Grommom confessions: In no particular order. And not necessarily in any way related to anything at all.
Thank you for your support:
1. I still haven’t learned all of the names of surf breaks within a few miles of our home. I get Back Yards mixed up with Off the Wall. And Rockies. Leftovers and Rightovers. Off The Wall mixed up with Pipeline. Ehukai and Pupukea. My sweet husband has actually said the words, (and I do quote:) “How could you call yourself a GROMMOM when you can’t even remember this stuff!!?”
I’m so very ashamed.
2. I lack the basic skill set to homeschool boys.
I am not creative. Or organized. Or smart.
3. I dread the lunch hour. I usually find myself with no idea what to feed the boys. If we have leftovers I am so very happy, but if we don’t, I typically scratch my head and suggest they figure it out for themselves, while I take a little nap. (See #2, and #19.) I personally think lunch is a weird meal, and unless you have the luxury of going to a restaurant, lunch should be pretty well ignored.
4. I completely failed as a soccer mom. When my boys played soccer, I would get game times wrong, forget my turn to bring snacks, as well as other important things like kids’ shin guards and jerseys. I guess that’s why God is giving me a chance at being a surf mom instead.
5. Cleaning my ears with Q-tips is the highlight of my every morning.
6. During my first two pregnancies, I had multiple dreams of giving birth to a puppy. NO DREAMS about giving birth to a human being.
7. I don’t like sci-fi at all. Not at all. I have fallen asleep each time I tried to watch Star Wars.
8. Against all great counsel and wisdom (aka: my husband,) I have allowed my boys to eat food in my car. Therefore, if you open the car at night you might see cockroaches scatter. I am most unhappy with this fact, and my husband has absolutely no sympathy for me. Now that I am thoroughly grossed out, I am trying to decide what course to take: A) Clean out the car thoroughly and never let anyone eat in it again. 2) Sell the car and start fresh. 3) Live and let live.
(Warned you this would be dirty.)
9. I like Twitter. More all the time. I take my phone on my morning runs and after the two miles UP hill, I take a break and check Twitter. I don’t know if it is my genuine love of Twitter, or my need to stop moving and act busy (since there is no one else around, I can’t explain that, ) but that’s what I do. I like Facebook too, but Twitter is my latest favorite.
10. I thrive on social interaction.
Homeschooling in the country doesn’t necessarily go well with being that way. Therefore, blogging is meeting a deep need in my life. Thank you.
11. A typical 24-hour period of clothing choices for me: I wear a pair of jeans/shorts/sweats with a ribbed tank all day. I fall asleep in the same tank and PJ bottoms. I get up and go running in the same tank.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. I do what I can.
12. My three biggest fears: Earthquakes, centipedes, and throwing up. (I could write an entire post on any of those.)
13. I have never successfully balanced a checkbook. Not once.
14. (While we’re on finances,) I only do a couple of my bills online. Meaning: I write checks, buy stamps, and mail bills like I did 20 years ago.
15. It takes me a long time to learn new things.
16. I’m still not on Pinterest. (See above.)
17. I swallow loudly when I drink.
18. I wish I could grow my bangs out but I look really bad that way.
19. I can fall asleep in less than twenty seconds. Any time of day. Anywhere. (For example, #7.)
20. I do almost everything in a hurry. This causes way too many sloppy jobs, and I am not at all proud of it. I often blog quickly and post it before it is really complete. Then I get embarrassed and hope that you don’t give up on me.
21. I get a serious rush out of your comments. It makes me smile, and I often laugh out loud or read them to my family….SO—-
I hope you’ll comment below and tell me if you share in any of my confessions, or if you have any of your own…I think this would be mutually therapeutic.
Aloha,
Grommom
PS I’m the worst tooth fairy there has ever been. Without a doubt. (That one’s been bugging me for a while now. Thanks for letting me add.)
PPS Now that I started this list, I can’t stop thinking of more to add…Looks like I’ll need a part TWO for this one!
