The Punish List

A list of the things that I used to get in trouble for as a child and now punish my kids for...

1. Leaving lights on. I never really understood the cost of light bulbs and electricity as a child, thought my step-dad was insane for going crazy over them being left on but now it's not even the money that bothers me, it's the fact that it's just plain annoying and lazy that they are left on. Yet, I wonder if that's maybe what got his goat too and we just use money as the excuse to punish since it's much more practical and kids can't argue with that.

2. Tipping your chair at the dinner table. I used to have to sit on the washing machine as a kid if I tipped my chair back. I don't make my kids do that, mostly because the washer is in the basement and it's just plain nasty down there, but it still ticks me off and I get a little fussy about it.

3. Putting your hair back at dinner. This one used to send my Grandpa Neuman into a tizzy if the girls didn't have their hair back at dinner. One loose hair on the table or in the food and Grandpa's dinner was o-v-e-r. My daughter hates me for making her pull her hair back before eating...I however hate watching her eat hair for dinner...I cooked dammit!

4. Clean your room. I mean, this is probably every child in the world...rarely do they clean their rooms, and as a child we are pretty creative at finding good excuses as to why it should just stay messy, including but not limited to "I can find stuff easier", "it's MY room, why do you care", and "if you stop looking at it then you won't care if it's dirty". However, as a mom I find myself answering with the one standard response that must be passed from generation to generation, which is "It's my house, I pay for it, this room is not yours, you just borrow it until you are 18 and move out...when you are 18, not a day later."

5. Move away from the TV. I swear there isn't a day that goes by that I don't walk into the living room and say "move back from the TV". WHY do kids sit so close? I don't get it. Not sure if it really does hurt their eyes, but just to be safe we mine as well yell at'em about it. Hell, we heard it so it must be true.

So yeah, what goes around comes around and although I hate to admit that, I take comfort in knowing that my children will one day be in this same boat and I won't feel so horrible about the lessons I've learned and taught...I turned out pretty good.

When it rains...

it pours. Sometimes it's a good thing, like a nice warm rain that cools off a hot summer day. Sometimes is a not so good thing, like a raging thunderstorm that tears down trees and forces your kids into your bed at 3AM. Just like rainstorms, you have to take the good with the bad right? It's been almost 2 years that I've been unemployed. I've applied for literally over 150 jobs during that time, possibly more. I received a note in the mail that my unemployment benefits will run out within a couple of weeks and I went on a job applying rampage. I applied for over 20 jobs last weekend alone. I've now received 3 calls for jobs (after none for the last two years) and actually did get a job bartending at a local restaurant. I'm not sure why it happened this way, but I'm happy about it. Things are provided when they are needed. I re-read an older post from a little over a month ago where I went on a rant about everything happening for a reason and boy oh boy do I sound bitter. It is a weird saying, I still agree with that, but boy, I needed to CHILL! Now I'm just worrying that with all this good, some bad must also come. I just hope it's the thunder and not the storm.

What relieves your stress?

It's been awhile. I'm a busy girl. I won't complain because I've brought it on myself of course, but now I must find ways to deal with the stress I have in my life. So, my question to you is: What relieves your stress? Here are my ideas...

Wine. Seriously, there is not a faster more reliable form of stress relief. I love it. Red, white, mostly red. Different kinds, Merlot, cab, mostly Merlot. FYI wine is not to be confused with "whine", that kind doesn't work. Drink lots. Drink often. Drink responsibly..I guess.

Sitting outside on a warm humid day with a calm breeze blowing in your face. Initially this sounds horrible, but if it's just warm, not hot, and if it's mildly humid, not severely humid it's awesome. I'm in WI, and if it's the right kind of day, it feels like Florida. If you can keep the bad thoughts from penetrating the moment it's awesome. Try it.

Doing something crazy you would have done as a kid...more so if you do that something WITH your kids. I suggest those swings they have at the fair, or the amusement park that aren't just little swings, but have seat belts and fly around and around up high and down low. The kids giggle like crazy and you feel that wind in your face and remember what it was like to not have a care in the world. If you must, it's possible to resort to the swings in your backyard but I find that my big toosh isn't the most comfortable in those things. Things that give the same effect as the big swing are riding bike down a hill, playing tag, or running through a sprinkler. I also recommend jumping on a trampoline, but only if you are prepared for the ridicule of your brother-in-law and/or children.

Eat something yummy. Either make it yourself or go out to eat. It doesn't matter what you eat, just as long as it is something you love, something you may not always get to savor, and something that is probably really really bad for you. I suggest cheesecake, ice cream, mostly ice cream. I also love savory foods like a good baked bread, garlic mashed potatoes (any mashed potatoes actually) and wine...Merlot.

Vent. Vent. Vent. I use this ol' thing...blogging. But others use Facebook (ok, I use that too). It's good to let things out. Sometimes it doesn't even matter if anyone reads it (as I'm sure these are rarely read) but it just feels good to say what you wanna say and not care. Careful what you say though, that one person could read it that is standing between you and your dream job of traveling across Europe for a lot of money and little work.

Those are just a few of my ideas. Today I drank a glass of wine, had a dinner consisting of chicken Marsala (my fav), blogged (duh), and now I'm heading out to take a bike ride with my kids. I should be floating tonight right? I hope!

What are your ideas?