nothing says nerd like...

Ok, so I was online buying my books for next semester yesterday and as I was going through the list there was a book that I already own. In fact I had recently bought it to read over the break to prepare for my upcoming class and it sounds super interesting. And it's one of my texts! haha! Add that to my 'nerd' repertoire! I can see Justin looking for a rock to hide under now - but no worries - I won't tell him and I certainly won't bring up in front of his friends! We have an image to protect!

so cute!

Girls! I was looking for an easy, inexpensive gift for my VTs etc., because I don't really have time to bake this year (sad!) and this is what I found:

They were so easy to make and turned out really cute! I used self-adhesive ribbon and a buckle slide then added a dab of low-temp hot glue on the back to make sure the ribbon held together where it overlapped. Here's a close up - I can't get it to rotate so you'll have to rotate your head. Sorry!

And here's the little gift I did for the sisters in the RS presidency with me:

I went to an antique store and found these pretty little old tea cups and some cool old spoons and I put some Russian Refresher (like Wassail) mix in a little tiny ziploc bag, tied a cinnamon stick to the spoon and wrapped it all together. I think it turned out really cute and hopefully no one will think it was weird to get an old cup and spoon. :)

It's all about them

Just a heads up for all y'all who'll have teenagers some day - they are a big ball of contradictions and if you're not careful it'll drive you nuts! Oh, let me share some examples... Yesterday Becky and I were out shopping (since I have pretty much nothing done and Christmas is in one week shopping is my whole goal this week) and we picked up the boys (Justin & 2 friends) and took them to the mall. Of course we separated as soon as we got there - you know, we wouldn't want to embarrass them, they surely wouldn't want to be seen with two old women and two loud little kids. (Seriously, they're really loud! My nephews have this thing for screeching and its not cool. And the 2 year old laughs and smiles so big when you tell him no, he just loves it if he causes trouble!) Later, we saw the boys in the food court and I waved. This was most embarrassing to all of the boys! Then I called to Justin (he wasn't very far so it wasn't a yell or anything) and asked if he wanted some money. Well, yeah! I said, 'oh, we can talk to you as long as we're giving you money, huh?' He said yes. Envision a roll of the eyes here.



One more example. The last couple days I told Justin he could ride the bus to school and he said that's so unfair 'you're off today!' I reminded him that I have tons to do. He doesn't care. I reminded him that I've not showered, I'm in my pajamas, have racoon eyes, and my hair looks like I stuck my finger in light socket and (I didn't remind him of this but I was reminding myself) I didn't have a bra on - and as any post-baby woman knows, that is not good and you just should never go out in public w/o a bra! Do you think he cares? Well, no. At least not this time. He'd really rather have a ride to school than have to ride the awful bus. Perhaps I can just put a hat on?



So, the bottom line is, it's all about them. Just remember, you'll never get it unless you think about each situation and figure out what it is they want to get out of it and how you can help them the most. Then, you can see how even the most embarrassing situations will be 100% fine with them, so long as they end up on top.

Christmas card pic

Woo hoo! Finals are done! I'm is happy, happy. So, now on to my Christmas cards. I told Justin that I have a very limited selection of pictures to choose from to send with our cards as he was such a turkey and wouldn't take a decent picture with me. Ever. Then I said maybe I'd just send his tangle-with-the-pier picture. I was kidding of course but he thinks that'd be a great idea. So, here are the two I have to choose from, you can vote. The pier:

Or, a very accurate picture of what vacationing with us is like:

Personally, I don't think the bleeding boy is very appropriate for Christmas cards, although it does say a lot! But I also like to pretend that vacations are fun so I'm not sure I like the other picture either. Perhaps we'll just have to skip the picture this year...

This is the scene at my lightrail stop this morning! There are three tracks along side each other, two for the light rail and one for regular trains. A coal train derailed this morning and knocked the lightrail train on the next next track off. No one was hurt but it'll be a day or so before they get it operable again. In the meantime, it's snowing like crazy and really icy and I have a final so I have to figure out another route to school. If I leave now, I may make my 10:00 final in time. :) Too bad it's a final, if it was a lecture, I might just skip it...

one down...

One final down, five to go... And enrichment on Wednesday. I think I can, I think I can, I think I can... And I don't even have my Christmas cards started. This may not seem like a big thing so most people but I usually have them done and in the mail by about the 3rd of December. So, I'm way behind! Sigh. On that happy note, I think I'll head out into the 15 degree morning and conquer my next final! :D

Being the cool mom has its rewards and its trials. For example, driving down the road the boys (general term for Justin and his friends) decide they would be soo cool if they turned on the hip-hop/rap station and blare it from here to Doomsday. And dance. If you can call that dancing. And roll the windows down. Picture me driving along with 50 Cent blasting out of every window and the car shaking because of so much dancing and merry-making. What was that? You don't think this picture fits me? Well, if you tuned in a different music (I'll not say what genre) back in the day, the picture just might have fit. Without the dancing. But nowadays... my head immediately started throbbing and I remembered that I'm not as young as I used to be. Good thing the movie theater wasn't far!

