Another Teenager in the House

It seems like yesterday, Cara was crawling everywhere, learning to stand and eating her "cerl and muk" every day for breakfast. Where has the time gone? She had grown to be an adorable girl who makes me laugh, often when I need it the most. She is smart, talented, and thoughtful. I am lucky she is my child. I love her so much. Happy birthday, my baby.

Birthday Money

Cara had a party to go to and I wanted to come up with an interesting way to present the money other than with a card with money stuffed inside (although that is always welcome). A couple of weeks ago, Cara had her friends over for her birthday party and one of her friends gave her money rolled up in a roll of toilet paper. It was funny to see the toilet paper sitting there among the other gifts. It had a ribbon tied around it and was as festive as the other presents. When it was time to open it, she unrolled the paper. Confetti and dollar bills were inside. It was one of the hits of the party. Everyone loved it. Cara wanted to give one of her friends money too for her gift. I remembered folding up chewing gum wrappers when I was their age and we made long ropes of zig zagging paper. I found a site that gave instructions on how to use the technique to make a bracelet. The money looked great in bracelet form. It was a little big, but more fun that just sliding out of a card.

Parenting

There are two types of parents I don't understand. One is the type that assumes you will watch their children while they enjoy themselves and the other is the type that is oblivious to how their children are disrupting others. Unfortunately, some parents are both types.

Years ago, Phillip and I attended a party where swimming was available. Robyn was little and didn't know how to swim. Both of us were in the pool with her, playing around and letting her have fun in the water. The only other person in the pool was a young girl floating around in an inflatable ring. I had no idea whose child she was. She was on her own. All of sudden we heard a bunch of screaming and looked around to see what was up. The girl had slipped out of the ring and was under the water. She couldn't swim. Phillip handed Robyn to me and dove to get her. When he got her to the side of the pool, her mother was standing there. She was upset because Phillip didn't get to her daughter sooner. Why was she in the pool alone if she couldn't swim? She took her daughter away. No thank you. Nothing. Why do some parents expect you to watch their children while they enjoy themselves themselves at an event? After all you are already watching a child. Why not watch another? Similar instances have occurred over the years. Why do some parents just assume you will be their babysitter?

Tonight we went to eat at a restaurant and this sign was on the door. It is sad to me that a business feels they need to post such a sign. The other group of parents that I don't understand are the ones that are oblivious to others around them. They are at a restaurant and their kids are loud, running around, and annoying others trying to eat. Making a general mess at their table. The parents are busy talking to the other parents and are not watching what their angels are doing. You see them at the store. Their kids are running through the isles, bumping to other shoppers. This parent just walks through the store doing their thing, sometimes screaming across isles for their children. These parents are everywhere not giving a thought about how their children are acting or disrupting others. I rarely hear these parents correcting their kids about their behavior.

My girls are not saints and I am not the best parent on the planet, but I don't let them run wild in public nor do I expect others to watch them when it is my job. I get tired of correcting their children and the looks I get from them when I do. I don't just standby and let their kids run amok when their child is disruptive. I just don't get these types of parents.

It's Time

Yup. Goodbye hair...for now. This morning I was reading and kept feeling tickles on my neck. Lots of hair was falling on my shoulders. I went to the bathroom to take a shower and combed my hair to get all of the loosies so I didn't clog the drain. No use. It was too much hair. It was time for it to be it shaved. We borrowed a razor from our next door neighbors. Phillip, Robyn and Cara took turns working on my do. They gave me the Mohawk and then took it all the way down. Now I just have stubbles. It is much cooler. When I look in the mirror I can hear Tim Gunn telling me "That is a lot of look." He is right.

All I Wanted Was to Watch A Little Baseball

LSU is playing in the Super Regionals heading up to the College World Series. They won it all last year, but this year the pitching has been struggling. The game is blacked out here. They are playing at UCLA and I was able to find it through Facebook posts on the LSU page. Some guy was streaming the game from his cable connection and it came in loud and clear. I loved being to sit in the recliner and watch the game on the laptop. Pretty decided that I was to be her bed, so I had both of them on my lap. Most of the time, she didn't block my view. She roots for LSU too. That's my girl.

The Hair Exodus has Begun

Well it has started. My hair is falling out. If I run my fingers through it I get 5-8 hairs. Well poop. I so wanted to avoid this even thought it was virtually 100% definite that I would loose my hair with my chemo treatment. Cara is itching to give me a mohawk. I think it will be soon.

Better Than A Bowl of Soup

Robyn has a good friend who has mono for the second time. It is so bad that it has affected her liver and she now has hepatitis. She is such a character and I love her sense of humor. I thought that instead of sending her something healing like chicken soup, I would knit her something that would make her laugh. I hear she loves it. Feel better soon, sweetie.