Thursday Evening Musings

It’s been a long week!  I don’t have anything significant to post tonight, so I offer up some of my deep thoughts.

• Why doesn’t my kitchen table expand width-wise rather than length-wise?  It makes so much more sense to have a table become more square than to have it be so long that you have to use a megaphone to carry on a conversation with the person at the other end.
• Why is it that my kids don’t believe most of what I say, but they accept nearly everything a sibling says without question?  For example, when I say, “You need to go do the dishes,” they give me a funny look, or flat out refuse, and usually end up walking the other way.  But if a sibling says the same thing, they come crying to me, saying, “Mooooom, (insert sibling’s name) said I have to do the dishes!!  It’s not my turn!  Why do I have to do the dishes?”
• It is a proven fact that if a kid pukes, 90% of the time it will be when Jared is gone.  Or he’s puking too.
• My kids – even Caleb – think that Obama is to blame for everything bad in this world.  I’m not saying he isn’t, but I’m wondering where in the world they come up with this stuff!!  Jared and I rarely talk politics, and when we do, I’m pretty sure it’s when the kids are in bed.  Ever tried to have a political conversation with 5 kids around?  OK, ever tried to have any kind of conversation with 5 kids around?  It’s sort of like running into a brick wall, over and over and over….
• Since having Daniel, I have learned all about people-first language.  (Actually, I learned about it in my grad. studies, but I won’t get into that.)  Many people in the Down syndrome community get upset if you say, “a Down’s child” or “Down syndrome kids.”  People-first language dictates that you should say, “a child with Down syndrome.”  It doesn’t really bother me.  Intentions are far more important than syntax, in my humble opinion.  I am willing to bet that, in most cases, the people who get upset about it never used people-first language before their kid with Down syndrome came along!  What does bother me is when my kid gets lumped into a group and is automatically deemed to be a certain way, just because he has Down syndrome.  More on that later.
• I am still bristling about the ticket I got Tuesday morning.  I replay the scenario in my head several times a day.  It always ends with me giving my sob-story and getting some empathy in return.  How come it didn’t turn out like that in real life?
• Who knew that there could be so many ways to design lighting in one house?!?  I spent time with the electrician this evening, and an hour on the phone with Jared going over lighting and switches and where to put what and how many of each kind of light we want.  My head is spinning!  Which reminds me: I am NEVER EVER going to build a house again.  I knew it would be a pain in the neck, but this is ridiculous!

It is 11:22, and my thoughts are quickly losing lucidity.  Have a great Friday!