Sunday, Aug 1, 2010

The Sunday Salon: Big Girl Training

Much to the surprise of others, my much-beloved 3-year old Basset Hound, Claire, is really quite the “bad” dog. Why? She still acts like a pup because we haven’t taken the time to train her like a big girl. Tori, her older sister, is very well trained and extremely well mannered in the house. Why? Because we took the time to train her. For the last month, we’ve been training Claire how to behave off-leash inside the house. Other than a once-a-day cat chase, 2 attempted trash-bin break-ins, and a once-a-night attempt to sleep on the back-room couch, she’s actually doing quite well. She is a people dog and likes to follow one of us around at all times. We just haven’t trusted the girl enough because of her immediate Indy-500 Lap that she does around the house (3 times to be exact) once we let her in <picture cats jumping up onto furniture in every direction>. But, once the Indy-500 Independence Lap is done, and the 3 aforementioned bad habits, she’s rather good. So… we decided to keep her off leash and continue to train her.
 

This leads me to the twins. Why is there no “Big Girl Training Guide” for them? It appears to be trial by fire for one of my girls and the other… well, just a limit pusher with me. No, they don’t do laps around the house, but they certainly don’t seem to naturally adapt to big-girl ways. So… is it boot camp, soft love, or a mix of both? For a long time, I blamed myself for not being a good enough mother to them, much like I would blame a poorly behaved dog’s owner. However, I can’t seem to help my circumstances of being a single mom who HAS TO work to support them. Oh, if only there was such thing as a professional stay-at-home blogger that made enough money to support my household. And, perhaps there are those lucky chosen ones. However, after two years, my blog doesn’t have the type of traffic to bring in the advertisers who would support writing as a full-time career. I must work outside the home. I have to trust my girls to make the right decisions. But, they need that guidance and training to make better decisions and to act like ladies <as opposed to mindless, hormone-crazed goofballs>. Lastly, I must tell you that if I hear any of the following words out of their mouths again in the next 12 months, a soaking wet NERF ball will meet with their body:
 

“Whatever!”
 

“Yeah-Yeah-Yeah!”
 

“Make Me!”
 

“It’s her fault!”
 

“I don’t care what you say, I’m going anyway.”
 

“Brat!” <one saying about the other>
 

My big girl training is much more complex. I don’t do a very good job taking care of myself. Everything and everyone else seems to come first. I don’t eat well, do not exercise well, and am not very nice to myself on most days. I DO the Indy-500 laps, commenting about how filthy the house is and cleaning it up the entire time. I grumble and resent my financial situation often, instead of being thankful for the fact that I am employed. I don’t exercise enough although I TOTALLY need to. The fat around my middle is expanding at an exponential rate. I finally quit smoking, but now find that I am sneaking them when I am stressed <and, I dream of a martini to accompany it>. I haven’t dated in 4 years and I did try eHarmony.com and Chemistry.com. No takers. Big Girl Training is complex with me because I know what to do, but am often unwilling to do it. That’s why it’s complex. I believe that I need to focus on all the things I learned and start doing them and not thinking about doing them.
 

Overall, Big Girl Training is always something that never goes out of style…. Whether it be “Big Girl Panties,” “Big Girl Shoes,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” or “Now, be a Big Girl,” we all need to read the guide and get the training.
 

I only have one question.
 

Why don’t boys have to?
 

Books I Read This Week
 

Muffins & Mayhem: Recipes for a Happy & Disorderly Life
 

Author: Suzanne Beecher
 

Website: www.DearReader.com
 

Pages: 256 Hardcover
 

Publisher: Touchstone/Simon & Schuster
 

Type: Memoir with Recipes
 

Publish Date: June 1, 2010
 

Publisher’s Summary:
 

“Suzanne Beecher’s happy, loving voice has brought more than 350,000 people to her online book club at DearReader.com, where her daily column offers her candid, thought-provoking reflections on life, inspiring countless readers to look at their “ordinary” lives in a new way. By turns funny and poignant, Suzanne is the reassuring friend across the kitchen table with a refreshing, jaunty attitude about life, even in the face of whatever difficulties it may bring.
 

Suzanne has had her own share of troubles to overcome. Left home alone at an early age, she struggled with difficult and distant parents, dealt with heartbreak, became a hard-working single mom, and overcame two substance addictions and a physical impairment. But along the way, she found comfort in baking and sharing food with her friends and family. She learned to take the good with the bad, and her life is now inspiring proof that faith and persistence are the keys to success.”
 

ANM’s Thoughts:
 

There were some parts of this book that I enjoyed more than others. I can say the same thing for the recipes that I encountered along the way. Some sounded delicious and some I entirely skipped over. It’s true to say that she did encounter obstacles in finding happiness. She was one of the lucky ones who married a man who absolutely adores and cherishes her. Suzanne gets that “happily ever after” story for this lifetime and she deserves it.
 

I enjoyed her quirky, fun voice in telling her tale. I felt for her when she shared about some of her parental issues. Overall, where I started to lose my connection with the author was about ¾ of the way through the book. It seemed that the story seemed to jump around a bit for me a while before that and during this time. That’s not to say that I didn’t enjoy it, it’s just to mention that she lost my attention.
 

She’s a delightful gal… give the book a shot. It just might be the one for you.
 

Books I Am Currently Reading
 

Current Book Giveaway
  

Broken: A Love Story by Lisa Jones
 

Three copies are up for grabs! See this post for more information! Rated 9.5 by ANM!
 

TV Mania
 

This has got to be the worst season of The Bachelorette EVER! Yet, I’m dying to see who she picked… if either of them. You’ve got to hand it to the producers; they’ve actually done a decent job of keeping blogging sources quiet on this one.
 

Does anybody have any favorites on America’s Got Talent so far? 

The Rest
 

Next week, I’m working and then have soccer coach camp. So… I will not be writing my typical Sunday Salon post and most likely will be missing my weekly book review. Thanks for stopping by today. I’ve been lurking about the blogosphere reading your blogs on my lunch hour at work, but haven’t been leaving messages. Your blogs are looking great and it’s great to hear about what you’re up to. Alyce: I love the pics of the boys! Kathy: Your trip pics were cool. Anyway, stay “cool” in this heat and have a great week!
 

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