Tag Archives: mistake

Perfectly imperfect

By Stasha | Published May 25, 2011

Once you accept the fact that you’re not perfect, then you develop some confidence.

~Rosalynn Carter~

 

Few days ago we had a perfect day at the beach. Took some perfect pictures. Came home. Downloaded them. Sat down to enjoy them. Only to realize a drop from the ocean landed on my lens and was a feature on each and every photo I took. It makes a pebble look like a cloud. My son look like he has a smudge. Dogs look like they had a leg erased. It is so me.

I have long stopped worrying about my shortcomings. There are many and they seem to multiply with years. They make me quirky and cute to those who love me and terribly annoying to those who don’t. Sure there are times I wish to be perfect. When I meet my husband’s friends for the first time. When I ride. When I discipline my son. When I write comments on Marinka’s blog. But it is never going to happen. And if it did, my husband would look less perfect himself, my horse would be bored, my son would have no one to blame for his imperfections one day. And Marinka, well for that I have no excuse, there is such thing as spell check and nobody is preventing me from using it.

Tomorrow I will share with you our day at the beach. You will see the water splash on the pictures. You will know it is my fault. Take it as my signature. Love them for their content. For their subjects. For the story they tell. For the life that is ours. Perfected by mistakes.

 

 

 

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Two lollipops, ten bushes and a tree

By Stasha | Published April 13, 2011

Spring has been gracing us with lovely weather and I decided to tackle the back yard. Treat myself to some new bushes and trees.

Since Tuesday is a Preschool day I had three hours to groom and ride Vizon, gossip at the barn and visit the local nursery. I was running on schedule. After quickly looking around the nursery I wanted to ask for some guidance. Then the worst happened. There was somebody else that wanted to talk shrubs and I was in the queue. When it was finally my turn we got to talking and were making progress, coming up with grand ideas and putting pots aside. I looked at my watch. Rude as it may have been, I had to stop mid sentence and leave. Quickly drove across town, picked up Little J, drove back and did the second worst thing. Returned to buy the bushes with him.

Let’s get one thing straight. My kid is lovely. He says please and thank you, is charming and has great social skills. But he is a talker. That’s why I avoid having long adult conversations with him in tow. He joins in and takes over. Lucky for us, the lady at the nursery offered him a blue lollipop. He was busy sucking on it, which gave me ten minutes to choose. In the process I did these unthinkable mistakes:

Let the gardener choose for me.

Never looked at any of the prices.

Never attempted to bargain.

Picked up the lollipop off the floor and gave it back to Little J after he dropped it.

Let Little J rescue worms and put them back in flower pots.

Approved a second lollipop so I could pay, get the dog out of the minivan, help load the minivan, return the dog to the vehicle.

Along the way I also ignored Big M drinking from the water feature on display, sniffing perennials and slobbering on the man loading pots in my van.

Left the tree there to be picked up tomorrow. Hopefully I will remember.

And that’s why I shop online, in the middle of the night. Not because my son is awful in public, not because he bothers me to buy things for him. But because he takes all my attention and I can never commit to the task at hand. And because lollipops are bad for his teeth.

 

 

Posted in The good life, The Not so good life | Also tagged , , 4 Comments

Sugar Honey Iced Tea

By Stasha | Published March 29, 2011

Today was the day. The one every parent dreads.

I knew it was inevitable. My friends have warned me about it, told me their horrific experiences. I laughed, because when it happens to others it makes a great story. Not so funny now that I am the main character. More like an intense drama that will keep me awake.

Due to spring break no Preschool today. I asked a friend at the farm if Little J can play with her son while I ride. We were about to leave the house, I was making lattes for everyone and in the middle of running around something must have happened that made me say shit. I honestly am not famous for using profanities. Little J is not famous for listening to me, ever. So what are the odds of him looking up immediately, adopting the new word and coming up with his own version:”Oh Man, Oh Shit”

As it happens very high. For the next few minutes he was repeating it like he just mastered the word otorhinolaryngologist. I read somewhere you have to ignore it. The more you make a big deal about it, the more interesting it is. I tried. I was also busy cleaning whatever caused me to so drastically express my displeasure of the situation. But he kept entertaining himself by coming up with elaborate ways of using his new word.

That coupled with the fact my son was about to spend a few hours with his buddy made me act irrational. I could just see Little J teaching Little T how his mom talks, who in return will tell his mom, all of my friends at the farm, horses and goats too. Pretty soon I will forever be known in the Pacific Northwest as the mommy who made the word shit popular again.

I got down on my knees, looked my son deep into his eyes and admitted to making a mistake. Strike one: mommy is human. Then I told him he is never to say the word again, please. Strike two: mommy is begging me to not do something she does. Then I asked him to make me a promise. Strike three: mommy owes me one, big time.

We left, boys had a wonderful time and the childminder never said anything about my kid being rude. We spend the rest of the day together having a great time. I even forgot all about it. Then as we were getting ready for a bath I tried taking Little J’s sweater off and must not have unzipped it fully. From under the cute Norwegian pattern came a little voice saying “shit Mama, that hurt me”.

So close…

Now if you will excuse me I shall go and punish my self the old fashion way. By rinsing my mouth out with soap.

 

the robot mommy

 

 

Posted in The Not so good life | Also tagged , , , 4 Comments

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