OK, so this is completely off topic with my blog, but I just have to write about this. My kids don't watch a lot of TV, but the thing they do watch is NASCAR races. NASCAR is brilliant at marketing to kids, and thanks to the movie Cars, which my kids loved, it was a natural progression to loving NASCAR. My older son is completely into it, he pours over statistics on the computer, and he can tell you who won every Sprint Cup race this season, in order, from the first race to the 36th. And no he's not 12, he's not even 8, he's 6. It's a bit crazy but his numbers and reading have gotten better because of it and it's a lot better than being obsessed with Tranformers or with body slamming his kid brother to emulate TV wrestlers.
But, I'm getting slightly disturbed at how well my younger child is picking up the marketing messages in the commercials during the race. For a few weeks now, when something gets spilled he excitedly runs to the towel drawer yelling "ShamWow!" to get one to clean up the mess. I admit it is great that he wants to help clean up, but he's excited about it because of Vince. He has also been avidly trying to convince me that I need a Slap Chop. "But Mummy, you can chop things together with it". Saturday we drove by a Burger King and he said "Look Mummy, I see what's on the front of Tony Stewart's car." But today it became a little much, today he blew me away. He was looking in the closet and spied a case of Coors Light (not my fave but my husband and mother-in-law like it). He says to me "Mummy, if you're watching a race and you want to drink a beer while you're watching a race, this is the beer you should drink because it's the official beer of NASCAR." Yeah, it was cute and I'm slightly proud at his ability to remember and recognize things, but my 4 year old telling me what beer to drink because of the marketing messages he has picked up on TV seems a bit wrong somehow.
I've always wondered how much TV advertising for popular national brands works. I mean I can see the point of advertising Slap Chop but does marketing really convince me anymore whether I want to buy Coke or Pepsi or whether I'll like Keith's or Rickard's better. But now I know what it does, it gets the kids to tell me what to buy until, in a weak moment after listening to demands for Oreos and Cheerios and M&Ms, I finally give in and buy the damn beer my kids are pushing me to buy instead of futilely trying to explain to them that it is all a marketing message and just because I like a certain driver I don't need to buy the beer brand emblazoned on the hood of his car.
The commercials aren't for me, they are for my kids.
Monday, November 23, 2009
I'm happy today
I am really happy today. I saw a lot of my angel over the weekend, we had a really good time together and I feel so relaxed today.
Friday night we went to see a movie called Drool at an LGBT film festival. It was a pretty good film, a black comedy, and I was bit nervous because I've never gone to an LGBT event except for the local Pride Parade, but it was really great to be in a room full of same-sex couples.
Saturday I took the kids to a museum and my angel met us there. We are discreet around the kids, they see her as my friend. My younger child adores her and wanted her to come home with us after (she is a teacher and great with kids). My older child says he isn't sure if he likes her yet or not. He liked her before. I'm not sure if he's a little put off that she was around and a lot of fun for a bit and then hasn't been around for a long time or if he senses that she has something to do with the end of the marriage. He often takes a little while to warm up to people and I am sure he will warm up to her again.
Sunday, Hubby took the boys to his brother's for the day and I spent the day with my angel. We had a wonderful day together and we are both still so happy and relaxed today.
This morning I saw my Dr. to get my prescriptions refilled. I told him what is happening and he couldn't have been more supportive. He suggested I check out the PFLAG web site for resources that might help me tell my parents about my angel.
I'm having a really good day; now if I would just hear from my lawyer I could have a great day.
Friday night we went to see a movie called Drool at an LGBT film festival. It was a pretty good film, a black comedy, and I was bit nervous because I've never gone to an LGBT event except for the local Pride Parade, but it was really great to be in a room full of same-sex couples.
