Friday, November 13, 2009

Santa Claus is coming to town...

Those words just don't hold the power like they once did. There was a time when you mentioned Santa and the boy automatically stood at attention, said please and thank you, was kind to his sister, and got this excited twinkle in his eye as visions of sitting on the big fella's lap and sharing with him the long list of toys he spent half the year making in hopes that Santa would leave all those goodies under the tree. I started humming the tune yesterday while walking through Target (who already has half the store covered in holiday cheer)and all I got was rolling of the eyes. Yep. No longer the automatic call to attention, no excited twinkle in his beautiful green eyes. Just good, ole fashioned, 'tween eye rolling. I'm pretty sure the mystery and thrill of Santa was cracked a couple years ago, but at least he amused me and played along. But yesterday it's like I got the official "I'm over that" sign. The make no mistake- Santa is not coming to town- look. It was subtle yet clear. All I could do was sigh. And keep singing.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Rants from a NON germaphobe

When did we as a society turn into such germ phobics? I turned on the tv this morning and saw, within five minutes, a story on a morning news show about how your surroundings could be making you sick because...(gasp with horror and cue doom and gloom voice)there are GERMS on doorknobs! I know, I know- don't EVER touch a doorknob again- ESPECIALLY in a public building. Maybe we should just stay home! At the very least, we need to Purell or Lysol all doorknobs before we enter anywhere...maybe we should all wear harnesses around our waists stocked with containers of Clorox wipes. Or maybe we should just wear gloves at all times. So then after that shocking and disturbing news, a promo for an upcoming local news story...they were stopping people on the streets of downtown Orlando and swiping the palm of their hands to test for germs. LOL!!!! This made me literally Laugh Out Loud! So now we are going to make people fear their own hands?!?! Are you kidding me?

Yes- germs exist. And man can they make your life miserable if you catch a nasty one who causes havic- we all know strep, the flu, even the common cold can be no fun to deal with. But when you were a kid did everyone around you constantly worry about germs? Did your mom spray you down with lysol when you sneezed or arm your backpack with a small bottle of Purell hanging from the zipper with directions to sanitize often? Could part of the problem with germs be a really successful marketing campaign? Hmmm...I'm just askin'.

And why is it that when it comes to our bodies we are told you have to exercise it to keep it healthy. You have to exercise your heart in order for it to remain strong, you have to exercise muscles or they will get weak, you have to exercise your brain to keep it functioning at peak performance...you have to put some strain on these systems in order to strengthen them and keep them working well. But when it comes to our immune systems we have to make sure it does NOT get a work-out. we have to make sure it is NOT strained. We cannot let our immune systems have to deal with a germ. We must kill them all before our body has to mess with it. We have to make sure things are so germ free that our immune system doesn't have to lift a finger. Wait- could it possibly be that our immune systems DO need to deal with some evil germs in order to stay strong and function at peak performance? Again-I'm just askin'.

I am a mother of two precious precious kids and I want nothing more for them to be healthy. But I refuse to bleach and lysol them to point where their bodies can't take care of germs on it's own. I think most of my friends would agree that my house is clean and sanitary. I'm not a slob nor do I live in a pig pen. But you won't find bottles of hand sanitizer in every room. And I do not wipe down my counters five times a day with anti-bacterial wipes. I don't own a bottle of lysol. I know...how is it that my family is still alive? Oh wait...how often is my family sick??? Maybe we just have good, hearty genes... Or maybe, just maybe, we have immune systems that get a bit of a workout and, in turn, can actually do it's job without the help of products. I'm just sayin'... Germaphobes may now tear me apart. Just make sure to wash your hands afterwards. :-) heeheehee

Monday, November 2, 2009

Someone said it!

UGH. Someone actually said it outloud. "oh- your son is 10 1/2 and off to middle school next year- those tween years are fun!" (and that was said with a hint of sarcasm). Tween. I have a tween. A child lost between childhood and teenager. Too big for Hallowwen costumes and themed birthday parties, but not quite ready for teenage independence and responsibilities. Too big for playdates but too young for real dates (LOL!). Too knowledgable about things for appropriate playground chatter but too immature to discuss that knowledge in any manner other than silly, goofy jokes. Tweens. I have a tween. No longer a naive and innocent boy. A boy that is growing up and is beginning a new chapter. It is scary, but it's cool as I get a front row seat in watching this once little boy grow into a "guy" (sorry- not ready to use the word man yet...give me a few more years to work on that). I get to watch this personality continue to emerge and his strengths and gifts grow and develop. It's sort of fun to see what gifts and abilities God has blessed him with and watch those grow and begin to get used. But still...it is true. It was said aloud. Tween. I am the mother of a tween. Someone get me some valium for when I hear the word "teenager" Oy vey.