Thanksgiving week was a lot more stressful than I had hoped it would be!
Daughter had to have knee surgery for a torn meniscus. She is not a good patient under everyday circumstances, so having to have this surgery really messed her up. I should have thought to ask for something to calm her nerves BEFORE we went to the hospital - maybe it would have helped. It was a long day, but I am thankful for the doctor, the wonderful nurses, and especially the anesthesiologist who calmed her fears just before they took her in. Although she has a ways to go, she is improving every day.
We spent Thanksgiving Day with hubby's family at his mom's house. His sister arrived late with her new boyfriend, and we had already drawn names for the family Christmas gift exchange. She was dismayed to learn we had not included boyfriend in the gift exchange, even though historically, significant others have not been included until they have married into the family. She withdrew her name from the list in protest. It kind of put a damper on the day, but after discussing it with the other siblings, hubby was able to convince his sister to participate by including the boyfriend as well. Hopefully there will be no hard feelings over this.
Friday after Thanksgiving, we visited hubby's dad and his wife, who are dealing with his dad's Alzheimer's. He was having a good day on Friday, and we had a nice visit. It's a difficult situation because he doesn't remember anything recent, but he talks constantly about when he was a kid growing up. His wife is not well-liked by my hubby and his siblings; in their defense, she has created many of the problems herself by how she has treated them. Wife is upset that hubby's siblings only rarely call or visit. There are reasons why they don't visit often, but I wish they would call more than they do. We try to call and visit at least once a month, which doesn't seem like much, I know. As hard as it is, I hope my hubby and his siblings realize their dad will not always be here. I am thankful they have this time with him, and I hope they can move past their differences with his wife so they can enjoy what time they do have.
We didn't get to see my family this week, but I did talk with my parents and a couple of my siblings by phone. I look forward to them being at my house for Christmas!
In spite of the stress, I am thankful for all the good things in my life!
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Saturday, November 19, 2011
The Dating Game
It's funny how dating is fine when my almost 20-year-old daughter wants to do it, but when my 15-year-old son starts dating, it's a different story -- according to Daughter.
Son has had a girlfriend since Halloween. She's a pretty girl and seems very nice, but she's an older woman. Oh alright -- only by a year, but still, at 15 that year seems like much more. She is a junior, he's a sophomore. She has her license, he doesn't.
Son invited her over about a week after they started dating. Hubby was home so they weren't here alone. I came home from work to find them sitting on the couch, holding hands. So cute! And immediately on the heels of that thought came another: Oh my gosh, he's my baby! He can't be old enough to date!
They've settled into somewhat of a routine, she comes here once a week and he goes there once or twice a week. It's probably a good thing she doesn't live in our town - I'd be driving by her house every 30 minutes to spy. I asked Hubby if he had "talked" to Son. His answer? Sure. Yeah right! He hasn't talked to him - not about what I want him to talk to him about! Hubby laughs at me and says Son is a good kid, not prone to making bad choices. I reminded him that Son is also a 15-year-old hormonal boy! It got me nowhere.
As Son was driving to school this week (Ahhhh... a captive audience!), I brought up the subject of being a gentleman. He didn't want to talk about it, and admitted he would rather have this conversation with his sister than with me. I wasn't upset about it, but I did make sure he knows I have expectations of him!
Daughter is not happy he is dating. It's not WHO he's dating, it's the fact that he IS dating. She told me she can't take this - that it needs to stop. I laughed and said that's how I felt when she started dating. She told me this was different - she didn't have to watch when she started dating!
Ultimately, I hope to see both my children happy with someone special in their lives. Daughter is so independent it might take her a while to find someone strong enough for her, but she will find someone eventually. As for Son, I have no doubt someday he will find someone too, but for now - he's only 15!
Son has had a girlfriend since Halloween. She's a pretty girl and seems very nice, but she's an older woman. Oh alright -- only by a year, but still, at 15 that year seems like much more. She is a junior, he's a sophomore. She has her license, he doesn't.
Son invited her over about a week after they started dating. Hubby was home so they weren't here alone. I came home from work to find them sitting on the couch, holding hands. So cute! And immediately on the heels of that thought came another: Oh my gosh, he's my baby! He can't be old enough to date!
