The TV That Temporarily Came To Be

My husband had a dream. This guy who asks for so little that is materialistic. But this he wanted.

A flat screen TV of the ginormous size.

He hummed and hawed. For years.

This Fall I told him to go and buy it already for the love of Pete.

One day, a few weeks later, he calls me from Best Buy telling me to bring the van.

He finally made a decision!

We set it up - which given we have a fake fire place brick wall for a TV holder was no small feat (don't ask!) - and enjoyed it.

Until today.

Around 2pm this afternoon I was working away in my office while the boys played in the family room just outside my door. No school today - they pretty much get every second Friday off. I am pretty sure the school board is training them to be government employees.

So Kamden comes in and asks me to come look at the TV. I find this odd since it wasn't on but go to investigate.

I see this.

Should we look a little closer?

Apparently, a plastic connector to one of their foam fort sets when flying through the air. Accidentally.

Somehow, I was very calm. Shock probably. I didn't even yell once. I did, however, try to turn it on.

It fizzled. Loudly. No picture.

Quickly, I turned it off and as I wandered back into my office (the shock again) muttered, "Way to go boys, you just wrecked a $1,000 TV."

Guess who's college funds are going to be a little (a lot) leaner in the very near future?

Happy

I have seen other blogger participate in this weekly You Capture thing and last week I said, for goodness sake you want to blog and you want to practice using your camera so why for the love of all that is holy and good in the world are you not participating?

(it's scary in my head, people, with a capital S)

So here I am, giving it a go. This week's theme is happy.

Saturday morning Lego that does not involve any need for me to "help", aka build the whole thing myself while they watch. Happy? Definitely.

See above. See me? That's right, you don't. Happy? Damn straight.

Kamden's crazy face? Um, yeah, that would be makes me happy for $1,000 Alex.

And the railing FAIL, also makes me happy. Time for a new wrought iron one!

My photography, hanging in my living room, making me smile (as long as it makes me happy, it is a worthy hobby).

And this one, from June 2006, is just for fun - that is Kamden eating a sandwich as big as his head at age 2 on a picnic. Oh the memories of sweet little boys!

That was kind of fun, maybe I will try it again next week too!

What Kind of Mother Are You?

I read this article some time last week when someone linked to it on Facebook about Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior or some such statement.

How could I not read that?

Go on, you know you want to read it.

At first I was horrified. I couldn't believe what I was reading. I could picture the scene at the piano, going over and over the same piece. The yelling. The belittling.

I felt sick that this woman was defending this type of parenting.

Then she made her point. Her daughter was so happy when she finally could play the piece. It was fun.

And I thought, huh, okay, maybe it is not so bad.

But.

Then I started considering some of the ideals she upheld. No TV. No video games. No point in doing something unless you are the best.

Hmmm. So no fun allowed then?

And what if you are pushing your child to be the best at something even though it is not something they would ever choose.

How does a child know what they want to do? This is highly influenced by their parents, I would argue. You can't tell me that girl cared a whit if she was that good at playing the piano. No, what she cared about was making her mother stop yelling.

I am simplifying it highly but my point is that perhaps that style of parenting creates adults who can play Carnegie Hall. So what?

What does that accomplish in the grand scheme of life?

Is that the most fulfilling thing that person will ever do?

I really and truly hope not.

My goal has, and always will be, to teach my children how to find that place in life where they are happy and fulfilled.

And my gut tells me forcing them to be the best piano player or soccer player will sabatoge that goal beyond belief.

So I choose to be less superior.

And I am okay with that. More than words can say.

So...

I was uploading some pictures to Flickr today and I found this one of my boys. I forget how little they once were.

Oh my word. The baldness. The cute glasses. The bruise under Kamden's left eye.

The memories! Yes, even the bruise brings back fond memories. Kamden is that kind of kid. Bruises were par for the course.

It is kind of unbelievable how quickly the time has gone. That was June 2006.

Now it is January 2011. Four and half years later.

You may have noticed I haven't been around to visit your blog as much lately. Or not.

I started working 80% full time last week. It is fun and challenging and scary all at the same time.

It is also making me reflect on how crazy lucky I have been and continue to be. I am still working from home for the same organization I have been doing contract work with for the last 5 plus years, just doing different things.

I would not trade these last 5 years for all the successful careers in China. Not that I am not successful in my career, I just took a really different non-focused on my career sort of path, if that makes any sense.

I was home for that brief blip in time when my two little men were small. That is a gift that I have and will never regret for a nanosecond.

The fact that it has now led to further opportunities has me wondering how I got so lucky.

And also making me laugh because basically my New Year's resolution for 2011 was to work more.

What the?