Teenage Timing

Last night my precious Popson and I sat on the couch and watched every second of the Academy Awards. I was blogging, he was i phoning and Pophubby was being a nice, warm bookend for me to lean on. With a fire in the fireplace the whole cozy scene was a great way to spend a Sunday evening. I did casually mention the askew (front ripped off, papers hanging forth) Algebra folder on the island..."Hey I honey I put a new folder out for you why don't you bring all that in here and organize it while we sit here?" .....popson...."Ok, good idea, I'll go get it" .... Fast forward to this a.m.~ Monday mind you. 6 ish a.m... I have lovely bus ramp duty every Monday.....so I have to be at school at the stroke of 7. Being somewhere at the stroke of 7 is not easy for Popcorn. When I padded downstairs to press start on the coffee machine, I noticed said folder still laying there...still a big menacing mess. Oh well. Let it go and find your happy place 'ol girl.... Fast forward to 6:48....things are going well, we're both dressed... if I grab my coffee and am able to find my keys.. things are lookin' prrreeetty darn good. But no. Precious adorable Popson, as he's icing his toaster strudel..."Mom, do you have any dividers??".....

Another Paradox for Popcorn

Did you know:

1. Women can hear better than men., which explains why I grab the remote and press mute when he leaves the room...

2. Women have a better sense of smell than men, which explains my candle fanaticism

3. Men are visual, which is why I always get compliments when I wear a skirt...

4. Women seek to be validated, I guess that's why I get my feelings hurt if my hair cut goes unnoticed

5. Men are subtly encouraged all of their lives to internalize their emotions, which explains why sometimes I don't hear what I want to...

Our pastor is doing a series on men, women and marriage. There are so many differences between men and women that the attraction between us is paradoxically explained. I've posted before on the personality differences between most married couples and how opposites seems to attract. But really the differences begin at a deeper level. He's everything I'm not and I'm everything he's not. The intrinsic differences are what draw us to each other. The thing is, husbands and wives must embrace the differences that are programmed into their very core. Accepting those differences opens a loving window through which we can "see" our beloved's built in needs for contentment. There's only one person on earth that can do this for your mate...so get busy and so will I.

Two Popcorns

Are there two you's behind that pretty face? I fight that syndrome. The confident me and the shy me. The me that feels pretty and in shape and cute.(Are you raising your eyebrow?) The me that feels frumpy, baggy-eyed, and old. The me that feels smart and witty and downright wise... and the me that feels like a low IQ'd brick being snickered at but too stupid to notice. The me who thinks I can sing beside my husband, and the me who feels like the lucky (but tone deaf) side kick. Then there's the me that loves everyone and thinks they love me right back. But do they? Perhaps I'm just arrogant. You know there are actually people in the world that others do not like. They get talked about, they have eyebrows raised behind their backs...and they do not know it. Am I in that category? Do I see myself clearly or just through hopeful eyes? Does everyone have these doubts or are most people as confident as they seem? I'm old enough not to have these thoughts, but I do. Do they ever go away? I wonder if the 80 year woman has these feelings? I know self doubt doesn't come from God. But as a human I guess these doubts are in the realm of normal. Knowing God created me in his image is comforting and I cling to that. No matter how I feel about myself on a given day, I always know He feels the same about me every day. He loves me without end, no matter if I look good, run fast, sing pretty, or make a fool out of myself. God's love is such good therapy.

What? You Want to go Where? Seriously?

Oh my. I've said no for a couple of years now. Hoping the desire was a passing phase. But she's soon to be 20 and still the requests keep coming... and I can't squelch her missionary heart any longer. She wants to go to...gulp...India. Her church is sponsoring a trip, many friends in her circle are going...Heck, her passport is ready to go, the Holy Spirit is prompting her....so for crying out loud how can I stand in the way? We teach them about missions as they grow up, they hear missionary testimonies...we think it's great that they're listening obediently to the speaker in the the cozy sanctuary of our church with our Pastor sitting close by, and ME sitting close by with a smug smile. Look at my kids listening to the sweet missionary, isn't that great? Don't my kids have such sweet hearts...paying such close attention. But uh wait a little minute there precious offspring. What? You want to GO on a mission trip? To where? To INDIA? You've got to be kidding. Not kidding?? Well then no. No you can't go. NO WAY it's too far. Too dirty. Too dangerous. Too expensive. Too everything and no, nope, nosiree, uh uh no you are not going. The very idea. But Popdaughter's mind was not wandering to where we would go for lunch all those times she was listening to the guest missionary. No, she was taking it all in and saving it for when she was 20 and her mom can't help but say yes. Yes, yes, honey I'm so very proud of your desire to go. Yes, make your plans.

