Do you hear the words that are coming out of my mouth?!

We sat around the dinner table as we do every other night
We share stories about the day when there's not too much estrogen flowing,
Listen to The Boy tell a million stories and vie for attention while we listen to the girls
Laugh at the corny jokes Teen 1 tells, they're definitely getting better
I choose my nights carefully when to bring up the subjects of chores, bills, responsibility, and the dreaded future planning of their lives.
I know that when you're talking to a teenager, if they don't like the first 5 words of your sentence.
THEIR EARS SHUT OFF
they can act like they're listening
but I can almost guarantee that the voice in their head
"Seriously, I'm 18, I'm so much smarter than my mom will ever be"
is speaking 10 times louder than the words coming out of your mouth

Somehow the subject of bills came up
so I whip out my handy dandy planner
and show them all of the bills at a glance,
I challenge them to review it and give us their idea of what a good plan for budgeting would be
we talk about college,
then I utter the words...

Let's talk about a 5 year plan

You need to have a plan, I explain to Teen 1.
And no, not the one that ended with you becoming a stripper or a single woman with 5,000 cats.

A real life plan.

I go on to tell her that one of my teachers in high school would not give me my last 10 credits to graduate until I wrote out a 5 and 10 year plan.  I found the plan years later and realized that I had actually accomplished quite a few things that I had written down.  I was 15 at the time and thought it was silly too. But I remember writing down that I wanted to buy a house, and by 19, I had actually acomplished that.

I felt like I should at least try to pass the idea and concept on to my own kids.

We chat some more and then everyone leaves the table.

A few minutes later, Teen 1 calls me out to the kitchen table and goes over her plan
It's scribbled on a piece of a paper
Not really much to it
Go to school
Move out
things that an 18 year old thinks her mom wants to hear.
She reads them out to me
Is that what you wanted? she asks in a sarcastic tone.
This isn't for me, I replied, this is for you.
It's your life, it's your plan, I continue. Then I turn around to walk away.
She crumbles up the paper and throws it in the trash
I bite my tongue.

The next day, she calls me after school as she likes to report the daily happenings.
Mom, she says, I told Chris(her boyfriend) to write out a 5 year plan.
Oh really, I ask curiously.
Yeah, I told him he needs to write out a plan for school, what he wants to do. she continues.
That's good, I say.

That's it. I say nothing else.
It takes everything in me not to say anything else.
I just smile.
It worked,
she listened,
it meant something.

That's good enough.

http://www.daysoffivelives.blogspot.com/

I Do Nail Fo You

I've had a new obsession lately

Nails

as in finger nails

I love all the cool designs and simple ways to display your creativity

It started last summer when crackle was all the craze

Then the cheetah designs

The ring finger painted bright teal while all others were hot pink

I've been trying some new designs lately

check

them

out

Pac Man!

i see spots

 neon stripes

 ghost tips

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On Top of a Mountain All Covered With Snow

me: alright, i got this. I don't need know stinkin instructor!

me: oh sh*t! I'm really doing this, ok drop it down low, butt out

me: focus, arms out, balance

instructor to hubby: way to go bro

instructor: yesterday i was getting some sick air like this

hubby: no way man

me: whoooooaaaaaaa, watch out!!!

instructor: oh no, was that your wife?

instructor and hubby: she's going down for sure!

hubby: you got this right? (walking away)

me: slips, tumbles, .. aaahhhhhhh, (flips) I'm ok!!

http://www.daysoffivelives.blogspot.com/

In the Dog House

 Meet Little Boy Blue or Dougie Fresh (its still up for debate)

He came home so that Sir Arthur would have a much needed pal

Arthur, who was once a little guy, is now a huge beast

Hubby decided they needed a dog house for the backyard.

If you know hubby, you know that he does nothing small, he does nothing simple.

He will always find the most elaborate, best thing out there and will figure out a way to build it…

So off he goes and buys some wood, a saw, and some insulation, yes folks, insulation!

And begins to build…

with precise measurements of course

 6 1/2' by 5 1/2', it's a big one!

  They each have their own room

and a hallway to share 

Hinged roof

 because sometimes we gotta pull them outta there

The Boy is laying down some carpet for comfort

The puppy was comfy and asleep within minutes

2 days of hard work and

The structure is complete...

