Things I learned from my sister, Julie
Because of our age difference (I won’t say how many years so that I don’t get in trouble), I didn’t always have my oldest sister, Julie, around. When she was around, I was either pestering her (I would hide behind the furniture in the living room when she had dates over and annoy her) or she was mean to me (sorry, Julie…you were…you played hide and go seek with Jo Ellen and I and you did not seek…that is just plain mean).
When Ed passed the bar exam and was looking for a job, he decided to call the DA for the 11th district just to see if they had any openings because we loved Sanford, knew Julie and her family loved it, wanted to live in a small town, and wanted to be able to see Julie, Jimmy, and our nephew, Jay, often. We were thrilled to learn that there was in fact an opening in the Lee County DAs office and Ed got the job. I feel very fortunate to have lived in the same town as Julie for the past seven years. I have been able to watch her parenting style with her two boys and much of how Ed and I parent is based on what we learned from Julie and Jimmy. Here are some of my favorite things I have learned from Julie:
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Laugh – no matter what is broken, ruined, stained, or lost…find a way to laugh about it because in the grand scheme of life, it really doesn’t matter.
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You are never going to have enough money to have children…money isn’t important, family is.
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Don’t scrimp and buy cheap cat food or you will pay for it later.
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Pay attention when filling out your address on work-related orders or you might just come home to find huge boxes of prom stuff on your front porch.
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If your kids want to just eat Cheerios and milk for every meal…let them. They won’t do it forever.
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If your kids want to sleep in your bed now and then…let them. They are only little once.
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Don’t stress about potty training. They’ll get it on their own time.
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Every child is different and you have to relate to them differently because of their differences.
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If someone offers to buy something for you…let them.
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Help your children discover their passion and listen when they tell you they aren’t interested in an activity.
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Finding a good deal on a great purse is reason to celebrate.
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You should buy yourself a birthday present.
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Let your children make their own mistakes…they’ll learn.
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The adventures you have with your children are more important than the “stuff” you give them.
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Kids heal…don’t stress.
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Petri dishes are a cool way to keep your matching jewelry together.
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Instant mashed potatoes can taste better than the real thing – and they are a heck of a lot easier.
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You can never have too many earrings.
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When you are pregnant, no one, and I mean, no one, will take care of you like Wesley Tyler, CNM.
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If you aren’t the best cook…marry someone who is.
Dog-Eating Cat
I did pull Buster off of Daisy and make him leave her alone…but not until after I got these pictures. When we first adopted Buster, Daisy went ballistic. The first night we had Buster inside, Daisy chased him under the bed and was barking furiously. She went from constant barking and growling to just shaking all over and whimpering (while being held) to her current state which is being terrorized by Buster. We think she likes it.
Cat Hatred
Our dogs have always hated cats (don’t most dogs?) but i think they have taken their hatred to new levels. When we first decided to adopt Buster the cat, we knew we had to have the dogs approval first. We read some suggestions online as to how to introduce beagles and cats and how to get them to like each other. Copper was the first to give in. Copper has always been my baby. I think once he realized that he could still drape himself all over me wherever I was that it really didn’t matter if there was a psycho kitten bouncing around all over the place (for the record, he is sitting beside me with his head on my leg right now). Daisy took a little bit more time but after a few days, she too decided the cat was staying and she might as well deal with it. Now she is scared of the cat which I find hilarious. (more…)
