We rushed up to Edmonton for the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend. I say "rushed" because any drive with my husband behind the wheel is faster than I would prefer. And being a holiday weekend, the road was very busy.
I won't rant right now about the testosterone laden Dodge Ram drivers, I'm saving that for a special posting.... but suffice it to say, at least two along the road exhibited the same Hurried Hemi gottagetinfrontofyourightnow attitude of all the other Rabid Rammers I've encountered.
We had a semi-quiet weekend, visited a big church, ate roast beef and Swiss Chalet because MIL is cleaning out cupboards for winter migration and couldn't face making a turkey. I didn't miss it too badly but I think when they come through next weekend, I'll make one so we can all enjoy it.
The afternoon was beautiful when we got home today. We mowed the lawn for the last time and I cleared the leaves and foilage so that spring will be "clutter free." The influence of Flylady.net is even reaching my garden.
Pretty average weekend. Nothing huge. Nothing small.
Oh, there was that purchase of new goalie pads at United Cycle. And the breakdown of the 12 year old who realized that a new electric guitar is not going to just magically appear out of Mom and Dad's ATM without some proportional investment from the bank account he holds. He just HAD to have Madden 2006. As he was choosing it, I reminded him that I wouldn't be buying the guitar without his contribution and the more he spends now, the longer it will take for him to save his portion toward the guitar.
As we discussed this, he experienced that great lesson of realizing we can't have our cake and eat it too. We can't buy all we want and get Mom and Dad to buy the rest. And while having a job would help speed things along, he can't have a job and play too. With guitar lessons, hockey, saxophone practice, drama, youth group and school (oh, yeah, that should be first on the list), a job just isn't in the picture. I had to pull the car over in a quiet place to let him get over the emotional impact of this tragic realization. I also realized I hadn't put enough parameters around the bank account we'd started for him, nor did we clearly define what we would consider about purchasing a new electric guitar. Since we gave him a decent accoustic guitar for his last birthday, I determined that I would not okay the purchase of an electric guitar until he had completed a year of lessons on the accoustic. In addition, he will need to research what kind of guitar he wants, establish the price it is likely to be and save so that he can contribute 50% of the cost. Even if he has the money before the year is up, he must wait the entire year. If the year is up before he has his portion, he must wait until he has it.
What a hard lesson for a little guy. And mom wishes neither of us would ever have to cry. Reality is tough sometimes.
*hug*
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