Good Influence or Getting into Trouble

There's this kid in our neighborhood who makes my difficult ADHD/ODD child look like an angel. I'll call him "Chris." He is so awful that while I was gone on a trip, he took my other daughter's favorite -and rather sad- little blanket and ripped it in two. All I could say was that it was a good thing that I was on another continent when that happened because I would've fried him.

The thing is is that he is friends with my son. My son could be classified as a "good kid' - does what he is asked, never much of a problem maker, does his homework and chores without complaint; things like that. I really can't stand it when "Chris" comes over to play but sometimes, my son has no one else to play with and they tend to have fun together. But he is a bad influence and does naughty things that my son would never come up with on his own. I wish my son wouldn't play with him.

My husband thinks that I should let them play together because he thinks that my son could be a good influence on "Chris." That's all fine and good, but I am more worried about "Chris" being a bad influence on my son - especially as they get older. There have been a few times already when my son has come back from playing and told me that "Chris" did this and this, but he didn't do it; he just stood back. I'm worried about the day when my son gives into peer pressure and wants to fit in and this is the type of kid he fits in with. I don't want my son to end up anything like this kid because he is on a slippery slope that just ends in muck.

But at the same time, I don't know how to tell "Chris" to not come around anymore and not play with my son because then I just come off as the snooty mom who won't let her kid play with anyone. And my son is sad that he has no one to play with. I'd really like to think that my son would be the better influence and keep "Chris" out of trouble, but I just don't see that happening. I see it the other way around and it worries me.

Come and Get Her!

When I agree to let your obnoxious, whiny kid come over and play with my kid for a few hours and I say "Pick her up around 3:00 or 3:30," I mean closer to 3:00, not 4:15!!!!!

Here's some money. Go buy a watch. Or at least a clock.

And for future reference, if you're gonna leave her this long so you can do "just one more errand," I charge a babysitting fee of $5 an hour.

I J D G I!

I am quite tired of people who have the insatiable desire to shorten everything down to just letters. And I'm suppose to be on the same wavelength to try and decipher whatever the hell it means. I Just Don't Get It! Use words for heaven's sake!

I'm a regular person, not a Code Talker. Nor am I 16.

Or a psychic.

Or a mind reader.

If I were, I would totally use my special powers for other things than deciphering a lazy persons puzzles. Like when the next terrorist attack is going to be.

Or what was my husband thinking when he bought that Hawaiian shirt? He's just much too white - and blond - to pull that off.

I can tolerate the whole, "When R U going 2 B here?" abbreviation thing. But not, ICW2SYT (I can't wait to see you tomorrow). I'm much too old and impatient to sit there and try and figure out what the crap they are talking about. No wonder why teenagers are getting dumber and dumber. None of them know how to spell anymore.

And don't even get me started on punctuation.

Do You Remember Being in Love?

I went to a wedding this weekend. My husband couldn't come because he had to work. So I sat there, alone, with my kids, just feeling lonely and sad. Here was this brand new husband and wife so in love with stars in their eyes, surrounded by other people so in love.

I still love my husband, but I am having a hard time feeling like I am in love with him. Does that make any sense? I miss that twiterpatted, can't keep your hands off of each other, I-miss-you-so-much-when-are-you-going-to-be-home? feeling.

Now, I much prefer him working late just so I can have a few moments of peace without any pressure of having to put out tonight.

I miss the days of just walking hand in hand talking about nothing, but just happy to be next to him. Or falling asleep in his arms watching a movie at home. Or waking up just a couple of minutes before he does just to look at him and how handsome he is.

I don't feel any of that anymore. I can't remember what it is like to just be in love with someone. Is this it? Did I fall in love with him and now fallen out of love with him? I don't want that. The thing is, is that he is still so amazing and kind and wonderful to me that he is the kind of guy that I would fall in love with if I had just met him. But I just feel bored with him; uninspired and no type of romantic love.

