Political Stance

No, not mine. This is straight from the 9 year old that knows it all.

Husband was showing the boys pictures of Mars, explaining to them how they managed to get said pictures and how cool it was. There were a lot of ohhs and ahhs even though I'm sure they didn't totally understand what he was talking about.

A: So it's a robot?!

H: Yea, just like you're building in Lego League

A: REALLY?!

H: Yea, it's the same basic concept.

A: We can't send OUR robot to MARS!!

H: Well, no.

A: Where are the aliens?

H: They haven't found aliens

A: I wish they would, that would be so cool

H: Me too

I: ALIENS!!!!!

A: Then we could send Mitt Romney

H: What? What does Romney have to do with aliens?

A: Then we could send him to mars so the aliens could eat him.

H: ::turning to me:: Are you hearing this?

I just pulled the covers back over my head and giggled. Ah, kids. Never a dull moment

Work From Home Mom

I'm pretty sure anyone reading this already knows that I work from home. I've been working from home since December of 2008. First for another company and now for my own company(ies). In so many ways it.is.awesome. I mean, who doesn't want to work with a glass of wine or be able to decide when everything gets done. I'm the only person I have to answer to. (Well, and my kick ass business partner...and my clients.)

The problem? I have myself to answer to. I'm really really hard on myself and it puts me in to this funk I struggle to get out of. Recently it's been over money the lack of it and it's made things worse. To the point that I just wasn't getting anything done because I had a hard time seeing the light at the end of the tunnel where things would all work out. They always work out, I know this, but for the last several weeks I couldn't SEE it.

Another big issues is that you can't leave your feelings, your mood, your bad day or whatever it is that's bothering you at the door and just work. The laundry is still there, the dishes need done, games of candy land need played and it's all pulling me in 1400 different directions. Days like that I wish I could get in my car at 8am and drive to an office and leave everything else behind and actually be forced to do ONLY work. I know, if you're sitting in an office reading this you're thinking I'm fucking crazy...but I'm not, I swear. I'm not saying I want to work a job with regular hours any time soon...I don't. I have zero desire to punch a time clock. I just sometimes miss the structure and as crazy as it sounds, the fear of letting someone else down. Okay, maybe I lied, maybe I am crazy.

I woke up today after a LOT of soul searching, thinking, talking and I'm feeling better. I've learned some things recently that I don't love but weighed against what I do love...and knowing where my heart is, I'm good. I'm confident in where I am...and now I just need to find a way to leave everything else at the door so I can enjoy the rewards of working from home. It's kind of an evil cycle.

Men are not children

Now stop rolling your eyes and thinking to yourself "who are you kidding, of course they are"

Please, please PLEASE stop acting as if men are infants and need us women to swoop in and save them from themselves. Just STOP.

I have two children that I'm responsible for. I make sure they eat their vegetables, have clean clothes, get enough sleep and are taken care of. I also have a husband. I cook meals, I wash clothes, I clean the house and I ask if he's okay or if he needs anything. I'm generally pretty considerate and thoughtful, it's in my nature. However, I do not baby him. I am NOT his mother, I am his wife. It's not up to me to determine if he's getting enough sleep, if he needs to change out of his work clothes before going to throw a football with the boys, if he's going to be late for work or if he needs a specific shirt clean for the next day.

Guess what? He's a grown up, just like me. I'm perfectly capable of getting up on my own, making sure my own clothes are clean and deciding what I'm going to eat for lunch. I don't need someone to remind me of these things. I can't handle when women act as if their husbands are helpless and can't do things for themselves. It drives me bat shit crazy and we all know I don't need any help in the crazy department. I've always been this way, I remember getting SO mad at my mom because everything seemed to revolve around my dad. Now, don't get me wrong, my parents have a marriage that works for them and I won't judge. Or, I'll try not to anyway, it's just not for ME and I have a hard time understanding why anyone that's been married in the last decade feels like they must baby the poor confused man in their life. He's not confused, he's just going to let you do everything for him because hey, why the hell not?!

So help me if my boys ever get to a point where they forget how to do dishes, wash clothes or pick up after themselves. You'd better believe I will march my ass over to their house and I will not be there to clean up after them. I'll be there to take their wives out for drinks while they figure out how to fend of themselves.

Ladies, please, stop acting as if these men need you to fix everything for them and make all of the decisions for them. They don't. You can be a good wife and a good mother but you need to find that middle ground in between the two.

Who am I?

You learn a lot of random things about yourself when people around you are asked to talk about you.

I've had a few home parties, both for my own Premier Designs business as well as other direct sales friends. I recently hosted a Thirty One Gifts party with the fabulous Charity Plaster and as with my Premier parties she asks everyone in the room to say their name, how they know the hostess (me!) and something they like about her (me!).

Here's a few things I've learned about myself since over the last few parties.

1. I don't mind being the center of attention. This is kind of a big one because at my baby shower and even my wedding shower, I hated it! I hated sitting there and opening gifts in front of everyone and being forced to make small talk with people. While I was grateful to my friends and family that put it together, I was SO happy when it was over. At one point my best friend laughed and made a comment about how I was hating this part of the party...but I wasn't. I really wasn't. I was laughing and enjoying myself...and I didn't turn 4 shades up pink. That's a pretty big deal in my world.

2. I have a unique laugh. I've had two people at two different parties say that I have the best laugh. I do? Really? I had NO idea. That's not something anyone has ever told me before. Ever. Crazy.

3. I am super lucky to have close friends that have known me forever and know the real me, warts and all. I've said that before but I guess sometimes I take for granted the fact that not everyone can say they've known their best friends since middle school. This is also why I think keeping my kids in the same school for as much of their school career as possible is so important to me. While I know it's rare, I'd love if they grew up and raised their families surrounded by the same people they knew in school. My parents did, so maybe it's in my genes.

4. Change is good and I'm not as scared of it as I used to be.

5. I like meeting new people! I like talking to people! I *gasp* like people. Mostly. There are still some that I'd prefer to not talk to and others that could fall off the planet and I'd be okay with that...but for the most part. People are fun.