Where are my photos?

We moved into this house July 20.  I am have been sorting and organizing and rearranging ever since.  I took several before and after photos of various spots around the house that are much improved after a few baskets, etc.  The pantry, the front closet, the master bedroom closet...............where are they?   I've checked 2 memory cards.  I guess I'll find the photos.  Kinda bummed that I don't get to show them.

So I'll jsut show these.  Ironman was out of town.  I.T. Girl and Dancer Girl requested omelets and biscuits for supper.  Easy enough.

Milk, cheese, sausage, flour, baking power, buttermilk, sugar..........

                                                                           EGGS!

                                                      Gosh I hate when that happens.

Teenage Girls.

Teenagers.

Teenage GIRLS.

I remember being a teenage girl.  And I remember what I wanted from my.......... well, you know......... when I was a teenage girl.  Oh how I remember.  It's basically the same stuff I STILL want.

And so now I have 2 teenage girls.  Daughters with  two very, very different personalities.
One is studious, painfully shy and self conscious.  The other is a social butterfly, just stepping in to the teenage role, and feeling increasingly "not as smart" as her friends and siblings.

I remember the mean girls.  I can remember their names, the way they'd flip their hair over their shoulders.  I can remember how they'd act one way here and another way there.  I remember watching them and wondering........... why?  What makes some girls more "attractive" than others?  It's obviously not all about physical beauty.  It's about the way you carry yourself when you enter a room.  All that rolled up and a tootsie pop, too.

I survived it.  Barely.

And now I'm the mother of a painfully shy teenage girl.  And let me tell you, the "bullying" is a different style but oh it's still there.  If you are seen as the mother of a daughter who is less than............... well, just less............ then you are back to square one.  You'd think we as grown women would have learned our lesson.  We would have survived the teenage years with perspective of what's important and how all that is so silly.  But oh no.  We're right back in it.  But this time, instead, we are using our own daughters to base our worth.  Crazy.  Just crazy.

Because I have no relationship to base it on I find myself struggling in the dark.  But then I remind myself that I do know how to handle it.  And I do know that this teenage stuff will pass.  And I do know that the teenage years are NOT the best years of your life.  High school - crazy place.  (and yes, I was told that over and over and over as a teen)

So I cringe, but I know it doesn't matter.

My daughter does not attend prom.  I'm thankful she's not pregnant.
My daughter does not have a large circle of friends.  I'm thankful her grades are good.
My daughter does not clean up her room.  Ever.  I'm thankful that we have a huge house where I can just avoid that area.
I'm thankful that I have her.
I'm thankful that I'm not my mother.
Yes, thankful for that.

Now, my other daughter?  Wow.  Such a different story.

BTW, I saw a music video by Martina McBride about Teenage Girls and it was so lame and stupid.  Hated it.  Sorry Martina.

What to do

When she was good,
She was very very good.
But when she was bad
She was horrid.

I heard someone recite this poem today.  She wasn't referring to me, of course, but it sure fits me today.  I feel so irritable and frustrated.  I feel horrid.  I'm not ill or anything. Just plain ole cranky.  And frustraed that I'm not given the space to BE CRANKY PEOPLE!!

So I didn't come straight home from work.  I took a detour to Target.  Have you noticed not much goes on sale anymore?  At least not anything interesting?

I wanted bins for my master bedroom closet.  I don't want purple bins.  Or green bins.  Or striped bins.  I want just solid white.  So the bins were marked down - all of them - except for the white ones.

I wanted clear drawer organizers.  You would know I'd want the one thing Target does not have.

I did buy a few things:  a Halloween picture frame (nope, have no idea why) dog food (bluh) a few things to throw on the grill for supper (double bluh) an acrylic tray marked down to $2.  I walked down every single aisle.  

And then the machine wouldn't take my debit card.  And right when I was feeling a little on the bright side.

Got home to a messy house.  No supper.  Which is why I had bought a few things at Target to grill.  IN the mail:  a HUGE cell phone bill.  Great.  Thank you ATT.

I once heard a woman speak about blogging and she stressed that your blog should never be negative.  I don't mean to complain, but that's just crazy.  This blog is for me and me alone.  Nobody else reads it.  If I want to be cranky, I'll be cranky!

Listen, I'll feel better tomorrow.

We have tickets to a Taylor Swift concert.  Three tickets.  Ironman announced at supper he was going.  Uh............ we have three tickets.  Great.  Just great.  I was kinda looking forward to going somewhere different.  Oh well, he can go.  They'll have a good time without me.

Good things that happened today:
I did not run out of gas on the way to work.
The temperature was 74.
My a/c is working.  Washer and Dryer are also working.
My clothes are loose.
It's Friday.

Sometimes you have to force yourself to see the good stuff.

Why can't women work together?

I've heard them discuss it on The View.  "Yes, we get along great"  "They would never say that about a group of men"

I heard it years ago when Jane Pauley (eeek!) was edged out of her job by Deborah Norville.  Women are competitive and can not work together.

Well I'm not on television.  But I am here to say it is a challenge to work with a group of women and that makes me so sad.  Not sad, actually,  EMBARRASSED!

At my job there are women of all ages, races, religions, creeds, financial status......... you name it.  It didn't take long for the battle lines to be drawn.  And listen, once they are drawn it is HADES to try to cross them.  And just forget trying to extinquish those lines.  It ain't gonna happen.

