The Philosophy of Going to School in your Pajama's

      After so many years of being a Mother and repeating the same routine every day for well over ten years, I finally decided that this morning was it. This morning we wouldn't worry about appearances, rules or routines.
       Brush your teeth, but please go to school in your pj's, your robe, don't brush your hair and leave your dirty underwear on. It's alright. It saves us time. We don't have to worry about grabbing our jackets because we're wearing our robes. There's more time for sleep because we don't have to do our hair and tonight, all we have to do is slip into bed and we're ready for nighttime.
     
        Have I truly lost it? Has years of doing dishes a few times a day finally drove me crazy? Has folding the same shirts, pants, and towels finally sent me over the edge? How many times can a person cook dinner before they decide that their children can live off cereal, fruit and toast for all three meals a day? I'm not sure but some nights my children get awfully close to finding out. (Grin)
         
        And I'm not kidding when I say I sent Bean and Abu to school in their pj's. They were so cute too. Flannel pajama bottoms, messy hair and their robes. I even took pictures to prove that we took a break from our usual getting ready for school routine. They don't get to go to school being so unkempt and messy. It was fun.
         I didn't do it because I'm tired and worn out on the same daily script. It was Crazy Day for their 'I'm Drug Free Week.' They had to dress wacky for their school day. My children thought showing up in their pj's would constitute being crazy.

         I have to smile because at least I'm not raising Wal-Mart shoppers. I swear if I have to see one more sloppy woman dressed in a tight spaghetti strap night shirt and baggy pants that keeps trying to fall off while I'm trying to purchase food I'm going to explain to her that when they say you should wear a shirt or no service; they also mean you should wear a shirt that doesn't allow your boobies to flop out for the entire world to see. And wearing shoes, means actual shoes; not fuzzy bunny slippers. Oh, boy. We'll leave discussions of Wal-Mart people for other websites.
       On that point though I do have to mention a funny piece of journalism I read. This reporter was interviewing a woman shopper about this dollar store that had opened up in her town. She was excited because she didn't have to dress up to shop there like she did when she went to Wal-Mart. What??? Does that mean she's just going to wear a robe or worse, her birthday suit?
       
        Anyway...

        I'm not sure how wearing crazy clothes is supposed to promote not using drugs. The theme for today is Too Cool for Drugs. Tomorrow they can bring a stuffed animal to school (great, lets not promote bed bugs while we're at it) and the theme is Hugs not Drugs. Wednesday's theme is 'Drugs turn you inside out' and they get to wear their clothes inside out. Thursday we are back to being crazy. And Friday is 'Partner up for a fight against drugs.' You have to find a friend and dress up in the same outfit.
         The girls love this week because it's a break from their normal routine. But I still wonder how many kids won't do drugs because they wore their clothes inside out for a day? I have my doubts and like all parents should do I have had frank discussions with my children about drugs and the consequences. I know Bean. Don't tell her not to do something without a reason she can agree with, otherwise she'll do it just to spite me. I don't want her getting into drugs because she's trying to prove a point to her parents. Whatever she may perceive that point to be. And obviously, even the most diligent parent can't always prevent their children from doing stupid things but I do find that they do better when they understand the truth. So with Bean, because I know she works off facts and information, I let her watch two shows on the Discovery Channel about drug usage. The one show was about a Mother who was going to give birth in a prison because of drug usage. The other show was about a Mother who gave birth to a baby addicted to heroin. The shows were honest, real and explained consequences far more thoroughly than bringing your favorite stuffed animal to school will ever do. But I suppose schools have to try because unfortunately, not all parents are going to educate their children.


        Which brings us around to philosophy, strangely enough. Right now, I'm reading a book, 'Breakfast with Socrates' by Robert Rowland Smith.
         Why would I be reading a book on philosophy? Probably because one can only clean the toilet so many times before you wonder if Socrates was right when he said, "The unexamined life is not worth living." Or maybe, it's better not to think about how many you have cleaned crap off the porcelain surface.
         The word 'philosophy' translates to mean, the love of wisdom. Which, as I've been trying to teach Bean, being wise is completely different than being smart. Of course, no matter how many times I've done it or how much I hate it, I do think it's being pretty darn wise to clean the toilet...often too. :)
         I've just started the book, so I'm not much pass the chapters that are about waking up and getting ready in the morning. I'm currently studying the ideas of Descartes and the state of existing. He said something cool like, "I think, therefore I am."
         Can that translate to blogging? "I blog, therefore I am."
         I will have to ponder that for a while.

         (Grin.)
        

