Isn't everything the worst?

[Cadaverous Pallor]

Thread title courtesy Liz Lemon

I'm a negative person. It's really not cool. I don't know if I've always been like this, or at least, have always had the possibility of it. There was a period in high school when people said I was a Pollyanna; annoyingly positive about everything. Maybe I just have to be an extremist.

In any case it's something I'd like to work on but I don't know how. Little problems make me very angry. There seems to be no solution to the little sucky things in life that don't involve more suckiness. If I can't find something in a messy drawer I'm angry that it's not organized, but if I actually got the whole house in order and maintained it on a daily basis (which is what it would take to keep my drawer organized) then I wouldn't have time to relax at all. Hence, every little setback is a reminder of my limitations and puts me on full anger mode in an instant.

How do I accept that everything sucks without being angry about it? Without being stoned, that is.

[Alex]

I don't know the how.

The title "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff--And It's All Small Stuff" is an easy cliche but, without ever having read the book, it well captures how I've viewed the world since about age 12 when my anger issues just stopped all their own (and I had significant anger issues).

Though one thing that I think does help is accepting that just because I care strongly about some issue doesn't create any obligation in other people to care strongly about it. So if I'm the one who cares most about something (whether the kitchen is clean, what to do on the weekend, how to handle decision making processes at work) then it falls to me to do something about it. And if I don't then I'm probably wrong about how much I actually care.

So this doesn't so much help me with self-anger but does keep me from really ever getting very angry with other people.

[Moonliner]

How do I accept that everything sucks without being angry about it? Without being stoned, that is.

In just a few short months, I'll be sending my "Theo" off to college. I'm not looking back thinking how the closets could have been cleaner, or the floors mopped more often. I'm thinking about the time we spent together and how I wish there had been more. More time for Scouting, baseball, better training on the proper uses of protocol analyzers.

I'll get the closets cleaned out after Moonie Jr. and Headliner are on their way. I'll have more free time then anyway. I know when I do I'll find all the stuff we bought because we couldn't find the stuff we already had. At least 20 pairs of scissors, a dozen screwdrivers, uncountable rolls of tape and all the left hand winter gloves that seem to have gone missing are all in there somewhere. In the meantime, my new gloves are comfy, warm and I had a nice trip to the store with Headliner to pick them out.

[Betty]

Are you getting any time to yourself? Alone? Besides going to the bathroom? To do whatever YOU want to do? Even if that's nothing at all.

[Capt Jack]

all my methods are based in the highly cliche' sayings we all know, but tend to sort of blow off because they are indeed so time worn and cliche'. all I can say is they work for me....somewhat.

bottom line:
grant me the will to change what I can change
the ability to accept what I cant change
and the wisdom to know the difference.


when things like the messy drawer start to get to me I say to myself 'is it gonna kill anyone or cost me money?'
inevitably the answer is usually 'no'..and that seems to take the edge off of it. it also tends to make me not deal with it, so its sort of a double edged sword.

in addition, I also have the luxury of living alone, so whatever doesnt get done, doesnt get blamed on anyone but me...in which case its usually handled by adopting the basic "eff it, I dont honestly care" mentality.

probably helped not at all...but, it really is what I do

[Cadaverous Pallor]

Though one thing that I think does help is accepting that just because I care strongly about some issue doesn't create any obligation in other people to care strongly about it. So if I'm the one who cares most about something (whether the kitchen is clean, what to do on the weekend, how to handle decision making processes at work) then it falls to me to do something about it. And if I don't then I'm probably wrong about how much I actually care.This is an interesting point, since I do get annoyed at GD for not helping, though I don't want to constantly tell him what to do. He is clear that he doesn't feel as I do about organization.

I think the logic goes, "He says he will help with anything I need to care for the baby, but the baby essentially needs me, so he should be doing things that I don't have time to do, even if it's something he doesn't care about, because I'm the one living in this house every day and unhappy with the situation, and he wants to make my job as easy as possible, right?" But that just means that I have to ask him to do these jobs and I really dislike telling anyone to do them...because I don't want to do them myself.

