Have you planted a tree lately?
The lady at the tree sale gave this tree to Thomas last weekend.
He loved the tree so much he wanted his picture with it! I can't believe how big he's getting. It seems like just the other day he was Hannah's age.....
Having kids is such a funny thing. One minute you want to just choke the life out of them and the next you want to hug them and keep them in your arms forever.
My wits are challenged these days by Zachary. He's going to be 14 and he thinks he's about 40. Every once in a while I get through to him, the little bugger. Last night we were watching tv and he had complained about being bored and how his friends all had cool stuff and he didn't.
In my usual sarcastic flair, I commented to him about how terrible it must be to have all of his needs met, food on the table, clothes on his back, and a roof over his head. I then commented on how his eyes appeared sunken in and his cheeks hollowed out from neglect.
He laughed. He knew what I was getting at.
I then asked him, in the same sarcastic tone, how he could say he doesn't have any cool stuff when he has 2 dirtbikes, and a go-cart, and a pedal bike, and a computer, and a playstation with a bunch of games, and a very expensive mp3 player, and parents who take him to fishing tournaments and treetops and taxidermy........
Sometimes he just needs to be reminded of what he does have. I can honestly say I never had that kind of stuff when I was a kid. One of these days I'm going to have to tell Zachary about what it was like when I was a kid. He has started asking me why I don't have any family and is surprised when he overhears me once in a while make reference to a cousin or family member.
I don't want him to know that I used to suffer as a kid.
I had a mom who gave me bloody noses and locked me in my bedroom when I was tiny. I had a dad who did nothing about it to stop it. I had a mom who had a nervous breakdown and tried to commit suicide all the time. I had a dad who was a complete alcoholic and lives his life to this day in severe depression. I grew up living in dumpy trailers because my parents were white trash bar flies.
While that all sounds terrible, it did make me the person I am today. I knew when I grew up I would never let this happen again. My kids would never feel unloved and unwanted. They would always know, no matter how mad I am and how much I yell, they are my life and my love for them is unconditional.
He loved the tree so much he wanted his picture with it! I can't believe how big he's getting. It seems like just the other day he was Hannah's age.....
Having kids is such a funny thing. One minute you want to just choke the life out of them and the next you want to hug them and keep them in your arms forever.
My wits are challenged these days by Zachary. He's going to be 14 and he thinks he's about 40. Every once in a while I get through to him, the little bugger. Last night we were watching tv and he had complained about being bored and how his friends all had cool stuff and he didn't.
In my usual sarcastic flair, I commented to him about how terrible it must be to have all of his needs met, food on the table, clothes on his back, and a roof over his head. I then commented on how his eyes appeared sunken in and his cheeks hollowed out from neglect.
He laughed. He knew what I was getting at.
I then asked him, in the same sarcastic tone, how he could say he doesn't have any cool stuff when he has 2 dirtbikes, and a go-cart, and a pedal bike, and a computer, and a playstation with a bunch of games, and a very expensive mp3 player, and parents who take him to fishing tournaments and treetops and taxidermy........
Sometimes he just needs to be reminded of what he does have. I can honestly say I never had that kind of stuff when I was a kid. One of these days I'm going to have to tell Zachary about what it was like when I was a kid. He has started asking me why I don't have any family and is surprised when he overhears me once in a while make reference to a cousin or family member.
I don't want him to know that I used to suffer as a kid.
I had a mom who gave me bloody noses and locked me in my bedroom when I was tiny. I had a dad who did nothing about it to stop it. I had a mom who had a nervous breakdown and tried to commit suicide all the time. I had a dad who was a complete alcoholic and lives his life to this day in severe depression. I grew up living in dumpy trailers because my parents were white trash bar flies.
While that all sounds terrible, it did make me the person I am today. I knew when I grew up I would never let this happen again. My kids would never feel unloved and unwanted. They would always know, no matter how mad I am and how much I yell, they are my life and my love for them is unconditional.
@ 10:02 AM
3 Comments:
I think you should tell him about it. He's noticed that you don't have any family, which means that he doesn't have any family on his mom's side. It would be good for him to learn the truth. Those are his roots. It'll give him a better understanding of you and himself.
Well, you really turned out okay - not bad kid. I know your kids are very lucky to have you as their Mom - caring, aware, and willing to teach them about the good side of life. Jessica had some smart things to say.
tsduff is right, (and not just about my having smart things to say -- ha, ha). When we were growing up, I was pretty clueless about how bad it was for you, and I'm always amazed today by how you turned those bad experiences into something positive in your life. So many people would have just followed your parents' path into drugs and alcohol. You should be really proud of yourself for overcoming those obstacles to build a good life for yourself and your family.
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