Politics? Me?

I've decided to wade into a very political issue around here. If I can wrest the computer away from the all the Mayhems today, I'm going to write a letter to the local school board about the dress code and lack of enforcement. This may sound like a petty issue to you, however, I feel that fixing this might fix alot of the discipline problems that we have. My theory is that if you have a rule you enforce it. By not enforcing it, it leaves the adults open for disrespect by the kids. The kids also figure out, "If I can get away with this, what else can I get away with?" Right now, though there is an overall district policy, each campus is different. And sometimes it changes from day to day. I'm suggesting going to a uniform. Nothing drastic. Something like blue or khaki slacks with certain colored polo-type shirts or oxfords. In the past, the argument has been that things get brought up so late in the year that people have already bought school clothes by the time changes are suggested. (That's why I'm starting now.) People have also said that it would be too expensive. Gee, you have to buy the kids school clothes anyway. Most of these clothes are no more expensive that jeans and t-shirts. Alot of the kids that I, as a tax-payer, buy breakfast and lunch for throw the lunch away and spend $5 on ice-cream and cookies every day. My kids don't have $5 to spend on junk. They even refuse to eat a school lunch. I oughta know. I make three different lunches every morning. (Heaven forbid that anyone should like the same thing.) Anyway, I've talked to my friend who is on the school board and she says that they will consider any letter that is signed. I hope I'm not burning all the bridges I've built over the last 12 years. I honestly think this would help the whole district. And besides I'm tired of seeing the guys boxers and the girls thongs!

The family and the church

I better write this now because I've discovered that I come up with things to blog and when I sit down to do it later, I've forgotten what those great ideas were.

I heard a Focus on the Family minute this morning on the radio and usually what they have to say is pretty useless or "Well duh?" Anyway, the guy said that many churches failed because the families failed and they failed because they didn't teach Christian values and morals at home but left it up to the Sunday School teacher once a week. I don't necessarily disagree with that, but I have a couple of points to go with it. Alot of the churches I have been in are not family friendly. The first thing they do when you walk in the door is pull everyone to their own SS class. I do agree with age appropriate teaching, and I do agree with adult SS parties without kids, because otherwise it's a free for all. However, I am not a children's church advocate. Children need to see their parents worship and they need to know that it's important to the parents. I'm not saying that learning can't happen in children's church, but it's the parents' job to teach the child how to worship. Many parents find it inconvenient to have the kids in church. They say, "I can't worship or listen to the sermon." That's selfish. I remember the days when I didn't hear much of the sermon. I also remember hauling my girls out, busting their bottoms, and bringing them back in. I never took them to the nursery because then they would figure out that if they acted up they got to play. (I am talking about when they are old enough to know better, not when they were babies.) Our church use to have children's choir during Sunday evening services because the parents wouldn't come if there wasn't something for the kids to do. I believe that the family should worship together. Our girls have never sat with the youth group. Not because we didn't allow it, they just didn't want to. Now the youth group sits with us. More than once I've been on the front pew because there was no room. All four of us play in the handbell choir and it's nice to do that together. Plus we can all go at one time. Once again, I spend a great deal of time going back and forth. I also disagree with the practice of having the children's activities on Wed. night run late. It's just not family friendly. It's a school night and the kids all have homework. These days, the girls get home maybe by 4:15, and that's with no activities after school. We eat at 5:00 and leave for church by 5:30. We usually get home around 8:00. I like to have them go to bed around 9:00 or 9:30. (They are not night owls or morning people. They're only good around lunch.) Doesn't leave alot of time for homework or showers or family.

I better tell you my other point. I've already forgotten it twice. Many people say, "I can't make my teenager go to church." Yes you can. You're the parent! Your job is to teach and guide them, not be their friend. And this training is the most important. They need to know that corporate worship is important, Bible study is important, being with other Christians is important, and they need to know that having God in all aspects of their life is important. And people think they will learn that if they let them sleep in every Sunday? I don't think so. Ok, ok. Stepping down now. Good day.

Oops

I found an oops in the fish tank last night. About a month ago, I bought a girlfriend for the boy swordtail. His name is Legolas. I've been looking for baby swordtails and wondering what's the hold up. These fish are livebearers so you have to put them in a net cage or everyone has a snack. I noticed that the girlfriend was growing a sword from her tail. That's bad you see because only boys have swords. (Get your mind out of the gutter.) Does anyone need a boy swordtail?

