Lesson #15,132-Are Children Happier Than Adults?

Okay, so I have been thinking about why children seem so happy.  For the most part, they are happy people.  I mean they get angry, sad and scared just like adults do but they seem to get over negative emotions more quickly than adults do.

Could it be because children get to play with toys?  I mean toys are very distracting.  Even a very mad baby will sometimes stop crying when they hear a rattling toy.  Maybe adults need distractions to keep us happy.  You thought I was going to say adults need toys, didn't you?  Actually, some adults do have toys!! (Not those toys!)  I mean motorcycles!!  4-wheelers!!  Golf clubs!!  I am positive that I have never seen an adult crying on a motorcycle, 4-wheeler or with a golf club in their hand.  Maybe we all need to find a toy that makes us happy!

Could it be because children aren't jaded by life.  When children are small, they don't care what color a playmate is.  They don't care if the child is chubby or skinny, short or tall, rich or poor.  Anyone who will play is just fine with them.  They don't care if they are dirty.  They don't care if they have clean clothes on.  They don't know if they are wearing designer clothing. They hold no prejudices.  They don't know about social status.  Adults could learn a thing or two from this.

Could it be because they have short attention spans?  They can be crying and angry and a few minutes later they are laughing and seem to have not a care in the world.  If we all could forget our troubles as quickly as children do, we would be happier people.  Maybe it is because children take naps!! Everyone should take occasional naps!!

Could it be because children like colorful things?  If you look around my house, you will see a lot of drab colors that we call "neutrals".  If you look at my clothing, you will see a lot of black and gray.  I have a spot of orange, green and blue here and there but mostly drab colors.  If you look at my sons closet, there are very colorful shirts in his stack.  Green, orange, blue, yellow, red, lots and lots of red!!  Maybe I should wear more colors!!  Also his bedroom and playroom has colorful items on the walls.  Maybe I should hang colorful items on the walls all over the house.  Then maybe we would all be happier people.

Could it be the obvious?  Children don't worry about money.  Mom and/or Dad pays the bills.  If the power is turned off, they don't care.  They love playing with flashlights! If the rent isn't paid, they get to move into a new room.  They get excited about that!!  If someone else would pay our bills, maybe we would be happier.  Okay, yes, we would be happier people.

Let's all agree to find a toy to play with, not be so judgmental, forget about our troubles, be more colorful and find someone to pay our bills!!  Okay, maybe we have to pay our own bills but maybe we should take the other lessons from children and relax and enjoy life and we will find more happiness.

Life Lesson #15,026-What Is Up With Mommy Guilt??

Life Lesson #15,026-What Is Up With Mommy Guilt?

Seriously, what is this Mommy Guilt?  If you call me during the day and ask me what I have been up to, why do I feel like I have to give you a list of 20 things that I have done all day?  Why can't I say that I haven't made the beds yet or done any laundry or even put the dishes from last night's dinner in the dishwasher yet? Why do I feel guilty if I have come right in from morning carpool and sat down and watched TV for an hour or checked my Facebook or even that I came in and went back to bed?  My job never ends and if I don't do my job nobody else will pick up my slack so why do I feel guilty about taking a little break now and then.  Am I not allowed that or am I not allowing myself to stop working ever?  What if someone calls and I was taking a nap? Why can I not just say that I am taking a nap?  As long as everyone in my house has clean clothes and food, why can't I take a short break or even a nap?  I mean everyone else in my house can come in from school and work and plop down and watch TV for hours without me complaining about it because I understand how tiresome work and school are.  I've been there!!  With that said, some days I have 20 things to do and I have to get them done that day.  Then there are other days where I only have a couple of things to do so I am going to get them done or even put them off until tomorrow.  Why all of this guilt?   I agree that there is always something that I could be doing if I am awake but what if I just don't feel like rearranging the utensil drawer or organizing my closet?  Believe me, nothing will change.  My utensil drawer will not get any worse than it already is and my closet will not get more unorganized than it is right now.  Well, maybe the closet but who cares? I'm the one who is going to fix it!!

Some days I just want to go back to bed when Jordan goes to school and just sleep until 1:30.  Then get up, take a shower, throw the covers up over the bed, toss the dishes in the dishwasher, go to school and pick up the carpool kids, get homework started, spray some Febreeze, and sit until the husband is on his way home.  If he gives me the heads up when he is pulling out of the office, I have 45 minutes to come up with something for dinner.  I can have it delivered, pick up carryout or even cook something in 45 minutes, so that isn't usually a problem unless I need another nap in the late afternoon.  In that case, we will definitely be eating delivery or carryout!!  Why feel guilty, though?  Moms, we should band together and swear from this day forward that we will not feel guilty about chilling out for a while when everyone is out of the house!!!  Who is up first in my house?...ME.  Who says, "Goodnight, I'm going to bed" and an hour later I can finally go to bed?...ME. (And probably all the moms reading this feel the same way.)  Let's take that nap!!! NO GUILT!! NO GUILT!!