Are you getting any time to yourself? Alone? Besides going to the bathroom? To do whatever YOU want to do? Even if that's nothing at all.I'm usually not alone when I go to the bathroom these days. :eek: Today Theo is napping beautifully so I not only got a shower, I'm doing some chores and checking back here. He could wake at any time though, and some days the nap is very short. There are no guarantees. What often happens is that he goes down, I finally get to check the internet, and by the time I'm done with that, he's awake again. When it comes down to it, I don't want to use my precious alone time for doing chores that I really don't want to do...even if I get annoyed that they aren't done. Sigh.

I'll get the closets cleaned out after Moonie Jr. and Headliner are on their way. I love this post.

I can't help but think that the practicality of "I can't find this thing, arrrrghh!" doesn't go away, though.

bottom line:
grant me the will to change what I can change
the ability to accept what I cant change
and the wisdom to know the difference.
I've muttered this saying (and Don't Sweat the Small Stuff) to myself many times over the years. Lately I've been doing less thinking and more blind-rage-reacting. Maybe I need to do more mantra work to make it stick.

[katiesue]

I get pissed over stupid stuff. And you can ask Madz, there is much cursing, which usually makes me feel better :) I try to take a step back and say this is stupid it's not a big deal.

As for getting stuff done I find if I break stuff down. Not I will clean the whole house but today I'll do the toilets, tomorrow the tub, Thursday the kitchen counter, then it doesn't seem so overwhelming. And if I get on a roll and do more fabulous. And if I'm thrashed it just doesn't happen.

[Disneyphile]

CP, I hear you very well on the nitpickiness.

Here are a couple things that have helped me tremendously:


Nothing will be perfect. No matter how hard you try, and you'll only exhaust yourself in trying to make it so.

Get rid of unnecessary guilt. That's the guilt that we feel by unrealistic expectations. We're all human. We all make mistakes. We can't be 100% on top of everything all the time. It's ok for a drawer to get messy. It happens. Fix it when you feel like it, but it IS ok to NOT fix it. Believe that. No one will condemn you for a messy drawer, and you shouldn't condemn yourself for it either.

Find a little more time to yourself, even just 5 extra minutes a day, to shut your thoughts down. Listen to a favorite song, think of favorite thoughts, anything that releases you from your surroundings.


Doing this has actually made me more organized and more on top of things and a hell of a lot happier, believe it or not. And, I have a much better outlook on everything. Anger uses up way too much energy, and I didn't see that until now.

Been there, done that, I'm a recovering nitpicker. :cool:

[Betty]

I think the logic goes, "He says he will help with anything I need to care for the baby, but the baby essentially needs me,

Not necessarily true though. GD could come home and take the baby off your hands for 1/2 hour for you to do whatever - including doing nothing at all. And if not right away, maybe 1/2 hour after he got home and rested a bit.

He might also want to focus on doing things for you. Rubbing your feet would be a good example. Easy to do - very rewarding and doesn't require you to do a thing.

When I was a stay at home Mom, I had a hard time getting my husband to understand that just because I was home all day, didn't meant I wasn't working just as hard as he did, and didn't need a break at the end of the day just as bad as he did.

I also learned that a playpen to corral the kid in one spot while I cleaned up, showered, whatever, was just fine.

[Alex]

This is an interesting point, since I do get annoyed at GD for not helping, though I don't want to constantly tell him what to do. He is clear that he doesn't feel as I do about organization.

Well on the topic of nagging, I've found a couple things that tend to work. For things that must be done and nobody wants to do, we've predefined areas of responsibility which creates an awareness that nagging when we fail to meet those responsibilities is ok. It doesn't necessarily avoid momentary aggravation but it helps.

I take out the garbage, Lani puts a new bag in the can. I do laundry, she does dishes.

