Back To Reality

Since I've decided moving to Oregon probably isn't the answer to my call for adventure I decided to have a garage sale instead. Only I don't have a garage! So, we're having the sale at Ron's and using HIS garage. I always get myself into these things and swear after it is over that "I'LL NEVER HAVE ANOTHER GARAGE SALE AS LONG AS I LIVE". Oh well, that's how I got fat.....Eating my own words!

Our sale is this Saturday and we're committed because I already put the advertisement in the paper. That way I can't worm my way out of it at the last minute. Both my daughters are contributing to the sale and maybe Ron if it gets around to it. Although he is the big collector! The part I hate most about garage sales is the pricing and the haggling. I just hate that part. That's why I practically give everything away.

What I enjoy about garage sales is visiting with the people who come. You meet the neighbors, run into old friends and make a few new ones. I always fix a breakfast casserole for the workers and some sticky buns. I bribe everyone to work with food!

So, it may not be a new life in Oregon but it is about all the adventure I can handle!

Where's Peter Pan When You Need Him?

I do not live an adventurous life. I'm not even sure if this is something I should regret or aspire to. I'm a very plain, mundane, ordinary sort of person. I am a creature of habit, consistent and predictable. I have lived in two homes in my life. The first being my parent's house for twenty years and now my own for thirty-nine. I never rearrange my furniture and am still using the same hand-me-down bedroom furniture I had as a child. My idea of a great day is when I go to bed feeling as though I have accomplished something. The other day the thought occurred to me that I was in need of an adventure. I thought how great it would be to just up and move somewhere completely new. I picked Oregon. Have I ever been to Oregon? No. Do I know anything about Oregon? No. But I saw the movie Kindergarten Cop and have wanted to go to Astoria, Oregon ever since. I admire people who are not afraid of change. The people who can uproot themselves at a moment’s notice and think of change as nothing more than an opportunity waiting to be had. Change sounds exciting to me but my practical side immediately kicks in convincing me that it is too risky, too scary, too impulsive, too impractical and just plain unthinkable. I am wondering if this is what a mid-life crisis looks like. When middle-aged men and women ask themselves “Is this all there is?” It’s that time in life when there are more years behind you then in front. Maybe it is perfectly normal to want one last adventure.

My daughter sent this to me today. She is a teacher and feels this says it all.

10 Big Mistakes Parents Make

While we all love our kids, in this day and age of two working parents and insane schedules, we tend to cut corners and neglect important things. That being said, here are 10 big mistakes parents make. By Craig Playstead

1) Spoiling kids There is no doubt that parents love their kids and want them to have all the things they didn't. However, this comes at a price. A ton of well-intentioned parents have ended up spoiling their kids to such a degree that the kids aren't even happy with all the stuff they have. This causes them to never be satisfied and always want more. Junior doesn't need one more piece of crap, what he needs is some special time with his parents. Think of it this way: How will they ever be prepared for disappointment throughout their life—or learn to be thankful for anything?

2) Inadequate discipline When you're too lazy to adequately discipline your kids, you pass the little devil you've created on to your relatives, coaches, teachers, and his friends' parents. It's not OK to let your kids treat your house like it was a Jump Planet because that's exactly how they'll treat other people's homes. They should also be much better behaved when they leave the house and visit elsewhere. I've lived through this nightmare first-hand, with the same kid at my house treating my $1,500 couch like a trampoline, and then calling my daughter 'ugly' while the kids were eating dinner. All within a 15-minute span. If you don't discipline your kid, someone else will—and you won't like it.

3) Failing to get involved at school School is where your kids will spend more time than any place besides your home. It's also the place that will have the most responsibility for shaping their life—from teachers and their peers. That being said, how can you not want to be involved in what's going on there? It doesn't matter if it's you or your spouse: Your family needs to have a presence at that school. And don't use work as an excuse—take a vacation day if you need to. You'll see immediately that it's time well spent. You should also have at least an e-mail relationship with their teacher. It's a great way for that teacher to see that you're interested in your child's development, and the teacher can alert you to anything concerning that may be going on with your son or daughter. Your kid's teacher may take a much more active role with your child if they know you're keeping close tabs.

4) Praising mediocrity While we all want to encourage our kids to do well and build their self-esteem, there is a point of going too far. Building a child's self-esteem is great, but having a big party for a mediocre accomplishment skews what they view as a real achievement. One big place I see this is in sports. A participation trophy for anyone over the age of 6 just ends up devaluing the meaning of a real trophy. It's happening in my own household. While I was against trophies for my 7-year-old son's basketball team, a few moms overruled. My son has played exactly four seasons of sports and has earned more trophies than I did in my 40 seasons growing up. Something is out of whack.

5) Not giving kids enough responsibility Your kids shouldn't be expecting any payment for doing chores around the house. It's a home, not a hotel. That being said, an allowance is a great idea … for extra work. They should be pulling their weight as part of the family. If they grow up without enough responsibility, how in the world do you expect them to hold down a job, or get through college? When they get 'of age,' make sure they're taking some of the burden off you around the house—from unloading the dishwasher to picking up dog poop in the backyard. While they're not your slaves, they sure aren't on vacation, either.

