Be moMMie meSSy. Not Pinterest-Perfect. Just say NO.

Just say NO …

… to holiday craZZineSS.

Be moMMie meSSy. Not Pinterest-Perfect. Just say NO.

Just say “no” to holiday craZZineSS.

The holiday season can bring out the BEST in us. AND the craZZiest in us. We experience the BEST by watching how we care for the homeless during the holiday season. With meals and gifts.

And we see the worst and the craZZiest in the Black Friday subhuman behavior.  Black Friday, you know, that American tradition which reveals the dark retail underbelly of American greed and excess.

Just search YouTube for the latest WalMart Black Friday video. Click here.

I just have four things to say about the holiday craZZineSS.

  1. It’s not your fault.

  2. Be lazy. Be smart. Buy online.

  3. Say “no” to Pinterest-Perfect cOOkies.

  4. Say “yes” to a meSSy Christmas Tree.

Have a meSSy Christmas. Just say NO to Pinterest-Perfect.
Have a meSSy Christmas. Just say NO to Pinterest-Perfect.

1.) It’s not your fault.

We just mentioned the craZZineSS of Black Friday at WalMart.

Let’s refocus now. Not on WalMart. Let’s get personal.

i cancelled black friday
Cancel Black Friday at Wal-Mart 

Let’s talk about YOUR family.

How much of your holiday craZZiest is self-induced craZZiest ?

The answer is simple – ALL OF IT. You are responsible for ALL of your holiday craziest.

But just like in the movie, Good Will Hunting, where Robin Williams keeps saying to Will, “It’s not your fault. It’s NOT your fault. It’s NOT YOUR FAULT.” [link to video clip]

It’s NOT REALLY YOUR FAULT. It’s my fault. Blame it on me – the baby boomer who raised you. Yes. This is one you CAN BLAME on your parents.

But, now, you get to change the madneSS.

Just say “no” to the holiday madness. Just say “no” to the traditions that don’t work for your family. Including your crazy busy schedule. And your demanding expectations of the holiday season.

2.) Be lazy. Be Online-Smart.

Grandpa says, "It's OK. You're worth it."
“You’re worth it.”

By now, I hope that you have already replaced Black Friday with Couch Comfortable Amazon Prime.

Just say “no.” Just say, “If I can’t buy it online and have it delivered for FREE, I will not buy it.”

It’s a simple and easy decision.

There is nothing that a retail store has. That I want so much that I am willing to sacrifice my sanity to drive, park, shop, fight, stand in line, and buy at a retail location. And risk my life driving in Orlando / Chicago / Springfield traffic. I will not trade my sanity for a gift.

This shopping obsession is the civilian equivalent of self-induced retail PTSD. 

Just say “no” to retail madneSS. Case in point. Yesterday, I had razor blades delivered to my residence via Amazon. Ah-h-h, Amazon Prime – God’s gift to the lazy, the smart, and the tired (wise) elderly generation with our canes and walkers.

You can do this, too. Embrqce the techno tool specially designed for the meSSy moMMies. Those Online-Smart moMMies.

You, too, could be Amazon-Lazy. And Online-Smart.

Be moMMie meSSy (more about moMMie meSSy later) AND moMMie smART. Shop Amazon and let the elves at Amazon do the driving.

Just say NO to …

3.) NO to Pinterest-Perfect anything.

Be moMMie meSSy. Not Pinterest-Perfect.

You know those PERFECT cookies shaped like Santa Claus with embedded computer chips that sing Jingle Bells when you eat them. Just say “no.”

Because the Pinterest-Perfect moMMie that designed and created those cookies DOES NOT REALLY EXIST. At least, not on this globe. No mom working outside the home and raising children does things Pinterest-Perfect and lives to tell about it.

Forget the Pinterest-Perfect anything.

Settle for the moMMie meSSy version. And less streSS. The same applies to the annual cOOkie exchange that your mother taught you.

Forget that cOOkie exchange.

It’s not your fault.

You get to change. Not exchange.

I’m giving you permission to abandon some of the time-intensive madneSS. Instead. Create some rOOm.

Leave a hole in your schedule so you can relax.

Read a book after the children are in bed. Drop that annual Christmas Cookie Exchange. Just say “no.” Don’t bake cookies.

