Tales of McBitchin' and Helicopters

Every Thursday, I get together with two of my friends and their respective children for a playdate. My friend K has a son the same age as Kylie, and my friend J has a daughter who is 21 months. The three of us have bonded over our trials of having older children (teens and almost-teens) and then having the little ones. We tend to meet at McDonald's, since the kids can play and we can sit and talk. We go there mainly because it's still really hot outside, and being indoors is preferable. When it gets cooler, I'm sure we'll be heading to the park, the zoo, etc, for our weekly outing. Last night I was telling my co-worker, um...Bob...that J's husband refers to our weekly get-together as the Sit and Bitch. As I was leaving work last night, Bob said "have fun with your McBitching", or something like that. I think that's how I'll refer to it from now on, because we all thought it was pretty funny this morning.

Anyway...speaking of McDonald's, I have a question. I'm not a coffee drinker, so perhaps I'm just not in the know. But there is a poster in McDonald's advertising their fantastic (?) new coffee, and on the poster it says "We'll add the cream and sugar for you!" Is this a big selling point for coffee-drinkers? I'm just wondering. I mean, how hard can it possibly be to add your own cream and sugar? Would you choose McDonald's over say... some other place that serves coffee, because they'll add your cream and sugar for you? Just wondering.

I'm at work, and I just got a call from Shannon. She has a softball game at 6pm. It goes like this:

Me: "911, what is your emergency?"

Shannon: "Haha. Mom, where are my cleats?"

Me: "Well, the last time I saw them was when I asked you for the sixth time to pick them up off the living room floor yesterday morning. I'm sorry, I don't know what you did with them after that. In your room, perhaps?"

Shannon: "Fine Mom...bye." click

Me: (To the empty line) "Yeah, I love you too. Have a good game!"

I have to tell you, that call just gave me the warm fuzzies. Someday they'll thank me for making them pick up their own stuff and be responsible for themselves and do things themselves...right? Right?? I always thought I was mean for not doing things for them. One occasion sticks out in my mind from last year:
Shannon was in sixth grade, and had lost the instructions for some project she was supposed to do for class. She wanted me to talk to her teacher and get the instructions for her again. Me, being the loving parent that I am, said,

"No way Missy...you lost it, you talk to your teacher yourself."

She whined, "But Mooommmm...she'll be maaddd at meeeee!" As I have a hard time resisting this sort of approach, I then said in my sweetest voice,

"Well, perhaps you should organize yourself better so you don't keep losing things. Now get in there and ask for another copy."

They think I'm mean sometimes. But you know what? I don't really care. I swear, I've actually heard this from one of my children:

"But Princess's mom does _______ for her!!" And I've actually replied,

"Well, I'm not Princess's mom, now am I?" (Just one of the many, many things that come out of my mouth that make me think I've turned into my own mother. By the way, I love you, Mom.)

Anyway, the point is that I've discovered that making my kids do for themselves may not be such a bad thing after all. I'm definitely not going to be one of these people!

Helicopter Parents
You're Going On a Job Interview With Them? Really?

I'm more like a Stealth Parent...in and out of there so fast, you never even saw me. Ha! Danielle had her first job interview (and subsequently, her first job) this past summer, and it would have never, ever even occurred to me to go into the interview with her! God, seriously. What is wrong with people?

On a completely unrelated note...Survivor starts tonight! Yayyyy!!!!!