6) Not being a good spouse How you treat your husband or wife is very important to the way your kids will develop relationships, especially as adults. If you treat your spouse poorly, or if your only way to settle any kind of dispute is to yell and scream at each other, you're teaching your kids to handle themselves the same way. Kids learn from watching you much more than they learn from listening to you. If you treat your spouse with love and respect, it will also show your kids the value of their family. It will also make them feel their family is a safe haven in what can be a dark, scary world.

7) Setting unreal expectations When dealing with kids, you need to set reasonable expectations for them—especially the little ones. If you want to go out to a nice dinner and expect your 2-year-old to sit there like a little prince, you are setting yourself up for major disappointment. Also, if you have visions of a football star and your son weighs 80 pounds and likes to play the clarinet, you need to reset those expectations. Don't have unreal expectations for your kids: The expectation you should have is for them to be happy.

8) Not teaching kids to fend for themselves Many parents tend to baby kids these days and cater to their every need, and that eliminates the value of hard work and becoming independent as they grow into adults. I fear that we're raising a generations of wimps. Kids nowadays expect everything to be done for them, from cleaning their room to band-aids for hurt feelings. Teaching them to toughen up and do things on their own doesn't mean that you love them less; it means you love them more.

9) Pushing trends on kids Let kids be kids. Parents shouldn't push their trends or adult outlook on life on their kids. Just because it was your life's dream to marry a rich guy doesn't mean we need to see your 4-year-old daughter in a 'Future Trophy Wife' t-shirt. The same goes for the double ear piercing—that's what you want, not them. Teaching kids about your passions is great, but let them grow up to be who they are. And yes, this goes for you pathetic stage parents as well. It's hard enough for kids to figure out who they are in the world without you trying to turn them into what you couldn't be.

10) Not following through I have trouble with this one sometimes. If you're telling your kids that they'll be grounded if they paint the neighbor's dog one more time, you'd better follow through. Unfortunately, following through on punishments or promises makes your life a little more difficult, but building trust is what's most important. If you're not true to your word, your kids will assume anything you say is just talk. Then you have a real problem on your hands. You'll also end up with kids who don't trust their parents.

It's a foggy day in Oklahoma. We got a little rain last night but I'm not sure what the forecast is for today. I'm not much on watching weather reports I just walk outside. If it is sunny I grab a hat, if it's raining I get the umbrella. Doesn't matter what the temperature is because I know that could change at a moments notice anyway. We just dress in layers.

I've really been in a funk lately. I haven't been eating right and I haven't kept up with my exercising so I'm starting to feel the impact of being lazy. I don't have any energy and I just feel yucky. I also know I'm the only who can turn that around so I'd better get to work on my mind set. I just keep procrastinating instead of getting to work on the problem.

Monday

It's Monday and the sky is gray and cloudy. There is a prediction for possible rain this evening. This Thursday we are having our groundbreaking ceremony for Camp Claphans. This is the camp we are building on site for developmentally disabled children. It has been a fun project, designing and picking out all the elements we would like to incorporate into the camp. The architects have done a great job and some of the designs are just fantastic. The arts/crafts building has a wall of windows on each side that raise like giant garage doors. The Sammy Jack mess hall is huge and the cabins were designed very similar to those we saw at Camp Barnabus in Missouri. Our challenge is creating a camp that has a rustic feel even though it is located directly behind a hospital. Some very creative landscaping is going into this project. We have tucked everything around trees, hills, and across the lake. Although the groundbreaking takes place this Thursday we don't expect construction to actually begin for a couple of months. I sure hope we can raise the remaining funds needed for this project!

Brain Cells Still Working

The mid-term was a breeze. I guess I'm not as brain dead as I thought. We had 2 hours to take the test and I was done in 90 minutes and then went back over it for the remaining 30. Bound to get an A!!!!!!!! I better hush before I jynx myself!

I was thinking today about our economic crisis and it occurred to me that maybe this is just a ploy to address America's obesity epidemic. You know....The No Meal Plan.... Maybe George is writing his own diet book......something he can fall back on after he leaves the White house. Book tours, a spot on Dr. Phil, who knows. In the meantime we will all be getting slim, Type II diabetes will virtually be eliminated and Lane Bryant will become the new Victoria Secret. So just think of this little ole economic crisis as the new diet plan for America.

Mid-term

Mid-term is tonight. I've read and re-read the 13 chapters being covered and I don't think I can cram one more thought in my head. So we shall see if this old brain of mine can retain anything. It makes me wonder....since I can't remember why I walked into the kitchen most of the time. Maybe this brain exercise will be good for me.

I had someone tell me the other day that the recent problems with the economy is because it is now the end of days. This person was so distressed although a self-proclaimed Christian. I couldn't help but ask what difference does it make? If you are living your life according to your beliefs then you should be ready. It shouldn't matter when that day comes. Not to mention, I thought that was a time to be joyous not fearful. (Unless you have a guilty conscience) Oh well.