Dude, Just Tell Me...

Anyone that knows me knows that I have a few pet peeves; interrupting me, talking to someone else when I'm in the middle of talking to you, poor grammar/using text abbreviations when typing on a computer...ect.  The list goes on.  But now that I'm a parent, there is another one that is being added to the top of the list: telling me "I'll see what I'm doing that day" when I ask to hang out or if you can watch the girls.  Didn't really use to bother me so much before I had kids, but now that I have to figure things out way in advance, it's super annoying.  If you don't want to, just tell me.  If you're waiting on someone else or confirmation of a plan already pending, just tell me.  If all you say is "ya, I'll see what I'm doing that day", what I hear is "ya, I'll see if I'm doing anything else that's more fun than what you're inviting me to".  If you straight up don't want to, then have the balls to say it.  Especially if I'm asking to babysit the girls.  I can't stand it when I have to wait on someone to tell me if they can or cannot.  I need to know, like now.  There is a reason I'm asking you days in advance.  If you can't, then I need to find someone who can, if I can. Otherwise what I wanted to do has to be scrapped, and I'd rather not wait until the 11th hour to find out. 
So if someone asks you to do something for/with them...please tell them right away a yes or no.  Especially if they have kids.  You're causing more stress letting them hang than if you were to tell them no.

2-4-1 Today!

There is one thing that has me shaking my head, and there's another thing that has me completely heartbroken.  Let's start with the lighter of the two, shall we?

I've started seeing these Meme's pop up that say stuff like "make sure to put water in your gas take to winterize your car" and such like that.  At first, I giggled a little, like I'm sure many did.  But then I started actually thinking about it more.  I don't know much about cars.  I know how to change a tire, and I know how to change my oil.  That's about it...oh wait, I know how to change out my windshield wipers.  But that's it.  Common sense should kick in for a lot of people regarding these, but what if it didn't?  What if the person that read them actually believed them and did the things it suggested thinking it would help their vehicle.  They just did a lot of money in damages if not just ruined their entire car.  I would be furious if that happened to me.  I would hope that those that don't know anything about cars would ask someone that did if it would actually help, but I bet there are a few that don't and just do it.  Man, oh man, I would not want to be them!!

Ok so now for the heavy stuff.  I'm sure everyone has heard about the shooting in San Bernardino, CA.  This one was a holiday party and not a school shooting, but still.  There has been an enormous amount of shootings lately.  I'm not a reporter so I don't have stats or numbers, but I heard that 2015 has been one of the highest years for it.  I caught a little about it on The View this morning.  Don't judge, I watch it for the topics and not necessarily for their views on things.  It makes me so sad to hear about all these shootings in different places.  I thank God that it hasn't happened up here, and that might make me a bit selfish, but I don't care.  It scares the hell out of me that I am raising my girls in a world like this.  People leave companies with bad feelings, and instead of doing something sane like sue them or something, they decide to shoot them.  What exactly does that accomplish?  Other than you being in the news, nothing.  You get your fame, and make millions of parents fearful for their children.  I read somewhere where a father got a text from his daughter from inside a school while the shooting was going on.  If Isabelle or Kensi sent me that text, I would die a little.  I know my children are going to fall down and make mistakes and get hurt, but Jesus, not that way.  Everyone is looking for a solution, and there have been a lot floating around, whether be on social media or the President himself.  I don't think that taking away our second amendment is the answer, but that's for another post.  I will say this though; taking something away or making it illegal or whatever doesn't make the problem go away.  There will always be some way to get what you need... Plus the second amendment is apart of what this country is founded by and from.  When you start to take away our rights as Americans, you're starting to back away from the US being a free country, and that's just not acceptable.

But I Cant Relax

As I've been cleaning for Thanksgiving, I've been thinking about how much prep I (and I'm sure the masses) do for such an event.  As someone with a little bit of OCD and some Neat Freak mixed in, I do a ton!  But I love doing it.  I really like having my house cleaned and smelling great when guests come in.  As I'm doing it, I always hear in my head my dad and aunt say the same thing; "You know we don't care what your house looks like".  I know they don't, but I do.  I've always thought your house represents who you are in a way.  I like things neat and tidy, so my house usually reflects that.  When I was working, Sunday's were my clean day.  That way we'd start the week with a clean house and through the week it got a little messier and messier, but still manageable. 
I've never been able to relax when my house is messy and I know people are coming over.  Even when my friends are coming for an afternoon, I always end up picking up.  If I were to leave the house as is for Thanksgiving, throughout the entire thing, I'd be thinking of things that needed to be picked up or that I could have cleaned quick before they got there.  I don't rest until I'm done.  And that usually means a top to bottom cleaning.  It's why I have today set aside for just cleaning and tomorrow for baking the bread and buns and pie for Thanksgiving.  Everything will get a wipe down and vacuumed and the downstairs will get Swiffered with a wet pad.  I'd mop, but I don't think I'm quite up to a full on mop.  I'm tempting fate with all this cleaning while I'm still sick.  I put on Prince and I'm already on the second time of it running through the CD. 
So I am going to get back to cleaning, and most likely putting on the radio or something since my CD doesn't last very long.  I know I don't have to do half of the cleaning that I do, but it makes me feel better and I'll be able to enjoy all the festivities instead of thinking of all the things that I could have done.