I have to be succinct in my words.  

I have to keep my wits.

I have to watch my back.

I have to choose to ignore certain attitudes, behaviors and remarks.

And girl, it is EXHAUSTING!

As I watch shows like "Toddlers and Tiaras" and "Dance Moms" it becomes clear to me that the insecurities of the mother are handed down to the daughter.  And you only "win" if you beat another girl.  Anything less labels you a loser and not worth even considering.

I sat today and had a 20 minutes conversation with a perfectly nice grown woman.  I asked about her daughter who had just this school year started high school.  And then I sat and listened politely and she went on and on and ON about her daughter's achievements in just the month we've been back in session.  All that is fine and dandy.  I don't really mind listening.  Really I don't.  But in all that time........ she never ONCE asked about my own daughters.  Not once!  It's crazy how people are.  Did she not ask because she's that rude and selfish?  Or was it that she was afraid of what I'd say.  Maybe my daughter was achieving MORE than hers.  And that would be too much to hear.  Way too much.

I get tired of women like that.   And this woman is not the first women I've encountered to act just like that.

Why are women so competitive?  Why are women so territorial?  Why do women beat each other up?  Why do women lie to each other and make a huge mountain out of nothing?  I need to go lay down.

Just point me to the nearest restaurant that serves peach cobbler and make it quick!

Labor Day

September 5, Labor Day.  I can't believe it's here already.  Two summers in a row were not very vacationy for us.   I feel like we haven't had a break in so long.  And now we're int he hardest part of the school year.  From the first day of school until Thanksgiving is long with no breaks.  Yes, we have a day off on labor Day.  And we have a couple of days off in October for Fall Break.  But we don't have a nice long break until Thanksgiving.  So I'm tired.  The first of school takes so much energy.  No way you can sustain that kind of output for long.  Eventually you're going to hit the wall.

And when you get really tired, what do you do?  Hit some Labor Day Sales.

I bought 3 pairs of shoes today.  THREE!  I had six boxes......... but that was ridiculous.  So I parred it down to 3.  I needed shoes desperately.  I think I've worn flip flops for 6 months.

Dancer Girl had to make a 3-d model of an animal cell.  I bought the supplies.  And rummaged through my craft stuff to find other materials.  She made it this afternoon.  Looks pretty good.

I.T. Girl has been in an unusually good mood lately.  How long with that last?

The Engineer is away in a far off land of Red and Blue.  He's planning to come home in 2 weeks.

Ironman has painted lots of old furniture pieces.  It really is like getting new furniture for free.

When I find the camera, I"ll take photos

What I'm Reading

For Christmas, Ironman gave me a Nook.  I wanted a Nook.  But I didn't need a Nook. I was perfectly capable of going down to the B&N and picking up a book.  I was so excited that he had GOTTEN THE HINT and the Nook is my new best friend.  

I just need L.T. go get her husband to buy her a Nook so we can share books in our libraries.  Hint, Hint.

I've already shared some books in my virtual library.  Here's what I'm reading now.



I finished this book last night.  This is the third Liza Palmer book I've read.  And book #4 isn't released until APRIL!  What will I do?  I love, love, love her books.  The first chapter was a little too close to home for me........... and so I didn't continue reading it.  But now it's been a few weeks since my latest family drama and because I'm a cheapo and didn't want to waste my money and never read the thing.......... I opened it back up on my Nook and continued reading.  I did not put the crazy thing down until I just couldn't see out of my eyeballs anymore!  Finished the book in 3 days.  As always, Miss Palmer - I love you.  And I think you've been following me around with this book!
The story of Grace and her siblings and a deceased mother and a dying father....... and all the family drama.  The very last page  made me laugh out loud.  As an ode to the author, here is my list:
Things I'd rather do than endure family drama:
1. Have my throat swabbed with a q-tip
2.  be stung by a wasp
3.  be interrogated by the police

Family Drama.  It never ends for me

Hurry up Liza.  I need another book!

And then I found myself "bookless"  I logged onto Blogher.  Clicked on Book Club and thought it would be fun to read along with these other ladies.  I'm sure most of them read on a Nook.  And so this is what we're reading together:



I've only on page 100 of this book.  It grabbed me, though, from the first few pages.  So many interesting characters.  I can't wait to see what they are going to do.  That reminds me, I need to check in at Blogher.  Put in my review for the first 100.

Tomorrow is Labor Day.  I'm going to shop for shoes.  Take a nap.  Read a book.

I hope it rains.

The monkeys have taken over the zoo

That is exactly how I feel about my new job.  Oh, it's alright.  And when things get out of hand I just tell myself "It's not your classroom"  Which it isn't.  So........... I just manage what I can manage and let it go.  Let it go.  That's a struggle for me.  Because I want it the way I want it.

Control issues anyone?

I guess it says something about me.  I want the room to be tidy.  I want the children to be trained that "this is how we do it"  When you value something, you take care of it.  So when I see toys cluttered and misplaced and nothing is returned to it's home I know they are not valuing it.

But like I said, "It's not my classroom".

In other news:  there is a tropical storm about to hit Louisiana.  Temperatures will drop and RAIN RAIN RAIN!  I can't wait.