Things I think I do right. Kinda right.

Yesterday we visited the topic of things that I do wrong.  Today lets talk about the things that I do right.

As much as my kids get to just be kids and I let them stay up late and sleep in, I tell them daily how much I love them.  I ask a thousand times a day, “how much are you worth?”  And the only correct response is “priceless.”  They say it now with that “Mom, please stop asking me that dumb question” tone.  I take that to mean that I’m doing my job right. 

I won’t let them pass through to the kitchen (the couch that I sit on is on the way to the kitchen) without paying “the toll.”  The toll is a kiss and then I say, “Oops, you gave me too much! I gotta give you your change.”  Which the change is another kiss from me. 

I tell them daily how lucky that I am to be their mom and no matter what, I’m on their side and nothing they ever could do could make me love them any less.  I think that is standard mom stuff all moms tell their kids, but I know it’s one thing that I’m doing right. 

I don’t purposely lie to my kids.  If they ask “Can we go here, go there?” And I’m just not feeling up to it, I say so. I don’t put them off with a lie saying, “Maybe tomorrow” if I know for a fact that I will not ever feel like going to such-n-such place again, I just tell them.  

I am honest with them about how much money we have as in  “no I can’t afford that.”  They don’t know the balance of my checking account or anything, but they know when we just simply can’t afford something. Again, standard mom stuff I’m sure, but I try to never lie to my kids.  I am honest with them as I expect them to be with me. 

Since I’ve been doing this staying at home mom thing, we have been baking a lot of homemade stuff like bread, applesauce, etc. It’s all pretty basic and simple things, but the kids look forward to it and it makes me feel good knowing exactly what I feeding them, that I made something from nothing to put in their little growing bodies.  We went to Wal Mart and bought all new vegetables that they have never ate before and we have been eating them. Some have been a hit (yellow squash) while others haven’t (spinach).  But we are trying to do new and different things and I am loving sharing these experiences with my kids.

As a wife, I don’t try to change my hubby.  I knew what I was getting when I married him and he is still pretty much the same guy as he was then.  Though he did lose the haircut he had when we married. Thank God! But it wasn’t me that made him do so. He just came home one day with a more current haircut and I was so thankful!  I do try to make him eat better nowadays and make him take a multivitamin because I want him to be as healthy as he can be so he can stay around for a really super long time.  But I think that is just kind of being a grown up and not a nagging wife.  I still can’t get him to use a seatbelt no matter how many times I make him watch this video.  Is that just a guy thing? Or is a just a “my husband” thing?  Is he the only man that doesn’t wear a seatbelt?

 

As a friend, I’m loyal.  You can cheat on your spouse and I will tell you that it’s their fault because you are my friend and you can’t do anything wrong in my eyes.  I may not be the best at keeping in touch and I do make some big fat mistakes, but when you need me, I will be there at any cost.  Once I consider you a real true friend of my inner circle, you can’t get rid of me. Ever.  No matter how long you and I go without talking, you are still my friend.  There are a few ways to get kicked out my inner circle of friendship and the best way I can tell you how to get kicked out is by sharing a story with you.

Back in the ‘90’s my friend was married. Not happily.  She started visiting her mom who was a bartender at work more often than not.  My friend met a guy, she didn’t  hook up with him or anything, but they became friends.  She did start to have feelings for this guy and told her best friend.  Her best friend took it upon herself to tell her husband that his wife was “seeing” this other guy at her mom’s work.  Now, if this marriage ever stood a chance, it was over once the friend stuck her nose where it didn’t belong and the marriage was over.  My friend and this other lady have since made up after about 15 years of not being friends. I still don’t get it.  I don’t think I could be friends with the girl that ratted me out to my husband when it wasn’t her place to, but now they are like BFF’s all over again and I just don’t get it. I will never trust the one girl again and don’t see how my one friend can.

Another story, I had a best friend since 7th grade. I was her child’s godmother. But she slept with my ex husband before we were married. Once I found that out, I cut her out of my life totally.  Had I known better, I would have dumped the guy and remained friends with her, but I was  young and in love and my guy could no wrong. Big mistake.  I do regret that she and I have never reconnected.  I’ve tried looking for her on Facebook and MySpace back in the day when MySpace was the Facebook, but I can’t find her. 

And I guess that’s it for today.  I do some things right and some things wrong.  All-n-all, I do my best every day and some days I do better than others.