I Quit!

Ok, so I did it. After much thought, and stress, and thought, and stress I decided to follow my heart and leave my job to stay at home with the kids.

It was really hard for me to go full time once I came to Oklahoma after working part time for so long, but I did it in hopes that one day they would eventually offer part time at Cox, however that has not happened. After the birth of Evie, I just really started to think about my priorities, and what was important to me.

A year ago, I had stars in my eyes moving to Oklahoma. I was greedy and materialistic, and driven by my desires for a home and pretty things. I thought moving here would give us that. God has taken us down an unusual path over the past year, and I think that was a learning process for me to find out what exactly was important. Ginger put it best to me and said when I stand before God will he say "Great job at Cox."? No, he won't.

I've learned that I don't have to go to the movies every weekend to make my kids happy, that a walk up to the park and a push on the swings does much more. I've learned that prosperity is not the amount of money that I have, but the quality of life that my family has. I've learned that it's not the TV sets, or the XBOX that make the kids happy, but sitting down with the TV off playing a game of Monopoly with them.

I'm scared to death. Can we make it on one income? Please pray for us on this new endeavor.

One thing I know is, life is better once you quit your job. The grass is greener, the air smells sweeter...

Potty Mouth

Ok, so my son has had a cursing problem the past few days. We were watching Bruce Almighty with Gwen and the kids the other day (fast forwarding thru the bad scene with him and Jen Aniston)...anyhow he heard a few words on there that he repeated. Now, I gave him the benefit of the doubt, but took him in the bathroom and threatened to wash his mouth out with soap if he didn't watch his mouth. I explained to him which words are naughty words and what not to say.

So, we were watching Legally Blonde today, not a bad movie at all but he heard the word dumb ass.

He said, "I'm not going to say that word, cuz mom will wash my mouth out with soap."

Aaron turned around and said "what?"

He then in turn said, "I was going to say that word, but I'm not going to say the word dumbass because mom will wash my mouth out with soap."

Ok, so at that point the way he said it was so cute, Aaron and I started laughing and couldn't help it. Right there went all the authority that I had the other day.

You're an angry elf.

 

Your kids will ALWAYS say something to embarrass you. Let me start by saying that.

Here is the "back story" on what happened:

Several months ago Jamin was taking the kids to Walgreens shopping. There is a little person that works the cash register at the Walgreens by our house. He looks very much like the guy from the movie Elf. As you can see, this is a disaster waiting to happen. Jamin gets up to the register and he sees the kids begin to snicker and giggle. Their faces are turning red with amusement and excitement. Jamin turns around and quietly tells the kids to stop it and be quiet. You hear Bubby go "but Dad..." Jamin is praying silently in his head right now that the kids keep their composure, but of course as they begin to leave the register you hear them yell, "but Dad! That is the guy from Elf." At this point Jamin is mortified. The only thing he could do is apologize to the poor guy for our childrens ill mannered behavior. The guy did not seem too happy about it, but he said "that's ok, I get it all the time." (Obviously, he was an angry elf, and very upset with my kids.) Honestly though my son was just REALLY excited and truly thought this guy was REALLY the guy from the movie elf.

You would think that was bad enough, but it gets worse.

So, last night I decided to go to Walgreens. I needed shampoo and stuff, so I asked if Myah wanted to go. Of course, Brett wanted to come too. I really wanted to just get in and out and kind of make it a girls thing, and I really didn't want him to go. I think it was my mothers instinct telling me not to let him go, but reluctantly I gave in and said he could come.

Bubby is off about ten feet behind the register when I walk up to check out and there he is the same checkout guy. My face immediately flushes because I'm totally afraid of what my kids will do. Brett comes over and immediately gets this HUGE grin on his face. Oh God, I think here he goes he is going to say something to embarrass me for sure.

Bubby begins to snicker, I turn around and give him a stern look. I hear him look at Myah and say something about "ugly." Of course I wasn't thinking that he could POSSIBLY be talking about the guy behind the counter and I blurted out, "did you just call your sister ugly?" I thought maybe him getting in trouble for calling his sister ugly would distract him from the little man behind the counter and he wouldn't call him the guy from "Elf" again. Bubby shakes his head no. Myah then chimes in with "oh, he was talking about the guy." Oh my Lord, can I please just get my stuff and pay now because I need to get to the parking lot and slaughter my children. So we get in the car and I go off, I start talking about how it is bad to make fun of people etc..I think I was a bit harsh, but I was pretty upset. I come home throw my bags on the couch, and walk into the bedroom, completely and totally humiliated.

All I have to say to Jamin is "guess who was my checkout person at Walgreens?" and he came back with a big "Nooooooo...." Oh yes he was. Now I decide that I need to go talk to Brett because he was crying when we came in the house. I open his door and he is nowhere to be found. He is hiding under his bed crying because he felt pretty bad for making fun of the guy.

Ok, so yeah, I was a little harsh, but I was REALLY appalled at my kids behavior.  I REALLY thought I'd raised them better than that.

Jamin and I sit him down and have a talk about how God made everyone and loves us all, and how it is not nice to call people ugly, or appropriate to be rude and cruel. We give him hugs and tell him he is ok, and not in trouble (this time). I do hope they have learned their lesson though. However next time I go to Walgreens I think I will leave the kids at home.