Time Spent with Friends

Spending time with friends is hard these days.  I mean, with everyone's busy schedules you don't have  much time for one of the most satisfying things of all...spending time with friends.

Time spent with friends is time well spent.


Last night, while in Canada, hanging out with our Canadian neighbors we had some great food, drinks and conversation.  It made me reflect back on the days before my parents divorced and how we would be taken to visits with their friends, or cocktail parties at our house.  All the adults huddled around laughing, eating drinking and reflecting.   At one point I even heard the comment "When we were your age we didn't have cell phones...."  and I smiled, relishing that some things never change, comparisons of now vs. then, hanging out with great people, laughing until your stomach hurts and wondering why you don't have more of these moments.  

Tonight was Parent/Teacher and child conference night.  Which once again, I was informed that my nine year old son has this bad habit of talking when he's not supposed to.     It is rather embarrassing to hear that your child isn't behaving properly in class and I asked "Is he the main problem" and she said "oh no, his friends are just as bad if not worse".  She tries to separate them but somehow they always end up near each other.

As a single Mom, although Gary (Max's Dad) is very involved in our lives, the week day discipline has to come from me.  And like most kids, their Mom's don't really terrify them. I mean the only time I was afraid of my Mom was when she uttered that horrifying sentence of "Wait till your Father gets home".  For those of you in my age group you may remember the cartoon by the same name.  Anyway, the mention of my father put me in begging/pleading I'll do anything you say mode, of which I never really got out of because when she got to that point there was no turning back.

His teacher did say he was a good student, and that he followed directions and applied himself, and that he had been doing really good up until about a month ago.  Had I known he was acting up again, I would have doled out some punishment but tonight I am struggling with it.  Being chatty is disrespectful and I told him that, he has to respect his teacher there's no question about it.    So we had a conversation in front of his teacher and then he apologized to her and promised her he would stop.  Upon leaving the school and on our walk home I told him, any further "Talkative" comments and there would be some serious punishment.  I felt that even though I took what his teacher said seriously, I had indicated that she should contact me, a quick email, if there were ever any issues, they would be addressed immediately.  So it is hard for me to think it is a huge problem because there was no communication and even on his progress report she had wrote it in almost as an after thought.    Max knows I can be tough, but tonight I wasn't feeling that way.  I made it clear no more would be tolerated, and that I would be checking in with her.  The threat is there, and he knows I will make good on it.

When I talked to some people about it...they said let it go.  Don't make a huge deal out of it, kids that age are just talkative.  So that's what I am doing...not letting it go completely, but not overreacting to it.  My kid is a pretty good kid for the most part.  I have to pick my battles and this one, well it's just not worth going over the edge for.  What do you think?  Am I being too calm about it?  Funny, I was never a talker in school but then again...I had the fear of the "Wait till your father gets home" to live with.

Here he is...that little chatter box!

I just really had the most wonderful few weeks.  A trip to Chicago with my gal pals for a weekend, lots of shopping, cocktails, chatting....great food, great company, great friends.  We were there for my big birthday weekend and yes I was there with friends that were younger than me but who kept the old age jokes quietly contained, unlike my neighbor who (many years younger) lives for stinging me with one of her old lady zingers.  Whatever, I can handle it.  I don't take it personally as she calls my beloved Schnauzer "Dead Dog Walking".  


After the weekend with the gals I headed out with my two favorite guys to Hilton Head.  Gary drove us first to Charleston because he knows how much I LOVE that place.  We stayed the night there, along with 40,000 runners who ran in a race the following morning and who definitely inhibited my shopping spree that I had planned.  We finally had to make a dart for it across the street or we would have been there for a good many hours.  


We left there, me happy that I got to spend time in one of my favorite places, and Gary and Max happy to be heading to our final destination Hilton Head.


The first surprise we got was our room.  It was a suite.  A lovely large suite that was like having an apartment.  With a great view of the beautiful beach and the pool below where we would be spending most of our time.  


If you have never been to Hilton Head I highly recommend you put it on your list of places to visit.  The landscape is beautiful.  Being a big tree lover I am in awe of all the trees surrounding the island.  And the buildings sit back as if not to take away from the gorgeous scenery.  Yes, it is a big golf resort, but I don't golf, and I still love it there.  It is also great for families and there are no spring breakers tearing up the beach, not that I have anything against spring breakers I was one many many years ago and had an amazing time.  But now that I am officially old...I really don't want to be hanging out with them...and I am pretty sure they don't want to hanging out with anyone over 21.


We had a lazy week of sun, swimming, pina coladas, naps, fabulous food and a tiny bit of shopping as Gary and Max are birth control for shopping...as I may have mentioned in other posts.  We got home, we had the weekend to be gently let down and eased back into work and by 2:00 on Monday I was wondering where my Pina Colada was and my hammock.  Instead I had to settle for a cup of tea and head off to a meeting.


So on this vacation, or vacations I put on three pounds.  NOT HAPPY ABOUT IT...but well those Pina Coladas were definitely not fat free.  The weight gain, although not much, and I'll definitely be getting rid of it, inspired me to create some "guilt magnets" I drew a picture of my fridge, and then I acted as if the fridge were alive, and basically making you feel like crap for even thinking about opening it to check the contents.  Several of these are available at my etsy shop.  But here's a look at how they turned out.

I'm not much a night munchie person but Gary is...and I always tell him that eating late is not a good thing.




Here's another fun one:

So I'm thinking...put this on your fridge...and if you are anything like me you will feel guilty about opening that darn box...and who knows what may happen!

Happy Reading, Happy Blogging!