Let's Cut to the Chase

Last night there was about an hour's gap of time between when Steve left for work and when I arrived home to find GG freaking out. She and S3 had been fighting again. I thought I'd calmed the situation so I went upstairs to shower. I didn't even have the water turned on when GG pounded on the door freaking out about S3 again. I told her just to avoid him until I finished my shower and I'd deal with everyone then.

About twenty minutes later, I had everyone turn off the computers, play stations, and television and gather in the living room. Ty told me his version of events, S3 & Ev concurred and GG added a little more detail, but pretty much everyone told the same story.

For the next half hour or so, Ty, S3, GG and I discussed how things could have been done differently to avoid the arguing and crying and finally everyone was calm so I dismissed them all from the "meeting." Ev turns to me and says, "So basically I didn't really need to be here."

Boundaries

I've been going through a lot of emotional turmoil lately and was told by a few people that I need to set up boundaries. Here is a very good article about boundaries. I am not good at this. For one thing, I don't really like conflict and I know if I suddenly start setting up boundaries, I'm going to be facing a lot of conflict. After all, I've spent nearly 33 years doing whatever everyone else wanted me to do.

For another thing, I have to have a clear idea of what my boundaries are. This is difficult because I am a people pleaser so I want everyone to be happy and I've been willing in the past to do things I absolutely did not want to do just to make someone else happy.

I told Rosemary today (yes, I know you don't know who Rosemary is, don't worry about it) that everyone wants me for something. My clients want me. My children want me. My husband wants me. My educators want me. My teen group wants me. Rosemary said somewhere in there I've lost myself. That's exactly how I feel. Lost.

So it's boundary time I guess. I am not looking forward to this at all.

Velda

I don't know how this happened but my dear friend Velda has been diagnosed with brain cancer. I can't help but think, WTH? How does that work? Why don't bad people get brain cancer and decent, sweet, loyal friends live long and prosper?

Velda, if you read this, I've been thinking about you a lot lately. I'd like to make another trip up to see you. I'm sorry it's been so long since my last visit and I'm even sorrier that it took something as crappy as this to get my butt in gear. I love you, and I'm praying for you.

Gentle reader, if you are a member of facebook, please consider joining this group, Angels on Your Shoulder and helping out if you can.

I haven't blogged in forever

That doesn't mean I've stopped telling the entire world every stupid thing that goes on in my life. Far from it. It just means I've found faster, easier mediums with which to fascinate every person I've ever met with what I've had for breakfast.

I've been meaning to come post here some long drivel about this super big decision I have to make sometime really soon (continue in medicine or open a bookstore) but instead I think I'll tell you about the guy who pierced my nose.

He changed his gloves a hundred million times. I'm only partially exaggerating.

Look, I wipe people's hineys for a living. I understand germs and gloves and PPEs but seriously, this guy was really trying hard to remain clean. He would draw the dot on my nose, change his gloves. Open a package, change his gloves. I appreciate it. I'm sure it reduces the chance that my piercing will get infected but... well... it was still kinda weird.

All in all, he was a nice guy and the piercing didn't hurt at all after the needle was thru. Well done Kevin! Thanks!

Psychology for the Hypochondriac

I'm taking a psych course this semester and this week's chapter is on Psychological Disorders. I think at least a quarter of the chapter is on schizophrenia and the text defines one of the symptoms of schizophrenia being hallucinations, "often emerging as voices."

This morning after Steve had left for work, and the kids had left for school, I was getting ready for work, starting with a nice, hot shower in the peaceful quiet house. Suddenly, over the sound of the water pouring from the shower head, I heard a voice calling me. For a half a heart beat I thought, "Voices!"

Turns out I forgot I was babysitting my nieces and nephew this morning. The "voice" was my sister, hollering up the stairs to check and see if I was home or if I totally forgot them and left the house already. Yup, I have problems, but I don't think any of them are schizophrenia.

Nature or Nurture?

My husband, for those who don't know him, is a very literal man. I call him Mr. Literal. It's really annoying. He says exactly what he means and he will do exactly what you ask him to do. We try not to say, "Throw that [fill in the blank] over here," unless you really want him to throw it at you.

A little while ago, I was in the basement folding laundry, and had the kids come down to bring their piles up to put away. I handed Ty his pile, which was rather large and had a pair of underpants on top. In order to balance his pile, he ended up using his face. I said, "Ty are you ok? 'Cuz you've got undies in your face..."

As he was walking away and up the stairs he said, "Well technically they're not IN my face. They're NEXT TO my face but not in my face. If they were in my face, that would be weird."

Mr. Literal, Jr.

Special Talents

Tonight in the car, E asked me why we don't have a "family job." After some confusion, Ty translated that for me into, "Why doesn't our family own our own business?" I asked E what she thought we would do if we opened our own business. There were a lot of restaurant ideas coming from the back seat when S3 chimed in, "Let's see... What are our skill sets? Hmmm.... there's Tattling..."