Pearls...

D called me today, as C and I were on our way back from the orthodontist.
D: "What are you doing?"
Me (very tersely): "Oh, I'm sitting in the car with C..."
D (laughing): "Oh, is she full of happiness and joy..."
As he said that, she was in the passenger seat, grumping and grumbling under her breath about how I was mad at her no matter how much I assure her really, I'm not, and how much her teeth hurt and how no one understands her...
So D gets on the phone with her and, VOILA! she's a different child, talking about her new braces on her bottom teeth and how she got to pick out the colors (lavender, sparkly purple, and plum, thank you very much!), and how we're going to Fazoli's so she can have spaghetti since that's easy to chew...
I live with Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
Sometimes she's still my little girl, like today when she took not one, but TWO stuffed kitties with her to the orthodontist's office, to guard against probable pain...
And sometimes she's an insufferable almost teen, like today with her patented "Are you mad at me...Yes, you are!  I don't see why, I didn't do anything, whine whine whine..."
LOL!
No, really, life is so much fun here!  That whole split personality thing really keeps me on my toes! 

! ! and did I mention !

I took off work early to take my daughter to her doctor's appointment...
Only to hear my voicemail, after I get home, telling me that the doctor's office will have to reschedule today's appointment for some other time.
Normally, yay, I rejoice in getting off work early...but I'm still on special assignment and until it's over, getting off work early just means more work the next day...:(.
But I'm also not driving all the way back there, either! 
My mother and grandmother had a yard sale Saturday and roped us in to helping.  My daughter made $24 dollars.  My mom made $9.  I think my grandma made about $15.  Obviously, the answer is to let the child do the selling! 
My brother and sister-in-law and nephew came AFTER the yard sale and heavy lifting was over.  Why do my daughter and I have to help ALL DAY with the yard sale, and why do THEY get to show up after?  It's one of the great mysteries of life...
My four-year old nephew is so cute.  He came in the kitchen the other day and saw the puzzle that's been sitting there for two weeks and said, "Oooh, can I help?  I'm really good at puzzles, Aunt Michelle!"  And then he proceeded to really help me...for seven minutes before his attention span fell apart and the puzzle pieces started flying.  I had to dispatch him to the living room to play at that time...
Then my brother came in the kitchen ten minutes later and it was sooo funny...he saw the puzzle sitting there and said, "Oooh, can I help!"
I nearly choked with laughter...like father, like son!
The stupid puzzle is still not done, though.  It's gotten to where I close my eyes and see puzzle pieces on my eyelids...it won't go away...
(subject shift)
(light bulb)
I'm thinking this unexpected free hour is the perfect time for a nap!

So glad it's almost midnight...

Father's Day.  Bah, humbug, I'm very glad it's over. 
Okay, my morose moment is over, too...
Went and saw 'Batman Begins' last night...I loved it!  Batman's always been my favorite...he's just your average emotionally disturbed human, like all of us are (except for that whole billionaire thing...) - ANYONE can be Batman!

(Except for that billionaire thing, again...Batmobiles don't come cheap...)
:)
Took my daughter with me to work on Friday for 'Take Your Kid to Work' Day - she had a great time!  She sat next to me at my desk, and for about half the day sketched pictures and generally had no interest in my job at all.
Probably because all I do is sit in front of the computer all day...she can see me do that at home! LOL!
Then she went in the breakroom and read her book and watched TV ('Lizzie McGuire', of course...), until we left for the day.
SHE says she worked hard all day, because she 1) stapled some things for me, and 2) got some things off the printer for me.  She told me today she wants to work where I work when she gets older.  I'm thinking she's imagining work being like Friday, where you go and draw and read and watch TV and get paid for it!
Doesn't that sound like a wonderful job?!  She's definitely on to something...

Peace...

My daughter and I went to the drive-in tonight, to see 'The Adventures of SharkBoy and LavaGirl', and 'Madagascar'.  This was the first time she'd ever been to the drive-in, and she was VERY mad at me when she saw all the other families there, pulling out lawn chairs and blankets..."Why didn't WE bring lawn chairs, Mommy?"...
Because I didn't know that was the thing to do! But now that I'm fully versed in the drive-in experience, I'll be sure to bring supplies next time - apparently your CAR is not enough...
'SharkBoy' was okay...we left halfway through 'Madagascar' because we kept falling asleep - not that it wasn't good or anything, it was just too late...
So of course I get home and I'm still not asleep!
I finally got C's report card in the mail today...thank goodness!  It's such a relief to finally be able to put this year behind us and determine that next year will be sooo much better.  How many times was she absent this year? Fifteen. FIFTEEN!  Between her illnesses and doctor visits (and doctor bills) and surgeries (well, just that one), I'm so thankful that now she's healthy and doing better and she managed to pass all her classes even though she wasn't there half the time. Goodbye, awful terrible 7th grade!
(Remember 7th grade?  I started my 7th grade year in Kitzingen, Germany, and ended it in Louisville, Kentucky.  I remember EVERYTHING about that year - the culture shock of being back in the states after a childhood in Germany will probably stay with me forever.
But the bad thing is, remembering everything, I remember well doing things I wasn't supposed to, and the stuff I was exposed to...and here my daughter is, at that age!  She'll be thirteen next month.  I need some amnesia, I think...)
Sheesh, it's 2 a.m., and I have to be up by 6:45 a.m. ... WHY do I stay up late and write nonsense when I should be in bed? 
And why do I get up at 6:45 a.m. when I don't need to be at work until 8:45 a.m.?  Because I have to be in and out of the shower by 7 a.m. - that's when 'the pretender' comes on.  I have a new addiction...

I hope this Thursday will be better than the last...

Work...last Thursday...
Supervisor called a meeting...
Passed around an anonymous letter she received about one of us, accusing one of us of unethical behavior, stealing company time, etc...
Wow.  Talk about a huge downer in the workplace.
Nobody (except our supervisor) knew who the letter was about, or who it was from. 
It's been a horrendous week since then.  Everyone feeling guilty, even those who are not...everyone wondering who wrote the letter, and no one trusts anybody anymore.  Not to mention expecting to be cut off/terminated/booted out at any moment.
It's kind of like we're on Survivor.
Next week is 'Take Your Kid to Work', and my daughter has been looking forward to it all year, after the fun she had last year.  SURELY the awfulness will be over by then...please please please...
I seriously need a day off!

A way...

My daughter woke me up at 1:30 a.m. to tell me she couldn't sleep...
Oh, the drama that ensued...
I finally got her settled down and not crying any more (don't ask me why she was crying, I think it has something to do with being almost 13)...
She finally went to sleep...
But here I am, still awake.  Have to work in the morning.
And can I wake anyone up and tell them I can't sleep? Nooo...
The joys of parenting...:)