his fingers to the damn bone! Quit complaining.

Do you think he has it easier than you? He doesn't. He has it worse! The family's whole livelihood is resting on his shoulders! The more the family needs, the more he has to work. That can not be an easy pill to swallow.

Do you think he doesn't miss you and the kids? He does, so much that he has trouble sleeping when he is gone.

Every trip, meal out, activity, sport, etc., he worked to pay for.

He isn't out having a great time, screwing the town whore, sitting in a bar drinking with pals! He is WORKING!

I know what you are going through. I have five kids and a husband that works late into the night, sometimes past bedtime, and also works out of town 1/3 of the time. Yes it is sort of hard to do it all, but if he didn't work so much, we would be homeless. I get it. I am thankful I married such a hard worker and dedicated husband and father. He is working so hard to give us a great life and for that I am thankful. I look at him with pride, not disdain when I reflect on the work situation. No, it is not ideal, but he is out there doing what needs to be done.

Next time you want to complain or cry about your husband being at work, step back for a minute and put yourself in his shoes, it might give you a different perspective.

Remember, you chose this!

Do you know any SAHM's like this?

Cute Kidisms 7

Here we go, number 7! Make sure you add yours in the comments if you want to see more!

Tell me your kids cute kidisms!

8 Rules for Dating My Daughters or Sons

I have seen the rules for dating my daughter posts and the rebuttals. I have sons and daughters.The stereotypes about boys are not always correct. Neither are the stereotypes about girls. How about we just have rules for dating our children regardless of gender? There are many that would be the same for me whether you are dating my daughters or my sons.

1. Consent is everything. If my child says no, do not do whatever he/she is saying no to. Ask permission and never make assumptions
2. Be respectful. Speak kindly. Show good manners. Don't lash out if something doesn't go your way.
3. Get to know us, the parents. When you pick my child up, come to the door. Don't honk the horn. Talk to us for a few minutes before leaving.
4. Don't be late.  Be on time picking my child up, and also dropping him/her off. Punctuality is a good show of  character.
5. Don't be cheap. Have the money to bring my child on a proper date. If you don't, don't ask.
6. Don't be greedy. If my child asks you out don't order the most expensive item on the menu or ask for gifts just to see what you can get.
7. Watch your words. Don't call my child names or talk down to him/her. This sets up a bad expectation of dating and a pattern of accepting this kind of treatment may take shape.
8. Be safe. Wear your seat belt and have my child wear his/hers. Drive the speed limit. Don't drink and drive. Don't bring my child to dangerous or risky places. If you decide to have sex always use protection, every single time.

What rules would you add for dating your daughters or sons?