Sick Day, What's That?

I've seen this commercial for NyQuil about a parent telling their kid they need to take a sick day. Seems like they took a page out of my book. The girls and I started getting sick two days ago, and now it's just me. Being a stay at home mom, it really sucks when I get sick. I can't just call into work, send the girls to daycare, then go home and sleep. I do miss that as an option. I've been sick for two days now, and I'm hoping to kick it by tomorrow. Yesterday was spent making sure the girls got better. I should have taken NyQuil last night but I didn't even think of it. So now I'm sitting on the couch with Isabelle watching Jake and the Neverland Pirates with a sore throat and a semi runny nose. I am so taking medicine tonight!

Old Friends

Some days I tend to live my life in the past more than I should.  I'll be doing something mundane like folding laundry and catch myself thinking of how things used to be or how I wish things would have been.  One of the things I had been thinking about is friends giving me shit through the years.  Hasn't happened so much anymore, and I think that's because I have better friends than I did.  And I don't mean better as in they were horrible people, but just that they weren't good friends for me to have with the type of person I am.  I'm sensitive.  I sometimes take things to heart even though I know I shouldn't.  Growing up with 4 brothers, I like to think I am/can be "one of the guys".  I can take a lot of ribbing, and I can dish it out.  But what has always bothered me is when the same people do the same thing or say the same thing over and over again every time I see them.  I had these two friends who did that constantly, even though I never really saw it.  It wasn't until Grant and I got together (even though we weren't telling people yet) and he pointed it out to me.  He did because it used to piss him off to no end, and after a while he just couldn't take it anymore.  I remember when he got me to see it.  We were at a bar with these friends and out came the "I have to give you shit because you're you." and "Oh you know I have to give you shit" type of comments before or after the comment itself.  It made Grant so mad that he actually got up and said "I cant watch you belittle her like that anymore" and walked out of the bar.  I jumped up, bewildered, and ran after him.  Once he told me why, I of course defended them and said they didn't mean any of it.  But he told me to actually listen to what they say the next time we hang out....and I did.  I was a bit shocked.  There were more of those backhanded compliments and put downs disguised as humor and giving me shit.  I'm not friends with them anymore, and it's not because they're bad people...just that I don't have that type of personality.  I cant take hearing them over and over and over again because I'll start to believe what they're saying is true.  I used to miss their friendship, but not really anymore.  Now, I have good friends who compliment me...and mean it!  It's hard to keep up with friendships when our lives have gone different ways in some cases...but at least I know that they wont put me down, but instead build me up.  At least when I think back to those friendships, it's not because I want the friendship again, but because it basically told me what kind of friends I need in my life.

Carseat Controversy

Ever since I've had the girls, I've become such a softie when it comes to kids in general.  I have a hard time watching TV shows or movies that shows kids getting hurt or in danger.  I see a lot of posts on Facebook about kids being hurt in car crashes or parents doing it.  I get tired of seeing them all the time since it's just so sad.  Now that it's starting to get colder, another type of post is going to start to take over Facebook; carseats and big coats on kids.  I'm already dreading it.  I'm old school.  I put my girls in their big winter coats, then put them in the carseat, just like I bet my parents did before me.  Now before people start freaking out, let me explain why.  The biggest argument against it is the fact that the straps of the carseat are way too loose against the body.  Ok, but let's break it down. As long as the coats fit right, the straps are snug against the coat, and the coat is snug against your body.  So unless the straps are really loose against the coat, they are going to be strapped in tight, and there is no wiggle room.  I could see the danger if you put the coat on the kid, strap them in, then take the coat off... I dont know anyone that would do that, though.  I know people dont agree with me, and that's ok.  You dont have to.  But if you dont, please dont tell me all the reasons Im wrong.  You're not going to change my mind and it's just going to irritate me.  We'll just leave it at you dont agree with me and call it a day.