Oh! I'm afraid the Cool Mom may be joining the Endangered Species list as Cool Mom had to pick mischievous boys up AGAIN from a TP escapade. Grrr. That's the sound of a Cool Mom losing her patience and the coolness slipping away as she realizes she might have less than 'the best.'

Slow Team Carrie

I was up way too late last night studying for my Civil War midterm and when I was taking the test I could not remember the 'Crittenden Compromise' which is so annoying! I knew it was the C____ Compromise.... C...what? C... C... Bagh! I could not remember so when I finished the test I checked my notes and it was one of those duh! moments! Grrr. There were two other questions like that too and then who knows how I did on the ones I think I got right. Maybe they're not right. I think my brain is on the slow team. Ok, I know what you're thinking and Tara, I'm working on your method of schooling but I'm a little slow coming on board.

Then last night, another slow team moment, I was at my RS meeting and they were talking about the upcoming board meeting. They said we'd be breaking into our small groups after a message from the bishop. Small groups? Um, does that mean I need to have a lesson prepared or something? The blank stares were quickly replaced by indulgent smiles and an explanation of what the theme is and yes I do need a lesson for my group. Oh. Right. I was fully aware of the theme but I didn't know anything about small groups. I went to the board meeting last fall (as an attendee) and they didn't do a thing with small groups so I really was feeling a little in the dark. I think I should be aware of lots more than I am. I don't know if it's just me not figuring things out or if my training was lacking somehow... Sometimes I feel like it might be a good idea to tatoo "caution, first order slow team" on my forehead. Everyone else here has a tat so maybe I'll join the club - at least mine would be helpful.

speaking of homework...

Ok, so Justin tells me that they marked him absent this morning because he was just a little late "or something stupid like that." I asked him to define "a little late" and he says less than 20 minutes. Or well, probably less than 15 minutes. Bagh! I reminded him that I let him skip seminary this morning because he was up late doing homework but clearly that won't happen again since he can't get his butt to school on time. AND, this was late start day which means school doesn't even start until 8:45 and he was up at 7 so there's no reason to have been late. I told him to leave the house by 8 and he'd be fine. It must have been one of those 'mom's stupid and doesn't know what she's talking about' moments when he decided he didn't have to leave that early... Then he says, "Oh mom, in American Gov (keep in mind this is his honors class) I haven't done any of the homework or taken notes in class and I still got a 90% on the test." At this point my mind goes off in a couple different directions - one side is saying 'great!' for the test part because he's had a hard time and been really worried about the test. The other part of my mind is saying 'holy crap! and you wonder why you have an F in the class!?' I of course take the very undiplomatic and unsupportive route and say "I suppose you want me to be happy but you just admitted you haven't done any of your homework..." As soon as I say it I'm already regretting it. He cuts in and says of course I'm not happy he knew I wouldn't be. Oh drat! I swear I can't seem to get this right! And quite often I feel like I'm damned if I do and damned if I don't. I just don't understand why he can't see what I see, simply that if he can do that well on a test in his honors class without trying very hard then he can do really well if he actually put some work into it and stopped whining!!! Aagghh! I'm screaming silently in my head so as not to alarm anyone but really! I wonder if all teenagers are this much work or if mine is just a pain in the butt? (Ok, I'm pretty sure I know the answer but I would still like to wonder because maybe it'll make me feel better somehow...)

Perhaps I can ask the gaggle of jr high girls that I walk past every afternoon to explain their pov to me. Nah, that wouldn't help either.

impersonating a teenager

Sometimes I feel like I'm trying to impersonate a teenager. This is especially true when I'm walking to the bus stop with my hoodie and my backpack and I'm rockin' my pod (this little phrase came from the salesman helping us spend a lot - oh, I mean - get a sweet set up for Justin to ride this winter on the slopes dude!) I also have the luxury of that rosy glow, usually reserved for teenagers, upon my face - but don't worry the old lady bags under my eyes, that grow bigger and darker every day, offset the acne so that instead of a sad sort of 'youthful' I just look a mess...

I also used to be a morning person but I've reverted back to being a night person. Not so much because I like staying up late as that I'm up late doing homework and get up waaay too early. I hate getting up. Can someone please find more Saturdays for me? And how about more LDS kids so they can do release time seminary again... Okay, okay, I'll stop whining.

Lest there be any confusion, Justin DOES NOT think I look like a teenager - I'm still his same ol' frumpy mom!

