Be careful what you ask for!

I've recently been in a funk. As much as my husband tries to understand, he doesn't get it. I think it's the testosterone vs. estrogen phenomenon! But here'a brief glimpse of our recent weeks...

After a completely normal, enjoyable date night without the girls, I had a meltdown. Yes, you know the one with tears that you can't even explain, but it sure feels good to let them flow. That's the kind I had. I really don't know what triggered it, but I finally decided (which may or may not have been the real source) that I was bored with life.

Now, here's where it get's crazy. I told him that our life is too perfect! Yep, that was my diagnosis at that moment.

Here's a picture of our "problem"--Chad and I don't fight. We have jobs we enjoy. Our children, friends, and family members are healthy. Our children are rather well behaved. They do well in school. We can pay our bills. Chad comes home each night. He loves our children. He helps care for our chilren. He even washes clothes.

Sounds miserable, huh? I told you it was crazy. I eventually decided that our lives are boring and predictable. Yes, "predictable" was the word I used. I told Chad that it seems like we get up, say "good morning", get ready for work, get the kids ready for school, kiss goodbye, go to work, come home, kiss, debrief, eat, get ready for the next day, kiss goodnight, go to bed, and REPEAT.

Nothing on the list is bad. I actually enjoy most of the items on the list. The lack of impulse or interruption was what I was bored with. Well, apparently when I was having this conversation, God was listening (I know, right?). He decided to add a little unpredictability to our lives. Within the month following that conversation with Chad things began to happen...and happen...and...happen!

1. Shannon..stomach virus...vomit in Chad's truck.
2. Taylor...stomach virus...vomit in Blake's diapter bag.
3. Blake...ear infection...fever and no sleep for 5 days.
4. Chad...sinus infection junk.
5. Women of Faith event with speaker of my dreams...cancelled.
6. Kennedy...flu.
7. Chad's mom...gall bladder surgery.
8. Weather...blew a piece of the fence over (remember the dead dog)
9. Chad's job...
10. Texas budget crisis...will I have a job next year?
11. Blake standing up and letting go...

So, things really aren't so boring or predictable in the Dickerson house these days. For the last 6 days we've all been healthy...maybe things will get back to "boring and predictalbe" again soon.

What was I supposed to say?

This post almost didn't make it to the live blog. I'm still not 100% sure if it's even a good idea. So, if you are offended, please tell me why and how to better go about having this conversation with my children.

Thursday afternoon on the way home from school, Kennedy, Taylor and I had the following conversation:

K: Mom, my friend's sister go run over by a Mexican!

Me: Wait, wait, wait. She got run over by whom?

K: H, got run over by a Mexican, and her mom and dad sued that Mexican and got 800 million, billion dollars from that Mexican.

Me: Kennedy, it is not polite to refer to someone as "that Mexican". Mexican refers to a person who is from Mexico. Just because a person has brown skin does not make them a Mexican.

K: Well, that's what she said.

Me: Well, I do not want to hear you refer to someone as a Mexican unless you know for sure that they are from the country Mexico. It is more polite to refer to someone as hispanic or latino.

K: Well, M is a Mexican Mutt.

Me: WHAT?

K: M is a Mexican Mutt.

Me: Is that what M said?

K: Yes, he is a Mexican Mutt because his dad is a Mexi (pause) hispanic and his mom is white.

Me: Well, if M's parents allow him to refer to himself like that, I can't do anything about it, but you may not ever refer to someone as a Mexina Mutt. That is rude. The word that you should use is biracial.

K: What?

Me: Biracial. Like your bicycle has 2 tires...biracial means 2 races. M's 2 races are hispanic and caucasian or white. Like J at school. Her mother is hispanic and her father is black. So, J is biracial.

Taylor: That's right. J is brown and her mom and dad "buyed her at the races!"

So, I'm interested in knowing how other people have had the conversation with their children. I mean, we teach our children that God made all people, and that God loves each of us the same. We also tell them that they should love all people the same. However, that teaching does not automatically make our children colorblind or answer all of their questions. Any ideas?