survival

Somedays, all I can say for myself is that I have survived.  We are all alive.  Nobody has been "dropped of at the orphanage" or "hung by the chandelier", which are my two favorite threats that my children laugh at because they know that neither would ever actually happen.

Since I don't have much to share from today (because it was just one of those days), I will share a little piece of parental wisdom.  This seems like a "duh" thing that you should always do, but I do know that when I get busy and forget this step, everything falls apart. (Granted, sometimes things fall apart when I remember it, but not nearly as often)  Before we go anywhere with the girlies, we always have the following conversation:

Me: Okay, girls, what are the things that you aren't allowed to do at ___________?"

Them: a myriad of obvious answers that they still do sometimes, including Hannah always saying "we don't chase boys!"

Me: Anything else?

Them: Each person takes a turn suggesting something

Me: Okay and what can we do there?

Them: a myriad of obvious answers, although there aren't nearly as many as on the can't list.

Me: I now explain they whys behind some of these can's and cant's- 

Now, let's say you are returning things at Fred Meyer's and you forget to talk about some of the things on the can't list.  Hypothetically speaking, of course.  Then you might end up with kids climbing on the cart, playing games throughout the store that involve jumping from one colored tile to the next and bumping into innocent bystanders.  Hypothetically speaking, of course.  The moral of the story: Always talk to your kids on the way to any location about what is expected out of them.  (Even if you go there all the time and they should dang well know what they should and shouldn't do. ) Or else you will have had a day like mine.  And your kids will be extremely disappointed when their mommy doesn't let them have the free cookie.  Yikes, I tell you.