I know you've been wondering...

I know you've been wondering what the "hot topic" is that I hinted in my past blog. I'm sure most of my friends think that they know what it is already...but surprisingly it's not politics. Well, not entirely. Although I am passionate about politics, this blog is generally about our lives with our kids.

The "hot topic" that I am getting prepared for is talking to your kids (da da dum). A few Sundays ago, our pastor pointed out that people really don't like it when you give them advice about parenting. He is right. But since some of my friends asked me to share my experiences, it's not really unsolicited advice is it? Besides you don't have to read it, do you? ;)

Actually, it made me laugh that my friends started asking me about how to survive life with teenagers. But God has a strange sense of humor. I guess if I can learn something from my mistakes and you can learn something from my mistakes, then it all is somehow worth it. In any case, writing as I am making mistakes is a cheaper form of therapy than the one the world subscribes to. Unfortunately, Super and Tutone read this blog too...so I have to be careful not to give away all my secrets. Otherwise, Tutone will find a way to use my tactics against me.

There are two big reasons that I am changing the direction of this blog. First, many of the things that I wanted to talk about were interfering with my ability to write anything else. It was overwhelming. Second, Coach Mom has hung up her cleaning whistle. Ok, I haven't hung it up entirely. But as I pointed out in my blog on goals, I evaluate how things are working seasonally. I needed a break from being the "bad guy" all day long. I could no longer be the educator all day and then the choremaster all afternoon. It was getting to me. I needed some time with the kids where I felt like I wasn't "on them". Unfortunately, I didn't pass the whistle on to anybody else. I just stopped checking up on them. This resulted in a situation which will now require us to replace Tutone's bathroom floor. Sigh. Remember, to quote Tim Lambert, of the Texas Home School Coalition Association, "You get what you inspect, not what you expect."

So Dad will be the new inspector, so that Coach Mom can take a break. Not everyone is fortunate enough to have that opportunity. But if you do, I suggest that once in a while, you switch roles that way. Shaking up the kids that way is never a bad thing. It keeps them on their toes. The boys were hopping to keep those bathrooms clean this week. :)