Shame, shame...I know your name...

Do you remember this from our childhood? "Shame, shame...I know your name?" While I say this I am repeatedly sliding the index finger of my right hand down the length of my left hand. This little hand gesture adds insult to injury showing just how shameful you (I've) been. Today, a sweet friend sent me a message asking about my lack of blog posts which immediately brought to mind..."shame, shame...I know your name." I could even envision the hand gesture. So, I've been a little slack-a-days-ickle. I am a slacker...I admit it.

For those of you who don't know, I spent the past three years in college, again, this time getting a degree in elementary education. Since we (my friend and I) graduated in early May, she was thinking that I should have plenty of time to post. And, I would have to agree....I "should" have time. But, where has it all gone?

So, in an effort to catch you up on the past four months and maybe eek a tiny bit of sympathy from you, here goes...

The best part of going through graduation "again" was the invention of the cell phone. I'm sure someone had a cell phone when I first graduated in 1995, but poor college students didn't have them. I admit to texting during the less than interesting and downright confusing (maybe I'm not that smart?) speeches. While I appreciate the time, energy, and guts it took to stand up and speak...complaining about them was more fun than actually listening.

I had a month off between graduation and the time the kids got out of school that was purely mine...at least that's how it should have been. Somehow, I filled in my schedule quite quickly and that whole pesky find-a-job thing kept getting in the way, too. If I could have a re-do, I would say no to 75% of the things I let take up that month. I do admit, however, to a few afternoons of reading and napping...but, don't let it get out.

So, the job hunt thing...ugh! I applied to every job I didn't want because there are no jobs (yet) that I do. And, I let it take up a ton of time and energy...it takes time and creativity to put cute little stickers on the beautiful linen envelope that would carry my resume, letter, transcript, references, blood sample, lock of hair, and first born...all sent knowing that the jobs that were listed weren't really jobs because they were already spoken for before they were even posted...double ugh! Meanwhile, I'm waiting...and SCREAMING FROM THE MOUNTAIN TOPS THAT I WANT A JOB!!!! Okay, now that that's out of my system...I'll keep waiting.

In addition to that pesky job thing are my pesky kids. Okay, just kidding...they rock. However, they can be pesky at times...they learned it from me. We spent quite a bit of time at the dentist with our 8-yr old daughter who, on the second to last visit to take care of some pesky (I love that word) cavities, could be heard screaming from the top of her lungs "I hate the dentist! You people are crazy!" Um, yeah...she really doesn't like the dentist. We were summarily sent to a "specialist" to handle her "difficult behavior."

Speaking of teeth, after two more slacker tooth fairy incidents...that tooth fairy is the worst! "Maybe the tooth fairy couldn't find your tooth" says the slacker parent in the morning when her son finds his tooth and no money. The role of tooth fairy is one of the tenants of our responsibilities as parents and we have failed miserably. One time we gave him money but couldn't find the tooth. In the morning, our son came out with the tooth and the money and felt like he'd pulled one over on the tooth fairy (ie. "us" since he knows there is no tooth fairy). More on our tooth fairy fiascos can be found here.

We have been vacation maniacs. Don't let a little thing like being broke get in the way of a good vacation...it's amazing what you can pull out of thin air. And, it helps to have 60,000 credit card points banked that help pay for hotel rooms. Many lunchmeat sandwiches and 2,500 miles later we drove through 8 states and visited our nation's capital. This was a test of the family and we all managed to survive. We never saw the president, but we did get to see the official White House beekeepers which was the next best thing! Our daughter's favorite memory will be the super power hand dryers in all the bathrooms which make your skin wrinkly. I will admit to putting my face under one which then scarred our daughter for life. Our son who wanted this trip more than any of us--will remember how our daughter incessantly chews with her mouth open. And, then you get home and everyone goes back to their separate rooms and separate TVs and all is well with the world...or, is it?

And, filling up the rest of my time...laundry, arguing with children, sweeping, telling my children to stop arguing, reading, arguing with my children, swimming, arguing some more, mowing, telling my children I'm done arguing, feeding pets, arguing some more...Is summer over, yet?