The other night we rented Yes Man.  It was a Jim Carey movie that came out in 2008.  The premise of the movie is that Jim Carey is a mid-level bank executive, going no where fast.  His wife left him for undisclosed reasons (or if they disclosed them, I’ve forgotten what it was).  He has stopped answering his phone or going out with his friends.  He meets a friend, who talks him into going to a meeting run by the Yes Guru.  At this meeting he’s convenienced that he needs to say yes to anything that’s offered him.  The movie follows the chaos that takes over, and the good things that happen, to him because he said yes to something or someone.  I’m not a Jim Carey fan, and didn’t have high hopes for this movie, but it was marginally kid friendly, and we have exhausted Red Box’s inventory of kid friendly movies.

It has caused me to thinking about how much I say “no.”

Over the last five or six years, with the BoyChild’s behaviors being unpredictable, and the GirlChild being so awful, we have said “no” to things much more than we’ve said “yes.”  It was hard to plan anything because we never knew how one or both the kids would be.  We got into the habit of saying “no” far more than we said “yes.”  While it was happening, I don’t think we were very aware of it.  It just.  Happened.  We would get invited to things.  We’d say no, or worse yet, say yes and then have to call and cancel.  Or even worse we’d go and have to leave.

I think we’ve gotten into the habit of saying “no.”  I know I have but it feels like it’s become our automatic answer anymore.  It feels more comfortable than saying yes.  It’s not good.

I’ve decided I’m going to say “yes” more.

I started tonight.  I went to the meet and greet for my 30 year class reunion.  No one was asking me to, but I knew it was going on tonight.  I’d not signed up because last Spring when they were planning it, things were in such chaos, so I said “no.”   I decided I didn’t have any reason not to go.  I went.  It was good.

I’m going to make an effort to say “yes” more.

It has been brain melting, mind numbing hot.

That is all.

Does anyone besides me think Fantastic Mr. Fox was kind of creepy?

For the Fourth of July we went to visit David’s family.

It was a lovely weekend.

Everyone there is so NICE.

Saturday we went up for a wedding.   It was a little different; the women were in traditional wedding garb and the men wore white oxford cloth shirts and ties and they all had their shirts untucked.  The bride was beautiful and her sister the bride’s maid was drop dead gorgeous.   I don’t remember her being that beautiful at her wedding.

We left the reception and went to a Cousin’s house.  Lots and lots of fireworks were lit.  My son was in heaven.

Sunday we went sailing on a Cousin’s sailboat.  I guess we didn’t actually sail because it was so windy but we motored in the sailboat.  It was relaxing and fun.  They let the BoyChild pilot the boat.  That was one of his requests.

Then we went to a different cousin’s house for a fish fry and more fireworks.

The BoyChild stayed up late every night.  And he did fine.  He had a small melt-down about 10:30 on Monday night but it was minor and he was whipped.

It was such a lovely weekend.  And I can’t get over how nice people are.

Saturday the BoyChild turned eight.

Eight.Years.Old.

I am still trying to wrap my mind around that.

I’m not sure how, or when we went from this cute, sweet, chubby faced baby:

To this

Skinny ManChild.  He is handsome or good looking now, instead of cute.  I see in him the man he will become.  The long limbs.  The cow-lick.  The strong square jaw.  He is is a thinker and very introspective.  I could see him being an inventor.  Spending time alone, working on a problem.  Trying to make the world a better place.  He is very focused.  He is very thoughtful, kind and considerate.   He’s affectionate in his own way; not effusive but a gentle, thoughtful affection.

Happy Birthday, BoyChild!

This weekend is the BoyChild’s 8th Birthday.  Frankly I’m having a tough time wrapping my mind around that.  Eight.  Years.  Old.

Anyway.

We’re taking him to Six Flags over Texas for his birthday.  We drove down tonight.  I checked into the hotel.  I Walked back to my car.  My phone sent me a message.  My credit card company had detected some possible fraudulent activity on my account and wanted me to call to verify I’d authorized the charges.   Wow!  That would have been a quick catch if that was a fraudulent charge.

Earlier this week the husband was doing research on the internets about GPS systems for our car.    One of the store where he was searching, sent him a coupon for $20 off any GPS system they had.

THAT kind of spooked me.  I suppose it is possible that they just randomly sent out coupons for money off a GPS but that seems like too much of a coincidence to me.

So technology can be scary and sometimes it is pretty cool.

When companies, that have me under a barrel, ask as if I had a choice, “is that o.k. with you?”

I have had the unfortunate experience of returning two relatively (at least for me) high ticket items for service to the manufacturer.

Both of these items have been less than three months old.  I’ve called the 1-800 numbers and talked to the person who answers and is obviously reading some kind of script.

On both occasions they have asked in very earnest voices, “Is that o.k. with you?”  I get it.  This is how the repair system works.  I have to send it off to someplace for people to look at it who will then decide whether to send me a new one or repair the one I’ve got.  I get that.  But I *HATE* it that the manufacturers seem intent on acting as if I had a choice.

Last weekend we went to the Needlearts Market in Columbus, Ohio.

A new business opportunity has presented itself to us which will involve Needlearts Markets and never having been to one, we thought we should go see one before going as a participant.

We took the BoyChild with us.  We flew from here to Baltimore and Baltimore to Columbus going out.  We flew from Columbus to St. Louis and St. Louis here coming home.

I approached this with a little trepidation.  I wasn’t sure how the BoyChild would deal with airports, airplanes, the resulting crowds, noise and unavoidable delays.

Let me state for the record, the BoyChild is the best traveling companion I have ever had.  Bar none.  He was cooperative.  He did not whine or complain.  When a delay occurred, he took it in stride-usually while trying to find us a good place to sit with convenient electrical outlets.  He was game to go anywhere and do anything.  He stayed up late and got up early.  When we went to the James Thurber House, he was disappointed when they were closed but pointed out to us that we could always come back the next day despite not having a clue who James Thurber was.   In short he was a pleasure to travel with.

There were no melt-downs.   There haven’t been any major melt-downs in more than six months.  Even the small ones have gradually disappeared.  He’s become cooperative in a way he’s never been before.  He gets along in school and has been doing well in summer camp.  He’s happy and, dare I say it, easy going.

Things with the GirlChild have not worked out as I had hoped.  And while that situation breaks my heart,  the BoyChild has blossomed in way that a year ago I could have only hoped for.

Awhile ago I volunteered to test AT&T’s Family Map.   I don’t really remember when but it’s been at least a year ago.

I did as instructed.

I signed up for the free trial.

I set up where and when  the BoyChild were suppose to be somewhere.

I had the BoyChild carry the phone with him as he and his Daddy ran around town.

I used it for a couple of weeks.

I wrote my review (as an aside, it is a nice feature and when the BoyChild is older, I could see how it would be very helpful).

I unsubscribed from the service.

I am STILL getting text messages and e-mails from AT&T about whether they can locate the BoyChild’s phone.

It annoys me a little every time I get one.