$1.25!!!

I just about had a stroke over $1.25 this morning. I ran one of those errands for the family this morning. I went downtown to the library. Mostly because Mr. Mayhem took a book on his trip and it was due this past Monday. (You owe me a buck and a half.) I decided to take back all 87 books that I had checked out for the girls since I was going because their books were due next Monday. Save myself a trip. Remember I plan. Anyway, you can park in one of the parking garages for free if the library validates your little parking ticket. It's free for the first hour and then $1.25 for the next hour. I had to pay the last time I went so I noted the time on the ticket as well as the time on the clock in the car and my watch. You also need to understand that I don't go to the library for myself very often. You see I'm a slow reader and since I just got a new book for my birthday, I'm good for a while. I kept an eye on my watch so I would have enough time to walk the block to the garage and drive down. I did have to spend a little extra time getting books for a social studies project for Mayhem #2. I pulled up to the booth at 10:01, exactly one hour by my calculations. She said I was over by 3 minutes, "1.25 please." I commented that I didn't think the clocks were set the same and she said that other people got back from the library in an hour. (Of course other people don't have to find 87 books for two teenagers who read when they should be doing other things. I'll discuss that another time. ) I fumed all the way home. I found the phone number and called them and informed them that their clocks were out of synch. She apologized and said that they usually give a five minute grace period for the library patrons. I'll have to check those clocks next time. I guess since I've gotten older (The girls won't let me say I'm old.) I don't feel like putting up with these situations where I wind up on the wrong end of things. One of these days I'll have to tell you the bra story.

The rest of the clan

I thought since I'd told you about the turtles, I'd better tell you about the rest of the pets...the fish. I just have a small tank with the standard mollies, sword tails, catfish, and guppies. Does anyone need some guppies? I have a whole bunch. The girls have even named one of them Gimli. They are so weird. My limited expertise has led to taking care of tanks for different institutions. As a volunteer of course, because somewhere on me it says, "Sucker." First it was at the elementary school. Now that I've graduated out of the elementary school, I have two 115 gallon tanks at church in our new building. I don't mind the job because I enjoy the fish, except for the little rosey barbs that bite me when I'm working. I yell at them and thump them. If they were big fish I'd let the pastor go fishing in there. It does get interesting when I have to go in up to my arm pit to arrange the plants. Plus one of the tanks has a design flaw. Well, the tank doesn't have a design flaw, but the slot in the wall where they put the tank has a design flaw. I know some man designed this thing and didn't think. The space is only 6 1/2 inches taller than the tank. I have just enough space to open the door. I have to get the long tongs out of the kitchen to reach the bottom of the tank because I can't get above it. (I hope you followed that.) Plus there is a wooden piece that comes down and latches to cover the light on top, and there is nothing to hold it open when I'm working. I told them I'm on strike until they get that fixed so it will stay open. I'm tired of getting beat up. So the moral of this story is be careful what you know. Someone will have a job for you.

I was right!

Mr. Mayhem made it home this morning. And he did change my password on my e-mail account. That wasn't very nice.



Now that we've had our February snow, we're having our February rain. And I saw the first sign of spring yesterday. Euripides was out of hibernation. Euripides is one of our two box turtles. They live in the backyard in a 12 X12 foot pen. I just want to say that I didn't name either turtle. Mr. Mayhem named Euripides. The girls named the other one. He's Harry. Short for Harry Houdini. He has a tendency to disappear and/or escape. I didn't see him yesterday so I have no idea where he is. We've had Euripides for nine years. Mayhem #2 use to read him books and show him the pictures. Then she would say, "Mom, he smiled at me." We picked him up out of the road when we were at Granpa's house. Euripides is physically challenged. He only has three feet. He has four legs, but something like a cow or deer probably stepped on him. Fortunately, we don't have to build special ramps or parking places for him. It doesn't seem to slow him down any. Harry has only been here a couple of years. One of the teachers at the elementary school "saved" him off the road, but her husband wouldn't let her keep it. Everyone knew I had a turtle because I always took Euripides for show and tell. So I inherited another. Getting the turtle to start with came about because Mayhem #1 has asthma. No furry animals allowed. But guess who takes care of them? All of this to say, "It's spring!" Phooey on the groundhog. The turtle knows.