But my preferred level of neatness is the apartment is way above hers so I accept that means most cleaning falls to me and she accepts that me cleaning means I'm going to just dump all her random stuff onto her side of the bed. When it gets too deep (and she can tolerate a lot) then she gets to clean that area).

The other tool is a bit of a men are from Mars... communication issue.

Her speaking, me responding
"Do you want to clip the cat's nails sometime tonight?" - No.
"Help me clip the cat's nails at some point tonight?" - Sure, not a problem.

Me speaking, her responding
"Since you're not using them, could you get your craft stuff out of the living room?" - Maybe some day.
"It is really aggravating me having so much clutter in the living room and I'm not sure how they should be put away so could you take care of that this weekend?" - Sure thing.

So yes, to a degree it has come down to her learning to just tell me what she'd like me to do as opposed to trying to lead me to do what she wants. And for me, learning to explain more affective reasons for her to do what I want.

[BarTopDancer]

If stuff everywhere is bugging you, you might want to check out unclutterer.com. They have really good suggestions for breaking down the clutter and getting motivated with what precious time is available.

If you can identify what "stuff" is bugging you, you can get a grasp on how to handle it. Does Theo still have clothes out that are now too small? Or toys he is now too old for? Those could be packed away into containers by size for future use or donation. Would that help with some of the "damn there is crap everywhere and its' getting on my nerves"?

How about a basket by the stairs for everything that has to go upstairs so you aren't running up and down putting stuff away. That one is easy and requires one step of prep work. Stick a basket or bag on the stairs to put crap in to take upstairs.

I know how aggravating it can be to have every surface covered in stuff. My place is like that now... I have no one to blame but myself and I still don't want to clean it up.

[alphabassettgrrl]

I find cleaning and organizing is easier to handle in little bits.. If I see a thing out of place, or randomly someplace, I try to find a place for it. Right now, which takes maybe 30 seconds.

Of course, the downside is that here, stuff builds up at a rate of many things a minute it seems, so I'm still losing the battle, but at least a few things are right. I also find certain times of the day and month are better for me to clean and organize. I try to get as much done when that bug hits as I can, knowing it will be two weeks before I get the right hormones again.

Not sure how to defuse your rage; meditation? Or does that increase your stress because it's one more thing on the to-do list? Or can you channel the anger into getting a few things put away? Sometimes I can do that; things are in my way so I put them away. Cleaning and organizing calms me, on those occasions I get to do it.

When you feel negative, can you maybe come up with something positive to counter it? Just in your head. Like, I hate vacuuming, but at least we have new carpet, so it looks nice when I do manage to get it done.

[Betty]

I guess this isn't a good thread to ask for another blog update with Theo pic's?

[BarTopDancer]

I guess this isn't a good thread to ask for another blog update with Theo pic's?

Only if you help tidy up.

[Betty]

Only if you help tidy up.

I have a hard enough time of that at home ya know.

[cirquelover]

I have to agree with everything Moonliner said but I'm not sure how to help you let the anger go. I decided when Zach was little what was important to me and that was more time with him. Now Gary was always more about the clean drawers or organized house but he was always capable of doing some things for himself too. You have Theo to care for and that is more than a full time job to occupy all your time.

I guess maybe if you try to prioritize what is most important to get done and try to accomplish that in small chunks. Ask for help when needed but know that you two may have different priorities. It's not that easy when kids are little, you have to keep a good eye on them.

Although I'm starting to think a teen can be just as bad :eek:

Hang in there and try not to be too hard on yourself.

[Not Afraid]

I mostly (not all of the time, mind you) decided that I had limited time and energy and that, being the one solely in control of who I use that time and energy, decided that I would choose what I chose to do - which is be on the happier side of things.

