Bribery Isn't Always Bad

I got home late from work Friday night and just wanted to relax.  A quiet house sounded like paradise. That is pretty far fetched when you live in my house that is filled with chaos at all times.  Three kids will do that to a home.

I am proud to say I resorted to bribery.  Yes, it may not be politically correct to say such a thing, but I was desperate.  I bribed my kids to go to bed early.

I normally let the kids stay up later on the weekends, so this was going to require some heavy negotiation to get them to cheerfully agree to go to bed without putting up a fight.

I told them that if they went to bed without giving me any trouble they could have whatever they wanted for breakfast.  They weren't biting.  No deal, Mom.

I know they weren't thinking outside the box.  The thought of giving up those extra hours was not going to be done with the promise of pancakes and waffles.

So I brought out the heavy artillery - pumpkin pie.

The thought of having dessert for breakfast was enough to get the two older ones scurrying off to bed without another peep.

My little minion, who is a savvy negotiator, and the most stubborn person I know,  wanted to see what else she could get out of me.  "What if I want ice cream with my pie?"

I thought about it for a quick second and said, "Of course!"  She sized me up and decided that was good enough for her.  And off she went.

Saturday morning the kids woke up excited at the idea of having pie for breakfast.

Now, at this point I could have been a really terrible mother and not followed through on the deal.  But what message would that send to my kids?  They kept their end of the bargain, so why shouldn't I? Really, who really cares if they have dessert for breakfast every once in a while?  I would love for them to laugh years from now recalling the time Mom gave them pie for breakfast.  I'm creating happy childhood memories....

I realized that it was okay to break the rules sometimes.  A little pumpkin pie never hurt anyone.

Not only that but my son sang me a great song, "My mom is the best.  She gave us pumpkin pie for breakfast!"

And yes, the little minion looked up at me as I put the pumpkin pie in front of her, and said, "Don't forget the ice cream."

Breakfast pumpkin pie never tasted so good.

Finding the Courage to Start

I have thought about this for a long time.  I do a lot of writing.  I write a lot for work and I write for several different blogs.  Everything, while interesting in their own way, is not very interesting on a personal level.  I have found myself feeling a little empty and unfulfilled with my writing lately.  I feel like I have lost my passion for writing.  And that's pretty depressing.

Lately I have been toying with the idea of writing my own blog about all the craziness in my life, and I felt that spark again.  It's really exciting to be able to just throw it all out there and be unfiltered.  I want this blog to be a place where I can just let it all hang out and tell it like it is without any super-sweet, sticky sugar coating.
I have read too many blogs where stories told seem so unrealistic and completely opposite of my life.  I find myself wanting to jump on my desk and scream at the computer, "JUST SHUT UP!"  I don't want to read about perfect kids.....perfect spouses......how awesome your ass looks after the gym......how you have a house that is so clean the Queen of England could eat off the floor.

Guess what?  I don't have the perfect life.  My kids are messy.  My cat throws up on the couch.  My job is stressful, and my husband never remembers to take out the trash.

But it is my life.  And I am trying to find humor in it.  I hope that this blog helps my readers either realize that their lives aren't as screwed up as they thought.  Or they can take comfort in knowing someone else out there is going through the same thing.  

And to be honest this is pretty cheap therapy.

So, I hope you enjoy reading my rants and crazy adventures.  I think together we will  come to realize that no matter how insane we think things are, there is always someone crazier.

Welcome to my Dysfunctional Diaries.

~ Laurie