No Funny Farm for me, yet...

As some of you have noted, I have become some what of a downer, a drag, a real whiner.  You are correct.  It is however, not my fault.  It's my children's fault.  They did it! They stopped doing anything cute.

OK, fine. I'm sorry. I am starting to funk about turning 40-give me a minute would ya'!  I'll get over it soon, promise meanwhile...how about a little cuteness, as my son's friend would say.

I was in the Kindergarten classroom the other day when they had a Naturalist visit with live animals.  One little boy who was sitting very still and hanging on her every word would get more and more excited with each animal she produced.  the last animal she brought out was a screech owl.  As she hushed the students and brought it out of the carrier this child proclaimed, "I can't wait to see this aminals cuteness!"

My neighbor's son is home on Spring Break and was experimenting in the kitchen.  He came down with a plate of delicious treats to share and stayed for a little while to play basketball with the boys.  After he left we went inside to sample the goodies when my five-year-old exclaimed, "These are awesome.  the next time I see Corbin I will have to tell him he did a really good job."

My five-year-old came outside today while I was taking advantage of the nice weather and vacuuming out the car.  "Mom, something smells really really bad!" What does it smell like, what do you think you are smelling? "Gia Gia's cooking."

Our friends four-year-old was having a tough day and so he lost his play date with my son.  We went to lunch together anyway where I asked him what happened and why he lost his privilege.  He said, "The rain made me make bad choices."

This same beautiful four-year-old overheard his family talking about giving things up for Lent which prompted him to ask "What is giving up?" So his mother lovingly explains to the four-year-old what giving something up means at Lent.  He very enthusiastically replies,"I GIVE UP LOSING!"

My three-year-old nephew was standing behind his mother in the kitchen looking longingly at something.  She had turned and noticed this several times before asking,"What are you looking at Harrison?" To which my nephew replied, "Your big bottom. I can't wait till my butt gets that big."

I can't save the world - I can't even save myself

I'm feeling very overwhelmed right now.  Does anyone else feel the overwhelming pressure to save the world, the country, their community, their schools, and their children? No, just me...figures.

It's not a news flash that I suffer from anxiety. I've written about that dozens of times.  And now my eight-year-old is struggling with the same issue which not only breaks my heart, but has thrown me into high alert.  Add to that I am living with my mother-in-law and worried about her physical and mental health being far from her home, language, culture, and now dealing with the death of two family members.

Now let's just talk about the everyday stuff: exercise, eating right, hygiene.  Then there is school, homework, social life, sports teams, not to mention trying to raise my sons to be gentleman of high moral values.  And I'm not asking for perfection, but I would like to say write a Thank you note without hearing, "NO! Why do I have to?"

Those are the others that I am charged with caring for, sometimes I find time to think (being the operative word) about taking care for myself but only after I have taken care of the house and serviced my husband who is constantly reminding me how neglected he is being last on my list.

Living in OH it is now time for the Primary.  We have a school levy that needs to pass just to keep our schools up and running at this point.  We are being bombarded with campaign calls, commercials, and propaganda.  Across the world my relatives that have worked their whole life and should be considering what to do in their Golden Years are eating once a day in a desperate attempt to have enough money to keep the water and electric on one more month.

I am overwhelmed.  I can't help anyone.  I can't make people see that voting is not an inconvenience but a privilege.  I can't make them see that people in Greece are not lazy, they believed in their government that in turn lied, cheated, and stole from them.  I can't bring back my mother-in-laws health or relatives.  I can't stop my son from having a panic attack every Monday morning when he returns to school.  Hell I can't even get someone here to take out the garbage!

I am overwhelmed.  I didn't think I was in this alone....but it sure feels that way.  We can't discuss the school levy without arguments over how money should be spent.  How should it be spent? On our future, that is our children.  We can not discuss the Greek economy without arguing over what is wrong with our own.  What is wrong with our economy? We handed it over to a bunch of greedy @&(#@.   We can't discuss what is going wrong with our kids because it makes us look bad as parents.  Am I a bad parent?  Some days, hell yes and I will own it.

I am overwhelmed.  I want to save the world, but I'm not even sure I can save myself.