We're So Mean

...but it's for your own good. :-)

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Mission Accomplished

I started this blog on the inspiration of a similarly named blog, whose posts revolved around the sleep challenges of my niece.

My posts centered around situations where my teenaged children were heard to say "You've ruined my life", "I never get to do anything", and similar phrases.

In 2007, at the end of summer, when her older brother went off to college, my oldest daughter moved out of state to live with her mother. She did very well in school that year and even better this year (so I've heard). About six months ago she called me to inform me that she would not be calling or taking our calls until she decided that she would. She went on to say that her mother suggested that she be the bigger person, but that, as is her right as a teenager, she was choosing to be immature about the situation.

The situation was around her claim that someone (her principal, or her mother, or a combination) had told her that she could get her Associates Degree from a local community college at the same time as her High School Diploma. She would take college classes, along with her normal High School class load and that in two years she would have both graduated from High School, and received her Associates Degree from a local college.

This sounded too good to be true to my wife and me. She and I called various persons at her High School and her community college and learned that it was possible if her High School classes qualified for college credit (which they do not), and she was taking the maximum number of college classes available (which she didn't have enough hours in the day), and she had started sooner. So during a phone call after getting the facts together, I tried walking her through the numbers regarding the requirements needed to complete an Associates Degree from that local college. I was not questioning her ability to do it, I was only trying to get her to understand that she did not have enough time to get the required number of credits needed for an Associates Degree by the time she graduated High School. I did point out the fact that what she had completed to date was a remarkable achievement, and that if she continued the pace she would greatly shorten the time needed for completing her Associates Degree, but to complete the requirements for her Associates Degree during High School, even doing everything possible, was just not feasible. I also tried to explain that I was not telling her this to dash her hopes, but to set her expectations with real information. I know that she was excited about doing both, and I did not want her to be crushed with disappointment at not achieving them. At this point she shutdown, hung up, and no longer answers our calls. The last time I spoke to her was when she was telling me that I made her doubt herself, her family, and that she did not like to feel like that.

Today after one of the times I called her and left a message, she posted on her MySpace that "i don't mean to be a bitch, but if i haven't answered in 6 months a smart person would realize i don't want to talk..."

So again...Were So Mean...mission accomplished.

-Mean Dad

Saturday, November 08, 2008

Mmmm Bacon!

My next trip to Texas needs to revolve around Snook, TX.

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Can you hear me now?

Not if I was using my PPC6700. It apparently isn't waterproof. I was helping my dad bring the pontoon boat in from the lake this morning and I dropped my phone right into the sandy bottom of South Lake.

-Me

Thursday, July 03, 2008

Day at the Zoo

Yesterday we took advantage of the extended hours at the Zoo for a family outing.

The weather threatened T-Storms all afternoon, but we took the chance. The cloud cover actually provided a good break from the sun, and the wind kept us cool.

The storms held off until we were mostly home, and then provided a nice white noise background for sleeping...which both children took advantage of.

-Dad
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Friday, March 07, 2008

Taking the day off

I have a business trip to Prague next week, so I took today off to spend time with the family.

Lily, having just awoken from a nap, had rosy cheeks and was feeling cuddly so I had Sarah snap this picture of us.

-Dad
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Sunday, January 27, 2008

Birthday Cake

Sarah created Chocolate and Lemon layered cakes (two different cake types, not Chocolate AND Lemon layered together), then frosted them up, and covered them in fondant.
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Happy Birthday Henry

We celebrated Henry's Birthday on Saturday with a small party at Chuck E Cheese.

Henry requested that he have his party there. It was a good time despite the teaming masses. Sarah created a Lego Birthday cake that drew many comments.
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Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Ball Whacking Action


Here is some of the ball whacking action.

-Dad