With Friends LIke These ...

My husband was talking to our neighbours this weekend and they asked when our kids were finished school. When Rob told them it was only a week to go, Bill punched his fist in the air and exclaimed "Let the swearing begin.!"  This is the same neighbour, who has been known to grab a beer, pull up a chair and listen to me "discipline" my children. He is a firefighter, and has told me many times that my spectacular strings of curses would put the fire-hall to shame. I'm not really sure that is a compliment, or even something to brag about, but let's face it I don't have much to be proud of - I can't imagine anyone wants to hear about my superior laundry skills - so I'll take it where I can get it.

Meanwhile my soon to be ex-friend Tracy was also communicating with my husband this weekend. I think I am really going to have to start keeping a closer eye on him. She mentioned how much she was looking forward to the summer holidays, because as she put it, something along the lines of "I can't wait to read Kelly's blogs, the kids are going to drive her crazy".  Thanks a bunch Tracy.

Friends and neighbours are not the only people having fun at my expense, now on to my family, in particular my son, although in this example, it was his father getting it in spades. When discussing what we could get Rob for Father's Day, Grady's great idea was a shower chair, "You know mum, the type that old people use".  I always know when that boy has been watching the Shopping Channel. His last big phase was the "Sham Wows". His only saving grace is that he didn't suggest it for Mother's Day. The sad thing is he was actually serious, and was quite disappointed when I came home without one.

However, never let it be said that I don't give as good as I get. When Grady home from camp a few weeks ago, he had some mosquito bites on his ankle. Being the resident drama queen, he grizzled and whined about them for several days. Finally I'd had enough and told him to show me. It didn't look good, the "bites" had spread from his ankle to the top of his foot, and I don't think mosquito bites are supposed to do that.  When Rob got home he took a look and promptly diagnosed Poison Ivy. I wasn't so sure and I told Grady it was his "badness" coming out. He didn't believe me but Sid did, and now she is worried that her badness will leak out as well. I am such a terrible mother.