Funny Kids' Quotes

Lil Harry: "You know why I'm a little bit crazy? ... Because I press red buttons."

(5.29.03)
Lil Harry: "I always say 'YUM YUM' to Pooh trucks because I like to eat them ... but not Tigger."

Lil Harry: "Don't wear that perfume to smell pretty, Mommy, that
smells like dirt!"

(8.13.05)
Scott, on hearing the song by Peter Cetera, "The Glory of Love,"
Cetera sings,
"Sometimes I just forget
Say things I might regret
It breaks my heart to see you crying"
Scott says, "That man sometimes just forgets!"

Abby, on getting "Prayer Bear" when Bear says, "Now I lay me...If I
should die, before I wake..."
Abby says, "Mommy, that Bear is going to die!"


Haaa hhaaa!!! LOL!

The Wife in 1955

These are some things about marriage I've been thinking about.

See the attachment showing The Wife in 1955. I kind of find this idea of The Wife comforting, however deluded. I think it is true that The Wife/Mother's happiness determines the family's happiness and that what the Mother does can have a powerful effect on the family's happiness. Still, I would amend the specifics of this Mother Ideal for 2005 (I don't think I'll be changing the kids' clothes...). The general idea of taking care of the family is a good one. Whether we like it or admit it or not, the woman is in charge of the home. We know this by the "second shift" statistics: even when mom works full-time, she works a second shift at home. Mom's the leader of the home.

Men are different than women. They have different strengths. I don't expect too much out of them when it comes to 50-50 care of the home/family. They just aren't geared to it; they just aren't as good at it. Why ask(nag) them something, only to frown because you can do it better/faster? Females from birth are superior to picking up on cues in the social environment. We've been (mostly inadvertently) learning how to be mothers all our lives. Too bad I wasn't more interested in a fantastic Home Ec class (there aren't any). Men (and boys) are much more vulnerable than women: men have far stronger emotions when they have them and they aren't even able/allowed to let them out. Men are soulful inside and if this is not expressed, a man may burnout or turn to an affair. This is true for women too, except that women have a lot of practice having and expressing their emotions (sometimes too much!). Women are also "allowed" to have emotions.

No matter what the woman does, her man still feels his role is The Provider and Protector of his family. This goal is an enormous weight. He should feel his home is a haven free from stress and full of true acceptance, affection, and love. "My husband is my hero": I'm going to put that on a t-shirt.

About the 2005 version of the Wife Ideal... It's probably not always realistic to dust before hubby comes home, but it may be nice to:

• Greet him with a big smile, hug, and kiss.
• Tell the kids, "Daddy's coming home! Let's have a clean-up race."
• Hug him, touch his arm, smile at him, say, "I'm proud of you."
• Have dinner or plans underway for him.
• Never nag or make faces.
• Never criticize.
• Compliment him twice a day. Thank him even more.
• Wake up every morning and paste a smile on your face. There is no room for PMS.
• Nourish his soul. Encourage him to get out or do what really makes him come alive. Be excited about his ideas and do some of them.
• When he suggests something different, say "Yes, dear" and at least try. Do not defend against it.
• Ask him a specific question from what you remember about his work and interests. Really listen, look in his eyes, never interrupt.
• Do all the household tasks you can without complaint or wearing yourself out for him later, all with a smile on your face.
• Squeeze in a mini-break to recharge yourself. Paint your toe nails or glance at a magazine or Oprah.
• Thank God every day for your wonderful husband.
• Think not what your husband can do for you, think what you can do for your husband.
• Make him feel like the Hero, The Man. Do no break him down.
• If you must ask for a change, do so in the calmest, most respectful way. Say that it would really help you.
• Be attracted to your husband, make yourself attractive for him, for yourself, for your children.
• Put your husband first over your children (over the age of 1 and not actually about to die). Children come between spouses (sometimes literally!). This means taking time to talk, hug, date after kids' bedtime, and go on dates. How fun!
• Buy him little gifts and leave him little notes.
• Remind him of the girl he used to know: Have fun together.
• Be grateful you have a good man, a husband, and a father for your children. Never forget the alternative. Most parents who divorce do so before their child is 5 years old.
• You may want to change him, but resist. What do we want, a woman? He has his own nature and his own contributions.
• Think, "When I'm about to die, my best friend and lover, my husband, will be there loving me, holding my hand and we'll have shared a lifetime together."

All that said, there will definitely be times when the above is not possible. However, this happens to be my Ideal. Maybe some of it makes sense to you, too. Of course, when we're trying to take care of children, go to school, go to work, clean the whole house, volunteer, take care of family commitments, make all the appointments, keep track of health issues, and be a wonderful wife, this ideal can be difficult.

Maybe I'm wrong about not expecting too much out of the Man and yours is actually totally responsible for scouring the corners in the bathrooms and noticing when little Johnny's fever has broken (JoNise wins!). Correct me if I'm too easy on them.

Also, I think the Wife should have limits when dealing with her husband and children. If doing something for them would truly be detrimental to you, you should nicely say, "No." And husbands/children must always speak to wives/mom in a respectful manner or don't speak at all. Sometimes it is even necessary to reinvent your whole relationship after a huge, life-changing conflict or event. (For me it was child being born.) There must be respect and honesty. Over time you will learn to be a partner to each other again, creating a whole new marriage.

I just taped a list of "Household Tasks" to the fridge that I would like help with. I figured typing a list was better than ask/nagging. I don't really expect anyone to have time for these tasks, because I don't even have time for them (which is why I need a little help with them). But by putting it on the List, we could certainly both see that these things don't have to just fall into my jurisdiction. I'm booting them out of my jurisdiction for now. Maybe I'll even do them more now that I see them on the List. We'll see. ;-/

Here's to Marriage, the cornerstone of society.