I also came to the realization my my feelings were a CHOICE. I could actually choose to be angry or I could choose NOT to be angry. It seems easier to choose NOT to feel the negative things than it does choosing to feel the happy stuff - but when really great moods come along, I'm ecstatic! Most of the time I'm just reasonably happy. And, I can accept reasonable happy.

Oh, and I don't hang much or often with constantly negative people. It gets to me after a while and pulls down my mood - plus they generally tend to be a drag.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

Thanks, everyone, for the tips. They really are helpful. As for getting stuff done I find if I break stuff down. Not I will clean the whole house but today I'll do the toilets, tomorrow the tub, Thursday the kitchen counter, then it doesn't seem so overwhelming. And if I get on a roll and do more fabulous. And if I'm thrashed it just doesn't happen.This has been my MO for the last 6 months. If all I can do is wash 3 dishes before Theo decides it's time to do something else, that's what I do. At least I washed something.

Not necessarily true though. GD could come home and take the baby off your hands for 1/2 hour for you to do whatever - including doing nothing at all. This is one of those things that is true and yet not true at the same time. Most days, if I am in the room, Theo wants me and makes a fuss. If I want to really hand him off, it can require sequestering myself. I've been making dinner as much as I can but often it's impossible, as he won't put up with GD as long as he knows I'm nearby. I'm not one to shut myself in a room alone and read a book, but I guess I'd have to if I really wanted alone time.

However, as I type this, GD is playing with Theo and he's just fine. In fact, Theo let me get a lot done today. He's eating more and sleeping more - signs of a growth spurt - and it makes him a lot happier and able to play while I do chores with him around.

I guess this isn't a good thread to ask for another blog update with Theo pic's?Heehee. I know I'm way behind on that, too. His birthday is coming up so there will definitely be an update then.

[katiesue]

An Exersaucer is what saved me - she was safe near me happy and playing but she couldn't actually go anywhere so I could get something done. Playpens worked well too.

http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/public/apv0IRrKuRfh--FJ5va9OxpnXLW7o6M55HHHpCyQkKQC2jWiEZDDSeVk_NWmmp0X u5xYNEIXHMNGrQLoR4ozHeTgO40DhVgJ-jbHyiHpt94QLOKLMGRcI45zzkx4lsGilxkPEblD8w

[Not Afraid]

Stolen from a friend's FB:

Thinking of Having Kids? Do this 11 step program first!

Lesson 1
1. Go to the grocery store.
2. Arrange to have your salary paid directly to their head office.
3. Go home.
4. Pick up the paper.
5. Read it for the last time.

Lesson 2
Before you finally go ahead and have children, find a couple who already are parents and berate them about their...
1. Methods of discipline.
2. Lack of patience.
3. Appallingly low tolerance levels.
4. Allowing their children to run wild.
5. Suggest ways in which they might improve their child's breastfeeding, sleep habits, toilet training, table manners, and overall behavior.
Enjoy it because it will be the last time in your life you will have all the answers.

Lesson 3
A really good way to discover how the nights might feel...
1. Get home from work and immediately begin walking around the living room from 5PM to 10PM carrying a wet bag weighing approximately 8-12 pounds, with a radio turned to static (or some other obnoxious sound) playing loudly. (Eat cold food with one hand for dinner)
2. At 10PM, put the bag gently down, set the alarm for midnight, and go to sleep.
3. Get up at 12 and walk around the living room again, with the bag, until 1AM.
4. Set the alarm for 3AM.
5. As you can't get back to sleep, get up at 2AM and make a drink and watch an infomercial.
6. Go to bed at 2:45AM.
7. Get up at 3AM when the alarm goes off.
8. Sing songs quietly in the dark until 4AM.
9. Get up. Make breakfast. Get ready for work and go to work (work hard and be productive)
Repeat steps 1-9 each night. Keep this up for 3-5 years. Look cheerful and together.

