By Diana's blog | July 18, 2010 at 02:59 PM EDT | No Comments
I am definately considering it a bad sign that not one, but two of my psychiatrist reading fans have contacted me and urged me into counseling. The fact is I would love to go into counseling, but who has time? Also, I consider it too self indulgent. I can't help feeling that the poor therapist looking at me must be thinking "milk, eggs, cheese, bread" composing their shopping list in their head. It feels kind of narcissistic to think that I have the right to complain to someone for an hour.
Anyway, I already have no time to do what needs to get done. I only recently got my hair cut because my teenage daughter threatned to make me wear a burka unless I did some major self grooming. I admit, it does feel good not to get confused with Kenny G anymore.
I also recently agreed to write another article for our local magazine. This time its about kids and money. My kids know plenty about money - don't answer the phone when any creditors call or when the caller ID has a university telephone number. They are just asking for money. Also, I am relatively cheap and they know that if they complain about eating Walmart brand food, I will take it away. If I could find out where to get government cheese, I would get some. It would be fondue night every tuesday at my house.
Although my sibs and I relentlessly made fun of our parents for not using heat or air conditioning, I now see the value in that. In Texas, I have to use AC because I did an analysis of the out of pocket maximum I would have to pay for heat exhaustion with my health insurance and the extra electric cost, but I keep slightly uncomfortable. I am hoping to lull the kids to sleep at all times.
Also, if a towel from another child comes home in the backpack, I assume it's a gift from another parent. Hotel shampoo is to be used before I open a new bottle of Suave (what a dumb name) and no one goes home from the dentist without some oral healthcare swag.
I gave up HBO because it wasn't worth it to me since I can stream shows on Netflix and all pay-per-season subscriptions should be watched in bars, as they were intended to be. I do get looks when we travel and our family of six crams into one hotel room, but I can't let my kids stay alone in a hotel room or I will have to pay for damages. Of course, I try to stay in hotels with a free breakfast.
I do have some standards. I never drink wine where the bottle costs less than $4 or buy any discounted meats. I spend a lot on my children's education in the hope I won't be supporting them later in life.