Utter Failure

I wanted to have an adult discussion. I attempted to have an adult discussion. My daughter became so defensive and .... um searching for the right word here... well, I guess defensive covers most of the bases, that it became impossible. Because I was trying a different method and had to keep reminding her that I wasn't shouting or yelling at her the talk got no where except for me truly pissed off. Why? Because I think Tryn is capable of being talked to as an adult on this subject and her defensiveness and inability tonight to hold an adult conversation hit about every button that I had. Hate it when that happens - I really do. Was this my failure or hers or both. Maybe in this case I switched speeds too fast? However she always complains that I treat Aaron different than her - I treat Aaron as an adult, a young adult but an adult. Even when we are pissed at each other we can hold a conversation. I think Tryn should be capable of that and it makes me feel like I failed somewhere that at almost 17 we can't do that. Gonna try again tomorrow.

Re-evaluations

It is so hard to let our kids fail. I know the best lessons are sometimes learned this way - but it is still hard.

I could scream - I could shout, I could ground and lecture. Am I going to? No. Do you know why? She is 16 - she will be 17 in 4 months. She has been going to school since the age of 5. In 12 years she knows how to turn in homework, she knows she needs to do assignments. She is failing history and math. We are going to sit down and move to the next phase - educated planning. Demonstrating consequences. Not grounding, nothing like that. January is when you starting applying to colleges and she was wanting to graduate early. We are going to discuss how her plans are going to work with the consequences of her new grades.

New Blog Feature

So I discovered that I can add permanent web links on my blog. The first two I added are Ancestory.com where I spend much of my spare time researching family history and I wanna download. I just found this site but I can tell I really like it. I don't like video/cd piracy but I also don't want to pay full price when I don't get the cd/dvd, box, liner notes and all the cool packaging. Tada - www.iwannadownload.com, has a monthly price for unlimited downloads. Works for me.

Thanksgiving Vacation

For Thanksgiving this year we traveled to Arkansas to visit family. All of my Dads side of the family is in Batesville & Cave City and the surrounding areas. On the way there and back we stopped to visit friends of Aarons that he grew up with and are like family to him. We had fun. We visited family, laughed and talked and fished. We took a time out from the world and it didn't stop turning.

My cousin Mariassa is a new mommy, my cousin Beckys daughter Emily is following in her Mommys footsteps and could ride a horse before she could walk. Greg is doing good, Teresas is thrilled with her first grandaughter. Grandma, Imo, and Brenda are all doing great.

Everyone was friendly with Aaron and hopefully it will all get better.

Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas...the Holidays are in full swing.

Watching Her Grow Up

The journey of parenthood is amazing, on April Fools Day 1992 Tryn Leigh was born.

When she was a newborn, I can't really say little because no 8lb 15 oz baby is "little", she was everything I dreamed of.

By 1 she was already walking and talking

At 2 she tried to climb a tree taller than the house and got stuck

At 3 she tried to quiz me on double multipaction tables (mom, what is 2x2, 3x3, 4x4....)

I homeschooled her for preschool and recieved one of my most precious memories - teaching my daughter to read (Mom, that is a word, it says CAT!)

I cried when I left her in Kindergarden, and every report card from k-6 stated she is a "social butterfly".

We worked our way though elememtry school, finding multi age classrooms to keep her challenged and finally acceptance in GT programs.

She coped with our divorce and new siblings, she didn't learn to ride a bike until she was 10 because she kept getting mad at the bike and kicking it when she fell.

We survived ages 11-13 where she hated me and and started High School, where she experimented with going by her middle name the first year. She proudly announced in middle school and even in the beginning of highschool that she would never change her name for a guy, that she would never have biological children because she wanted to adopt.

Then she fell in love with Aaron. Sudden having kids seemed like a good idea in 5 or 6 years...they were at the store and he swiped his Safeway card and after they paid the bill the clerk handed her the bag and called her by his last name...that made her happy, she wants to see if it happens again. While he was in Florida he would also address letter to her using his last name - same reaction.

She is still growing and changing - now I am watching her learn even more about relationships and compromise. My only child is finally learning to share more too.

I can't wait to see what changes the next years bring.

Cars and Tires and Oh My

I was trying to drive to work this morning, and I knew I had to stop and put air in the tire- but I really thought I would make it to the gas station. No such luck. The piece of good luck? I wasn't that far from the house when the tire blew. I was in control of the car, and the very nice gentleman who picked me up hiking up the hill to the house and gave me a ride back home. Also to Vanessa's family for the ride back to the car.

Aaron got my doughnut put on and that should hold me over til tomorrow. Thank you to Brad for the ride, thank you to Vanessa family for the ride back to the car, thank you to Aaron for fixing the tire, thank you God for us not getting hurt during our adventure.

President Obama?

The news teams are going nuts -- they have been waiting for this. The west coast hasn't even been counted, they are declaring states that haven't even reported at 50% yet... How is this right, fair or balanced reporting. When I can locate the popular vote it is by no means a "landslide".

We will see what happens.