Mr. Mayhem returns

I know some of you are wondering where Mr. Mayhem disappeared to. He went to check on his dad over the weekend. When he got there he found out that his dad had a doctor's appointment today so he stayed over to go with him. He's probably somewhere in the netherworld tonight. Oklahoma. I'll be glad to have him back. Besides, I wanted to check my e-mail and I can't remember how to get there. I think he changed my password. I'm blaming it on him anyway.

The Movie

I'm not sure I want to go see The Passion of the Christ. It's rated R and I'm sure it's very gross. (See yesterday's blog.) I've read the accounts of the death of Christ. I know it was very brutal. Do I need to see it? The youth leader at church wanted to take the youth group and several of the parents said no, including Mr. Mayhem and I. Mayhem #1 thinks she wants to see it, but she's not sure. Mayhem #2 doesn't want to see the movie. I listened to them discussing it, and Mayhem #1 couldn't understand why Mayhem #2 could go see Lord of the Rings and watch all of that gore, but doesn't want to see the other one. Mayhem #2's response was, "Lord of the Rings was just a story. I didn't know any of them." I think she has a point.

Where have all the good shows gone?

I just finished watching my favorite TV show, Sue Thomas, FBI. It was an hour late because of a special on the The Passion of the Christ movie. I think I'll talk about that tomorrow. Anyway, I like this show because the good guys win every week, and everyone keeps their clothes on. It reminds me of the old Scarecrow and Mrs. King. Ok you guys may not like it because it's a bit sappy, but I'm tired of shows that insult my intelligence or gross me out. Most sit coms fall in both of those categories. The profanity is gross, and the kids in the shows have absolutely no respect for the adults. Gee, and we wonder why they act that way in school. I'm not saying that the TV causes all the problems with kids. I just wonder why we put up with it. The drama shows are nothing but sleeze, smut, and gore. Does everything have to be so graphic? And reality shows...puleeease. Where do they get this trash? Do they really think we're stupid enough to think that is reality? Even the commercials are offensive. I don't need women with their barely there underwear on my TV screen. As Mayhem #1 says, "That's just wrong!" Or what about the one with the kids getting their mouths washed out because of what they said over a truck. (which is very ugly by the way.) It's not cute...It's Wrong! And besides, most parents wouldn't wash out their kids' mouth because the parent said it first. I guess I live in a dream world because I would rather have a TV show or movie make me feel good. (I like Doc too.) I won't give you a run down on those old shows I use to like because I'd be dating myself. One of the local stations has started running Quincy, M.E.. I told the girls that was the original CSI. It was a whole lot funnier too. Ok, I'm stepping down off my soap box now. Good Day!

Too much of a good thing

We live in Texas and I'm sure you know the old saying, "That everything is bigger in Texas." One of those things really bugs me. Trucks. You know the ones I mean. The double cab full bed or the cab and a half extended bed or the ultimate, double cab extended bed dually. Why does anyone need that much space? Why does anyone need to take up that much space? These things don't fit in parking spaces. I keep threatening to get some white shoe polish and marking these vehicles with a line and writing, "Your parking spot ended here." Sometimes they're hanging out in the aisle. Sometimes they're pulled up in the space I'm trying to park in. A few weeks ago, there was one parked sideways in three spaces!!! "Son, if you can't take the door dings, don't buy it." I drive a normal sized Honda Accord, which someone was kind enough to key for me. I just want to be able to safely navigate the parking lots of the grocery store and mall. I want to be able to find a whole parking space of my own to park in. Is that too much to ask for? Oh, and I would like to be able to see when I try to pull out of my parking space. But I can't. Not only are the trucks the problem there, but also all the other boxes on wheels. ie-Suburbans, Tahoes, Explorers, Excursions, etc. And don't even think about parking next to a Hummer if you want to get your doors open. They are designed to go from the outside of one line to the outside of the other line. I'll stop now before I get going on the stupid jacked up trucks that require a Sherpa.

One other comment that I think about when I think of all these truck. I've told Mayhem#1 & #2 they are not allowed to marry anyone who goes by the name Bubba. His friends better not call him Bubba, his momma better not call him Bubba, and he better not call his dog Bubba! Know watta mean, Vern?