What a beautiful piece of bare canvas

can't wait to get my hands on it
Hubby is not as excited about my ideas
I'm thinking of a mexican riveria theme since they'll be basking in the sun by the pool

Will post the finished project soon!

http://www.daysoffivelives.blogspot.com/

Mostly Wordless Wednesday...The Writings on the Wall

Hubby and I landed at a quaint little shop in Solvang

on our weekend adventure up the Central Coast

I walked into this craft store and fell in love

with the writings on the wall...

http://www.daysoffivelives.blogspot.com/

Confessions of a Shopaholic...Now You Done Gone and Pissed Her Off

I’m normally a happy, easy going person.
I laugh all the time
I smile at everyone
I’ll start a conversation almost anywhere
I usually end up talking to creepers the most random people
and end up in the most akward of conversations
(maybe I’ll should write about those)

But lately
I’ve noticed a change

Maybe it’s frustration
Maybe it’s anger
Maybe it’s the stores ripping me off
and the second you question the cashier,
they look at you like you just grew a 2nd head.

Seriously?!

I do NOT understand why when I ask the cashier to double check a price
I get the sigh
I get the eye roll
I get the complete attitude

Hey, I’ve been in their position before…
I’ve worked in the Customer Service field in some way or another most of my working life
I understand people have bad days, but c’mon people.
What’s with the all of the attitude?

This past Sunday I was uber-excited
because the Halloween costumes were on sale for $12 at Target.
I sent Teen 2 with The Boy to search the aisles
as I picked up other items on our shopping list.
As I approach the Halloween aisle,

Teen 2 holds up the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle costume that The Boy chose.
I check the price on the rack and the tag shows a $12 sale price over the regular price
We throw everything in the cart and stroll up to the register
I place the costume up on the register belt first
Then I begin to unload the rest of my items
The cashier scans the barcode, and sure enough $20 appears on the screen.
She scans another item.
How much was the costume, I ask?
She squints into her computer screen, $20.
The display shows that it’s on sale for $12, I explain
No, it’s $20, she says.
Sigh* here we go… This aint my first price war lady!
Can you please check because they’re on sale for $12, I ask.

The cashier in lane 7 chimes in-
$12 for the costume, she chuckles as she picks up the weekly ad
Look B*tch, I want to say, but I compose myself.
My cashier flips the switch on her #8 light pole for some help.
over walks her supervisor
She says it’s on sale for $12, the cashier explains to her supervisor
The supervisor swipes the barcode
She turns the computer screen to face me.
It’s $20, see, it says here in the computer.
She points- this right here- says that if you didn’t have a receipt and returned it, you’d get $20
That means it’s never been on sale.

At this point, my blood is boiling and the line behind me is building up.
Ok, I say, with a twitch, I could feel a little crazy comin' on
Now they done gone and pissed me off…

Unfortunately I wasn’t wearing the most comfortable shoes
so I didn’t have the strength to walk to the all the way to back of the store again
and it was apparent her lazy supervisor wasn’t going to entertain the customer standing before her.

I go home with determination to confirm the price is only $12
That’s $8 they’ve just taken from me, I’m thinking.
How many people are there today buying costumes and not double checking their receipt?
How much extra profit are they making without the consumer realizing it.

I look over the ad, yep $12.
I go online, sure enough $12.
I take off my cowboy boots, throw on some slippers, gather my Target bag, and receipt
And put on my boxing gloves
(Well not really, but wouldn’t that have been funny?!)

Ahem, I digress

I stomp into Target
Walk all the way to the back of the store
find the exact Teenage Mutant Ninja Costume
It’s right there, The Boy says as he points to the ground.
it fell off when I took the costume off Mom.
He certainly is my kid, he knew exactly what I was looking for
I pick it up.
The Sale Sticker showing $12 clearly states
“Rafael, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle”
The Boy and I march back up to the register.

I take my costume and receipt out of the bag.
I was overcharged, I tell the cashier, I want to get my money back.
I show him the sale tag.
He re-works the transaction and gives my $8 back.

I ask him if the lady with the glasses on is the manger
She’s the supervisor, he replies.
Tell her to believe the customer next time, I instruct him.
I will, he quivers.
I’ll show her this he says as he holds up the sales tag.

I take my Boy, his costume, and my $8 and vow to never shop at Target again.

I know that won’t really happen, but damn they pissed me off!!


http://www.daysoffivelives.blogspot.com/

Mostly Wordless Wednesday...Cheese please

Teen 1 is such a cheeseball sometimes

She picked the header for our photo booth photo shoot

give mama a kiss

 

Beauty and The Beast!

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