Okay, the silent treatment accomplishes nothing. Good point, Jamie. However, I will say there is something to be said for time’s in people’s lives when they really need to vent and wish they could be in a house all alone to do so – just to let out pent up energy, frustration, anger, fear, grief, etc. Living the lifestyle I have, which 98% of the time, I LOVE, isn’t conducive to this sort of release. I have been unable to have a conversation in what is supposedly my home for the entire time I have lived in this home. Where I speak, eavesdroppers lurk. Hell, I can’t pee alone, let alone have a moment to cry, scream, break stuff without up to 6 people witnessing it (I am including a nosy neighbor in this count). It has been a hard thing to handle, seeing as how my only time for “myself alone” has been trips to the grocery store or other random errands here and there. UGH! THanks, I vented.

And, to be honest, as I predicted, the silent treatment thing didn’t last 10 minutes. I don’t have it in me. For better or worse, I am a communicator, and I like to solve things. I like for things to be handled and dealt with immediately so I can go back about my business of being happy – and, prepared to handle the next thing. Anyway, I am a solver, a total believer in people can fix anything, change anything in relationships as long as they want to; then show effort, interest and desire for something better; all while working together. (I think the previous sentence was total grammar abuse, definitely a punctuation disaster.) I also, for better or worse, believe there is nothing more important than the people you have in your lives. Jobs, money, schools, cars, houses, circumstances come and go. You are only ever as strong as those who love you, and if you are lucky enough to find someone who truly loves you and cares about you and puts your feelings and needs ahead of their own, you are truly blessed. (If you can find someone who aslo thinks of you and watns to help you be the very best “you,” and are AMAZINGLY blessed.) I also believe it doesn’t matter what you do in life as far as your career, your bank accounts, your toys, your vacation homes, etc…God knows, the people around you know the REAL you. God doesn’t care about how much money you made, he cares what you do with it. God cares about the things he has given you and what you choose to do with them. Does your arrogance take over when you get a new car, or do you share that joy in a beautiful way by donating your old one or even (honestly) selling the old one for a decent price to someone who really needs it? Do you treasure daily the love you have in your life? Are you grateful for the people who love you, have faith in you, believe in you, trust you, or do you decide to those are things easily taken advantage of for your own personal gain? DO you honor and respect the blessings you have? Very, very poignant to me now…My Grandfather used to always say “count your blessings, count your blessings”…as my dad would be about to kill one of us for having wood burned our name into a wall. Then, later, he would come back with “Honor your blessings. Honor your blessings.” So true, so important.

I have gone off on a tangent here, due to something I just read. Soooo…

Let’s move on with the update. Still singing “Ding Dong the Witch is Dead,” but less frequently. Got into an “Itsy Bitsy Spider” marathon with the two youngest, that helped kill the constant repetition of the Munchkin song.

OH! I totally forgot what happened today! I took the kids to the store to pick up some essentials. Had the oldest and two youngest with me, the oldest as my assistant. I loaded the two kids into the double stroller, got my shopping cart, and off we went. As we were moving towards the end of our trip, I noticed someone very familiar. I kind of stared for a second, I just couldn’t quite place him. Then, he (of course) turned and looked at me. I did my best James Bond as the second he turned, I realized who he was. I dove behind my diaper, toilet paper and paper towel filled cart and moved very close to the extraordinarily tall 11 year old. Thankfully, she was also wearing a somewhat heavy jacket and after a second or two, I saw him pass by us. I immediately directed us in the opposite direction, not wanting to have to speak to this guy at this time. Due to the fact I totally forgot to tell my husband this story (and there is every chance he will read about it before I remember), I shall only mention this gentleman’s initials (T.C.) and say he and I “dated” for a very short period of time in the early 2000s (I honestly can’t remember what year, but it was after Sept 11). Oh, I just realized I was pregnant in 2003, so it must have been 2002. Anyway, we make it out of the store and start our jog to the car when I see him again, standing at his car door and texting or emailing on his phone. We pass him quickly, get the kids loaded up and the cart unloaded (which takes FOREVER) and pull out of the parking lot, where he nearly runs into the side of my car because he is running a stop sign. At this point, two things happen. 1. I realize he is driving the new 4 door Jag. 2. He stops to wave at me in apology (cause he totally ran the stop sign and really did come incredibly close to hitting my car) and slams on his brakes in what I thought for a second might have been a double take, as I was wearing a screaming blue Florida Gators Sweatshirt. Well, long story short, he made it through the light at the intersection, I stopped for the yellow and he was gone. It just occurred to me, I never looked at his license plate, don’t know if he would be living here or Florida. Funny thing is, after many years of having known him, he still has one of the most recognizable “man walks” I have ever seen. It is almost like he channels Magnum, PI.

So that is the update.

« »