Eyesight

I sometimes wonder if children don't really gain peripheral vision until they're grown. Or if they have some special kind of kid blinders that prevent them from seeing things beyond the six inches in front of them. I wonder this because my children don't seem to be able to see certain things. I've had their vision tested so I know they're actually able to see properly. They just can't see certain things like the dirty clothes they just walked over on the floor. They can't see the book that they're supposed to return to the school library or the guinea pig food that they're supposed to put in the bowl or the coat hook where they are supposed to hang their coat. They can't find the sink when they need a place to spit their toothpaste. They can't find the small pieces of a toy they dropped (but my foot seems to find it!) or the healthy snacks lining the pantry and the fridge. Besides the eye exam, I know they can see because they have absolutely no problem finding the remote to the TV even if it's jammed between couch cushions. They can find the chips in the pantry and anything in the fridge that has an ounce of chocolate or sugar in it. They can't find a pencil to do their homework, but they can sure find a marker to color their fingernails. They can't find clean socks or warm mittens, but they can find a bathing suit and beg to wear it outside in January. I guess, like any of the other senses, their sight is selective. They see what they want to see. Like men, they don't usually find things that are right in front of their faces. Beyond a cursory glance, kids won't make much of an effort to actually look for something. They will walk aimlessly around the house (or lay on the couch) saying "Mom, have you seen my ......" That's kid speak for "Mom, I'm too lazy to get up so could you get my .... for me?" Open your eyes children!

Where your road leads

Lately, I find myself "borrowing" the wisdom from my pastor to use in my blog. Can't help it. He's got a good message. This week made me think a lot about the paths we take. You don't always think that what you are doing right this moment has a direct impact on your life days, months or years from now. Same for your kids. When your daughter talks back to you, do you say "it's just a phase" or "it'll pass"? You think that your child will grow out of his bullying ways in 10 years? Or that the daughter listening to lewd pop music lyrics won't emulate them when she's a teen? Think again. When's the last time you knew of a person who changed? I mean, really and truly changed? If you're headed in a bad direction, that is where you will end up. The road you are on will always take you where it leads. Confusing, I know. Think of it this way. You want to go to Chicago so you leave New York and head south on I-95. Why would you be surprised that you ended up in Florida? It's not the road's fault. It's yours. You got on the path and you kept following it. Kids will follow a path and it's up to you to make sure it's straight. But if yours is all screwy, theirs will be too. "Oh, I can call my husband a jerk, but I know my kids won't." "I can roll my eyes when someone annoys me, but my son won't do that to me." "I won't tell the grocery store clerk she accidentally gave me too much change. That's not really stealing, right? But, girls, don't you put that lip gloss in your pocket unless it's paid for." See where I'm going with this? Little things mean more than you think. And that little detour or wrong turn can make you two hours late getting home. It may seem like a little bump in the road, but those little bumps will turn into a sinkhole if you don't avoid them. I hope you'll take a few minutes after you read this to think back to a mistake or bad decision you made in your life and then think even further back to what led to it. Think about a bad decision you've seen a friend or relative make. Did you see it coming all along? Did you know they were on the wrong path? Sometimes, we don't see that we're on the wrong road. We're too involved in the journey to look at the bigger picture. We're right in the middle of downtown and have no idea what the satellite picture of the map is showing us. So many of us these days use GPS to navigate our way on the road. Maybe you need to do the same in the pathways of your life.

Out of touch

I can't believe it's been nearly a month since I blogged last. Time flies, huh? Actually, my computer had a virus and crashed so I was unable to journal online. It was hard. I missed the computer. I guess I'm a bit addicted to it. I'm not some techie who likes the whole idea of gigabytes. I just like being able to use the computer to do things. I actually enjoy responding to e-mail. I like to find a recipe or craft idea in seconds and then share it with my kids. I like getting the community calendar and the weather and all that other convenient stuff that is leading to the demise of newspapers throughout the world! I didn't realize how much I used it until I had to stop using it. I forgot how easy it was to shoot an e-mail to someone at midnight instead of waiting until a decent hour to call. Or how much I like making lists in Times New Roman instead of my own handwriting. I really dig listening to Darius Rucker crooning from my computer speakers while I'm typing. Ugh. I can't believe I've become this person. Seriously, am I now at the point where I will no longer own CDs? Will I only have an iPod and an online catalog? I have been trying to resist all of that to this point. I mean it. I like opening a newspaper. I don't care if gets ink on me. I like going to the library and taking out books. I swear, if you ever see me with a kindle or a nook, please hit me with it! Anyway, the point is, being out of a touch was a good thing, I think. If I can't use the computer, I won't. Granted, I do need it to work and earn money, but I need to also realize that I should shut it down and close the doors to the computer armoire and walk away. I once read an article about a mom who did that for a week. She didn't use her computer and no one in the family was allowed to use cell phones, text, use the iPod, play video games or watch TV. Imagine, an entire week being unplugged. Okay, now that I think of it, maybe it wasn't an entire week. Maybe it was a day or two. Listen, I've seen Amish people with cell phones, so even they can't live without some kind of wireless communication! I have to say this - I know I CAN live without the computer. I don't like it, but I did it. Same with smoking. It's been three years since I quit. I hated it in the beginning. I didn't want to quit, but I did. Now I know I have the strength to be unplugged. So, every now and again, I will be.