Confessions on an empty stomach...
Today is a half day at work. During the summers we have different hours so that people can make the most of the weekend and avoid the parking lot that is any road around the northern virginia area. Friday's are the worst for traffic. You do more sitting than moving and the only hope of enjoyment during the long hours on the hot asphalt is the c.d.'s that you hopefully didn't take out of your car the night before. Because if you did then you will be forced to listen to some 50 year old dj who pretends to be much younger than they are just to be hip and cool. Either that or be alone with your thoughts and really who wants to do that?
Since getting my new job two years ago my commute went from 1-1/2 to 2 hours on the very pleasant roadways of virginia to 8 minutes. I am doing my part for the environment. I have even thought about bicycling to work but that would mean my lunch break would be to short. And who wants to be that healthy? Really? Fridays, lately have meant reconnecting with some of my old friends from my last job. We had been meeting at one of our favorite restaurants on the water for the last few fridays. My mother has questioned these lunch "dates" because the two friends happen to be boys. (Notice the term boys, not men.) I have unsuccessfully reassured her that they are not "dates" and I am simply going all the way up to the Fairfax area on a Friday afternoon with my small child in the back seat of the car for the fun of it so that I can complain about my pathetic existence and be reassured by my friends that it is true. It is a pathetic existence.
The ride back is what kills me. It takes the longest because by two o'clock everyone has hit the road in the same direction I am going. But it really isn't that bad. Usually Bennett falls asleep so I am able to listen to whatever music I want AND! turn it up to a almost deafening level until I feel guilty that my son's ear drums might have just burst even though he is asleep. I am very proud that my child can sleep through anything! It's probably easier when you don't have working ear drums. But it only gets better when Bennett is awake and wants to listen to his ABC CD. Oh joy! It's my favorite too. Especially when he wants to listen to THE WHOLE CD AGAIN. You mean right after we just listened to it? Why yes, yes indeed.
My back windows are tinted so people sitting in the cars next to me on the parking lot probably do not see that I have a small child in the back seat. So when they look over and see me bobbing my head side to side, sing to a song they can't hear but it looks like I am singing the abc's with a look on my face that says, "yes I am driving my self to rehab. So please don't worry you are safe to drive next to me. Wait! Where are you going? You really shouldn't drive on the shoulder you nut!" OK so it's a little exaggerated but it happens. Sometimes.
Today I am not making my beloved trip to Fairfax. Instead Bennett and I might go for a boat trip on Saturday with my friends. (I know it is surprising to some of you that I do have friends.) Instead I am going home to rescue my son from the house of many emotions.
December will mark one year of Bennett, Magic and I living at my parents house. The last few days Bennett has been talking about his "other house." I know he misses it. Sharing a room with your mother can not be that much fun for a three year old. Yesterday my mom choked back tears as she asked if we were moving. What?? Wouldn't you want us to go? Come on! You would have one less animal and two less dependents if we left! Plus a lot less stuff! This morning when I was leaving for work Bennett started talking about going to his other house and my mom started asking if he missed it. His response was, "GROOOOWWWLLL." Because that is the typical response he gives when he doesn't want to hold a conversation. I might start using that technique in my own life. I think it will go over very well in the Monday morning office meeting. I realize that this will not be funny to anyone but myself because you guys do not know the people I work with and the things they do. So I will move on...back to the move...My mom then told him that when Lexie moves out than he can have his own room. Bennett started to ignore her completely because, please, it was way to early in the morning to have a conversation and he had only had one glass of chocolate milk. Please woman!
After talking about the whole situation to a co-worker this morning a painfully obvious realization came to me. But only because my co-worker pointed it out to me. Otherwise nothing would ever become painfully obvious to me. I just don't work that way.
Perhaps Bennett speaks of his "other home" because he doesn't want to live with all the emotional people at the "new home" anymore. This could be a very big possibility because both Bekah and my mom have started a new diet and let just say things haven't been happy for awhile. Well, since Tuesday. And I am STARVING!! My mom doesn't like the fact that every few hours she has to eat protein which is either chicken or fish. The new eating plan has changed her mood completely which in the current household we can not handle because instead of her having a melt down three times on Sunday and then one somewhere in the middle of the week she now has at least two melt downs everyday. One of the melt downs happened yesterday morning. Thankfully I was at work and did not go home for lunch. Unthankfully I had left my small un-potty trained and stubborn child right in the path of the storm. And he got rained on. He got rained on hard. There might have been some lighting bolts too. I would just like to say to Bennett now I am very sorry. I have decided to not stop Bennett now when he slaps his forehead with his hand, shakes his head and says, "Not again" when my mom is having her break downs. I also will not stop him when he holds his hands to his side and says, "Grandma's crazy." Repeatedly. I am not going to stop him because I want him to be able to tell people how it is. Express his feelings. Especially when I start to act like my mom when he is older.
