I spent the afternoon yesterday with my sister in law. We started talking about division of labor in the home. We have much the same ideas, so it was nice to run through and share ideas.
In our home we have no real division. Isaac does the dishes, I do the laundry and then things just get done. I vacuum and dust and mop and he usually takes care of the bathrooms and trashes. I do the bills he does Sammy baths. It's all very fluid at this point. If something needs done, Isaac steps in and helps. If he's busy, I try to help out his chores as well. Sammy has to fold and put his own clothes away, clean up after himself and he usually vacuums the kitchen in the mornings (I'm a slave driver!). So this lead me to wonder...
What's it like in your house? Do you divide things? Do you do it all? What chores do you give your kids?
As a side note? How much do I want to see this? Oh. So very.
And another side note? I just saw the trailer for the new Footloose remake coming out this year. I DO NOT feel good about that. At all.
As I said, I read Something Borrowed and Something Blue recently. I picked them up after watching the film version of the former and loving it. One of the only ones in America, I think. Anyway...I picked up Borrowed and read it. It was definitely different than the movie and I didn't feel as strong a pull to it, but the basic bones were there and the fleshing of the characters were good to see.
On paper, it's the story I should hate. It's about betrayal, something I have a difficult time with, but I was just entirely captivated by it. I was fixated on Rachel, the good girl. I really related to her. Well, minus the whole "sleeping with her best friend's fiance" thing. But here's the rub. She WAS good. Despite the whole "sleeping with her best friend's fiance" thing. And I really resonated with that.
I was very similar. I did everything right. I never did ANYTHING in high school that would give my parents pause. I studied, got good grades, kept 'curfew', got into college and well, did everything 'right'. I was really good. And then I went to college. And my do good at every turn reputation had a few hiccups. I'm sure that looking in, I could have been judged unfairly for several of the things I chose to do. But I learned that - even though - I may have chosen things that weren't ultimately great decisions and caused hurt and pain, I was still a good person. That didn't change. But navigating the waters into adulthood is complicated at best and level heads don't always prevail. So I can see how one mistake doesn't make the villain.
I picked up Blue in JFK while we were waiting to go home from New York. I had just finished the first and I was so curious how a sequel with Darcy, the hated and shallow jilted friend, front and center, played out. And, well, I was right to be intrigued. It picked up immediately following the first book and took us through the next year of her life. There are several holes in this story that I don't feel were there in the first. And it took a good half (or a little more) into the book before I even REMOTELY felt anything but contempt toward Darcy. And, well, I didn't end the thing loving her. I felt a little more than indifference when all was said and done. I know she 'changed'. I know she is seemingly happy at the end. But I just didn't believe the journey. Not enough to hate the book, because I actually quite liked it, but I was just frustrated by it all.
But that may just be because I don't understand the Darcys of the world and my sympathies were still completely with Rachel.
I have nothing to blog about. At all. Which is a little odd, actually. I usually have a good week's worth of stuff in draft at all times. So, huh. Let's see where this goes, shall we?
*I just finished reading Something Borrowed and Something Blue. I loved Borrowed. Blue was...well...told from the point of view of the person everyone hates in Borrowed. But I actually liked it. Even if I thought the entire premise was a little too convenient.
*I'm having severe mommy angst this past week. I'm certain I've done EVERYTHING wrong and not taught Sammy anything of substance. I just keep seeing flaw after flaw after gap in knowledge and it's beginning to get to me, I tell ya...But good grief he's cute. Here's hoping that helps in his life where his common / spiritual sense seems to have severe gaps.
*You know what completely and utterly sucks? Giving a car full of stuff to donation only to realize after the fact (and, sadly, too late to get them back) that they also took your bag of reusable bags. All my Baggus (of which there were many!) and produce bags. I was devastated. Especially after telling them no, not that one, several times.
*We've been watching the first season of Justified. LOVING it. And it has nothing to do with my teeny tiny crush on Timothy Olyphant. None at all. No. Really.
*I get to have a filling replaced today. Sadly, I've been neglecting this and have rescheduled twice and I...just have to do it. Thanks to my friend, lbs, I usually keep a running tally in my head of the music that plays during. Here's hoping for the good stuff!
*It's finally summer. And for the first time this year, the weather may actually act it. Although, I'm sitting here in a sweater, cold and feeling sad for my parents, knowing they are wishing for some of the cold and the damp.
*I saw a PSA for skin cancer yesterday. I'm now convinced I have it. And am most likely dying. Because, you know, it's been awhile since I've been dying of anything...
*I'm teaching pie making Thursday. I have no less than 5 different kinds I want to make. I should really narrow it down, don't you think? Man. I love pie. That is just a trial in my life, that love.
We're having some difficulty with a little boy in Sammy's church class. He is kind of a bully and really fixates on Sammy. I've had to ask the teachers to keep them apart, but beyond that I am at a complete loss on what to do. It's not yet to the point that separating doesn't help, so I know I have to time to decide how to handle it. But the problems here are mighty and deep, friends. See? His mother hates me. And not just a little. HA-AATES me. Like out of the blue unfriended me on facebook and glares whenever she sees me hates. Oh, wait! This girl. Remember? Anyway. It's now starting to grate, though, and I wish I could swoop in and make it all stop. For Sammy. But I don't think I can. It's just not possible. And I know I can't protect him from things like this all the time. But I hate that I can't just go to the mom and see if there's something we can do. Compromise and work it out.
So. Speaking of...I was teaching in church yesterday and this same woman was sitting near me, within ear shot. When it was announced I would be teaching, I saw out of the corner of my eye her tense and slightly roll her eyes. And then her friend leaned over and said, loudly enough for me to hear, "oh, I'm so sorry for you!" and laughed. So, yeah. That's a great confidence booster to start a lesson on. And, well, yes, I'm sure I could have misheard or misread the situation, but I don't think I did. Especially knowing how much she hates me. I think I kept it together during my lesson. I tried not to look in their general direction because I - of course - felt every shared whisper and laugh was at my expense. I was shaken to the core by this. I know I shouldn't let this bother me. I'm confident and grown up and loved and refuse to give in to the high school drama and my lesson, despite my inner heartbreak, was great. But. I'm sad. I hate this feeling. I like it when people who hate me just keep it to themselves. I love blissful ignorance. Much easier than facing it head on, you know?