Lesson 4
Can you stand the mess children make? T o find out...
1. Smear peanut butter onto the sofa and jam onto the curtains.
2. Hide a piece of raw chicken behind the stereo and leave it there all summer.
3. Stick your fingers in the flower bed.
4. Then rub them on the clean walls.
5. Take your favorite book, photo album, etc. Wreck it.
6. Spill milk on your new pillows. Cover the stains with crayons. How does that look?

Lesson 5
Dressing small children is not as easy as it seems.
1. Buy an octopus and a small bag made out of loose mesh.
2. Attempt to put the octopus into the bag so that none of the arms hang out.
Time allowed for this - all morning.

Lesson 6
Forget the BMW and buy a mini-van. And don't think that you can leave it out in the driveway spotless and shining. Family cars don't look like that.
1. Buy a chocolate ice cream cone and put it in the glove compartment.
Leave it there.
2. Get a dime. Stick it in the CD player.
3. Take a family size package of chocolate cookies. Mash them into the back seat. Sprinkle cheerios all over the floor, then smash them with your foot.
4. Run a garden rake along both sides of the car.

Lesson 7
Go to the local grocery store. Take with you the closest thing you can find to a pre-school child. (A full-grown goat is an excellent choice). If you intend to have more than one child, then definitely take more than one goat. Buy your week's groceries without letting the goats out of your sight. Pay for everything the goat eats or destroys. Until you can easily accomplish this, do not even contemplate having children.

Lesson 8
1. Hollow out a melon.
2. Make a small hole in the side.
3. Suspend it from the ceiling and swing it from side to side.
4. Now get a bowl of soggy Cheerios and attempt to spoon them into the swaying melon by pretending to be an airplane.
5. Continue until half the Cheerios are gone.
6. Tip half into your lap. The other half, just throw up in the air.
You are now ready to feed a nine- month-old baby.

Lesson 9
Learn the names of every character from Sesame Street , Barney, Disney, the Teletubbies, and Pokemon. Watch nothing else on TV but PBS, the Disney channel or Noggin for at least five years. (I know, you're thinking What's 'Noggin'?) Exactly the point.

Lesson 10
Make a recording of Fran Drescher saying 'mommy' repeatedly. (Important: no more than a four second delay between each 'mommy'; occasional crescendo to the level of a supersonic jet is required). Play this tape in your car everywhere you go for the next four years. You are now ready to take a long trip with a toddler.

Lesson 11
Start talking to an adult of your choice. Have someone else continually tug on your skirt hem, shirt- sleeve, or elbow while playing the 'mommy' tape made from Lesson 10 above. You are now ready to have a conversation with an adult while there is a child in the room.

This is all very tongue in cheek; anyone who is parent will say 'it's all worth it!' Share it with your friends, both those who do and don't have kids. I guarantee they'll get a chuckle out of it. Remember, a sense of humor is one of the most important things you'll need when you become a parent!

[BarTopDancer]

Hey, it could be worse. You could have to ask Greg to babysit his own child (and yes, use the term babysit) and arrange said babysitting around his 'shows'.



(did that help?)

[Cadaverous Pallor]

NA - I'm sure there's one of those for pet owners. :evil:

So far, the bunnies have been far more destructive, but we have yet to hit the TERRIFIC twos. ;)

[Not Afraid]

The goat in the grocery story was my favorite.

[alphabassettgrrl]

The goat in the grocery story was my favorite.

I liked that one, and the one with the Fran Drescher tape saying "Mommy" every 4 seconds.

[Gn2Dlnd]

[I][SIZE="1"]

How do I accept that everything sucks without being angry about it? Without being stoned, that is.

Page 449, baby. Page 449. :cool:

[Not Afraid]

Acceptance is the key to all of my problems.......

[Betty]

It's gets better. :)

[JWBear]

It will all end in tears.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

I hope people don't get the wrong idea from my posts here.

I easily find joy in my every day life and really couldn't ask for better. I'm the luckiest person in the world.

