Chinese Laundry

Fold a t-shirt

Now this is taking your laundry skills to a whole new level. I had fun learning to do this and showing my kids, they especially liked my attempt to speak in an oriental accent!
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No Offense Taken

Thanks for your input KW (See post; Loving your kids enough not to fight, April 2).
No offense taken, this is what public blogs are all about.
I agree that kids do well if they see disagreements being worked through and feelings of hurt and anger processed in a mature manner.
I think yelling, screaming and hitting coming from adults is extremely frightening and intimidating to young children and causes them firstly to shut down emotionally which hampers their own emotional development and secondly to display that same behaviour in social situations which causes them trouble and distress (and a lingering sense of shame). And as teens can get them in trouble with the police.
I guess my perspective comes from growing up exposed to high levels of verbal/ emotional abuse and some physical abuse. And then trying my hardest (not always successfully) to raise my 3 kids without that. I can honestly tell you that they are so much happier and emotionally whole because I made that decision. I on the other hand was an emotional wreck at the age of 19 with self esteem below zero.
I also studied counselling and now work with messed up teens. I see the kids who are being charged with assault and those who are drugged to the eyeballs because of depression and anxiety.
My perspective also comes from the feedback I have had from my own children, aged 20, 18 and 14.
I am a great advocate of forgiveness. Especially forgiving ourselves as parents. We can never get it all right all the time. All we can do is our best. And obviously no matter how hard I tried, with my background some stuff came through, so I (and my children) had to forgive myself quite often.

I'm Sorry.....I was WRONG!!!!!

I've had many turning points in my life. These are times when I have thought or experienced something that has changed my life dramatically. Many times it has just been a simple thought.
One that had significant impact occurred about 3 years ago. Two of my teenage kids made exactly the same comment to me within a relatively short time. Twice was enough to get my attention as it was something I had said many times about my own mother and never wanted to hear from my children.
It was this; "Mum, you always have to be right". The 1st time it was spoken I just laughed it off and of course denied it. The 2nd time stopped me cold. It is the one thing that prevents me and my sisters from having a meaningful relationship with our mum, so I took it seriously when my kids said it. I gave it a great deal of thought and realised that they had a point. I asked myself, when is the last time you admitted you were wrong about something, even to yourself. It had been quite a while.
The human psyche seems programmed to justify and reason things through until we're right.
It's become a question I try and remember to ask myself regularly, its very humbling but also a relief to myself and those I'm close to when I can admit that hey, I'm sorry, I was wrong! Or it was my fault.

So my question for you is....... when is the last time you were wrong?

World Shut Your Mouth - Spy Midget

I guess you can never be sure who's watching you!

Mothers

Well Mothers Day is fast approaching and the funny emails are starting to roll in. Here is one I just couldn't resist posting.

Answers given by 2nd grade school children to the following questions!!

Why did God make mothers?
1. She's the only one who knows where the sticky tape is.
2. Mostly to clean the house.
3. To help us out of there when we were getting born.

How did God make mothers?
1. He used dirt, just like for the rest of us.
2. Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring
3. God made my Mum just the same like he made me. He just used bigger parts.

What ingredients are mothers made of?
1. God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in
the world and one dab of mean.
2. They had to get their start from men's bones. Then they mostly use string, I think.

Why did God give you your mother & not some other Mum?
1. We're related
2. God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's mums like me.

What kind of little girl was your mum?
1. My mum has always been my mum and none of that other stuff.
2. I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be pretty bossy.
3. They say she used to be nice.

What did mum need to know about dad before she married him?
1. His last name.
2. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook? Does he get drunk on beer?
3. Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to chores?

Why did your Mum marry your dad?
1. My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my Mum eats a lot.
2. She got too old to do anything else with him.
3. My grandma says that Mum didn't have her thinking cap on.

Who's the boss at your house?
1. Mum doesn't want to be boss, but she has to because dad's such a clot.
2. Mum. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the bed.
3. I guess Mum is, but only because she has a lot more to do than dad.

What's the difference between mums & dads?
1. Mums work at work and work at home & dads just go to work at work.
2. Mums know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.
3. Dads are taller & stronger, but moms have all the real power 'cause
that's who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at your friend's.
4. Mums have magic, they make you feel better without medicine.

What does your mum do in her spare time?
1. Mothers don't do spare time.
2. To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.

What would it take to make your mum perfect?
1. On the inside she's already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of plastic surgery.
2. Diet. You know, her hair. I'd diet, maybe blue.

If you could change one thing about your Mum, what would it be?
1. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I'd get rid of that.
2. I'd make my Mum smarter. Then she would know it was my sister who did it and not me.
3. I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on the back of her head.