Not the insult he intended.

WARNING: FOR ADULT'S ONLY!!!!!!

So my 10-year old came home from school yesterday and reported that a fellow fourth grader made a rude remark to him. I asked my son how did he respond? My ten year old: "I told X: 'Oh yeah? Well, you have a big d*ck.'"

I didn't have the heart to tell him that his response may not be the insult that he intended. Instead, I told him that he shouldn't have said what he did and that it is never okay to make rude remarks about other people's bodies.  I did all of this without laughing, and trust me, that was very difficult!

Dreams shattered?

My 8 year old has been counting down the years until she can try out for American Idol. I informed her yesterday that I heard this season may be the last year of AI. Her eyes welled up in tears. In case the show is indeed cancelled, here is a sneak peak of what America might have missed. You may need to turn your sound up, as I was being sneaky filming her. This is her version of "You've had a bad day."

Following in line.

Do you ever wonder WHY? Why do we feel like we need to live in the best school district? Why does my husband have to work 50+ hours a week? Why do I feel I have to a perfectly clean house (which I don't)? Why so much pressure? I often fantasize of moving my family to some remote spot and living off the land. I have never had a vegetable garden, but I think I would love it. I have never canned, but I CAN imagine that I would find great satisfaction out of it. So what if my kids aren't in the top district? Maybe they play in a "C" soccer league? Maybe having their father around more often would make up the difference. What will help my kids out the most in the long run? How do you teach a child daily responsibility? Isn't that our goal? Make each child accountable for their actions. Help them be independent. Be a good person. I don't want my children to become selfish or self-centered. You are complaining of being BORED? How do you think Laura Ingalls felt? She would be astonished at what you have. You're not receiving oranges in your Christmas stocking.


This isn't new for me. I have been pondering these questions for many years. Out of fear I don't act. How do I know what is right? If a fairy could grant me one wish, it would be to live a happy life in the country. My fear hinders me. So I will continue on this path ...until I muster enough guts to say "Enough is enough!"

Aloha.

We are back from our trip to Maui. We had a wonderful and relaxing time. The condo we rented was perfect for us...CLEAN, nice pool, pretty view of the ocean, and not too fancy that we couldn't drink Budweiser from cans pool-side.

We went Whale Watching and saw many pairs of moms and their babies. Brian and I enjoyed it way more than the kids.

We all tried snorkeling. The waves were pretty strong a couple of days. Perfect for playing in the waves, not so great for snorkeling. The snorkel mask made me feel claustrophobic. Brian had a close encounter with a sea turtle. The turtle swam up to him and got about three feet away. Brian had an underwater camera and was able to take some pictures, but he's worried his finger was over the lens.

We found a fun park with lots of low-branched trees. The kids (and I) thoroughly enjoyed climbing. I of course had to recite, "Hi! I'm Billy. I've been climbing trees all my life, but not trees near overhead lines. Because if you touch one of those lines, or your weight makes a branch touch a line...." For those of you who grew up in KC, you'll know what I'm talking about.

All in all, it was a great family vacation. I really enjoyed the laid back feel of Maui. We all thought it was fun how the locals would flash you the HANG LOOSE sign when you did something nice, like let them merge, etc. I definitely want to go back.

Maloha.