For some reason I can't think in those terms when dealing some fiddly little piece of crap that doesn't work. You know when you reach for a shirt in the closet and the hanger gets stuck on other hangers and you pull harder and other clothes fall off hangers and you're yanking and it's still stuck and suddenly you're cursing the invention of hangers and closets and why can't things just work?? It's all yuppie angst, I know. I just get so angry at stupid small crap.

Another point, just to be clear - I've had these issues my whole life, and they are not postpartum. I've been beating back surges of annoyance since forever.

[Not Afraid]

Well, when you get pissed at little things, think how grateful you are that there are only little things to get pissed at. I think the past week or so has shown that things could be MUCH worse.

My ever-caring Mom used to say "Stop whining, or I'll give you something to really whine about".

[lashbear]

I've had these issues my whole life, and they are not postpartum. I've been beating back surges of annoyance since forever.
Oh, well in that case you're just a cranky old woman. ;)

[BarTopDancer]

You know when you reach for a shirt in the closet and the hanger gets stuck on other hangers and you pull harder and other clothes fall off hangers and you're yanking and it's still stuck and suddenly you're cursing the invention of hangers and closets and why can't things just work??

SNIP


I've been beating back surges of annoyance since forever.

I totally get it.

[JWBear]

For some reason I can't think in those terms when dealing some fiddly little piece of crap that doesn't work. You know when you reach for a shirt in the closet and the hanger gets stuck on other hangers and you pull harder and other clothes fall off hangers and you're yanking and it's still stuck and suddenly you're cursing the invention of hangers and closets and why can't things just work??

Oh yeah... I totally know where you are coming from. One of the few things that can set off my temper is when some inanimate object is fighting to be uncooperative with me.

I swear that they do it on purpose.

[blueerica]

Funny this should come up now, just after I mini-raged against my closet door coming off the tracks last night. And then there was the self-rage when I couldn’t find the card to the exercise facility. And the missing/misplaced bus pass.

More thoughts to come, I’m sure…

[3894]

Thread title courtesy Liz Lemon
every little setback is a reminder of my limitations and puts me on full anger mode in an instant.


There is only one perfect person with a perfect life, perfect children, and perfect closets in this world and that is moi.

Let that dream die, CP. The position is filled.

[lashbear]

One of the few things that can set off my temper is when some inanimate object is fighting to be uncooperative with me.
You're not alone - We and many others suffer from this too - it's called "Resistentialism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resistentialism)"

[JWBear]

You're not alone - We and many others suffer from this too - it's called "Resistentialism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resistentialism)"

Yes! Exactly!

The concept also appears in the Discworld novels of English author Terry Pratchett... one practical example the author gives is the tendency of garden hoses, no matter how carefully one coils and stores them, to unloop themselves overnight and tie the bicycle to the lawnmower.

I <heart> Terry Pratchett!

[Alex]

I don't get angry at things for resisting me, but for their ability to turn invisible when I'm looking for them exactly where they are.

"Where's the TV remote"
"It's on the coffee table."
"No its not. I'm staring at the coffee table right now and I've torn the living room apart looking for it."
"It's on the coffee table."
"No it's not, why have you hidden the remote you whore of satan?!"
<stomp><stomp><stomp>"Here it is asshole. Right on the coffee table under the blinking neon sign that says 'Hi, I'm the TV remote, please use me.'"
"Oh. You know I was kidding about that whore of satan thing, right?"

[Ghoulish Delight]

Oh good, it's not just me.

[blueerica]

I don't get angry at things for resisting me, but for their ability to turn invisible when I'm looking for them exactly where they are.

"Where's the TV remote"
"It's on the coffee table."
"No its not. I'm staring at the coffee table right now and I've torn the living room apart looking for it."
"It's on the coffee table."
"No it's not, why have you hidden the remote you whore of satan?!"
<stomp><stomp><stromp>"Here it asshole. Right on the coffee table under the blinking neon sign that says 'Hi, I'm the TV remote, please use me.'"
"Oh. You know I was kidding about that whore of satan thing, right?"