The Fall of Summer

       Summer has gone, lost in the brisk winds that whip the colorful fall leaves around. Neighborhood squirrels are very busy burying peanuts in the soil around my blueberry bushes. The soil is nice and soft and they seem to think it's just for them. In the spring the peanuts they haven't eaten will sprout but around here they don't grow much. Right now that seems like projects in my life, they've sprouted but if the weather in the next six months is too harsh they will wither and die. So I will have to keep praying for a lot of sunshine after this winter.
       I almost ran over a poor little squirrel the other day. I was riding my mountain bike on the bike path when he started darting in front of me. I slowed down, knowing that he had plenty of time to reach the other side. (And please, no 'why did the squirrel cross the road jokes.')
       But the poor little thing freaked out and right in the middle of the path decided he didn't know which way to go, and in his indecision he started doing a frantic circle in front of my bike tire. I hit the brakes hard, only pulling out a few of his tail hairs as he finally decided to continue across the path to the other side. I suppose that's a lot like life, we do circles in the middle of our decisions, finally choosing a path only after we lose a bit of our tail hairs. Of course, it's usually the decision we were going to follow to begin with but it takes us forever to figure that part out.
       This week has been a hodge podge of different things, wonderful things like dinner with the neighbors (grin), fun things like lunch with my niece and frustrating 'it's hard to be a parent' things with Bean.
        My niece, CT was so funny though, reminding me that I love the logical of three years old. We were at the sub shop having lunch when she looked at my drink.
       "What did you get?" She studies it intently because most of time Aunt Christy buys water.
        "I got root beer. Do you want a sip?"
        She looks at me horrified. "Oh, no, Aunt Christy. I can't drink beer."
        I laughed.

        On another note I learned today that Hallmark is offering sympathy cards for the unemployed. I'm not sure how I feel about this. Unfortunately, there must be enough unemployment going around to catch the greeting card industry's attention if they're going to offer cards. On the other hand, I don't know many people that would want a card reminding them that they just lost their job, their source of income, their security and telling them good luck finding a new job in today's economy. But I suppose it at least keeps more people employed at Hallmark. Still, I'm waiting for the sympathy cards to express my concern over zombie attacks. I can see that card now. 'Sorry about the zombie attack that burned down your house and ate your dog. But aren't you glad I got you a card?' 

        To finish up today's blog, I'm including pictures of Autumn. Hope you enjoy.

                  Flowers are absolutely beautiful but sometimes I think their dried shapes, especially in the right light can be nice too.
                                                     

                      I have to say, I do love the colors of Autumn. :) 

                                          I love the colors!

                                                  I actually beat the squirrels!!

                                                   It's almost time for Halloween.

          Do you know how many pumpkin pies are right there?


       

Kids are Crazy

       I was walking through the health food store, which I shop at constantly since my kids have food allergies, when Chris, one of the managers there asked how I was doing.
       I stopped, pausing for a second as I debated giving the usual response we all give to most people when asked, which is 'good or fine' even if our world is in turmoil or I could tell him how my wonderful kids are driving me insane this past week.
       "Kids are crazy." I said with a slight laugh and a shake of my head. He chuckled heartily and then a few seconds caught up with me in the store.
       "It's funny you should say that because this morning my son was driving me crazy."
       I stopped shopping and turned towards him. If there is one person in the world who understands a parent it's another parent. They know. They understand.  And they completely agree with you when you say things like, 'kids are crazy.'
      "For the past three weeks we have been riding our bikes to school." He's laughing now but I can just imagine he wasn't finding the humor earlier. "But today since it's so windy and we were running late I told him that after I took the trash out we would be driving to school. I get the trash to the curb, walk back up the drive way and there he is...on his bike, helmet on and ready to go."
      I grinned and nodded, waiting for him to continue his story.
      "I reminded him that we were driving. And you would have thought I told him I shot the family dog." He shakes his head and then gives me that look. You know the one; I shouldn't have given in but I did 'look'.
       "We rode our bikes to school."
       I laughed.


      In the meantime, I started writing this blog entry two days ago and the kids have been so crazy that I'm just now finishing and that's only because I'm keeping them busy with chocolate chip cookies. They aren't even great tasting cookies. I had bought a new gluten free mix that we haven't tried before and then made the mistake of putting a precious bag of gluten and dairy free chocolate chips in it. It was nearly a waste, all those lovely chocolate pieces lost in a horrible baking mix. The kids are still eating the gross cookies but only for the chocolate chips. 
      
       Yesterday I was interrupted by my youngest daughter, nickname Abu, yelling and hollering and informing me that she found my lost money.
        For the last three weeks I haven't been able to find an envelope with eighty dollars in it. Not the highlight of my month but suddenly it was found....in the inside of the piano. We had to take the top off and then the front of the piano to reach it. But at least it was found. And all four kids thought we had discovered hidden treasure, finding it was the highlight of their day.
        "I wonder who put it in there." I said aloud, not really expecting an answer as we put the piano back together.
        "I put it in there, Aunt Christy." My niece, CT said with a grin. "I kept pushing it until it got stuck."
        I shook my head in resignation and humor. I should have just asked the three year old to begin with. What was I thinking? :)

       And then with everything being hectic and chaotic around here, my youngest niece who is almost one, nickname Bug, for reasons about to be clear, has decided that her fascination right now is...bugs. She wants to touch them and capture them and when you're not looking- eat them. The other day she grins at me, her eyes glinting with trouble and her mouth full of something. When I told her to say 'ahh', she opens her mouth wide and sitting on her tongue was the remains of a dead wasp. She had been happily chewing on it and luckily hadn't been stung. This was only the first bug she has decided to try to munch on since then. Yuck!! I'm guessing she will either be the next Andrew Zimmerman and have her own Bizarre Foods show or she will be an entomologist. (grin) Hopefully not an exterminator.

      Today marks the last day of summer and I could just cry, if I wasn't so busy chasing after crazy kids. In the meantime, now that the cookies are gone, I have sent the oldest ones outside to enjoy this beautiful day we're having, especially since tomorrow is Autumn and just a reminder that we're that much closer to a horribly cold winter. At least there won't be as many bugs for Bug to eat. :)