Saturday I took the kids to a museum and my angel met us there. We are discreet around the kids, they see her as my friend. My younger child adores her and wanted her to come home with us after (she is a teacher and great with kids). My older child says he isn't sure if he likes her yet or not. He liked her before. I'm not sure if he's a little put off that she was around and a lot of fun for a bit and then hasn't been around for a long time or if he senses that she has something to do with the end of the marriage. He often takes a little while to warm up to people and I am sure he will warm up to her again.
Sunday, Hubby took the boys to his brother's for the day and I spent the day with my angel. We had a wonderful day together and we are both still so happy and relaxed today.
This morning I saw my Dr. to get my prescriptions refilled. I told him what is happening and he couldn't have been more supportive. He suggested I check out the PFLAG web site for resources that might help me tell my parents about my angel.
I'm having a really good day; now if I would just hear from my lawyer I could have a great day.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
I'm stressed
I'm sitting here with one of my kids (the one not old enough to read what I'm writing). He's home sick today, not H1N1, something else that he gets that's worrying me.
My lawyer is finally on the case and I'm hoping that we'll have a custody and support agreement to sign by the end of the week. I'm happy about that. I need Hubby to move out and get out of this holding pattern that I'm in. I feel like I'm just waiting. The house is a mess but I can't be bothered cleaning until his stuff is out. But it's bittersweet. As much as I want this to happen it's sad and scary too.
I'm still looking for a job, but there just isn't much out there right now and I need to get out of the house and I need to start making money. I want a job that I can be happy at, one where I feel like I'm accomplishing something, but most of what is out there is government contracts. I'll take what I can get and if it's not something I want keep looking and hope for something better when the economy improves, but I really don't want to work for club fed.
My angel is wonderful, really wonderful and understanding, but I hate that my current mood and this endless waiting for a more normal relationship drags her mood down too. I'm not complaining, it's natural and understandable that this is hard on her too. We just want to be together and make each other happy, and when we are together we are so happy and we both need more of that. We both need to be able to make plans and not schedule our time together around Hubby.
I'm hopeful that things will all get better soon, they have to.
My lawyer is finally on the case and I'm hoping that we'll have a custody and support agreement to sign by the end of the week. I'm happy about that. I need Hubby to move out and get out of this holding pattern that I'm in. I feel like I'm just waiting. The house is a mess but I can't be bothered cleaning until his stuff is out. But it's bittersweet. As much as I want this to happen it's sad and scary too.
I'm still looking for a job, but there just isn't much out there right now and I need to get out of the house and I need to start making money. I want a job that I can be happy at, one where I feel like I'm accomplishing something, but most of what is out there is government contracts. I'll take what I can get and if it's not something I want keep looking and hope for something better when the economy improves, but I really don't want to work for club fed.
My angel is wonderful, really wonderful and understanding, but I hate that my current mood and this endless waiting for a more normal relationship drags her mood down too. I'm not complaining, it's natural and understandable that this is hard on her too. We just want to be together and make each other happy, and when we are together we are so happy and we both need more of that. We both need to be able to make plans and not schedule our time together around Hubby.
I'm hopeful that things will all get better soon, they have to.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
A good weekend
This was a pretty good weekend after the ups and downs of late last week. I saw a lot of my girlfriend, which was really nice. Hubby and I have worked out a bit of an arrangement where we each go out one night on the weekend. Friday night I spent time with my angel at her place. We had a good talk about things, watched a movie (The Ugly Truth - romantic comedy - nothing really special but it was funny and it was good to laugh) and we enjoyed each other :)
Saturday I wasn't going to see her, but she sent me an e-mail and sounded down. I was going out to Chapters (if you're American, think Borders) and so I went to her place and dragged her out with me :). Hubby went to karaoke with some over 30s singles group. I find that kinda funny, I know he'd never get up and sing and he's not great in a room full of people he doesn't know, but at least he's trying. :)
Today, Hubby and I agreed that we need to spend less time together, so I let him have an afternoon and evening with the kids and went to spend the afternoon with Angel and have supper (Thai food - yum) We're talking about all sorts of things, the past, the future. The plan is that she will be moving in with me in the summer so we had a fun talk about her stuff and my stuff. I want her to feel at home here, like this is her home too, I want some of her pictures on the walls and some of her furniture to replace my furniture. I want to redo the bedroom with her. After hubby moves out and takes what he wants with him, I want her to help me reorganize things so that it starts to feel like her place too. Yeah, I know, ideally it would be nice if we could start fresh with a new place that is our place, but my kids have so much to adjust to as it is, I don't want to make them move too.