HA!

That happened to me just last night.

I got a bit snippier than I needed to be.

The whole calling my husband Whore of Satan was a bit much, I suppose. But I'm relieved I wasn't the only one.

Must stop this.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

GD's enemy is a packed bag. If it's in the bottom, it may as well have fallen into a black hole. I think he's starting to hate when I advise him to take everything out of the bag.

This has been exacerbated by the constant need for a diaper bag.

[katiesue]

Hehe - Maddies Dad was in the hospital for a week. Day one Maddie went and packed him a bag, we drop it off and say toothbrush, toothpaste, shaving stuff all in there. Day two when we visit, yes it's in the bag. Day three - still in the bag. Day 5 I get a text at like 10 PM - tomorrow can you bring toothbrush, toothpaste & shaving stuff? It's still in the bag where it's been for 5 days. "oh"

[Alex]

I don't get angry at things for resisting me, but for their ability to turn invisible when I'm looking for them exactly where they are.

Today I was reminded of a clinical demonstration (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HJQ7XXYJSA&feature=related) of this issue.

[RStar]

My ever-caring Mom used to say "Stop whining, or I'll give you something to really whine about".Holy crap! Your mom was also my dad!!! :eek:

Oh good, it's not just me.I wondered how long it would take for this! ;)

One thing I've learned:

Anger is the result of missed expectations. There, I said it.

Example: If you think that pulling harder on a shirt that has been tangled on a mass of hangers is going to result in a freed shirt and nothing else, you've missplaced your expectation. If you remember the fact that tugging only results in re-hanging three more shirts, then do what you know must be done, reaching in and untangling the hangers. Also, if you are using those thin metal hangers, switch to plastic ones that tangle less often.

Good luck CP! It's not easy trying to rewire your brain that has been programed for all of these years. I applaud your efforts. And remember, the reaction of anger to things can be taught. Perhaps you knew someone who reacted this way. And if Theo sees you doing it, he may do it as well.

I use to become the whore of satan while driving. But that's another story! ;)

[Betty]

I take back my previous posts on this and replace them with this:

Yes. Everything IS the worst. (grumble gumble)

[Not Afraid]

I take back my previous posts on this and replace them with this:

Yes. Everything IS the worst. (grumble gumble)

Word.

[JWBear]

Ever had one of those days where it seems the entire world is conspiring to annoy the hell out of you? I'm having one of those days.

I wish I could crawl in a cave somewhere until it passes.

[Kevy Baby]

Ever had one of those days where it seems the entire world is conspiring to annoy the hell out of you? I'm having one of those days.Is it still considered a conspiracy if they really ARE out to annoy the hell out of you?

[JWBear]

Only if they are conspiring.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

And if Theo sees you doing it, he may do it as well.
This really is the best reason to do something about my awful habits.

Having kids DOES make you (want to be) a better person.

[RStar]

This really is the best reason to do something about my awful habits.

Having kids DOES make you (want to be) a better person.

So true. But of course the key word there is MAY. There are no guarantees. My wife and I raised two kids the exact same way, and they couldn't be more different. I'm calm and easy going, my wife gets angry eaisily. My daugter is easy going, and my son gets angry easily. Who knows what hand life will deal you....

The two of you are smart, sweet, and kind. I bet Theo will be the same.

[Ghoulish Delight]

I've stayed out of this thread for various reasons. But I thought I'd pop in and post this as a distillation of the many thoughts I have on the subject.

Success and failure are not defined by how many mistakes you made or didn't make, how many good or bad decisions you might have made, or how often you've been right or wrong. They are defined by how you handle the mistakes, the bad decisions, and being wrong. Success isn't perfection, success is treating every step as a new opportunity to get it right, no matter how many steps you've gotten wrong up to that point.

[Gn2Dlnd]

^ Also known as "progress, not perfection." :snap: