Enjoying VD

Tonight instead of me making dinner for my husband, my husband took me out. I hate Valentines Day, but tonight I have to say that I liked it. I like going out and sitting in a nice place with other women dressed up with their husbands being extra sweet to them. I love to order the specials that the restaurants make for people who go out, specials priced a little lower to lure in customers like us who might not otherwise go out. I know that we need to worry about how we are on the other 364 days of the year, but this is just nice. Darrin spoke of how much he hates work-- it annoys me as i wish he'd look for another job but he keeps saying how much he really loves it, but he was charming most of the time. We ordered a "sweethearts special" and there was probably enough food on the huge platter for four people, and we took home extras for the older two daughters who were in charge and still awake when we got home.

Afterward, we were to go to another restaurant for desert because we both love the ice cream at another place. As it was, we stopped in a _____ shop where I took a second look and realized that the owner was there when I saw it was open because I wanted to get something for Tiger that this shop has exclusively. The lady is very religious and is doing a fundraiser for a certain situation. Somehow my work with Hospice got brought up and she was telling me of some tragic miscarriages that she had. (Death related.) My husband was so nice-- he wasn't mad for how much time we took and she told me some amazing stories. Before we left she gave me a hug and she told me how shocked she was that I had so many kids because she thought that we were doting over our only child! That made me feel good-- other people see us loving our children, as many as there are, as if they are each our onlies.

I went to the prison earlier this week. We were all sharing our stories of life, and one inmate said to me that I must be a great mom. I thanked her but told her that with my husband gone (he'd be gone Monday through Friday night) that I was one step away from boarding the eldest four left at home up for military school. She was having problems with her own teenager and she was relieved that it was a teen issue, not an issue focused on her being locked up. I have a few penpals there-- I don't share much from my life with them since I am a religious volunteer and i have to maintain an image, so I started sending them jokes from the internet. It made me so happy when one of my ladies said that she starts laughing when she sees my handwriting, wondering what I will tell her. I did have to tell one lady something-- she is having a really rough time personally-- not with anyone else, but just inside herself. I thought that my pregnancies were long, that they would never end, but she has at least 6 more years in there. she is doing something that church frowns on-- it's not illegal or against the prison rules, but church would have issues. As a result, she isn't going to our studies. I told her that life is still hard when it's easy, and that she doesn't have it easy at all, that she needs to do what she needs to make it, and to still come to the studies when she has the mental energy to return. I often don't even know if I believe in Christianity-- some aspects of it really turn me off (especially the verses that say that you follow Christ or fry in Hell-- some people just cannot relate to Christ!) I told her this, that I keep going because by following the practices, I am a better person for doing it. I know some very great poeple who are not Christians and I know in my heart that if there is a Heaven that they will be there!

Last week my children were being turkeys. My 10 year old Basil decided that he didn't want to clean his room, he didn't want to do his chores. He actually stepped outside and said he'd stand there until I said he didn't have to clean his room, that he was stronger than me and that there was nothing I could do to make him. I told him that he could have it his way and to come in. He used terms like, "I aint gunna!" and, "I don' hafta!" His Cockney accent annoyed me more than his obstinate attitude.

I changed his password on the computer and altered his account so he could only get PBSKIDS and a few other URL's that the tiny kids like. He really wanted to do his school work (he does care about that) and play a certain game. When he finally got the password to his account out of me, I shook my head as I didn't know what he had to do to get to the other sites. He decided to clean his room and fold some clothes and get the kitchen floor. (Yes I am here all the time, but if they don't take turns cleaning the bathroom, mopping the kitchen floor, folding clothes, they forget that they use the bathroom, scuff up the kitchen floor and use their clothes and throw clean stuff into the hamper, they forget that SOMEONE has to deal with these things.) After a bit he told me that he did his chores and did more than he originally was asked to do, and would I please make it so he could get on the other sites! I fixed it but told him that "old age and treachery overcomes youthful persistence every time, Kid."