Looking out for #5

A funny thing happens when you have a child--suddenly, you're not the most important person in your own life any more. The kid comes first, everything else comes somewhere after that. I have found that on my own list of priorities, I rate myself pretty low and I realize there is something very wrong with that. My list is something like this:

1. son
2. husband and other family (parents, sister, etc.)
3. work
4. housework
5. me
6. the dog

Why do I rate myself below nearly everything else in importance? I am trying to bump myself up on my list--I think I'm close to letting myself surpass housework into the #4 position. I know I need to take better care of myself. I know I need to take more time for myself. But how can I find time for myself when I feel like I barely have time to do essential things like eat, sleep and shower? I am trying to carve out little bits of time for myself here and there. It doesn't take much to make me happy--20 minutes of uninterrupted time reading a book, soaking in a hot bath for 15 minutes, getting to bed 30 minutes early to get some extra shut-eye. Posting on this blog is another way I'm making time for me......it's not much, but it gives me a chance to do something different and to express myself in a new way.

I think a lot of moms are like this. But I think we should all try to take more time for ourselves and to focus more on taking better care of ourselves. Because happy mommies lead to happy babies, right? So in a way, taking care of ourselves and keeping ourselves happy is yet another way we can make life better for our families.

Do your homework

This will be the first installment of your Aunt Toni's helpful hints. Do your homework. I don't mean math, science, history, etc. I mean about the important stuff. If you are going to have any type of work done that you're not doing yourself, do your homework. Don't ever go with the first person you talk to, unless you've also talked with other people. Get estimates. Ask questions. Do some research. Not only does this help to prevent you from being taken advantage of, it also educates you. And, let's face it, we can always use a little more education. Make sure that you know what to expect and that the job will be done properly. Otherwise, it's your own fault and you deserve what you get. And remember, "you get what you pay for" isn't just a slogan, it's a fact. Just a helpful hint from your Aunt Toni.

I guess this is a compliment...

My 2-year-old son LOVES our dog. They are best buds. Well, OK...he thinks they are best buds. I think the dog just tolerates him. He is, after all, the one who usurped her position as the "baby" in the household. Anyway....he was petting her saying "good girl" over and over again. Then, he walks over to where I'm sitting and pets my head and says "good girl, Mama, good girl." I suppose I should take it as a compliment that he holds me in the same high regard as he does the dog.

Computer Geeks suck!

Don't get me wrong. I have a great deal of respect for those that know the workings of computers, inside and out. My husband is one of them. But, seriously people, don't you have anything better to do with your time than to come up with new ways to screw with people? I mean, really, what purpose does it serve for you to have a bunch of different sites just randomly pop up on my computer? I'm not stupid enough to blindly click on all these sites, enter my personal information, and invite you into my bank account. It's just not gonna happen. So, I'd like to suggest that you take all that free time you have just lying about and... I don't know, get a girlfriend. That's right. I know it might be a strange and scary concept to you, but actually leave your house once in a while. Step outside into the sun. Breathe some air that isn't recirculated. Talk to actual, real, live people. And not over your web cam either. Actual face to face conversation. Do something productive with your life. Stop fucking with my computer. Granted, when you get a virus, it's of your own doing, for the most part. But, I promise you, I'm not going to pay you to get rid of it for me. I will take care of it myself. I am not your "target audience". So, stop being a douche and just be a decent human being for once in your life. That is all.

In case you haven't figured it out yet, I'm Toni. The compliment to sweet Dixie. And yes, I fixed my computer.

May the Force Be With You

Last Friday marked the 30th anniversary of the release of "Star Wars." My husband is a big-time "Star Wars" geek and I suppose a little of that has rubbed off on me. I don't have anywhere near the knowledge of the trivia of the films that he does, nor can I recite ALL the lines from the original trilogy like he can, but I do enjoy watching the movies.

So to pay tribute to this anniversary, I would like to share something I found:
Everything I Need to Know in Life I Learned from Watching "Star Wars"

I thought this was very funny and a lot of it rings true for me.

Opposites Attract

I finally decided to step into the 21st Century and start a blog. My friend Toni decided to come along for the ride, so here we are.

Toni and I are friends, but have never met--someday we will. But for now our friendship is purely online. We are not total opposites...we have much in common. We are both relatively new moms of boys (if you can count us as "new" after doing it for two years....I know I still feel pretty new at it most days). We are both in the South. We have similar tastes in music and books. Our husbands are so alike they should be related. But the main difference between us is that I am primarily a goody two-shoes....I try not to be, but that's just me. I avoid confrontation and generally follow the rules. Toni, on the other hand, is delightfully "evil." She's good at things like plotting revenge and coming up with the perfect things to say to someone in an argument. She does and says things I don't have the balls to do or say myself and that's why I love her.

So.....we decided to start a blog together......I think we'll balance each other well. I'm not exactly sure what this blog will be--probably just each of us posting our random daily thoughts and musings, with lots of ranting from Toni. But at any rate, it is sure to be a fun little experiment.

EDIT: I have learned that Toni's computer has been crippled by a nasty virus, so it may be a little while before she is able to join me here. So for now, it's just me. Hopefully she'll be posting soon.