Overheard at My House Today

Keep in mind, these conversations took place throughout the course of the day. Each line break indicates a different time span.

Mom: "Oldest Child, it's time to get up"
Oldest Child: "I don't want to get up"
(well, I didn't either, but I really need to keep my job for a few more years, so I decided that it was in my best interest to do so).

M: "OC, I need you to pick up your school bags"
OC: "I don't want to, I'm watching TV and reading a book"
(yeah, well, don't think I asked if you WANTED to pick them up)

OC: "OMG, where's the pizza?? I only had TWO PIECES OF CHEESE PIZZA and everybody ate the REST and now I DON'T HAVE ANYMORE"
M: "Well, you chose to go to your room instead of eat"
OC: "WHY DID YOU EAT ALL THE PIZZA??"
Dad: "Look in the refrigerator, it's been put away"
OC: "WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME THAT??"

OC: "Can I please go to Girlfriend's house on Saturday and spend the night with her because word, word, word, word, lots of other words, and Youngest Child has spent the night at two houses in the last two weeks PLUS had 4 other playdates and you always tell me no and word, words, words, and that's why it's only fair that I get to spend the night at Girlfriend's house"
M: "Go ask you dad"
So she goes through the whole spill again.
Dad: "Yes, as long it's OK with your mom"
(OK, you caught us, we love Younger Child more than we love you so we let her do more stuff)

OC: "Mom, you didn't go to The Sporting Good store and buy me a pair of gym shorts"
M: "I haven't been to the store this week"
OC: "Yes you have because you went to The Sporting Good store and bought you that new shirt you have on because it's a new one because I haven't seen you wear that one before you and when you bought that shirt you FORGOT to buy me a pair of gym shorts"
M: "I bought this shirt in the spring on clearance and it's been in my closet since then"
(I'm sorry; WHY am I justifying my spending patterns to a 13-year old again??)

OC: (low growl)"Why do they have to make this stuff so hard??? (as she sits doing square root homework) I hate this stuff, I'm just gonna drop out of school!!"
(well, not so much. not an option)

OC: (at 7:30 pm) "Dad, you needed to pick Mr. Neighbor up at...uh oh...6:30"
M: "OC, what time did he call?"
OC: "It doesn't matter, Dad was supposed to pick him up but you already talked to him"
M: "Yes, we've already talked to him, but you didn't know that and you answered the phone and didn't deliver the message and Mr. Neighbor could have been sitting over there waiting on Dad to pick him up"
OC: "Yeah, but Dad already talked to him so it doesn't matter"
M: "Yes, we did already talk to him, but you didn't know that. If you're not going to deliver the message, don't pick up the phone."
OC: "Yeah, but it's Other Neighbor's fault because one time I didn't answer the phone because I thought it was Mr. Neighbor and I was gonna let the machine get it and it was really Other Neighbor because his mom wasn't home and he needed me to babysit and I thought maybe it was Other Neighbor calling from Mr. Neighbor's house because he needed me to babysit him and I could make some money because I'm broke and, like, I have no money and so if Other Neighbor needed me to babysit then I could make some money and I wrote the message from Mr. Neighbor on my hand so I would remember, I just forgot to tell you to call him."
(all's well that ends well???)


OC: "OMG, why do you always tell everybody everything"
(as Mom is rudely interrupted while talking to a girlfriend on the phone)
OC: "You just think you have homework; just wait till you get to 8th grade!"
Youngest Child: "Shut up!"
OC: "Make me"

And I will spare you the drama associated with bedtime at my house. Just start sending up prayers now.

EDITED TO ADD: OK, I thought I was going to spare you the drama of bedtime...wrong! Everyone is settled, in bed, all is quiet and everyone is falling asleep. It is, after all, 9:15. When all of the sudden, from Oldest Child's room, came a blood curdling scream. A scream like no other; a scream the definitely says something's wrong...a scream that wouldn't stop. DH and I both jumped up and ran, all the while asking what's wrong, what's wrong?? Wouldn't you know it - she was stung by a scorpion in her bed. OUCH! So I went into doctor mode and DH went in to Alligator Hunting mode. Alas, rest assured, dear internets, the offending scorpion has been rescued and is now safely in a jar. Getting Oldest Child to ever sleep in her room again, however, will not be as easy. Good thing we have a comfy couch!

You, Too, Can Be Like Me

Yes, I know you've wanted to be like me all along...now it's possible! For awhile now, I've been listening to (rockin out to) the new Monk & Neagle CD their producers sent me to preview. Guess what...yesterday it went on sale. Stop what you're doing right now, click on the link, decide that yes, you really do love their music, and run right out to your nearest Christian bookstore and you, too, can be the proud owner of this fabulous CD.

Thank you, Monk & Neagle, for making me one of the first in my town to be the proud owners of this powerful music!

People Watching

We just got home from our county fair. Actually, it's in the next county, but until we moved to the country, it was our county, too. It is an annual tradition that we load up the kids (on a school night, no less) and go have fun at the fair. While we were there, Oldest Child and Youngest Child each got to bring a friend. Being the mother that I am, I decided that it would be easier for each to have a friend than for (1) me to have to get on the rides and (2) listen to the precious cherubs bicker, fight, and argue the whole time we were waiting in line.

I did a lot of that tonight...waiting...I don't ride rides (another post for another day; but suffice it to say Dear Hubby now believes me when I tell him I get sick on rides...) and the longer we were there, the longer the lines became - imagine that. So the longer I waited. Which gave me lots of time to people watch...and people watch I did. I now realize why they call Atlanta the melting pot of the south...and I thought about how glad I am I never gave into the temptation of getting some permanent body art put somewhere on my body...and I counted all they years that have gone by since DH and I "dated" at the fair, Oldest Child was a mere babe her first year at the fair...all the years we spent in the "kiddy only" secion...until this year when she informed me she WAS 13 and had a cell phone and was capable of walking around the fair on her own (another blog for another day...) and I thought about how everyone out there tonight was having a good time.

We all want the same things for our kids. When it boils down to it, as parents we want our kids to be happy. And we will do anything in our power to ensure that this happens. Whether we were born and raised in Georgia, another state or another country, we want to make our kids happy. I saw one little Hispanic girl with beautiful long dark hair and georgous dark eyes. The precious little thing was eating a roasted corn-on-the-cob that was as big as she was...and she was smiling the whole time she was eating it!

And I thought about this post from This Ain't New York where she found a little girl in a store all alone. I constantly had my guard up tonight. It's enough pressure to be responsible for my own kids; now I was responsible or two other kids, too! And of course they didn't want to ride the same rides at the same time. My head was spinning the whole time. All these people, everywhere. What if someone were to try to take one? Mine or someone elses? I noticed myself eyeing wee ones to make sure there was an adult close by. Whether it's the mother in me or the teacher in me or the human being in me, I needed to make sure everyone was matched up. And I thought about all we've taught our girls about how not to go anywhere with strangers, and we spend 13 years teaching her...but is it enough? When do we take a step back and see if what we've been teaching has sunk in.

But tonight was a night to watch people and think about the song we learned in Bible School - red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight...Jesus loves the little children of the world.