Friday, January 13, 2012

Quiet Friday turned into a not so quiet Friday.

At some point during the last week, Lizzy and I crafted the hell out of a plain mirror and made this:


Then we went to the store and picked up some plants, stuffed them in a glass bowl and made this:


Trust me, both are prettier in person.  I think.

Or at least that's what I keep telling my daughter.

And the baby was down for an extended nap.  And by "extended nap" I mean she went down but never really went to sleep but damn-it to hell, we had some crafting to do.

Alex was on his i-Touch playing some game the whole time.  I wish he would join us but he has no interest.  To force him would be akin to punishment.

And I just don't know anymore.  Yes, I should probably go check on his games and that infernal i-Touch but damn, I'm so tired.  And he's quiet.  And he's happy.  And did I mention, he's quiet?  And it's winter and cold and I'm just so over it.  And really, I don't know how his damn i-Thing works anyway.

And honestly?  Honestly??  Deep down it makes me sad that he's not interested in what the rest of us are doing.

I know he's doing what makes him happy.  Trust me, I know that.  I'm learning to be happy with that.  But sometimes?  Sometimes I wish I were more interested in his things and he in ours.  And then I feel bad for feeling that way and even thinking it.

I know this is just passing and I'll come to rights soon but there are times where I just let out a big old sigh.  I guess this is one of those times.

And as a final I don't know what, this is how my kids left the house.  Door wide open to the garage.  Heating the outside for shits and giggles for I don't know how long.

Look how close the register is to the door.
That's just great.
For the garage.

And with a final shout of, "DANG IT, WE ARE NOT HEATING THE OUTSIDE, SOMEBODY GET DOWN HERE AND SHUT THIS DOOR RIGHT NOW,"  I turned into my mother.

See?  Just like that I'm back.

38 comments:

  1. I love the mirror and the plants. I think they look nice in the pictures so if they look better in person - you knocked it out of the park!

    I don't have children but I still find myself saying things my mother said. For me that is scary.

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  2. Glad you're back. I sometimes feel guilty that I'm not more interested in my son's interests (ie minecraft). When I do try and become involved, I'm usually so slow that he gets fed up with me. Often though he much prefers to be on his own as he can concentrate better and he is usually happier when he's like this so I often leave him to enjoy the computer. But sometimes I feel a bit sad too. Deb x

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    1. A does the same to me--gets frustrated that I'm not as quick to learn his new game. Sigh.

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  3. Man, I know hoe you feel about the crafting. I am a crafter. Hell, I sell my work on Etsy! But Little Miss? Hatees... heats...H.A.T.E.S IT! She's good for about 30 seconds with a crayon before she starts hoarding craft supplies and then it's all over. To her, the only benefit of art supplies is the fact that they fit in a neat art box that she can open, fill, dump and close repeatedly. Sigh.

    They do say different strokes for different folks -- who knows, maybe Little Miss and Alex will be the inventors of the next great technological advancement. The future Steve Jobs of their time?

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    1. I think so---right now A wants to make something to shut people up who are too loud. His words.

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  4. My girls adore crafts! I on the other hand would rather chew on tin foil. I wouldn't worry too much about the lack of shared interests..one of mine lives in the world of angry birds...another in his comics and the girls live in the land of the big headed toy (a.k.a. littlest pet shops)I figure as long as everyone comes up for air now and they don't kill each other (my girls) we are doing o.k. As for turning into your mother...ummm..you had a post last summer about your mom on the beach and well..nudity...I don't think you are there...yet. I hope...

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    1. Chew on tinfoil--gawd that just hurt my mouth thinking about it. And now I must go soak my eyeballs in bleach.

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  5. Lizbeth...if your son was actually interested in stuffing plants in a glass bowl, I would be more worried. If you want to get him interested, you need a bucket of mud, some frogs, and a roll of butcher paper. Call it modern art. Lizards would also work.

    Just keep trying new and different things. Be patient, my friend. No matter what you guys are doing, he knows he's loved, even if he's got his nose in his i-game-thingy.