4.) Say “yes” to a meSSy Christmas.

Create your own traditions. Get your own tree. Make a WHOLE DAY

It's a family thing - cutting the tree down in the forest
It’s a family thing

of tree cutting. And get the imperfect tree.

Settle for imperfect decorations thrown on the tree by your 3-year-old — having fun. And do not try to decorate your Christmas Tree using the perfect picture saved to your phone.

That perfectly decorated tree was designed by a full time Christmas Tree Decorator. The picture was taken by a professional photographer. And then the picture was photo shopped to perfection. And (if there is no mess) no children were involved.

Lose the streSS. Make a meSS.

Just say “no.” And decorate like the Simpsons not Ozzie and Harriet.

Have a meSSy Christmas. Just say NO to Pinterest-Perfect.
Have a meSSy Christmas. Just say NO to Pinterest-Perfect.

Lose the streSS. Make a meSS.

Create a ginger bread house from a kit that you bought on Amazon. Click here to get a gingerbread house from Amazon.

And let your children build an imperfect ginger bread house like “The House That Jack Built.”

Say “no” to Christmas madneSS.

  • Shop online. Be an Amazon-Smart moMMie.
  • Say “no” to Pinterest-Perfect cOOkies.
  • And say “yes” to your first REAL meSSy Christmas.

Grandpa says, “It’s OK.”

we cancelled the excessive spending
just say NO to Christmas craZZineSS – more meSS and less streSS

More meSS. Less streSS. 

Because.

You are worth it.

i died on …

i died on december 31st.

so i made three changes before i died.

  • i cancelled thanksgiving.
  • i cancelled black friday.
  • i cancelled christmas.

what if you were going to die on december 31st?

what would you change?

well, i cancelled thanksgiving. 

ok. so i don’t have the power to cancel thanksgiving entirely. but the tradition of going to someone’s home who must cook and clean and polish silverware. and have the proper kind and number of apple pies. the proper number of pumpkin pies and pecan pies and whipped cream topping. too much stress.

i cancelled thanksgiving
we replaced thanksgiving with our outdoor thing and paper plates 

i (we) cancelled that kinda thanksgiving. i cancelled the chaos. and replaced it. we really did.

we cancelled all of that chaos and forced busyness. for thanksgiving, we are taking our combined families to a park. to blue jacket park in orlando, florida.

ok. we live in florida. so we can do this outdoors thing. so no one has to clean their house. we will cook hamburgers and hotdogs on the grill. turkeys don’t have to worry about us. we’ll be using paper plates and plastic cutlery. and plenty of outside time and activities for the children.

thanksgiving outdoors
thanksgiving at the park eating hot dogs and using paper plates 

our thanksgiving mess stays in the trashcans at the park. and no spilled cranberry juice on the new carpet. no one has to vacuum their house. and because we are eating outside, we will be less likely to overeat. and more likely to play frisbee, fly a kite. and less sitting on the couch.

less sitting in front of the television …

… and watching the parades and the football games. we will leave that to someone else. that’s traditional, maybe, but we / you don’t have to do it that way.

if you can’t picnic in a park

– for you northern states people – then serve food all day in a “soup kitchen” – with your entire family – including your out-of-town guests. get away from the dinner table and the football games. be thankful by doing something for someone else.

serve some american street refugees …

… by preparing some portable meals. drive around town and serve meals to the homeless. what i call our “american street refugees.”

since i died on december 31st.

i cancelled black friday.

black friday – this is strictly an american retail tradition. a national shame – where the corporate giants intentionally hijack any thankfulness that we experienced on the previous day – thanksgiving day. and those retail rascals replaced it with scary, angry mobs inside their stores and outside in their parking lots.

i cancelled black friday
buying things they don’t nEEd and cannot aFFord

black friday – where you get to watch youtube videos of angry people fighting each other to buy things that they don’t need and cannot afford.

black friday – a traditional american planned apocalyptic event. a corporate conspiracy where americans fight each other so they can buy unnecessary stuff to start their new year with more credit card debt in january. and designed to create amazing and unbelievable youtube videos of fighting people in the land of plenty. permanently preserving on youtube the tradition of crazy walmartians for future generations to enjoy.

black friday – i cancelled it. if we can’t buy it online (via amazon prime or best buy or … ?), then we just don’t buy it.

