Category Archives: random

Yay Me!

I’m doing the happy dance right now because I have finally switched my blog over to my own domain and changed the theme. All by myself! Technically challenged me!

Confession

I’ve become addicted to Facebook, and that’s where I’ve been spending my time.  My blog has suffered long enough. 

Does this count as a post?

Calling all parents

There’s a war going on in my house.  A war over a video game.  A video game that should not be on the market in the first place!  I’m tired of this argument, and I’m worn out from the length of it, but I will NOT change my mind. 

My 10 year old son wants Grand Theft Auto, because all of his friends have it.  (Not really all, I’ve talked to some moms!)  I’m sure that a few of them do have it, or their older siblings have it and they’ve played it.  But if everyone jumped off a bridge…..well, ya know what I mean!

When he first brought up the subject, I immediately had no in my head.  I’ve heard all the stories, but told him that dad and I would check it out and give him an answer.  Honestly, I was just going to tell Brian he wanted it, and then tell Zach no.  Well, Zach bugged us continually.  He wanted the game that night.  (Instant Gratification world!)  Brian said he really didn’t think it would be worse than watching TV, so he didn’t oppose, but my argument was that we have control over what we allow into this house.  If we bring it in, then we are endorsing it, and everything in it.  So Zach comes in again as I’m cooking dinner, and I tell him no because it’s an inappropriate game.  Zach goes ballistic with a huge ugly temper tantrum, which just shows him maturity level!  At that point Brian steps in and says that we’ve decided and that’s the end of it. 

It was the end of it until the next day when Zach comes home from school saying one particular game used to be rated T and they changed it to M for no reason.  He had many arguments for me, so I finally said I would talk to the people at GameStop and see what they said.  Now I was hoping to get someone honest, who truly cared about the youth of the world, but I was a little nervous that I wouldn’t.  After a few more days of bugging, we went to gamestop.  I asked the clerk, a very nice young man, and he told me he wouldn’t recommend the game to anyone.  He went on to say that they should be rated adults only, as they have prostitutes and lots of sex in them.  Once again, Zach was mad at me, because I don’t think he’s mature enough.  I told him that it has nothing to do with his age, because I don’t think a 50 year old should have the game!  I don’t think the game should be on the market.  It’s a video game, marketed to kids, with content listed as blood and gore, intense violence, strong language, nudity, strong sexual content, and use of drugs and alcohol.  WHY? 

I found two very good websites to help with the ratings decision. ESRB was an easy to navigate site, and Common Sense Media was written for parents.  I actually found this next info on common sense media. 

  • Your kid has access: 87% of boys under 17 have played an M-rated video game, and only 1% say their parents have ever stopped them from playing one. A recent investigation found that children as young as 9 were able to purchase M-rated games containing violent and sexually explicit content in nearly five out of 10 attempts. And games are everywhere: Video games are now present in 83% of homes with children. Eight- to 10-year-olds play an average of 65 minutes a day. Most games are violent; 94% of T-rated games contain violence. I was telling a friend about this encounter, and she said her son wanted the game too.  She also went to a store and asked if the game was appropriate, and was told that there’s a very easy way to pick up a girl, rape her in the back seat, beat her up and kill her graphically, and receive bonus points for doing it.  I am so appalled by this! 
  • We need to be informed about what is marketed to our kids.  M means Mature, and I don’t think 17 is mature enough for this game.  It’s marketed by Rock Star Games, and I’m going to be contacting them with my thoughts.  I urge you to be aware of what you allow to come into your home, and influence your kids.  It’s so easy to just say yes because you’re too busy. 

    • I must confess…

     I had a birthday this month, and I am now officially old.  I feel it, and I have the grey hair to prove it.  36 is the big one for me!  ( I really don’t think I should have grey hair, but I do!) 

    The day went well for me though.  Matthew made it seem like a national holiday.  I am just thankful that God has blessed me with another birthday!

    Uh Oh

    Our neighbor publicly denounces us in the newspaper for allowing the sewers to come across our property instead of his.  My response, GET OVER IT!

    A rant

    There’s something I have to get off my chest!  I’ve been fighting this impacted wisdom tooth for a week now.  A WEEK!  I’ve been back and forth, and yesterday I had an I-Cat scan which shows a 3D view of my teeth and the nerve that runs along the lower jaw.  The whole process of situating me in the chair took longer than the scan.  Really, the scan was 20 seconds.  I then had to wait for forty minutes to get a copy on a CD so I could take it to the oral surgeon today.  When the disc was ready they brought it out to me, and the girl said she had billed insurance, and my part was $350.00.  $350!!!!!  For 20 seconds!!! What?! 

