Homemade definitions

Does your family have their own definitions for various words or phrases? We do -- it's only natural with a large family and our off-the-wall, sometimes dark, usually sarcastic senses of humor.

One of my favorites entered our set of family jargon about year or two ago. Unaware of what the mysterious "PMS" stood for that my oldest daughters and I often complain about, my oldest son (then 11) came up with his own unique version:

Paranormal Mood Swings

I think it fits rather well.

The only sure things...

besides death and taxes are the changes we experience throughout our lives.

Just when I get used to a certain schedule -- or lack thereof -- everything gets turned upside down and I have to readjust. Fast.

Take the new school year, for example. My oldest son (age 12) will now be taking two classes on-line via virtual classroom technology. Great for me, because I have two less things to 'worry' about; he's not so sure it's a good idea. But not only will the dynamics of our school year change dramatically, I have a feeling our relationship will, as well. For those two classes, at least, I will no longer be the main authority on the subject at hand. I will not be his teacher, mentor and guidance counselor. He'll have some stranger for that. :\

Yes, I know in my heart this is a good thing. He needs more of that outside influence as he grows older. But part of me is still reeling from the fact that one of my 'babies' won't need me 24/7. He's growing up -- an obvious occurrence since he's now an inch taller than me. :P

However, despite my moments of angst, I know he'll always be my boy. He'll always need me on some level and our special relationship will continue to grow and thrive as long as we both learn to bend with the changes and adjust to those new dynamics.

It's a lot like writing ... we learn and grow; our use of the language and storytelling grows with us if we allow it. But we have to be willing to bend. We have to be willing to stretch those creative muscles and admit when maybe, just maybe, something else might be better.

Yep, life changes are a lot like writing ... or maybe writing is a lot like life. ;)

How's it growing?

Summertime at our house means lots of things, but the primary change is that we plant a garden. Willingly? Not me. See the black thumb? Plants do NOT thrive under my 'care'. Hey, I figure I've gave birth to and raised (to some extent or other) five fairly healthy children. That deserves some credit, right?

My dh, however, is the farm boy. Literally. He grew up on one and knows quite a bit about the whole planting/harvesting process. What he still can't seem to figure out is why I do NOT want to plant vegetables that no one -- except him -- will ever eat. I love him, really, I do. But come on! They're called 'wax beans' for a reason! IE: They taste like WAX!

Anyhow, every year we go through the garden thing. He plows, tills, fertilizes, plants seeds and/or small plants, and we wait. Water. Weed. Wait some more. Repeat, ad naseum, until the whole thrill of growing our own veggies wears really thin. That time comes around August when the temps are up in the 90s; the humidity is about 70%; and the weeds are fast beating out the real plants.

Don't get me wrong -- I do enjoy growing our own food. Being able to pluck fresh tomatoes and corn right off the plant is great! And it tastes so much better than anything you can buy in the store. But it is a lot of work and I sometimes wonder (mostly on those 90+ days) if it's worth it all.

Yeah, when I think about it, I admit it is worth the work. We learn a lot from our garden. We've learned just how well zucchini can be frozen and how much the kids love zucchini bread in the fall. :) We actually have fun doing the work together, as a family. It's one of those schmaltzy bonding things we do. ;) Our kids learn the value of work and see the results in a relatively reasonable amount of time. Plus, it does save some money here and there.

Most importantly, we've learned what to grow and what not to bother with... remember those Wax Beans? Heh. Only two of plants actually grew from those seeds. *No, I didn't do a thing to them -- although I was sorely tempted.* We also learned, very early on, that 43 tomato plants is way, way too many. Even for a family of seven. :P

Not your mama's music?

Or is it?

I've been a fan of country music for a few years now, but I seem to go through cycles in my life and am beginning to branch out again. At the moment, I'm turning a bit more toward rock/pop music -- partly thanks to my wonderful teenage daughters. :)

Does it seem odd that a teen turns the parent on to new music, new bands? Maybe, but in our house, that's just the way of things. No, I don't try to act like a teenager, although I think it comes naturally at times. ;) But I've always had very eclectic taste in music.

My oldest daughters and I like the many of the same things -- music, movies, television shows. We connect over clothes, stories, you name it! They are my best friends as well as my daughters.

So who have I 'discovered' thanks to my girls? Evanescence... Daughtery... Nickelback... the list goes on. But it works both ways -- they like some of my favorites including Keith Urban and an old-time favorite, Journey, to name a few.

Music is very important in our family. My dh and I have both sung to and with our children since they were babies. Our family even has two special songs just for the dog. :) But it's always been that way for me --- music expresses my moods, stirs my memories, and inspires my muse. Most of my stories and books have 'soundtracks', and I know quite a few authors who are the same way. I think it all has to do with that creative side of our brains... music etches itself on our minds and in our souls.

Next time you hear a song you like, don't dismiss it as something your mom wouldn't care for. Sure, you know her better than I do, but sometimes it's nice to share... you just might be surprised. ;)