Hope on the horizon

Well, after my rant last night, I have decided to post a lighter note on the blog. If I offended anyone last night who voted for Obama, I apologize. My intention was not to offend, but to inform.

I kept our neighbor's 21 month old today. His mom is in training for a new job, and until now has not needed care for him during the day. He is a precious little guy, and he and Connor got along well for the most part. Connor did not want to share his toys with him, and pushed him once. Which was funny to watch because Connor is about half his size. Poor Kaelyn just looked at Connor like he had two noses and then looked at me as if to say, "What do I do now?" I gave Connor a stern no, and then gave Kaelyn a big hug. He has a sweet smile, and is just a happy baby. Our neighbors do not seem to provide a very good home life for their children, and for that reason, I have always felt the need to make thier kids at home in our house. The parents are good people, for the most part. I just don't think that they have the kids needs in mind when they are making parenting decisions. You saw Jake's costume for Halloween, on the Halloween post. Poor guy. The daughter, Jewel came to our house one day when it was snowing with no shoes on, wet hair, and pajamas. In fact, the child never has on shoes. I have asked her to wear them because she is cheer leading and I know from past experience that keeping your arch in tact is key to tumbling. Thankfully, she has started wearing shoes when she runs down our paved street and when she rides her bicycle. It is sad to see the kids not wearing coats on cold mornings, because I know they have them, their mom just never thinks about making them wear a coat. Somehow they don't eat at their house. The older child, Jewel has said that they don't eat dinner at home and there isn't much food in the house. So last summer, I fed them most nights out of a sense of duty. They like coming to our house, and I like knowing that they feel taken care of here.

Connor is a capital M mess. He is the polar opposite of his brother when it comes to temperament. Tucker has a temper, but it is usually directed at himself, when he makes a mistake or gets into trouble. Connor gets mad if anything doesn't go his way. He throws everything in sight sometimes just to do it. Everything means, sippy cups, food, toys, cars, accessories, if he can reach it, he will throw it. When you tell him no, he just keeps on doing it. When Tucker was his age, if I got stern with him, he would cry as if I had broken his heart. Connor just looks at me like, "so what?". Connor is going to be a rebel just like me, and I am sad that he inherited that personality trait. I got lucky with Tucker. God let me off easy with him, in that I didn't have to suffer the mischievousness and mutiny that I gave my parents as a child and teenager. My attitude towards most things is, "If you are mad at me, get over it, because I will." Except when it comes to people I truly care about, like my parents and friends. He is also like me in that he thinks that his charm can get him out of sticky situations. I was a con artist at the age of 6, and was very proud of it. I cheated on tests like it was nothing, and never got caught. I could lie to you with a straight face and never feel guilty for it. I was the one who went into the Phillips 66 station when we were 16 to buy our beer. None of my other friends would do it, but I would. If someone older, bigger, and tougher than me smarted off to me or one of my friends, it was me who confronted them. I had a Napoleon complex, but the female version. Now I have become a mom in the true sense and have shed my outer layer of hostility. It's still there, and can come out now and again, but for the most part that side of me is kept quiet.

All that to say is that I am afraid my little sugar bear is going to give me ulcers as he grows up. What comes around goes around, and it is about to catch me I am afraid. Thankfully Tucker is like his daddy, I couldn't handle two of myself. My poor husband can't even handle me as it is. I feel sorry for him one day, and want to berate him the next. Such is life and marriage. I remember Jackie Gleason saying, "I'm gonna send you to the moon!" Honeymoons don't last that long but love can outlast anything as long as you are willing to let it prosper.

Well, I am sufficiently sleepy tonight, without the need of red wine. So I will join my snoring sweetheart in our comfy bed and thank the Lord for the roof over my head, my children who are in their beds, and for saving me, from myself. Thank you Jesus! Good night!