Monthly Archives: September 2012

According to Wikipedia (the source of all worldly information), a “Hallmark holiday”  is a term used to describe a holiday that exists essentially for “commercial purposes, rather than to commemorate a traditionally significant event.”   I know you’re shocked, but I bought into the Hallmark holiday this week.  On Friday I was in a store (with a red bullseye) and there in front of me in the card aisle, like a flashing neon light, was “Grandparent’s Day.”  Geeze, how have I missed that one all these years?”  I rushed home and told my kids – “Sunday is Grandparent’s Day!”  To that, one of them says, “What?  “Who thought up that one? Why not Kid’s Day?”  (my response to that last question could lead to two full blogs!).   So, I started thinking yesterday, why not create a few of my own Hallmark Holidays?!?  How about No Argument Day: a day where my every request is met with a happy, can-do attitude (Ok, a bit delusional, but can you imagine????).  Maybe, New Name Day: a day where I give myself a new name but don’t tell anyone so I need not respond to one question, phone call or demand. Or, No Slang Day: a day where my kids stop using “dude” for girls (and me), “bro” for every guy they know or “fly” which is supposed to mean something cool… seriously????).   I’ve got a lot of new holidays coming up!

Dad, Hope you liked the cookies yesterday.  Thanks for putting up with my “stuff” for the last 50 years – I love you!  Everyone – Have a great start to your week!

Last night I received the most wonderful complements about being a working single mom for the last 11 years.  They came from someone who knows me very well.  Accepting complements is soooo difficult.  I have a few pat (socially inept) responses to complements, finely tuned over 50 years:  (1) I pretend I didn’t hear it (a cop out, but I never said I had great social skills); (2) I say something like, “Oh, I am actually terrible at (for example, screwing in a light bulb) so you clearly don’t know how badly I screwed in that light bulb.” (a not-so-affirming response to the giver); or (3) I say something back about how great the giver of the complement is without acknowledging the initial complement.  Do you ever do the same thing?  Why is it so hard to accept complements?  We long for them.  We fish for them.  But when we get one we completely down play it.   Are we  conditioned that we’re not good enough and can always do better, so why complement us?  Is it we’re so insecure that it’s hard to believe a complement?  Tough questions and too big for me on a Sunday morning.  The bigger question .. what did I do last night when I was “receiving” the complement?  I said “Thank you so much.”  (It came out very quietly but it did come out!)  I guess I’m still able to learn social etiquette at my advanced age … thanks Ms. Manners.   So, in the year of 50, I’m going to make every effort to be better at accepting complements (that assumes I get any more complements this year!)   Try it and let me know how it goes for you!

Have a wonderful Sunday!  And to the giver, thanks again for the complements!

What makes me think that Friday is the start of the weekend?  It’s a fallacy.  For me, and I am sure for many of you too, Friday begins the work weekend.  The same thing happens each Friday – My kids act as if they have been running around a track for 5 days straight with no food or water and they have no idea how to do anything other than flop on to the couch and turn on the TV.  I, on the other hand, need to start my two days of cooking, feeding, feeding, feeding, washing dishes and clothes, picking up “stuff” that the kids leave around the house and starting again the next day.  By Sunday, I am exhausted, thankful that everyone is fed and has clean underwear for school the next day and ready to go back to the office.   Lest you think I have no fun on the weekend, I do enjoy the trips to the grocery store (by myself), trips to Target (by myself), going to get gas (by myself) and going for a run.  My mantra:  ilovemykids, ilovemykids, ilovemykids!  🙂

Have a great day and take time for yourself!

I went to a 100 year birthday/dinner party last night (my two friends – husband and wife – turned 50 this month).   It was a group of academics (engineers) and economists … you might think that would be boring but the exact opposite is true … those nerds can be pretty fun!  In any case, meeting new people means you have to say something about yourself, your kids, marital status, where you live, etc.   I am fine with all of that (and shocker of all shockers) sometimes I disclose a lot!  But, the part I don’t like is the look on someone’s face when I disclose my profession.  It usually takes me about 30 seconds to respond to the profession question as I try to analyze the situation and come up with something plausible and interesting … like, “Oh, I dance for dollars.”  Ok, maybe a bit old for that.  Or, “I am a meteorologist.” (Minnesotan’s love the weather people!)  Or even, “I am a neurosurgeon.”   Who doesn’t want to have dinner with a neurosurgeon?   Let’s be honest — no one likes us lawyers … we spend money, argue and often don’t listen.  Hey, wait a minute, that’s the description of a politician.

I rest my case.

Have a wonderful start to your weekend!

Well, of course you are saying that no one said it would be the easiest job but that still didn’t help me yesterday.  You know what I’m talking about, right?  Frankly, I wonder how much money I should be saving for my kids’ future therapy sessions due to my “parental” behaviors.  Will they need therapy because I’ve forced them to play an instrument?  Will it be because I feed them organic food and they think that I am “over the top” on this organic thing?  Or, maybe (more likely) it will be because of the multiple times that I just can’t keep it together — you know, together like June Cleaver kind-of-together (am I showing my age?)  Well, I had one of those days yesterday.  Maybe not my best mom-day … clearly not my best mom day.  So, what did I do when I was “done?”  I shed a few tears in the privacy of the bathroom (closest room at the moment), I bucked up and said I was sorry (he said “no problem mom”), and then I ever-so-quietly put some more money in the virtual therapy jar.  The question is, should I use it or save it for them? 🙂

I hope you all have a fantastic day!

I wondered if people could see that I turned “50” yesterday … as if I had that new (older) look about me.  But no, nothing’s changed.  Here’s what a typical day I had:  “Mom, where are the batteries?”  “Mom, the cable’s not working.”  “Mom, did you do the wash? (“No,” I said, “Did you?”) “Mom, I’m hungry.”  “Mom, I’m still hungry.”   Here’s what I also noticed didn’t change yesterday: I didn’t have any more wrinkles than the day before (hold the comments).  I had to go to the bathroom the same number of times while I was in the pool (too many to disclose).  I found a few gray hairs on my head, which I plucked … and I was as tired at 10:30 p.m. as I usually am.  So, all in all a decent start.  My sister said 50 is the new 30 … I told her not to push it.  Hope you all have a fantastic day!

Well, here I am — 50.  I’ve been thinking for almost a year that I would blog every day of my 50th year (like I have so much extra time on my hands!).  I don’t have a good answer for “why?”  I am not even sure how to use this blog.  Maybe some of you will help me learn cool ways of blogging, some of you may be able to relate to the “stuff” that I’ll chat about this year … some of you may just have a comment or two (I welcome the positive and the not-so-positive!).  Regardless, I start this year a mom (and lawyer) with three great kids (teenagers!), fantastic friends, supportive family members  and some very special people who help keep me sane.  The rest is, as the Minnesotan’s say, “gravy.”  So, I welcome you all to the year of 50.  It’ll be interesting…

Jessica