Life Lesson #15,021-I'm perfectly happy with my house until the next catalog comes

Life Lesson #15,021-I'm Perfectly Happy With My House Until The Next Catalog Comes
Well, my house was great and then I got the new Pottery Barn and Restoration Hardware catalogs.  Now I need new duvet covers, drapes and towels.  Oh and rugs.  I hate my rugs. Well except for the one tapestry rug that I own.  You know?  The one rug in my house that the cats throw up on? One rug!!! One!!! Every time!!! I mean these cats will run from upstairs with vomit about to spew from their ears to throw up on this rug. They know that it is my one nice rug.  Otherwise, they would throw up on the hardwood floors or bathmats. I have high maintenance cats.  That's what it is.  My cats are high maintenance!!  Anyway, now I need all new stuff!

Then I start looking at Crate & Barrel and Pier One and now I know how much I need to replace my china, flatware and all of my different glasses.  Maybe I could give my china to my cats!! Ya know?  Since they know the good stuff. Oh and I need some new table cloths and place mats for the cats to lay on.

Then I get tons of clothing catalogs and I begin to hate all of my clothes.  I need this and I need that!! More jeans.  More tops.  More sweaters.  More shirts.  Another winter coat.  New belts and scarves. You get my drift, right?

Oh and I get Home Decorators and Ballard Design.  I need all new home decor.  My pictures are not as cute as theirs.  My picture frames are dated.  My knick knacks are old and dusty and my lamps aren't glamorous enough.  I need some more fabulous down pillows for my couch.  Oh and my couch!! It needs replacing!! There are some great ones in these catalogs.  Love the ones with tan ticking. Oh sorry! I spaced on the new couches and pillows again!!

I got this catalog today called Grandinroad.  Now I need new decorations for Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas!! All of mine suck! They have a Christmas mantel scarf that is so stinking cute!!  Oh and real looking mummies for Halloween!!!  What am I going to do??  I don't have this kind of money!!  I may have to put off my Botox this month.  Oh who am I trying to kid?  I'm not doing that!!

Then I look at Pinterest.  My entire house sucks!! I give up!! Never ever, ever look at Pinterest!! You may as well live in a tent because there are actually people with limestone floors, marble counter tops and loggias with views of the infinity pools.

Okay, blog readers, thank you for reading my crazy rant but now I cannot live in my house.  I will do my next blog from my car...

 

Life Lesson #15,009-Winning The Lottery Would Not Change Me

Life Lesson #15,009-Winning The Lottery Would Not Change Me
What happens to people when they come into a lot of money?  Why are so many of them bankrupt within a few years?  I mean, seriously, how does this happen?  You see it all of the time.  Someone wins the lottery or stops getting millions per year for their sports contracts and they are in the poor house.  Do they just go crazy?  That would never happen to me, right?  Or would it?  If I won millions in the lottery I would definitely have to have a beach house.  Then I would have a buyer from Pottery Barn come and furnish and decorate the house.  Anyone who knows me knows how much I love Pottery Barn!!! I could go into any Pottery Barn and buy anything I wanted without having to ask how much it costs!! OH YEAH!! That would be my dream!!  I don't have to go to some fancy furniture store with outrageous prices if I could just afford anything I wanted from Pottery Barn. I have actually looked at the Pottery Barn website and put everything that I wanted in the "Cart".  Hahahaha!! They sent me emails reminding me of the items that were still in my "Cart" the next day!!  I bet they did want that sale!! Oh Boy, did they want that sale!!  I had beds, living room furniture, side tables, bed linens and the very best pillows that you could ever buy. Sure do wish I could have "Checked Out"!

But seriously, what else would I not be able to live without if I won the lottery?  Hmmm.  Yep, I'm good with just the beach house.  No, wait.  If I had a beach house then I would need a Jeep to keep at the beach.  My husband would want me to buy him a red Porsche.  Should I or shouldn't I?  Okay, I will buy him one of those.  But that's it!!!  Wait, my son would want a house in the mountains.  We would have to get one of those. Then I would need a nice Range Rover to drive when we are there.  So the Range Rover and the mountain house, the Jeep, the Porsche and the beach house and all of the Pottery Barn furniture for BOTH houses now that I have 2 vacation homes.  But that's it!!  What about a really big house here at home though?  Yes!! And, of course, I need Pottery Barn to come and outfit my new house.  Then we will need a pool, pool house, tennis court, basketball court and soccer field.  Of course, I may need a new wardrobe, new Christian Louboutin shoes and some of those Birkin bags. Some of those Birkin bags are over $100,000.  I think since I am a new millionaire I will not buy those.  I will just buy one of the $25,000 bags. Ya know, the cheaper version. Oh and then I will need a convertible Mercedes-Benz to drive around town and to the mall.  Oh, maybe I should get one of those Maserati's.  Yes, I will get a blue Maserati!! I love being Nuveau Riche!! Hmm.  Maybe I am running low on money.  I better check.  Yep.  I need to call the bank because I have an NSF check to the Maserati dealership!!  See, I am broke already!!

Maybe God should let someone else win that lottery!  I may be one of those homeless people who were once filthy rich!!  I guess I figured it out.  It really is possible to win the lottery and go bankrupt fairly quickly!!