Do people still buy school pictures?  The other day the kids had to take class pictures, and I did the unthinkable for a control freak like me: I told them to wear whatever they wanted.  My goal this year is to control the urge to buy the actual pictures.  In this day of digital cameras, why on earth would I want a school picture with the same lame background used when I was in school?  Yes, I’ve purchased every picture thus far.  Well, that’s not true, I stopped buying high school photos when Squirt started taking mug shots for his photos.

But really, when I have a whole slew of photos of my kids living their lives and memories that come from those photos, why would I waste the money?  The only memory I get from school pictures is “I hate that place, in particular this school.”

Of course, if Snax’s picture is cute, I just may buy his since it’s his first class picture, but other than that, I am not spending the money.  I think.  I will have control.  Because here’s the deal, I don’t even like seeing these photos up in other people’s houses (read my parents and in-laws) because I think to myself there are such better pictures than the ugly class pictures.  So back to the question: do people really pay for those pictures anymore?  And what made me do it in the first place?!

I am in desperate need of a date night.  Lance and Squirt are going to the UFC tonight so I assumed we’d go out last night.  Except Squirt wanted to go out with his friends.  So we didn’t go out.  The past few weeks have been really, really long.  I am starting to feel like the only date nights we get are when we leave town.

Squirt actually went to a club last night.  When I was cleaning up after dinner, he asked if I used to go clubbing when I was his age.  Which just made me laugh.  Of course, I did.  I didn’t go until I was out of high school, but yes we all went.  I loved those days.  I think he’d die if he saw the pictures of those days.  And I’d like to add that I made it home by 12:30.  Even out of high school.  And I had to drive all the way back to Kingwood from 6400 on Richmond.  So really, I have no tolerance when he whines about curfew.

Snax is getting better at completing his work at school.  This week he came home with a stack of papers, and only one sheet had an incomplete.  When I ask him why he doesn’t finish he doesn’t really have an answer.  He knows how to do the work, but for whatever reason, just doesn’t finish.  Maybe he’s tired, maybe he gets bored.  Who knows, it just annoys me that he just doesn’t finish.  But like I said, he’s getting better at finishing.  The other day he came home with a spelling test.  100!!  Just like his brothers.  And I might add that we never reviewed his words.  I didn’t even know he was going to take a test.  It’s displayed on the fridge right now!

So I am doing this book study at my church.  We’re reading The Temperament God Gave You.  I have been very interested in this book for years.  And when the chance came to do a book study, I thought I had to do it.  It would force me to actually read the book and talking with other people might help me understand my own temperament more as well as those around me.  EXCEPT.  I fucking hate group book studies.  Hate them.  In fact, when testing myself over temperament, one of the questions asked about meetings and my response was: I hate them.  Because they are freaking useless. Useless.  There has not been one meeting from PTO to Bible book study that I didn’t start rolling my eyes and think how stupid this was and what a waste of my time this was and how I just wanted to shout, “okay, wtf, make a decision!”  Case in point, this past Friday, we were almost done and I had already reached my limit with these wonderful, nice, holy women, when someone brought up the fact that the Women’s Club was having their fashion show during what was supposed to be our next get together.  For the next 12 minutes we debated whether or not to cancel the meeting so people could maybe attend.  Just maybe attend.  I literally wanted to shoot myself.  Because I have no patience for that.  Nobody would actually step up and say they wanted to attend this fashion show.  I, of course, made it clear that I would not attend.

Which brings me to my point.  My temperament: hmmmm…the downside…not so nice.  To sum it up if I don’t keep myself in balance: I am judgmental with myself and others, (which I didn’t quite agree with about myself until my friend pointed out that I constantly criticize my eating and weight which yes, but isn’t that a girl thing?), am a perfectionist, my nit picking will drive others mad and I can become a cross to those around me.  I am so not kidding about the last line.  Thankfully, I keep myself in check so that I’m not a cross to those around me.  I hope.

My real point, of all the temperament combos of primary and secondary, only mine had such a negative statement regarding their temperament pitfalls.  But like I said, I so keep myself in check.

There’s been this cat hanging out in front of our place for the past few days.  It’s cute if you like cats.  Me?  It’s on my nerves.  It’s loud, it tries to come in the front door, it drives Lola crazy and it won’t go away!  Snax tried to scare it away with his dragons.  Seriously, I couldn’t love this kid more.