But really, it's because she wont hurt a small child and no one else is going to say it.
Since getting my new job two years ago my commute went from 1-1/2 to 2 hours on the very pleasant roadways of virginia to 8 minutes. I am doing my part for the environment. I have even thought about bicycling to work but that would mean my lunch break would be to short. And who wants to be that healthy? Really? Fridays, lately have meant reconnecting with some of my old friends from my last job. We had been meeting at one of our favorite restaurants on the water for the last few fridays. My mother has questioned these lunch "dates" because the two friends happen to be boys. (Notice the term boys, not men.) I have unsuccessfully reassured her that they are not "dates" and I am simply going all the way up to the Fairfax area on a Friday afternoon with my small child in the back seat of the car for the fun of it so that I can complain about my pathetic existence and be reassured by my friends that it is true. It is a pathetic existence.
The ride back is what kills me. It takes the longest because by two o'clock everyone has hit the road in the same direction I am going. But it really isn't that bad. Usually Bennett falls asleep so I am able to listen to whatever music I want AND! turn it up to a almost deafening level until I feel guilty that my son's ear drums might have just burst even though he is asleep. I am very proud that my child can sleep through anything! It's probably easier when you don't have working ear drums. But it only gets better when Bennett is awake and wants to listen to his ABC CD. Oh joy! It's my favorite too. Especially when he wants to listen to THE WHOLE CD AGAIN. You mean right after we just listened to it? Why yes, yes indeed.
My back windows are tinted so people sitting in the cars next to me on the parking lot probably do not see that I have a small child in the back seat. So when they look over and see me bobbing my head side to side, sing to a song they can't hear but it looks like I am singing the abc's with a look on my face that says, "yes I am driving my self to rehab. So please don't worry you are safe to drive next to me. Wait! Where are you going? You really shouldn't drive on the shoulder you nut!" OK so it's a little exaggerated but it happens. Sometimes.
Today I am not making my beloved trip to Fairfax. Instead Bennett and I might go for a boat trip on Saturday with my friends. (I know it is surprising to some of you that I do have friends.) Instead I am going home to rescue my son from the house of many emotions.
December will mark one year of Bennett, Magic and I living at my parents house. The last few days Bennett has been talking about his "other house." I know he misses it. Sharing a room with your mother can not be that much fun for a three year old. Yesterday my mom choked back tears as she asked if we were moving. What?? Wouldn't you want us to go? Come on! You would have one less animal and two less dependents if we left! Plus a lot less stuff! This morning when I was leaving for work Bennett started talking about going to his other house and my mom started asking if he missed it. His response was, "GROOOOWWWLLL." Because that is the typical response he gives when he doesn't want to hold a conversation. I might start using that technique in my own life. I think it will go over very well in the Monday morning office meeting. I realize that this will not be funny to anyone but myself because you guys do not know the people I work with and the things they do. So I will move on...back to the move...My mom then told him that when Lexie moves out than he can have his own room. Bennett started to ignore her completely because, please, it was way to early in the morning to have a conversation and he had only had one glass of chocolate milk. Please woman!
After talking about the whole situation to a co-worker this morning a painfully obvious realization came to me. But only because my co-worker pointed it out to me. Otherwise nothing would ever become painfully obvious to me. I just don't work that way.
Perhaps Bennett speaks of his "other home" because he doesn't want to live with all the emotional people at the "new home" anymore. This could be a very big possibility because both Bekah and my mom have started a new diet and let just say things haven't been happy for awhile. Well, since Tuesday. And I am STARVING!! My mom doesn't like the fact that every few hours she has to eat protein which is either chicken or fish. The new eating plan has changed her mood completely which in the current household we can not handle because instead of her having a melt down three times on Sunday and then one somewhere in the middle of the week she now has at least two melt downs everyday. One of the melt downs happened yesterday morning. Thankfully I was at work and did not go home for lunch. Unthankfully I had left my small un-potty trained and stubborn child right in the path of the storm. And he got rained on. He got rained on hard. There might have been some lighting bolts too. I would just like to say to Bennett now I am very sorry. I have decided to not stop Bennett now when he slaps his forehead with his hand, shakes his head and says, "Not again" when my mom is having her break downs. I also will not stop him when he holds his hands to his side and says, "Grandma's crazy." Repeatedly. I am not going to stop him because I want him to be able to tell people how it is. Express his feelings. Especially when I start to act like my mom when he is older.
But really, it's because she wont hurt a small child and no one else is going to say it.