The New Hobbit Hole

[2Jedismom]

They aren't even worth any effort at all. I wish I could erase the entire time from my brain.

A lobotomy!!!! Yeah, that's what I need! LOL

[Overtaxed]

What makes me mad is that now the system has my last name and address!

I haven't heard from them since, so I guess I lost them. Now if I could only get rid of the alumni association....no wait....I want to tell them where they can go beg for money this year. :)

I want to be an onery old lady when I grow up!

[JenB]

My aunt wants us all to go to church together on Sunday, but we're leaving. I left that church in 1984 because it was a cult. (It's a vey long and vey series story...)

That might explain certain religious war experiences? "Once bitten twice shy"?

[Overtaxed]

Not even an elves associaion reunion?

Hehehe....not even Elves Annoymous.

[Corin Stormhands]

My little brother and I were once reminiscing about our own long ago teen years.

Yeah, it really hadn't hit me until this summer. Then I started thinking about what I was like at 13. My first thought was "Holy $%&#!!!"

I've had some of those conversations with him (no, I've not told him much). But there are times when I'll sit him down and say, "I know this sucks, but you've just got to get throught it." Hopefully that helps.

He's a good kid. But if I'm not careful, he'll end up like g'nad....

I'm actually thinking the military might be a good thing for him...

[2Jedismom]

And it's worse when my family all gets together for Easter. It's a huge blowout for my brother, with all this candy and easter bunnies and all this crap. We focus more on the religious aspects and Matthew doesn't even believe in the Easter bunny any more and I don't think Joshua has ever given it much thought. But when my brother and his family is down, they heap all this junk on my kids...it's a commercial nightmare. Then, I feel bad if I don't do the same thing for his kids and I end up going to the store buying all this nonsense (being careful not to buy anything not anything that has peanuts or might have come in contact with peanuts) and giving them to his kids. It's just rediculous. Someone spray me with the hose.

[Corin Stormhands]

Even if I move, I'm sure they'll find me!

Columbia House has managed to follow me through seven address changes in 20 years...

[Overtaxed]

More tea.

[2Jedismom]

And it all boils down to this...

My brother's kids got baptised this past week. Now it's not the same as when Matthew was baptised...Matthew made a conscious decision to accept Jesus as his savior and asked to go down to the front and make his public profession of faith. It was a wonderful joyful experience and we all went out to eat afterward. That's how we Baptists do it.

Now my brother has decided he's a Presbyterian and he goes and gets his kids baptised and one of them is like a baby and has no clue. Ok...fine, whatever. But then I'm told GET THIS I gotta get them both a gift! I can't find a gift that's appropriate and I told my mom that my brother oughta be ashamed of himself and she blew up at me.

ARGH!

[Corin Stormhands]

My mom gets real concerned about the gift giving. It's complicated because she's remarried to my uncle...follow closely, I'll 'splain...

My dad died in 1978. His sister died in 1983.
My mom is married to my dad's sister's husband.(my uncle)
So my "sister" is really my "cousin."

ANYWAY, my mom is so concerned that everything is equitable. She'd do that for my brother and I growing up, counting the presents, etc. I don't think we ever really paid any attention to it.

But now, if my "sister's" son gets my son something, we have to return equal or greater value (in her eyes).

But we resist. We've managed to make an art form out of finding quirky, inexpensive gifts. And they're always a hit.

[2Jedismom]

Put the tea in a hose and spray me with it.

[Corin Stormhands]

That might explain certain religious war experiences?

It certainly influences my perspective on what's worth arguing about. That's (one reason) why the R-wars were so frustrating.

[2Jedismom]

Do you live in the same town? We live a days drive away and we see each other maybe twice a year!

[Corin Stormhands]

I couldn't be a deacon in the Reformed Presbyterian church we were members of because I disagree with infant baptism. (but no Jen, that's not the only reason we left).

[Overtaxed]

Put the tea in a hose and spray me with it.

Isn't that supposed to prevent skin cancer? Hehehe

[2Jedismom]

Actually it all boils down to my mom getting mad at me for stupid reasons.

I have got to try that tea.

[2Jedismom]

Well, I don't mind infant baptism...I don't see the point, but hey...whatever...but I don't get this gift giving. And of course no one bothers to explain.

[HairOfTheDog]

I think your mother is my Aunt Marilyn.... Any chance we are related? - Thats what families do 2J...

Just smile and do what she wants... she wont be around forever, and one day you will actually miss her hassling you about these gifts and parties for cousins and things. Just a thought. I would take my mother back at her nit-picky worst, right now. I know your relationship is not the same with your mom as mine was, but it is still all you have... you can't pick your roots, but it is good to be connected to them. If you are a tree. OK so maybe the analogy doesn't really work! ;~D

[2Jedismom]

It's just "They're getting baptised...get 'em a gift"

[Corin Stormhands]

Do you live in the same town?

My real brother is about 45 minutes away. And we're both about 4 hours from my Mom, step-dad and step-sister/cousin and step/brother-cousin.

But speaking of dysfunctional families, gotta run to rehearsal.

That's our Christmas story this year. Trying to reach young families.

It starts with a "perfect" Christmas that ends in disaster, then the little girl falls asleep as "Nana" reads Mother Goose...guess where she "wakes up?" That's right with Mother Goose and all the characters. They give the little girl a rhyme of her own. When she wakes up, she tells her story to "Nana" (the same actress who plays Mother Goose), and Nana says "that reminds me of another one of my favorite stories" and she goes on to start the Christmas story and the set morphs into Bethlehem...

Gotta run...see y'all later.