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone

From Popcorn's Perch Kids Are Amazing

In case you missed it, I'm teaching this semester. Tenth grade World History. I love observing my students from this new vantage point. What vantage point you ask? Well, from my, uh, well, let's just say from the perch of my 'years of experience'. I've raised three children, so I know what I'm looking at when I look at each of them. The darling girl in sixth period that takes pictures of herself with her cell phone. If I looked like her, I'd take pictures of myself, too. The football player in 7th period that thinks the world revolves around him. How I wish I could experience that feeling just one more ignorant time! The focused student in fifth period whose face remains fixed to mine and continues taking notes until the bell rings, no matter what distraction occurs. WOW. So resistant to peer pressure. It's admirable. The sunny little pair who happily jump up to push my textbook cart down the hall for my next class. I'm in love with their willingness to help and hang in, their happy little hearts each day as I pile on work just like the six teachers before me all day. My heart is touched by the precious girl who showed me her hand with "I love Mrs. Popcorn" with a big red heart drawn on it today. I appreciate the effort it takes for a teenager who probably went to bed too late, to get up, get dressed, haul to school with a heavy backpack, and be sitting in class at 7:30 with a half civil attitude. Kids are really amazing.

Ten Little Lifesavers

1. A Kleenex in my choir folder when the sermon strikes my heartstrings and the music is so gorgeous the tears begin to flow.

2. A hair clip in my purse when I sense the frizzy beginnings of a bad hair day.

3. Just the right amount of change in the bottom of my bag for an ice cold coke from vending machine.

4. The house key safely hidden when I think I'm locked out.

5.The obscure but important phone number snagged in my cell phone.

6. Advil in the car console when I desperately hope it's there.

7. When a friend can meet for coffee on the fly.

8. One more postage stamp left on the sheet.

9. The can of coffee in the freezer when I think I'm bone dry.

10. My cell phone reminder feature.

Super Church Lady To The Rescue

Very early this a.m. Popson and I snuck in a trip to Starbucks on our way to school. It was kind of rainy and icky out and we thought that would be fun to get a muffin and hot coffee before our school day. Wellllll....we locked both of our keys in the car and we just looked at each other and said "who do we call?" Mr. Popcorn left very early this morning for Austin....so we were stranded. Never fear, I dialed Super Church Lady and without skipping a beat she said "I'll be there in two minutes." She zoomed us up the street to school with a fare thee well and we were right on time. Thanks Super Church Lady! Where would we be without good friends?

Past Haunts Popcorn's Parenting, Poor Popson

My blogneighbor Fancy Pants is an actress in New York City. She is also a nanny to a well heeled couple with two kids, 7 and 2. Often she posts about the goings on in the apartment concerning her little charges. Her husband, also a blogneighbor,(Five Cent Stand) wrote a post today concerning parenting...All this has me pondering the art of parenting and the stages one is propelled through on the road to raising one's progeny. I live with the hope that with the passing of one difficult ( they all have challenges) stage, the next will be easier because of my experience in the former. But no, that is not true. In the infant stage of the game, I constantly questioned my methods such as should I let her cry herself to sleep? Am I a softy if I run to her and rock her some more? Am I creating a demanding monster by doing so? When they are toddlers, it is hard to know when discipline becomes necessary. So much of what they do is just because they are bundles of newly walking energy...they don't have a clue about right or wrong. I have raised two daughters and am still in the throws of raising a high school son. He's easy and I've had lots of experience, but ever so often something will crop up that stumps me. Throws me. Leaves me cross eyed. I can totally trust this boy. He's trustworthy beyond measure, so I have to probe myself to figure out from whence my ire comes. Many of my reactions to his actions are really directed towards an older sibling's actions coming back to haunt me. Popson's teenage decisions deserve a response from me that isn't emotionally soaked with things from the past that trigger in me a negative response. Right? You'd think. But parenting is an emotionally charged task. Solution? I have to make sure I'm parenting the child in front of me and not a ghost from my parenting past. If I find that what's bugging me is an irrational fear stemming from a sibling's past, I explain it to him and apologize. I try to explain that I have certain triggers that he needs to be aware of and try to avoid them for both of our sakes. If I am able to sort out the crux of the problem and find it really is about Popson, I try to subtract the crazy mom reaction and explain the issue to him. Whew. It never gets any easier. Parenting is daunting, serious, sometimes a real strain, and thankfully many times a total joy. But I admit it is the challenge of my life.