Finish the list, already!!

SUPER TEACHER TO THE RESCUE!!

ok, ok...I had three more things to go...

6. I absolutely hate it when an adult has a speech impediment. I taught special ed for three years and had lots of patience with those KIDS who had a disability and could not correct their speech problems because of cognitive issues, but an highly functioning ADULT with a speech impediment just makes me cringe. I can't look at them and often will go out of the room or plug my ears or just shake my head in disgust when I hear them on tv. An adult should have had intervention as a child. They should have had plenty of time to fix it!! I'm sure I'm being close-minded and there are certain situations where it couldn't have been fixed, but for the other 99% of the population of adults who have speech problems - don't expect sensitivity from me!! Isn't that horrible?? I just secretly am so irritated, I can't stand it. And for that one personal acquaintance out there who is a living example of speech therapy success (you know who you are J.A.N.E.), you are what I'm talking about. It can be fixed!! SO FIX IT, people! Of course, having judged and said this outloud many times in my life, I now have a child with speech problems. I know it's developmental and he is still young and learning, but he can NOT grow out of it fast enough! I already have the speech book in hand ready to offer therapy when he's ready!!

7. I have somewhat of a temper. Not sure where I get it from (thanks, dad) but it is sometimes irrational, reactive and regrettable. I became acquainted with it in my 1st grade classroom, when competent, intelligent little children would test my patience with irresponsible, manipulative and overly needy, whiney things. I never got upset at them (out loud) but I realized how often I was complaining in my head and having to leave the room to go "get something" just to have a break from them to take some deep breaths. Fast forward to me with an overly needy, whiney three year old (what three year old isn't?) and suddenly I have sprouted horns. I have developed my own de-escalating key words, though, that help me to realize what I'm doing/saying/thinking in the heat of the moment and it often comes out in the form of the word SWEETIE, or SWEETHEART, as in, "What is WRONG WITH YOU... Sweetie??!???!!!" or "DON'T WAKE THE BABY, sweetheart!!!!!!" I am often in the corner for a time-out and teach Cam how to calm down by breathing in through his nose and out through his mouth, although I really taught it to him to remind ME to calm down and think rationally and teacher-like (for some reason, all of my education is thrown out the window when its my own child). I do not want to repeat a cycle so I really am doing my best to be a calm, rational, awesome, fun mommy, although I do have my less-than-perfect-princess days here and there.

8. I often don't finish things. Not because I don't want to or I try to avoid them, I just honestly forget. I am so busy doing 10 things at once, that I go from starting a chore to working on an activity to fulfilling multiple obligations to indulging in my hobbies and then later back to remembering that I didn't finish the chore. Then when I finish the chore, I go to start something else and realize I forgot to clean up the activity, I have more obligations to fulfill and need/want to go back to my hobby. It's a vicious cycle that I just don't have the memory power for. Call it lack of sleep, lack of exercise or some genetic malfunction, but my memory has never been strong or long. (Sigh)


At least, two weeks later, I have finished this post! Hooray!! (I also like to triumph in minor victories and will often write things down just to check off that I did them. "8 Obscure Things Post" - check!! Any feeling of success helps!)

(8b. I am a compulsive editor...text messages, emails, letters, anything written...I read and read and reread and double check and fix grammar and check my spelling and rewrite and read again and edit, over and over. I have edited this post 14 times...make that 15.)