i cancelled black friday. so that black friday will no longer hijack all of the peace and serenity and family joy that we experienced on thanksgiving day.

i died on december 31st. so i cancelled …

i cancelled christmas, too

at least, the excessive spending part.

we cancelled the excessive spending
we cancelled the excessive spending

i’m taking my grandchildren to the dollar store to spend their christmas money on other people who really need some stuff. who need something as basic as a toothbrush and toothpaste.

my grandchildren do not need anything. they are all well fed have enough stuff. nice shoes and beds and electronic devices.

ten (10) electronic devices …

… for a family of four. drew, my oldest grandson, and i counted the number of electronic devices (flat screen tv’s and tablets and smart phones and …) in his household – 10 for a family of four. that’s plenty of stuff.

we have enough stuff. 

help to create a smile for a homeless person
help to create a smile for america’s strEEt refugees

so we’re going to the dollar store to create “care packages” for the “american street refugees” living on the streets of orlando. living in the woods near mc donald’s. so that they can use the toilet facilities during the daytime. and can eat from the dumpsters at night

you see them with their handwritten cardboard signs “working their corner” in the traffic. you see them everyday. i know i do. i try to avoid eye contact intentionally so they won’t ask me for money. but you and i still see them everyday. 

i cancelled christmas. and we’re going to the dollar store so that every grandchild gets to create a $10.00 bag with a toothbrush and toothpaste and … ? you get the picture. my grandchildren don’t have billions of dollars to spend. but we can spend our hundreds of dollars.

and create a new tradition. and, hopefully, put some “christ” (and joy) back into christmas for us and others. and let our children / grandchildren experience giving instead of receiving.

giving intentionally to help some of the “street refugees of the usa.” you can help a refugee for ten dollars.

here’s a good facebook update for ya.

“stop investing in life AFTER death. and start investing in life BEFORE death.” 

and it can be a timely tweetable.

so, yes, i died on december 31st.

and i changed my perspective and my priorities between now and december 31st.

so, what if? in 45 days, or 123 days, or 299 days?

what if you were going to die on december 31st?

what would you cancel?

what would you do differently?

tell me and then do it. 

tell me what you would change in the comments below.

 

 

frEEd – chapter 2 – martha

frEEd ? but never frEE. not for me…

Hard, sharp ropes cut dEEp …

… into the blOOdy skin on my wrists.
frEEd ? New York Times Best Seller
frEEd ? but never frEE. not for me

Men were behind me, ready to beat me with their whips.


frEEd ? chapter 2 – martha

excerpts from “frEEd ?”

by penelope waFFle


And I braced myself to feel  more pain in my already bloody back.

A few seconds paSSed.

Seemed like hours.
I was starting to think my new owner changed his mind. But then I felt a sharp, clear ache cutting into the shredded skin on my back.

I opened my mouth to scream.

I had to scream, but no sound would come out.
frEEd ? but never frEE
frEEd ? but never frEE

“Ain’t no one gonna help ya, sweetie,” my owner chided.

Suddenly I found my voice. “Jim!” I screamed. “Jim! Help me.”
Another dig in my skin with the handle end of his whip. This one harder than the last.
“Ain’t no one comin’ ta help ya. Ya know why?”

My owner bent down so close …

… to my face that I could feel his tobacco breathe on my neck. And his lips were level with my ear.
“Cause no one cares ’bout ya,” he snarled.
“Yes. Yes, they do.” My voice was barely a whisper. Tears of shame and rage and fear rolled down my cheeks.
“Oh really? Where are they now? Too scared, huh?” My owner taunted. “I’ll even let them pass if they a-comin’ right now.”

Here was my one chance.

frEEd ? but never reaLLy frEE. not for me
frEEd ? but never reaLLy frEE. not for me
“They’re too scared. And they don’t care ’bout you. Which is exactly why no one has come for ya.”
It felt like he was trying to kiss my neck. And he started touching me. Below. Where he shouldn’t…

I thought. My dizzy mind raced.

Did I dare do this now? His face became flushed, clearly enjoying what he was doing.
His fingers holding the whip loosened. And then, without even realizing it, my owner dropped it.