{ 24 comments… read them below or add one }
You are just so darn funny. Number 5 is just too deep for me. Lunch should be all day…I love to eat in the middle of the day. And I certainly remember the earthquake issue you mentioned….back in 2006 I believe it was. Just get quicken you never have to balance the check book yourself you just download the transactions and set it up to agree with your downloads. You can keep all of your finances in one place, loans, credit cards, savings, checking, retirement, etc. You can do it Monica, I know you can. If you can do this stuff and Twitter you can do that.
Thanks Kendall, but Um….even reading all of that just made my blood pressure go up! maybe they need to invent a way to do your finances socially–then I’d be in! haha!
ALoha, and see YOU next week!!
Refer to #15…Right Monica? Look at how well you caught onto wordpress though….Kendall has suggested something you probably would really LOVE
Oh stop. Kendall and you both should just get over here and do it for me!
Love to you friend!
You are seriously cracking me up!!!
I am inspired with my own thoughts of my failures – but for the record, you are totally NOT without skills for homeschooling. I think you are doing an awesome job already, and what really counts is that you are totally open to growth & change. That is such a key with teaching children, in my book anyway!
I also do most things really fast – including eating. It’s embarrassing to always be the first one finished (Waaaaay before the others!).
I am addicted to checking my phone (apparently, even my coworkers have noticed this!) – just to see if anyone, anyone at all, has texted or called me.
I fight sleep. I think I have this subconscious fear that I will miss out on something in life… Plus, I think I just feel like it’s cool to be up late at night. Or something! lol… So glad I’m not the only “normal” person around!
Hahaha! you are cracking ME up! Love all you shared…it is healthy to laugh at ourselves, isn’t it? I’m kind of hooked I think…hopefully this will pass!
Love to you!!
HA! I’m learning that I know you even better than I thought after reading your little list….and that for all of your “flaws”, I find are things that I like, and make you Monica…like your biggest fear of throwing up….Good thing you take Juice Plus+ religiously!
i can’t believe we never found the dislike for sci-fi connection when you lived on kelakela! i always tease randall about star wars and star trek (i sometimes confuse the two!) by saying,”there you go again watching your fake characters live in a fake world and do fake things.” i’m much more into reality…like While You Were Sleeping! miss you tons! you are such a great listener!
Oh my goodness! I’m always blown away to meet women who love sci-fi…it just seems so weird to me!
Glad you’re with me anyways!
Yeah, I didn’t mention the kind of movies I like b/c i feel a little shallow. Maybe next confessional!
xoxox miss ya!
Totally with you on the twitter one. But I totally doubt you failed as a soccer mom or as a teacher. The food in the car one made me laugh, and the dreams of giving birth to puppies is a little worrying. Do the boys know about that one?
I also know what you mean RE blogging – it does the same for me!
(and I too often blog quickly then regret/correct)
My brother also has a fear of throwing up… He’s also a genius, so maybe it’s a common trait among geniius’s. (is that the plural of genius, or is it genii?)
Anyway, great post, but you shouldn’t under sell yourself so much. And star wars is great. And being able to sleep anywhere is a blessing – I have all sorts of trouble sleeping…
G
Oh Monica, I miss you guys! This past week I have been so homesick for Hawaii….for finding sea glass on the N. Shore….for good friends -”ohana”, Matsumoto’s…..but, I don’t miss the cocka-roaches!!!
I love reading your adventures and crack up that you have 4 boys and are mortified of throw-up!
Funny, just yesterday I was telling the kids about driving in Hawaii on the freeway one day and felt something crawl over my foot……I so wanted to scream and jump out of the car because I knew it was a roach and I also knew that if there was one, it meant there were REALLY 1000!!! Our car had 10 ‘roach hotels’ in it after that and I think I maybe didn’t let the kids eat in the car for…..a day or maybe two
Miss you guys!
I love it Mon! Totally made me miss you even more!!! The only surprise was the Q-tips… what’s up with that?! Troy LOVES them too. I don’t understand nor do I try. What made me laugh the most is that you are still talking about growing your bangs out! I love it! Man would I love to spend my days living next door and homeschooling together! Actually, it most likely wouldn’t work because I’d get lazy and make you teach everyone…. Love & Miss ya, friend! Happy Easter Weekend!