Home again, home again

It's Thursday so I should be at home. The term housewife is such a misnomer. I'm never here. You see, on Tues. I spend the morning at the middle school making copies and on Wed. I'm at the high school doing the same thing. I usually run errands after I get done at the schools. This morning I had to run an errand before school. Mayhem#2 had to be at the orthodontist by 7:30. I've been telling the girls all week about this appointment. At 7:04, I'm fixing my hair when it dawns on me that the appointment is TODAY! LIKE, I NEED TO HIT THE DOOR NOW! I'm sure you know that many women won't go out without their makeup in place. I won't go out without my hair fixed. I get the urgency across to Mayhem#2, tell Mayhem#1 Mr. Mayhem is taking her to school, tell Mr. Mayhem (who is in the shower) he's taking Mayhem#1 to school and finish my hair...sort of. It's amazing what you can do with hairspray. We made it and my nerves will be fine by this afternoon. Anyway, back to not being at home. I put so many miles on my car two miles at a time. That's how far it is to the middle school, and the high school is only two blocks from that. I usually take Mayhem#1 to school, come home, and take Mayhem#2 to school. Sometimes I can get them both in one trip in the afternoon, but not if one of them has some activity after school. This is just the minimum number of trips. Since we went to the orthodontist and had chains (that's what they call them) put on her braces, I have to go back to the middle school at lunch to give Mayhem#2 more advil. She is such a wimp. Even when the girls are out of school I have to take them to school. On Monday, Mayhem#1 had to go to the high school once to rehearse her solo and again to rehearse her ensemble. At the science museum a few years ago, there was an exhibit on risk taking. Which I don't do by the way...take risks I mean. Anyway, I did this questionnaire about how long you'll live based on your lifestyle and activities. It said I would live longer if I didn't drive so much! So if there are gaps in my postings it's because I'm never home.

I Made It Back!

Look. I'm here again and I didn't even have to leave bread crumbs. You see, I'm the computer illiterate one in the family. As a matter of fact, that's how the first computer wound up in the house. Mr. Mayhem professed, "Honey, I'll be home more because I can do some work at home on the computer." Yeah. About the time the second memory upgrade came around, I told him, "You don't need that for work. You need it to make your planes fly faster!!" I'm slow, but I catch on.

Thank you for all the birthday wishes. It was a pretty good day. The girls were off for Presidents' Day so I got stuck with them. Mr. Mayhem was nice enough to share whatever sinus crud he had last week. I would've felt better if I could've cut off my head. (The one with the new dye job that somebody forgot to notice.) The gifts were great. By the time I opened them I realized why Mayhem #2 kept asking, "Are we going to watch a movie tonight?" Mr. Mayhem would not have liked to receive the clothes and mixing bowls I got. If it's not a toy, it's not a good gift for him. I told him I should put a Game Boy Advance and Lord of the Ring game on the list just to harrass the girls. They all have Game Boy Color and can't play the new games with the "Hot Elf." When I say they all have a Game Boy, that includes Mr. Mayhem. For his birthday one year the girls pooled their money and bought him his own, because they were tired of him borrowing theirs! Another time I'll tell you about why Nintendo was grounds for divorce.

Just a little introduction

Well, here we go. The first thing you should know about me is I'm a dinosaur. I'm a housewife. (aka domestic engineer, I prefer domestic goddess) I'm also a mom, hence the name of this thing. Mom also stands for Mean Old Mom, just ask my kids. Although they do tell me I'm not old. So I guess that just makes me mean. I'm a marriage advocate. Another words, "You better be very careful when you pick out your spouse, because 'Till death do us part' is a long time." I'm a public school advocate, though I don't agree with where it is or all of Mr. Bush's ideas. (Believe me. This will cover alot of blog space.) I'm not much into politics, though I've learned to listen to talk radio some and I get more than I want from them. I don't work crossword puzzles or do math in my head, but I can plan and execute a kid's birthday party you wouldn't believe. I am in my element as a hostess. Erma Bombeck is my hero. I use to read her books in high school and laugh out loud. Now they're funny because, "Oh baby, have I been there!" Mr. Mayhem and I have been married almost 19 years. ("Honey, I love you nice and quiet.") Mayhem #1 is 16 and Mayhem #2 is 13. Two teenage girls...How am I still sane? If your wondering why my job is housewife and mother, it's because that's the job God gave me. (That sounds pretty self-righteous. It sounds like Moses and I are close buds.) I guess this will give you an idea of where I'm coming from. If you know Mr. Mayhem, I already have some other blog topics planned.

Hello?

Can you hear me now?