 In that split second …

… I picked it up, banged the wooden whip handle against his head as hard as I could.
And then hands came out of nowhere. Before I could scream, dirty fingers covered my mouth. I tried to pry them off, but they gripped even tighter over my mouth.
The last thing I remembered hearing was “Be careful. She’s dangerous, Scott.”
And then I felt someone opening my mouth, and putting something in it.

The last thing I reMEmber before I blacked out.


frEEd – but not reaLLy frEE – chapter 1 – bill


Hi, my real name is …

frEEd ? the next New York Times Best Seller
frEEd ? by penelope waFFle

… Vivaka. I like my real name. But my pen name is penelope waFFle. ‘Cuz I like waFFles. And I reaLLy like puTTing double caps in the miDDle of words.

I like pink.

And my grandpa says …

I am the “next big thing” to hit the history thriller book market. Hey, why not ? I’m writing about one chapter per month.

I’m 11 years old.

My name is penelope waFFle, and I’m gonna be a New York Times Best Selling Author by age 12.

frEEd – the next New York Times Best Seller

Thud, thud, thud.

My feet pounded the sidewalk.

frEEd ? the next New York Time's Best Seller
frEEd ? but never reaLLy free. not for me. never frEE

Thud, thud, thud.

My heart was pounding and my mind was racing.


frEEd ? Chapter 1 – Jim

excerpts from “frEEd ?”

by penelope waFFle

Thud, thud, thud. My heart was pounding, and my mind was racing.
Running towards … towards what ?
FrEEdom ?

I doubt it.

There is no frEEdom. Not for me.
There was a biGGer reason I was running. It was Bill.

The sound was faint.

Like it was in the distance. It was in my head just for a second, but I know that I did hear it.
I imagined poor dead Bill. Still on the sidewalk, just lying there.

Poor dead Bill. Bleeding. His face was smashed. Poor dead Bill looked more like roadkill. Than a man.


Blood oozing from his ears and mouth.
My eyes started welling up dangerously, with tears to the brim. Tears threatening to fall from my eyes.

But I held it all inside.

Just like I always do. I had to. I had no choice.
I had developed this ability when my owners tied me to a pole and beat me.
On a good day, they just called me names and slapped me.
My sore legs tingled, bringing me back to the present. I rounded another corner. And immediately spotted an overgrown hedge.

I dove into the prickly hedge

… breathing heavily. My owner passed still cradling his favorite shotgun.

He looked for me.

For nearly 5 minutes, but it seemed like forever.
Then he quit. Finally he left. At least, I hoped he had left.
It took a while for me to slow my breathing and to control my heart rate.
When I realized my owner was finally gone. I let out a BIG, but silent, yawn.

I noticed how tired I was.

My eyelids drOOped, my feet ached, and my legs burned.
Maybe I can sleep for just five minutes. Please. Just 5 minutes is all I need.
This was my last thought before I fell asleep.

chapter 2 – martha 


frEEd ? the next New York Times Best Seller
frEEd ? but never frEE. by penelope waFFle

Hi, my real name is …

… Vivaka. I like my real name. But my pen name is penelope waFFle. ‘Cuz I like waFFles. And I reaLLy like puTTing double caps in the miDDle of words.

And grandpa says …

I am the “next big thing” to hit the history thriller book market. Hey, why not ?

I’m 11 years old,

my name is penelope waFFle, and I’m gonna be a New York Times Best Selling Author by age 12.

3 Ways to Fail at Homework with a Six-Year-Old

3 Ways to Fail at Homework with a Six-Year-Old

I did it. I failed miserably. I was trying to do homework with my six-year-old grandson, Daniel. And I failed miserably in three different ways.

… and I did it all in one aftern00n.

It felt  like a major setback this week. Doing homework with my grandson, Daniel.

So much progress made this year motivating Daniel. And then an EPIC FAIL in one aftern00n.

I dare you to make learning fun.
“I dare you to make learning fun.” – Lucas, one of Daniel’s older brothers

Thursday after school didn’t go well.

It didn’t go well at all. Daniel just decided to assert himself – more than usual. Our homework session started OK. Then Daniel just said “no.”

  • “No. I don’t like math.”
  • “No. I don’t want any help.”
  • “No. I don’t want to do homework.”
  • Just “no.” “No.” And another “NO” for good measure.