    OK, that’s not my rant.  It is one, but I have lots because I’ve been in pain, for a week, and I literally felt like I was going to go crazy.  I’ve been a witch at times, because it hurts, and I’m a mom…so I can’t just lay down and do nothing.  I’m a mom and I have things to do, kids to take care of.  It doesn’t all stop just because I hurt!  So, I had an appointment at 2:15 today at the oral surgeons, to go over the Cat scan.  I was fully prepared to beg him to cut it out today.  I can’t wait!  It’s been a week.  All weekend I thought, ok, Monday.  It’ll be over Monday.  Then yesterday it hit me that , Tuesday, maybe it would all be over.  One more day. 

    Brian was supposed to come home from work, then we were gonna take Matthew to grandma’s.  About 15 minutes before I was supposed to leave, I called Brian because I hadn’t heard from him.  He told me in a tense voice that he wasn’t able to leave, so I’d have to go by myself.  Apparently one of his crybaby employees had said something about Brian leaving work for me because he’d seen me taking Brooke to school, so apparently I wasn’t too bad off.  Hhmmm…deep breath….  OK, again, I am a mom, and I can’t just not take care of my kids or send them to school!!!  So I got Matthew and we set off to grandma’s house.  I was just so upset, in order to cut my tooth out, I need someone with me to drive me home.  Now this wasn’t going to happen today either.  I decided to call this employee and give him a piece of my mind.  When he got on the phone, I proceeded to rant about how it was none of his business if I wanted to sit up awake in the chair all night because I was in pain, and then take my child to school, nor was it any of his business if Brian wanted to take me.  I informed him that Brian was his boss, and he shouldn’t have to be there to hold his hand every second.  I also told him that I had been in pain for a week, and if the surgeon couldn’t remove my tooth today because Brian wasn’t there, I would be over there to kick his a**.  I said a few more things and then hung up on him.  By this time my mother in law was standing there in shock.  She quickly changed her clothes and said she was coming with me, and if they could do the extraction, she would stay. 

    I was so mad that I was shaking.  My tooth/jaw was hurting from yelling and clenching my teeth, and I felt bad for losing it like I did.  I also felt a little bit good because he deserved to hear it, and I had every right in saying what I said, just minus the expletives that came out.  That I could’ve handled better! 

    We went to the oral surgeon’s office, my mother in law left me to go pick up Brooke from school, and then she would be back.  As I sat in the waiting room, it hit me that I might have made it more difficult for Brian.  Then I felt guilty.  I texted him that I was sorry, and he called me back.  He had no idea what had happened, so the other guy had said nothing.  I told him what I’d done, and that I was sorry. 

    I was called back, and the oral surgeon told me that he couldn’t open the disc to view the cat scan, but he actually was going to a conference about the Cat scans tonight.  He was going to take the disc with him, but they scheduled me for 11:00am tomorrow to have both of the lower wisdom teeth extracted.  He’s going to call me tonight and let me know what the plan is, either take the entire tooth, or just the crown if the root is in or too close to the nerve that it might cause damage to the nerve.  He gave me more Penicillin and a stronger pain pill too. 

    I took my mother in law home and had a half hour before Zach was due home from school, so I ran over to the shop to confront this guy who had ruined my day.  Yeah, I went P-O-S-T-A-L on the phone to him already, but I’m still mad.  Did I mention that I’ve been in pain for a week, and I had one last nerve left and he got on it?  Anyway, he wasn’t there, so I came home and picked Zach up, then we had forty minutes until Brooke had an orthodontist appointment.  So I went back.  Brian told me he was gone again, and asked me to drop it.  I know he’s right, but my stubborn self has to have the last word, which technically I did since I hung up on him, but still!  This is why I’m ranting here.  It’s a mom blog, and when you attack me for being a mom and taking my kid to school even when I’m not feeling 100%, I need to rant. 

    Here’s the good part.  Brooke hears me apologize to my mother in law for my behavior, and I ask her to wait in the car while I went into the shop, so she asks me where Jesus is in all of this.  Huh!  My 12 year old is putting me in my place.  So I said… Jesus was right there beside me, shaking his head in disappointment.  That’s why I spent my time in the waiting room praying, confessing, and asking for forgiveness.  So then why did I continue to go seek this person out so I could go off more?  Satan.  I am human, and I make mistakes.  I wear my heart on my sleeve, and I often get my feelings hurt.  I make mistakes, and those mistakes are in full view of my kids, and they see that.  I see that now.  Which is why I had a talk with them and explained that my behavior was wrong.  I should have listened to that voice in my head, (the Holy Spirit), telling me to shut up.  It would have saved a lot of stress and heartache.  I am so thankful that God is omnipotent, and loving.  He’s also quick to forgive when I ask.  So I asked, and I feel better.  I feel better knowing that I am forgiven.  I also feel better because the oral surgeon called me and said that he can take the entire tooth on the right, and will have to take just the crown part of the left tooth and leave the roots.  Tomorrow I will have a different kind of pain, but it will be over in a few days.