It is starting to look like Hubby will have his own place for Dec 1. Hopefully, we will sign custody/access arrangements tomorrow and then he will go sign a lease and trust me on the money. I think my stress level and my Angel's will be a lot better once he is out of the house and we can make more regular plans.
The kids have a PD day tomorrow. Looking forward to more time with them :)
Saturday I wasn't going to see her, but she sent me an e-mail and sounded down. I was going out to Chapters (if you're American, think Borders) and so I went to her place and dragged her out with me :). Hubby went to karaoke with some over 30s singles group. I find that kinda funny, I know he'd never get up and sing and he's not great in a room full of people he doesn't know, but at least he's trying. :)
Today, Hubby and I agreed that we need to spend less time together, so I let him have an afternoon and evening with the kids and went to spend the afternoon with Angel and have supper (Thai food - yum) We're talking about all sorts of things, the past, the future. The plan is that she will be moving in with me in the summer so we had a fun talk about her stuff and my stuff. I want her to feel at home here, like this is her home too, I want some of her pictures on the walls and some of her furniture to replace my furniture. I want to redo the bedroom with her. After hubby moves out and takes what he wants with him, I want her to help me reorganize things so that it starts to feel like her place too. Yeah, I know, ideally it would be nice if we could start fresh with a new place that is our place, but my kids have so much to adjust to as it is, I don't want to make them move too.
It is starting to look like Hubby will have his own place for Dec 1. Hopefully, we will sign custody/access arrangements tomorrow and then he will go sign a lease and trust me on the money. I think my stress level and my Angel's will be a lot better once he is out of the house and we can make more regular plans.
The kids have a PD day tomorrow. Looking forward to more time with them :)
I'm already a deliquent blogger
So already after a few days, I'm not writing as often as I would like to. I've never been that great at sticking with things, and so far I think this is a diary, no-one reading but my girlfriend, so yeah, it's my fault, but it's also been a busy few days.
So Wednesday, I wrote about my lawyer being sick and pushing things back a bit. That sent my mood and Angel's mood into the toilet. So Thursday was a mess. We were both down. Usually one of us gets down about the situation and the other helps make it better, the happy one makes the down one laugh or reminds the down one how lucky we are to have found such a wonderful partner rather than how hard it is to navigate this mess. Anyway, so Thursday we were both down, ended up crying on the phone, not a good scene. But my Angel, my beautiful Angel, she surprises me that evening, shows up somewhere she knew I would be and we had a chance to talk and feel better.
Angel and I both tend to turn inward, shut down when we are feeling low. We both turned inward Wednesday and Thursday and then we were just hurting. But when we talk about it, we make it better for both of us. good relationship lesson learned.
I promise to try to write more :)
So Wednesday, I wrote about my lawyer being sick and pushing things back a bit. That sent my mood and Angel's mood into the toilet. So Thursday was a mess. We were both down. Usually one of us gets down about the situation and the other helps make it better, the happy one makes the down one laugh or reminds the down one how lucky we are to have found such a wonderful partner rather than how hard it is to navigate this mess. Anyway, so Thursday we were both down, ended up crying on the phone, not a good scene. But my Angel, my beautiful Angel, she surprises me that evening, shows up somewhere she knew I would be and we had a chance to talk and feel better.
Angel and I both tend to turn inward, shut down when we are feeling low. We both turned inward Wednesday and Thursday and then we were just hurting. But when we talk about it, we make it better for both of us. good relationship lesson learned.
I promise to try to write more :)
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