I'm listening....

Alright Steph.

"Ask and you shall receive."

So Stephanie and I were talking today, and I mentioned that whenever I have struggled with something the Lord was doing, I was temped to "pull a ___ "(blank left to signify a person who shall remain nameless. On second thought, let's call him "Tom".) What I meant was that "Tom" has, in the past, on occasion, decided to,.... shall we say,.... thumb his nose at God.

To be fair, the situations that "Tom" had to deal with were fairly difficult, and under the same pressure, I'm sure I would've faired much worse. However, "Tom" found some solace in washing his hands of the whole circumstance by mumbling "Screw it", or some-such-other, and effectively throwing in the towel. If only for a few hours. (Long enough to eat a burger, fries, some donuts, and wash it all down with a coke.)

Really, it was only a bluff. Just a mindgame "Tom" played on himself to relieve a little pressure. (Still, I don't have the liberty to tell God to "step off", and apparently, he did. )

So, anyhow, I have considered this option, on rare occasion, and I dubbed it "pullin' a Tom".

That got me and Steph to thinkin'.

What would be "pullin' a Bonnie"?

It would have to be something unflattering, because I think that's what the term insinuates. Also, it doesn't have to be done very often at all, but must have been done consistently in the same situation.

So, maybe... arguing a point until I'm very indignant, emotional, and loud, and then breaking into tears because I can't stand the strain that anger puts on me and the relationship.

Maybe "pullin' a Bonnie" would be having conversations with guests while simultaneously sweeping, clearing the table, and answering questions from children. (Rude! very Rude.)

Anywho, perhaps you will share a bit about the dark underbelly of your soul with all of us here at "Bonnie Life". I will not laugh at you, but I may "pull a Bonnie" and dust the keyboard while I read.

Let them eat CANDY!!

When's the last time you heard this sentence spoken:
"Please,... don't buy any more candy!"?

My mother informed me that she has, again, asked this of my father. This made me laugh out loud.

I mean c'mon. "No More Candy!"? No one says that!
People love candy! Especially my dad. Actually, he loves all things edible, but still.

I will allow that he buys it at every opportunity:

- When he "runs to Walmart".

- At the gas station.

- Goin' to see the grandkids? Let's pick up some "treats".

- On a roadtrip.

- During ANY holiday (and it's half-off the day after the holiday you know).

- Anytime you happen to be in the car going somewhere that might have candy.

Shoot. He even buys the candy at the Mexican restaurants by the cash register. Mmmmmm.

Okay. So he buys too much candy. But I'm not askin' him to stop. (I NEVER get to eat that Mexican candy, unless I'm with him, and I really like it.)

Used to, when I was in highschool/college, Kat and I would always get gas station candy for any road trip. Typical fare was gummy bears, bit-o-honey (still a fav of mine), sugar daddys, sugary bubble gum, and, for some reason, pistacios. (though I hated the pink stain on my fingers, I loved the sugar/salt combo)

I miss that. When I see Kat now, which isn't often enough, we still pick up the candy to enjoy with the kiddos.

But it's bad for us, so I don't buy it any other time. And I want it to be "a treat" for every now and then.

Like when we visit my mom and dad.

Broken and rejected

As I stepped into the wet shower last night, I discovered something that was all too familiar since having children. Broken soap.

What is it with the kids and the soap bars? They LOVE to destroy them! I mean DESTROY! Once, my now-9 year old boy, who was 7 at the time, smeared tiny, broken pieces of soap all over the shower walls. (Oddly, cleaning off the soap 2 days later, when it was all dry, proved difficult.)

My 4-year old girl often leaves her own trail of soap pieces in my bathtub, most a little too large to make it down the drain. So they congregate at the stopper, and wait for the next customer to release them and their film into the next bathfull of water.

Sometimes, when the bar develops a waistline, the children simply break it.

I've also found soap that was just dug out in the middle, or scraped with a fingernail across the length, with the cast-offs left to go to gush on the soapdish.

I remember playing with the soap as a child, and doing similar injustices to the bar. So, I guess I should ignore it. Not charge them the quarter it'll cost to replace the now useless bar. Not scrape it all back together at the next bathtime and mumble, "Try to bathe with this little fella'!" After all, they're really just having good, clean fun. (pun intended)