Thanks Kenny! Oh how i miss you too!
You really should listen to your husband more–he obviously knows what he’s talking about.
And bangs!? Are you kidding, I’ll be talking about them when I’m 80. (Write that down, we might forget!!)
Hugs to you and your sweet FOUR…Happy Easter!
Never, Never, Never, stop your blogs. I love your honesty and real life stories. Your list cracks me up. However just a pointer about your Qtip experience. That was my highlight to my morning until I cleaned out all my ear wax and caused damage to my ear. You need your earwax to stop the drainage. Now my ears drain like crazy and it drives me crazy. Anyway just thought I would pass on that little ear tip for you. My ear doctor would be proud of me. Hehe. Happy Easter – Hugs to you and the family.
Thanks Lori–Kind words…and great advice about the Qtips!
I’ve always wondered how much damage I might be doing…
Happy Easter to you too!
Great list! I’m not sure what this says about me, but I can relate to 87ish% of your list. And the tooth fairy thing? I have to distract the boys for a minute in the morning, sneak in to their room, and then act shocked that they missed the money under their pillows the first time they looked. It’s a complete joke now within the family.
Love this.
Oh, you make me feel better already! I have tried every tactic. I thought I was the only one.
Take care beach momma!
Gonna let my innerTtrekkie out here…you posted about not liking Sci-Fi on First Contact day. The day in the future we will celebrate meeting the Vulcans. Yeah I know, let the mocking start now.
I still prefer writing an actual check to pay my bills (though I would prefer not having to pay bills). I grew up watching my mom write checks to pay bills, and it just feels so “grown-up” to write a check for it.
Cracking up at you—You are a trekkie!! My family will love you, and I will tolerate you.
Hilarious—is there really a “First Contact Day” or did you just make that up?
Checks…oh good. So some people do it by choice? Excellent, I’ll just use that line then. hehe. Aloha and Happy Easter. Glad to hear your Good Friday was awesome.
In the movie Star Trek First Contact the next generation crew travels back in time to the year 2063. They meet the guy who develops warp technology and “helps” him get his shuttle craft launched for the first successful flight. The Vulcans take notice of this planet and come to earth. And thus on April 5th 2063 First Contact is made.
Side note, I only remembered it this year because my brother said something about it on facebook first.
I don’t know how to thank you for this incredibly useful information…:)
Do you babysit? My boys will love this.
haha!! So funny.
ok…totally cracking up reading your list! My responses:
#2 – to my recollection you are indeed smart. though I feel like I’ve gotten dumber with age in some instances so this might actually be an accurate statement by you. however, dumb people don’t have cool blogs, so you are back to being smart. congratulations!
#4 – If a kid on Zach’s soccer team showed up at the wrong time without their jersey or shinguards, I would tend to think that kid’s parent has a drinking problem. just saying.
#5 – i can name only two things i enjoy more than cleaning my ears with q-tips. ok, maybe just one.
#8 – i vote option “A”, however that could be time well spent taking nap instead. live and let live it is!
#9 – love it too. I get text messages from my favorites instead of having to wait to log on.
#10 – whatever would you do without the internet?!!!
#17 – someone brilliant once said, “the world is made for people who are not blessed with self-awareness.”
#19 – we are kindred spirits…zzzz…zzzz..zzzz…huh, uh..where was i?
Since we’re confessing, I take everything too seriously! Thanks for bringing a smile to my face!
(Oh, and I love Star Wars!)
you made me feel so much better about the ribbed tank top thing. i do the same thing! josh asked me the other day…”what is up with you and wife-beaters?” i have even worn them in oregon winter…you just throw a puffy down coat over them! wish i could bring my girls for a visit. they want to be surfer girls and watch “soul surfer” all the time and have one of her books. i tried two of your recipes and loved them. the salad that you want to eat everyday. yum. and the peanut butter oatmeal cookies. josh wouldn’t eat them but my girls did! love to you grom-mama. and make sure you keep those blondies from burning their skin
(savannah and i are off to taiwan in june….can’t wait for our own island adventure…thanks to troy and kendra..so excited!)