Squeaky Voices

Is it wrong to laugh, usually under my breath, when I hear Justin and his friend getting all into their video game saying things like "Dude!" or "What're you doing!?" with a nice squeak in the middle of each syllable? Or sometimes the squeak is at the end of the word. Sometimes you can't hear it but others it's so obvious it just makes me laugh. Just now it was a whole series of "Dude!"s and every one of them was squeaky. I of course, being the considerate mother that I am, leave the room before I laugh or I hold it in and try to keep the smile on my face to a minimum whenever I'm close by but really, it makes me giggle.

teachers

Justin has a great teacher for Business Fundamentals this year. (Listen for the sarcasm dripping from every syllable!) His name is Mr. Beerman, which is apparently very appropriate. He's spent the last week and a half telling the kids what he's going to teach them, which includes very little in the book because you know, that's just not how real life is. Instead he's going to teach them how to play the stock market and invest because the best thing ever is to get money and not have to do anything. That's only one of the unrealistic dreams he's going to fill their heads with this semester. Don't get me wrong, I know there are tons of people who do quite well in the market and it's not at all a bad thing if done right, the problem is you might want to inject some realistic expectations, hard work, ethics, etc. in these little lessons - you know, the boring stuff that's also part of life.

But, don't worry, it gets better! He's also spent plenty of time telling stories about beer and how cool it is. He even told them how to get out of a DUI. THESE ARE KIDS!!!!!!!! What the heck is WRONG with him??? Not to mention that it is illegal, unethical, morally wrong and stupid to drive drunk and then worse to play games to get out of it! Then he follows up these conversations with "now, you don't need to tell your parents I told you this. This is just between us." Ok buddy, if you have to tell the kids that you know darn well you're in the wrong! Justin didn't want me to say anything because that would be embarrassing, etc. so I was in the difficult place that we parents find ourselves in from time to time. What's more important? Talking to the school about the idiot that's teaching there or protecting Justin from being ridiculed and such from kids who will think he is nooot cool for telling? Seriously both a big deal. My mom-senses were tingling and I just couldn't not pass this little tidbit along to the school so I made an annonymous call and told the assistant principal the problem. He was glad to hear it and I hope that it'll die out without Mr. Beerman making stupid comments to the kids about someone telling on him. Justin doesn't know I called so he shouldn't feel to red in the face if it comes up in class.

I'm telling you, I do not understand how some people have their jobs! Well, I do, and it's called the blasted union, but that's another story for another day...

The Bus

The new and interesting experience this semester is the bus. You know how it's so annoying to ride behind a bus and they just push their way into your lane, etc.? Well, it's also scary to ride ON the bus when they do that. Especially if they're late. 'Everyone hold on to your butts because we're going to pretend we're in a race car!' Woo hoo! I now make sure I always sit in a seat with a rail that I can hold onto.

Justin...
I told Justin that he has two choices to get home from school this year. 1. The bus I ride home goes right by Columbine and has a stop there and he can hop on and ride with me. This was met with bulging eyes, barfing noises, choking, sputtering and a big "ARE YOU SERIOUS!?" I told him that option 2 is to walk. I'm fine with either. He'd rather walk. Ok, sounds good to me. So, of course for the first two days of school he walked all the way (3 blocks) to his friend Trevor's house and stayed there until I picked him up because it was pouring rain by the time he had to come home. I reminded him this morning that walking home means all the way to our home and I'm not picking him up at Trevor's any more. Now's the real test - will he listen? Highly unlikely.

There are so many strange people that ride the bus...
The first two days at the bus stop there was a guy who just unloaded on me about how upset he was with his wife and all their problems (this was after he had been standing at the car yelling at her 10 feet away from me - you know, he felt he had to explain why he was making a scene. Thanks, I'd rather not know...) and I just didn't know what to say. I thought about making sure I have my ipod in and playing before I get to the stop but then I thought perhaps that would be rude since I listened to him for the previous two days so I didn't put the pod on. I was gearing up for it again the last two days but he wasn't there. Perhaps he took the earlier bus. Ok by me.

Then there was a lady whol got on the light rail and sat across from me yesterday. She apparently said something to me and I didn't hear because she started waving her hand in front of my face and, in an annoyed voice, said, "Helll-ooo!" Um, yeah? (continuing in annoyed voice) "Where'd you get your shoes?" "Payless" So I went back to my pod but I wanted to let her know that if I have my headphones on and I'm playing with the pod, clearly I'm not available and don't want to have a conversation. And I was looking down. All signs of one in their own world, not wanting to be disturbed. Then I realized that the stench of liquor I was smelling was coming from her. She was totally drunk at 1:45 in the afternoon. Clearly I was expecting too much of her when I thought she could read the unspoken signs that say 'leave me alone.'

And all that was in the first week - I can hardly wait to see what the rest of the year brings.

This is Crazy

Ok, here goes. I hate thinking of names for things like this so I decided to just call it Crazy Wild. I mean when you have a name like that, (thanks in part to my parents and in part to my friends), what more do I need? and we can conclude that Justin is the best son ever made.... (Hmm, can you guess who's reading over my shoulder and contributing?) In fact, he is just the best, he erupted with laughter when he saw the name and said, "what exactly do you tell your friends to make them think you're crazy? 'Yeah, I was up all night partying last night!' when really you were (snort while pushing glasses up on the nose) studying the holocaust and Yiddish things." Oh sigh. And this on a day he's not even mad at me.

But, alas, true to the nerd in me, my homework is calling so I've gotta run.