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    1. Haha!! You know me/him to well, I think. Thanks.

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  6. I force my kids to do things they don't like to do all the time. But I guess my guys all kinda like the same things, so when they all don't like the same things, it's more of a "all my kids are no fun and are mean for not keeping me company while I do this super fun thing" thing. So maybe at least having one who likes to do what you like to do is great? Maybe? (But I do hear you.)

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    1. OMG, I can't imagine all of them ganging up on me. The only thing that would stop them is the fear they may not eat. Lord, I should be counting my blessings! And sending my apologies, I think...

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  7. hugs darling
    I know the feeling
    Just watched R watching the tall totem tale from the "Little einsteins " yet again

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    1. Thanks, and I'm sorry. The Little Einstein's get under my crawl, they're not as bad as Dora though....

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  8. I know exactly how you feel. I think it's magnified sometimes when you have other kids. I had to finally let go and be OK with the fact that when I say, "Family Time on Thursday", that means a little trampoline time for all of us with the Bird, then tucking her in for the night and breaking out board games or watching movies, doing "family stuff" without her. It's hard to think of family time as not always including the whole family..... but I had to just let it go......

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    1. Yeah, we try to do a family movie and even then he can't really watch it. He flutters in and out. But it's progress.

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  9. LIZBETH, that is so funny: I keep turning into MY mother too! I find myself saying verbatim stuff like: "and when we're done playing with this, we're going to PUT IT BACK, AREN'T WE." Screech...

    My m-i-l bought this craft for Ella for Christmas. It's a box with pictures of ponies and shit on it, and you make it beautiful with little mosaic-by-numbers stickers, ie; #6 is a sparkly brown square, #11 is a pink "jewel" etc. Jack got RIGHT IN on that, and that is rare, and it was so pleasant, so I KNOW what you mean. Oh yes.

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    1. And you're all, "who cares if it's a girl thing, he's with us, Woo Hoo!!!' That's money Karen, MONEY!!!

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  10. okay, I know you're in a dark place. . . but you've got IN COMMENT REPLY THREADING NOW!!! Does that not just TOTALLY lift your spirits??

    It lifted mine.

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  11. why is my comment center justified. That just bummed me right back out.

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  12. The other day I told Sarah Hazel to close the fridge because we did not want to cool off the whole house. Snap! I am my mom.

    Look at you and all your craftiness. I've always felt bad about how Cameron gets so left out of what we do, but the thing is, he doesn't want to do what we do. Reading your story makes me realize that his not wanting to participate will probably always be something I'm going to have to battle.

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  13. yeah, I'm just waiting till I tell the kids, "there are starving children in japan, now eat your dinner!!!"

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  14. You're tired? Me too! And not nearly as crafty, dammit! I thought the plants in the bowl were kind of cool. Could you maybe put the hermit crabs in there before you give that away?

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  15. I recognize those shells. They look sooooo good! Congrats!

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    1. Lovely crafting! Yeah, it's hard when all they want is to interact with screens. Hopefully over time you'll all find some common ground ;-)

      Oh gosh, I too hear myself turning into my mother!! That calls for another compensatory glass of wine!!

      xx Jazzy

      PS: I'm in the middle of doing that award post...haven't forgotten! Will finish tomorrow :-)

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  16. Love the crafting. Also, I'd like to extend an invitation for you to join me in my bathroom right now. Please bring alcohol.

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  17. If you figure out a way to get your son more interested in your stuff, please let me know. I would love some advice on that! Danny would rather play computer games than do anything else in the world and fighting over that has been wearing me out.

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    1. Maybe we can get them to play computer games with each other. Why fight it, eh???

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  18. I am jealous you have time to craft. One of these days (maybe?) I will craft...

    And I am a miniature version of my mother, too. Which, now that I am older, I (secretly) love.

    xo

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    1. I'm getting more comfortable but not quite there yet....

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  19. I have to stop and make time, just like you do.

    It's hard, isn't it?

    But that's where the memories are...

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    1. Hard, yes. Memories, yes. Easy, no.

      Hugs lady, hugs.

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