You Do NOT Need to be Saved!

Tonight Payton was trying to explain to me how a teacher was teaching them about characters, and as she told the story it went something like this. (Mustache,bow and bow tie created by a fanned piece of paper moved from lip,to hair to neck.)

Guy with mustache (deep voice):You must pay!
Girl with bow in hair(high whiny voice, boo hoo attitude):I CAN'T pay!
Repeat twice
Guy with bow tie(deeper voice, and swooping body motions):I will pay!

I'm trying to figure out how much this bothers me. I think the lesson trying to be taught was that you can act out different characters using voice/mannerisms/acting, but why was the example SUCH a stereotypically situation where a man swoops in and saves the poor poor girl who can't pay. Maybe her interpretation was skewed? I just feel like the underlying message is one I'm working hard as a mother to not teach my girls. They do NOT need a man to take care of them!  

Safe and Alive

On the eve of you're 8th birthday tonight you are so mad at me.  Today is Easter and Leslie is hosting her family Easter dinner and earlier today invited you girls to stop by and join their egg hunt.  We got back from Grandma Barb's after bedtime and being the mean mommy I am, I told you girls to get to bed.  By the way, it's now pitch black outside and the egg hunt still hasn't gone off, so I made the right call.  But back to the story.  I went up to tuck you girls into bed.  Parker of course was storming mad, crying kicking, as would be expected.  I tucked her into bed and came to your room.  You were in bed, sulking but handling  it pretty well.  I decided to tell you how proud I was, which might have been a mistake.  You went on to tell me that I do a good job of keeping you safe and alive, but that I never let you have ANY fun.  And that I embarrass you.  Quick on my feet, and too much on my mind lately, I came back with yep, and I will so may more time in the next ten years.  In reality you know that we take you to do bazillions of fun things, but right now I broke your heart, and that's as far as you can think.  And for sure I will embarrass you over and over.  It's my job, my right, my privilege, because for the most part when I do it it is to keep you safe, alive and sometimes just to teach you how to be a better person.  Oh boy, the next ten years are gonna hurt.

Smarter Than I Can Take

Oh Parker! Upon seeing you leaning back in the chair, AGAIN, I just yelled at  you "HOW MANY TIMES HAVE I TOLD YOU NOT TO DO THAT!"  You answer, "I didn't count.". How do I not laugh out loud at that?

Wash Your Mouth Out

Parker attended a fantastic spa birthday party today. Upon returning home I was so proud of her willingness to share her goody bag with Payton. I wasn't paying much attention beyond that. A few minutes later Payton came in to complain that the cookie she ate was awful and could she please have one of our suckers to try to get the taste out of her mouth, she claimed water wasn't helping. Being ...the mean mommy I am, I said no, have some more water. Flash forward two hours... I walked into the kitchen to see the cute tub of "cookie", and thought I might try one, but remembered Payton's complaint. I started to read the tub, DO NOT eat, for external use only, all in small, very small print. Oops, guess those pretty balls covered in sprinkles where soap and not cookies or ice cream or icing as I'd thought.. LOL, mommy of the year, I just laughed and teased her for not reading the fine print! Life lesson hopefully learned by Payton!