I want to be in love with him again. I really do. I want to feel all of these things with him again - not someone else. Honestly, I don't think I could find someone as great as he is. I am very difficult person and he still loves me despite all of that. But how do I make myself feel those things again? How do you fall back in love?

I'm Mad at Them. Whoever They Are

I know it's the same gripe that everyone in America has, but I am so incredibly angry and frustrated at those people who keep raising the gas prices. I don't even really know who those people are: the Saudi Arabians, the Argentines, President Bush, the Oil Companies? I don't know and I don't care; I just hate them. I hate the fact that they are making money on my stress. Because of their insatiable desire to piss off everyone in America, we've had to cancel our trip to Disneyland later this year with my kids. I can't run down to visit my friend in a neighboring state. My brother can't fly out to visit. We can't even take our weekend trips to our cabin that we used to take at least once or twice a month. I even worry about taking our kids out for fun adventures if it's more than a 15 minute drive to get there. The extra money to fill the stupid car is taking away from taking my kids out to fun places. How am I suppose to entertain my kids everyday at home during the summer? I just don't know how. I feel trapped by my home because we can't afford to go anywhere. I constantly worry about money now and how am I going to pay for gas in the car or afford food for the kids. I hate, hate, HATE them for doing this to us. Whoever they are. I hope all of their money catches on fire and they burn in it.

You wanna know what pisses me off: Don't give me all of this crap about there being a short supply. You couldn't see this coming? If the supply was so short, why didn't they start years ago with ways to conserve gas (driving 55 mph. Yea right. Like I really want to spend any extra time listening to my kids fight). Or now, there is a 10 month wait to get a Prius Hybrid. No one could see this coming and they couldn't offer these types of cars 2 years ago? All of a sudden, within the past 8 or so months, it's been, 'Oh crap, we're running out of oil so let's screw everyone over by raising the price so much so that no one can afford to drive.' Yeah, that's a great way to conserve the supply. And besides, I know that I have completely changed the way and how often I drive - and I know I'm not the only one - so shouldn't that affect the supply to at least bring down the gas prices a little. Please. You people are so full of crap, your eyes are brown. I hate, hate, HATE THEM. Whoever they are.

Stuck in a Moment

Do you ever just feel stuck in your life and don't know how to get out of it? I am sick of being a stay at home mom but am too stupid to go out and get a good job. I don't like the way I look but don't know how to change that. Bored with my husband; annoyed with my kids. Tired of these same four walls that I am boxed in everyday; nothing to look forward to. Nothing for me that makes me happy and that I enjoy doing. How do you find happiness in the same ol' stuff day in and day out? Nothing on the outside is going to change, so how do I change how I feel on the inside about the stuff on the outside?

Just Average

I'm not overweight, but after all my kids. I feel fatter than makes me happy. I'm at my highest, non-pregnancy weight and I want to be skinny, or at least thin so that I feel sexy and pretty. To me, my butt is too big and my face is too round with no defined jawline. I get tired of my husband telling me that I am not fat just so that he can get some. I am not happy with the weight that I am at, but am not willing to give up my food that I enjoy nor that "Yea for me; I didn't beat my kids today and now they are all in bed" treat. I wouldn't think of going in to one of those weight loss centers because I'm sure they would just laugh at me and tell me that I wouldn't qualify. But I am not strong enough to do it on my own. I just like to eat too much. For my height, I am top of the range of what's healthy and I don't want to be at the top, I want to be in the lower end. And here's the thing: I want to be thinner just so I can look hot, not for my health. Couldn't care less about that. I want to be thin, not just average, and buy clothes that look good on me and make me feel sexy. Not for my husband; just for me.

And exercising? Yea right. I love to run, but how am I suppose to find time to do that with all this motherhood stuff that I have to do? I just get too tired and there isn't enough time in the day. And I can't leave my little kids at home alone so I can go and run. That's called child endangerment and the cops tend to frown down on that. If only I were rich enough so I could hire a personal trainer - or at least a daily babysitter so I could go and run. I just don't know how others do it. Guess I'll just have to stay this way until my kids are old enough to leave home alone. Or until I win the lottery.