Mom’s thoughts » Hip to be Mom

We just got back from the mall and let me tell ya, it was packed! There was a big sale going on and we didn’t know. Well, now that we do most of our shopping online, there’s no reason to keep track of what’s going on in real life.

We figured we really didn’t have anything to buy except maybe more nail polish?! To quote Raine, one more color, or four, never hurt anyone. This then is her “very humble” collection . With today’s 4 new additions, she needs a bigger box to accommodate them all *bah*.

So we were milling around in the crazy crowd being bumped around by folks who clearly have no concept whatsoever of personal space. While I was engrossed with trying out some nail colors, one lady practically glued her body onto my back as she attempted to squeeze between me and the clothes rack. Guess the words “excuse me” don’t exist in her vocabulary .

Never mind that. Another surprise was waiting for us as we turned the corner to the memory foam mattress section. There standing right behind Raine was our neighbor’s DIL (who, by the way, also lives next door with her husband and kids)… with a big toothy hi, no less! I swear my jaw dropped to the floor even as I struggled to utter my most neighborly hi in reply!

Here’s a woman who has never acknowledged us in all the years she’s lived next door! The only 2 occasions she’s ever spoken to me on the phone (like we were old friends?! *gag*) were when she desperately needed to get in touch with her MIL (a really nice lady, btw) and their house phone was out of service! That’s it!

Here’s a woman who peeks over our fence to see what I’m wearing, and then soon after, I see her wearing something similar. Ultimate fail! I don’t know what it is with her – is she competing with me, or is she just a fan of my fashion style? Well, she can try… but she sure don’t have my cute J Lo butt, so there!!

And yes, this chance meeting with my biggest ‘fan’ really freaked me out, big time! If only all my neighbors were THIS warm and friendly! No, seriously, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, love the woman *shrug and * !

After an entire afternoon of biscotti baking adventures with my girls, the oxygen level in my brain is pretty low right now. This probably isn’t the best time to be writing posts because I tend to ramble when I’m tired and then I’ll start going on about gifts for boys when I’m supposed to be commenting on some news I’ve just come across.

1. iPhone commits suicide on a Qantas flight? You’re kidding me, right? As you know, I’ve been toying around with which smartphone to buy since my beloved pocket PC is cranking up. So now should I rightly be thinking twice about that iPhone, you think?

2. Finally some chef person, Wolfgang Puck, I think is his name, has come out and said he doesn’t care for Starbucks coffee. Now that’s some guts, I tell ya, going against the grain like that. I mean there are so many popular names out there that I really don’t care for but if I’d been the one to come out and say that, I’d have people on my back bashing me up.

3. Funny as this may sound, some folks I know are still in typewriter mode. For some strange reason, they think Microsoft Word is the latest model typewriter. Um, sorry to bust your bubble but Word can do a ton, and I mean a ton, of stuff that your regular old clacker can’t. So listen up, you gotta roll with the times, peeps!

I’m officially excited about being kinda smack in the middle of the holiday season. Hence my new blog header from our trip to Disneyland, Anaheim last year. Like it?
I was rummaging through tank tops and skinny jeans at the store. Seriously, folks, Size 0 should be illegal.
Looks like NaNoWriMo has come to a grinding halt for me. Oh well, maybe next year.
Our neighborhood bakery has stopped making bagels. forever! *sobs*
People Magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive 2011. Not you, Bradley (Cooper) or Ryan (Gosling). The title goes to Chris Evans aka Captain America. Seriously, who else has abs like those?

The chauffeur

Posted by Clairity 3 Responses »

Oct 202011

Three days ago, Raine, my darling 17-year-old, hopped into a sardine can of a car (it’s so small you can practically put it in your pocket, yes!) with a strange man. Yes, the driving lessons have begun!

Her driving instructor is the same guy who taught Steev. He was so patient with Steev that I just had to get him back. Raine, however, is just a little less than enthusiastic about learning to drive. Like her mama, she much prefers to be driven.

Oftentimes while sitting in rush hour traffic, I would reminisce about the days when I was dropped off at college and at work by the family chauffeur. Those were the days. All I had to do was get in the car and be magically transported. Nice!

No throbbing head, no fugly 2-tone arms, no overworking my middle finger! No circling like a hawk for a parking spot, no loitering in “no stopping” zones, no double parking hoping I won’t get caught. No matter how long the road, how bad the traffic or what time it was, I would arrive with nary a hair out of place.

Life doesn’t get much better than that. That was before I stupidly got married and moved out. That’s why they say love is blind. How could I not have seen that I would end up being the chauffeur, rain or shine, any time, any day .

Dare I even dream now that my secret wish might come true – that I would soon have a chauffeur at my beck and call? Then again, doesn’t she only want to be driven?

If you’re not sure which is the mother and which is the daughter, don’t second-guess.
Don’t pick up the call if you don’t recognize the number.
Just because you’ve driven past a building (and I’m not just talking metal buildings here) 837,239 times before doesn’t mean you’ll be able to find it again, just like that.
Always unplug the modem even if it’s looking bright and sunny outside.
When all else fails, sandwiches always work.

What did you learn this week?

Joyce of From This Side of the Pond is inspired by apples, peaches and pumpkins this week. So that’s where we’re headed with the questions.

1. What do you do at the first sign of a cold? Will you get a flu shot this year?

Lots of water and Vitamin C. I wrote a post about this recently, you can read it here.

2. What advice can you give about how to conquer fear?

Close your eyes, say a prayer and jump.

3. Share two good things about your life right now.

Watching my teens grow, and eating out.

4. A hot fall fashion trend for 2011 is a return to sixties style…tunics with pants, shift dresses, pencil skirts, cinched waists, bold prints, high necklines and short lengths to name a few. How does this fashion trend fit with your wardrobe and personal sense of style?

I’m not really sure about the 60′s but I do love pencil skirts. Most of my skirts are pencils (convenient for times when I can’t find a pencil ). I definitely love bold colors and prints especially on my nails.

5. Were you involved in scouting as a kid? How about as an adult?

Yup,� I have some great memories of cookouts on the beach (with a dash of salt and sand in our food, sure!), hiking and camping, singing and doing silly dances around campfires, washing cars for charity, jamborees, the works. Wish my kids had had a chance at scouting the good old-fashioned way, long before iPads and cell booster homes.

6. Apple, pear, plum, pumpkin…your favorite fall flavor?

Apple. I’m thinking of apple pie. Hmm, maybe I’ll bake one this weekend.

7. What characteristics do you think are essential in a good teacher?

I think being passionate about teaching and the subject matter forms the basis to being a good teacher. Sprinkle on some patience, creativity and a love for working with people, and I guess you’re set. I’m a fairly new teacher (started teaching college and working adults a few years ago) so I still have a lot to learn. But I’m loving it so far. It’s a lot of laughs and I try to make it fun for my students as well because I believe if you enjoy learning, you’ll find it easier and less of a chore.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Waiting for the weekend…