Posts
1. Once upon a time... or
2. It was a dark and stormy night...
If I have to be honest both answers may apply!
After my new found back bone growing stronger each day, I can see that this might be the fairy tale summer I always dreamed of...
Unfortunately for my kids, with my new found back bone, their summer may have a foreboding sense of ..."It was a dark and stormy night..."
In my attempt to curb my frustrations, I have chosen to use humor/satire to try and laugh some of this off... It is a work in progress though!
I have drawn great inspiration from 2 very influential men in my life... Martin Luther and Stephen Colbert!
These men had quite creative ways of making their thoughts known!
1. Nail the message to the door
2. The ON NOTICE board!
So hear is my rough draft. I will have to pray and soften the rough edges BEFORE I deliver the message to the kids, but for now I am just going to deal with the RAW emotions. I trust that God will give me the family friendly version when the time is right.
Right now, I am just enjoying knowing that I DO have a back bone and it does work!
So here we go...
ON NOTICE:
To my dear, sweet, precious children:
I hope you will always know that my LOVE for you is unconditional...but my PATIENCE is not. So in the hopes that we can have a great summer together, I am putting a few ground rules in place.
I am your MOTHER and I love you more than words can say. I am NOT merely a "female parental unit" as you so sweetly informed me recently. But if you prefer a "female parental unit" as opposed to your mother, I have made a call to the military boarding school in Houston and they have two openings for the fall. Sergeant Kimberly Scott will be happy to be your "Female parental unit. "You should thank your grandma. She felt I was being a bit extreme when the phone call from the military school came through. I had to stop and admit, I was bit surprised myself that I went so far as to make the phone call! So if a "female parental unit" is what you desire, I can make that happen with just a short phone call and a student loan for you both. I aim to please!
But should you decide to stay with your mother this summer, there will be some significant changes.
You are far too intelligent and gifted to wile-away-the-hours this summer.
We are blessed to be a blessing to others! So this summer, since we were unable to send you on
the foreign mission trip you so desired, we signed you up for home missions instead. I know you will be pleased. We have made arrangements with some people from Thailand and/or China to send us some equipment that will make your home missions work be the best experience it can possibly be for you. These people have worked hard to provide you with the best tools available for home missions work. I know you will be thankful for their sacrifice on your behalf. You are so very sensitive and understanding that way.I am so looking forward to the many things we can do together this summer! I was thinking that maybe we could celebrate the missions work you will be doing by trying different recipes over the summer from various countries... maybe some from Mexico, Italy, and even Mongolia!
By the way, yesterday when you told me to "screw dinner" and that you were going to bed, it made me realize that you were struggling with some grammar issues. But since it is so close to summer, we will just save that for the fall. But I do promise that I will help you with your grammar because I would hate for you to be embarrassed in public by the misuse of language. English is difficult, but I have full confidence in your ability to over come this deficit! You sure make your mom proud!My dear children, since we are on the
topic of dinner, I wanted to let you know that I will be working with some doctors in the medical mission field this summer. My availability to make home cooked meals, as I did last night, will not happen often. But I assure you, I will take some of the support money you receive for your missions work and be sure and fill the freezer with meals you can fix without my assistance.
I know you had big dreams this summer about studying various modes of transportation, but I am proud that you are setting your own wishes aside to serve others in home missions. It is possible that come fall
time, as we work on your grammar skills, that we might reconsider your desire to study modes of transportation again. There is just so much to do and so little time! Besides, we should be mindful of our environmental challenges in the world today and all the struggles that are going on overseas concerning transportation. Maybe we should remember those who are effected with a moment of silence.My dear, precious children, I hope you know that your summer-of-service will be greatly
rewarded! You will be very satisfied with the pride that comes with learning a good work-ethic. Since the study of transportation may be delayed, I wanted to let you know that our friends from Thailand and China have sent a temporary gift to tide you over until fall. I hope that you will remember to send them a thank-you card. They do so much, with so little in return, to insure your happiness.I am forever BLESSED to be your MOTHER.
I love you all so very much!
Love, Mom
pre-Summer 2008
9 comments:
I can totally relate to this. While I have not been called a female parental unit. I am treated like a maid, cook and driver. I do the majority of the housecleaning however this summer will be boot camp for learning how to do the things necessary to run a household.
I LOVE IT! I am printing this one out and saving it because the time is fast approaching when my kiddos will have me in the same boat... you are wonderful!
Dawn,
That is what every mother who is dealing with teens needs to write! My goodness....::standing ovation::.....
Michele Sanchez
Ahhh, the blessings of parenting teenagers that know it all, deserve it all, and are always right.... Be blessed my friend. Congratulation on your back bone.
Vivian M. Rivera
"God is good all the time"
I have always loved your sense of humor and it's good to see your backbone intact! Just think how better prepared for life your children will be once they learn how to prepare thier own meals and do thier own laundry. Next mission: Boys learn to clean a bathroom and Girl learns to change a tire.
So are you coming to VA? that would be the best wedding present ever! But I understand if things don't work out this time. Love you!
Tracy
I'm praying for you! We have two less going into this summer. They have decided that the rules of the house were something they no longer wished to live by, and they just left. Said they didn't want to live here anymore. Some kids have to learn the hard way and evidentally the hard way is what they want, and so they have it. I was told that someday they'd realize how good they had it here. I'm not convinced. Sorry to ramble on. You are in my prayers for a happy outcome to this summer of learning for your teenagers. I KNOW you are a great mama!
Your sis in Christ,
Suz
Dawn,
Sounds like your backbone is nice and strong! You go girl! As part of the kids' home mission work, have them organize that new workspace for you!
Try and enjoy the summer - they will be gone before you know it (hopefully!).
Suzy
Take deep breaths !
"And this too will pass".
Look at all us older Mom's - we survived !
Love - Mom
Dawn....you ROCK my friend...I love your summer plans. However, I would do just one more thing. I would remove ALL computers/video games that the children have access to and tell them, "NO MORE, you must earn them back"....then stick to your guns.
I was a single mom, who was sick part of that time. However, after my divorce I didn't want to make "spoiled choices" so I attended "Tough Love" classes and am I glad I did. Of course, no kid likes "tough love"....not to say that "tough love" is easy, but you must stick with it. Trust me when you take away their computers and video games (remove them from the house) you will get their attention. If they throw the usual fit, that most kidswould throw, add more daily chores. I was the queen of adding chores and they hated it.
I also had a summer rule, that all Christmas presents had to be made over the summer for friends and relatives. No present was store bought, they had to create a gift to make. If they got their presents done and did their chores each day, then they had earned their recreation. If not, TOUGH, they were assigned more chores. It became their habit to have all presents done by end of June. LOL
You would be surprised how quickly children learn. My baby (now 28) looks back on those years and thanks me for that discipline she so hated back then.
I have more stories, but I won't bore you. Call me...Your children would call me the "Nanny GENERAL".
ROFLMBO....
Hang in there my friend, believe it or not things do get better, but sometimes children have to learn the hard way. (which usually breaks our hearts as a mom) but none the less if we don't teach them these lessons while they live under our roof, and we can monitor their "falling down and mistakes, they will never learn and life will deal them some ugly paths.
One last thing we NEVER get them raised. Once they are gone and married or on their own, they will always come back for advice. Mine do.
Post a Comment