They've settled into somewhat of a routine, she comes here once a week and he goes there once or twice a week. It's probably a good thing she doesn't live in our town - I'd be driving by her house every 30 minutes to spy. I asked Hubby if he had "talked" to Son. His answer? Sure. Yeah right! He hasn't talked to him - not about what I want him to talk to him about! Hubby laughs at me and says Son is a good kid, not prone to making bad choices. I reminded him that Son is also a 15-year-old hormonal boy! It got me nowhere.
As Son was driving to school this week (Ahhhh... a captive audience!), I brought up the subject of being a gentleman. He didn't want to talk about it, and admitted he would rather have this conversation with his sister than with me. I wasn't upset about it, but I did make sure he knows I have expectations of him!
Daughter is not happy he is dating. It's not WHO he's dating, it's the fact that he IS dating. She told me she can't take this - that it needs to stop. I laughed and said that's how I felt when she started dating. She told me this was different - she didn't have to watch when she started dating!
Ultimately, I hope to see both my children happy with someone special in their lives. Daughter is so independent it might take her a while to find someone strong enough for her, but she will find someone eventually. As for Son, I have no doubt someday he will find someone too, but for now - he's only 15!
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Veterans Day
We celebrated Veterans Day this week. There were lots of ceremonies thanking our veterans for their service to our country. What is a veteran? A Facebook post described it well:
A local radio station recently hosted an Honor Flight in which a plane-full of World War II veterans were flown to Washington D.C., at no cost to them, to see their recently built memorial. We attended the "Welcome Home" event at our local airport. What a wonderful experience for our veterans!
I am humbled by what these veterans have given in order that we may continue to have the freedoms we have in the United States.
Thank you, Veterans.
A local radio station recently hosted an Honor Flight in which a plane-full of World War II veterans were flown to Washington D.C., at no cost to them, to see their recently built memorial. We attended the "Welcome Home" event at our local airport. What a wonderful experience for our veterans!
I am humbled by what these veterans have given in order that we may continue to have the freedoms we have in the United States.
Thank you, Veterans.
Sunday, November 6, 2011
November Brings Change
November brings change to my corner of the Midwest.
The weather is noticeably different. We had a wonderful, warm October. Many people were still running around in shorts, until last week. Frosty nights and daytime temperatures in the low 50's feel much colder than they really are. That's enough to get me back into my sweatshirts and jeans - some of my favorite attire!
This weekend we turned our clocks back and gained an extra hour of sleep. Well, I tried to gain it anyway. My body and mind were wide awake at 8 AM, but then I realized it was only 7 AM. So much for sleeping in. I curled up in the chair with a warm blanket and a good book until the rest of the family was awake.
Last weekend I was upset to discover my daughter blocked me on Facebook. Early in the week, we had a discussion via text messages. That seems to be the only way we talk these days. But at least the discussion provided a way for both of us to share our feelings and clear the air. Shortly after that discussion, I was able to see her posts again. She blames it on a Facebook glitch and is adamant that she didn't block me. I want to give her the benefit of the doubt, but the timing is pretty suspicious. Still, things are better now so I'm not going to push the issue.
November is not just a time for change. It's a time to give thanks for all our blessings. So as we begin the month, I'm thankful for good weather, for my health, and for time to spend with family, even if things are not always rosy. It's family, and that's what counts.
The weather is noticeably different. We had a wonderful, warm October. Many people were still running around in shorts, until last week. Frosty nights and daytime temperatures in the low 50's feel much colder than they really are. That's enough to get me back into my sweatshirts and jeans - some of my favorite attire!
This weekend we turned our clocks back and gained an extra hour of sleep. Well, I tried to gain it anyway. My body and mind were wide awake at 8 AM, but then I realized it was only 7 AM. So much for sleeping in. I curled up in the chair with a warm blanket and a good book until the rest of the family was awake.
Last weekend I was upset to discover my daughter blocked me on Facebook. Early in the week, we had a discussion via text messages. That seems to be the only way we talk these days. But at least the discussion provided a way for both of us to share our feelings and clear the air. Shortly after that discussion, I was able to see her posts again. She blames it on a Facebook glitch and is adamant that she didn't block me. I want to give her the benefit of the doubt, but the timing is pretty suspicious. Still, things are better now so I'm not going to push the issue.
November is not just a time for change. It's a time to give thanks for all our blessings. So as we begin the month, I'm thankful for good weather, for my health, and for time to spend with family, even if things are not always rosy. It's family, and that's what counts.
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