And internally I just crashed.

It was already an emotionally charged week for me working with Daniel. Daniel was in a no-no-no mode” this week. My aged brains cells raced with frustration and questions.

  • Doesn’t he understand how valuable MY time is?
  • Doesn’t Daniel understand how IMPORTANT education is?
  • Doesn’t he appreciate ALL OF THE WORK I have done to create a friendly learning environment?

Internally, I crashed and was CRUSHED when Daniel kept saying “no.” I thought I had created the ideal learning environment. I knew I had failed this aftern00n. And I had finally met my match in self-will and stubbornness.

Hey, I’m dealing with a six-year-old who would rather watch video games (you know, Minecraft) than spell words and do math. And compared to Minecraft, all this education stuff means nothing to him.

daniel with 3 letter words
“No. I don’t want to do homework.” – Daniel

No amount of M&M’s (candy bribery) or …

… false encouragement and excitement about education would change Daniel’s mind.

Well, the next day, Friday morning, I was trying to understand where I had failed.

Where did I FAIL ?

Here is the 3-point assessment of my faulty (MBA) thinking.

Every Child Wants an EPIC WIN
Daniel’s brain cells were saying, “Enough is enough.”

My first FAILure was …

… the obvious – thinking about me and that I had failed. I had provided the right environment and the right processes. But Daniel had a tough week and had reached an invisible emotional peak (or valley). He had reached some sort of educational saturation point.

Daniel’s brain cells were saying,  “Enough is enough.”

Daniel is six years old.

Every Child Wants to be a SUPER HERO
“Play is the ultimate SUPER HERO learning tool.” – Captain Daniel America

And I’m, well … real old. Daniel had reached the six-year-old limit for doing homework on a routine. He had reached the six-year-old maximum number of days in row for doing homework on time.

  • That’s all.
  • Simple.
  • And out of MY control.
  • This was all about Daniel. And HIS limits.

Unfortunately, this phenomenon is not listed in some education manual that I could predict. Daniel’s maximum limit did not fit into my linear way of thinking.

Second FAILure …

My expectations were t00 high.

  • It was like pushing a string.
  • Like stopping the wind.
  • Like trying to put t00thpaste back into the tube.

No amount of “grandpa super powers” would work.

My expectations of my perfect plan combined with intellectual super powers were unrealistic.

Crazy thinking on my part. To try to compete with a six-year-old’s thinking. 

My unrealistic expectations were MY RECIPE FOR FAILURE. Or a recipe for feeling like I had failed.

“A six-year-old’s super powers for resisting homework will always trump this old man’s thinking about what’s gonna work for Captain Daniel America.” – America’s GRUMPiest Grandpa

Third FAILure …

… WAS keeping score. Trying to think in terms of black and white. Wins and losses. Thinking that when Daniel gets to win, then grandpa must loose. I forgot that …

I forgot. The goal is to help Daniel to enjoy learning. Not just complete another math problem.

Teach the way he learns - Daniel
Daniel and his learning maZe crEation – complete with a Lava Lake and a Kangaroo Wave Park

 

“If Daniel doesn’t learn the way I am teaching, then maybe I should teach the way Daniel learns.” – America’s GRUMPiest Grandpa

If Daniel doesn’t learn the way I am teaching, then maybe I should teach the way Daniel learns. (Simple. Profound and true.)

Try some new things.

  • Teaching on the computer, the iPad?
  • Taking our homework class to Panera Bread and mix in some double chocolate brownies with math?
  • Or (for a six-year-old) just SKIP HOMEWORK one night? WOWzer !!
  • Or do homework AFTER SUPPER instead of ALWAYS BEFORE supper?
Teach them the way they learn - America's GRUMPiest Grandpa
“Teach them the same way they learn.” – America’s GRUMPiest Grandpa

I need to remember the goal is to sell the learning process – not just to do one more math problem.

The end result …

… of Thursday evening was: Daniel did finish his math and spelling – peacefully – with his mom AFTER SUPPER. With no drama.

And then Daniel happily showed me his completed homework.

Ya gotta admit it.

Moms and six-year-olds are so smart.

Mission accomplished. 

moms and six-year-olds are so SMART
MOMS and six-year-olds are so SMART – Daniel and Libby