My Ears are Bleeding

Saturday night we took Jordan to see the Jonas Brothers. We thought that Avril Lavigne was the head liner, boy were we wrong.

We got to the show about 6:30 and it was already packed with screaming girls. At 7:00 Demi Lovato came on. She played for about 40 mins and then we had to wait for the next act. As the lights went out I put Jordan on my shoulder so she could see. I am thinking this is it, but the screaming is not that loud and the girls in front of us are yelling Avril, Avril. I look at Jeff and think we are so screwed. The Jonas Brothers are the last band.

This is the 3rd concert Jordan has gone to this year and she usually does not make it through much of the final act. She is usually asleep by then. Well now she is very mad at us and wants to leave while Avril is on. I take her and buy Cotton Candy, which is so overly priced I think I am going to drop dead right there. I need to sugar her up though so she can see a little of the Jonas Brothers.

So Avril finishes and we wait again. We wait 40 minutes for the Jonas Brothers and it is my living hell. Every time someone sends a message it is " Scream if you like Joe, Nick and Kevin. I do." Then 10,000 girls start screaming and this is just the beginning.

Once the lights go out and the music starts you can not hear anything. I am thinking I have been to many Rock Concerts and nothing compares to this. I could not even her them signing the girls were so loud. Well Jordan had enough after the first song. She wanted to leave so we told her she had to stay for 5 songs. She stood there counting each song just waiting for the pain to end.

After the 5th song we started walking to leave and we went into the building to go to the bathroom. After that we walked out and there were screens that we could watch the show on. We watched to more songs, only because they were from Camp Rock.

We left and I was totally amazed at how many people were leaving. I was also amazed at how I could still here all the screaming from were we parked.

Jordan will have to wait until she is a little order to go to one of these concerts. I am not deaf enough yet and my ears still feel like they are bleeding when I think about it.

Signing

I love to sign. I do it all the time. The kids have Rock Band for the Wii and I am always the vocal when we play. I sign in the car and when I put the kids to bed I sign them a song almost every night.

I would have loved to been a signing and in a former life I think I was. I do not know if I have a great voice. I think I am one of those people who would love to have a great voice, and I really don't

At the concert on Sunday Jared and I were signing to each other. Now at a Rock Concert you have to pretty much scream in order to sign because the music is so loud. Well Jeff recorded us at the concert and when I heard I thought my ears were going to Bleed. I said please don't ever do that again.

I sounded like a dying dog. Jared was very nice about it and said "You only sound that way because this is the 2nd concert in 2 nights and you were screaming not signing" Nice of him to try and save my ego.

So I will continue to sign and hope and dream and know that I will never be on stage some day.

I will have to leave that for Jared. He really wants to be in a band and the more concerts we go to the more he wants it. Since he will be taking vocal for the next 2 weeks he will have a much better shot then I do.

Right of Passage

Sunday night we took the kids to see Linkin Park. Jeff and I took the boys last year and they had a blast. Since their friends, Sammy and Jake, also love Rock Music and Linkin Park we decided to go again this year with them. Jordan came with us this time as well. Lori, my business partner and Sammy and Jake's mom, and her husband went.

This is the kids on the way into the concert. They were all very excited, and ready to Rock Out!

Since this was Sammy and Jake's first concert Lori decided that they should be allowed to get T-Shirts. My children have already been to 4 concerts and they got T-shirts at their first concert so Jeff and I decided we were not getting them new shirts. This made Jared very angry and I thought for a minute that he was going to ruin his night. I was like "You have 2 choices, either be made at me and have an awful time or get over it and have fun with your friends. I personally am going to have fun."


So while we are waiting for Linkin Park to go on the kids were playing and have a great time, that is everyone expect Jared.

Once the concert started everyone started signing and having a great time. Jared even came around and he was rocking out like the rest of us. About 1/2 way through the concert a security guard came up to us. I thought they were going to tell Devon to put his camera away, he had been recording part of the concert with the camera. The guard said "We need you to move into the pavilion because there is some bad weather coming."

We went into the pavilion and took the first 5 seats we could find. The kids were so very excited because now they were even closer. Jared informed me that he would like to sit in here from now on. We never sit in the pavilion because I am afraid it will be to loud and there really isn't any room to run around. Now I know if we take Jared he would like to sit there.

Jordan feel sleep as usually. This time she only slept for 1 song and it was right at the very end. So we are making progress with her.

After the concert we decided we would try and go to Denny's. Around here going to Denny's after a concert is a Right of Passage. It is like you have officially made it to the big time. So we went to Denny's. We had to wake Jordan up and she looked 1/2 dead and she ate all of her food.

I am hoping this is something the kids will remember for the rest of their lives. They have crazy wild parents that like to ROCK OUT, sing and the top of their lungs and dance around with not a care in the world.

Concert

Friday night we took the kids to see Hinder, Staind, and 3 Doors Down. We had a blast. Jordan was jumping around and headbanging like she has been doing this for years. At one point she came to me and said, "Momma, my head hurts."

I was like "Well if stopped all the head banging for a few minutes and just relaxed a little it might hurt so much." So she sat with me and feel asleep.

I did not realize that this concert was going to go so late, when Staind went on it was 9:00 and we still had one more band after that. Jordan feel asleep during Staind's last song and she slept though most of 3 Doors Down. Although she slept for part of the concert, she still had a great time and this is something she will remember for the rest of her life.

Jared and his best friend, Gage, could not stop talking about the concert. Jared would like to be in band some day and I always tell him, if that is what he wants then go for it. Since Gage was with us they both decided that being on stage is something they can do. Yesterday they spent the afternoon at Gage's writing songs and coming up with new beats. Someday maybe they will be on the stage and I will be in the front row cheering them on.

While Devon has fun at concerts, this one was to late for him. He is my artsy fartsy kid that loves to draw and look at the world quietly. Sometimes I think he only goes to concerts because that is what Jeff and I like to do. Someday he will confess that going to concerts was never really his favorite thing to do.

So we have another one tonight and I think everyone is very excited about this one. I will tell you all about it.

Tip of the Day

Give your kids some freedoms!

Yesterday my sister, Laura and her family were over swimming in my pool. My niece is 2 1/2 years old and she had a new bubble on yesterday. The new bubble does not give her as much support as the old one, so she actually has to swim a little in it. Laura and her husband, Eric, kept trying to get their daugther, Adrienne, into the pool. She would just sit on the ladder and whine that she did not want to come in.

I looked at Laura and said leave her a lone. Eric was busy with the baby, they have a 7 month old daughter Casey, so he had left Adrienne alone. I said she will come in when she is ready. So Laura stopped taking to her and what do you know. The next minute Adrienne was off the ladder and swimming.

You have to give kids freedoms whether they are 2 or 22. They need to know that they can do things on their own because you are not always going to be there to hold their hand. If they fall and need help getting back up you will be there for them, the need to fall first though.

So give them little freedoms every now and then and see how much they amaze you by the things that they can do. Children are not as fragile and unintelligent as we may think. They are very smart and learn things very easily.

Tip of the Day

Enjoy time for yourself.

I used to feel guilty about spending time by myself doing something I enjoy or spending time with my friends. Now I love it. I love being with my children and I also realized that I did not need to be with the all the time.

It has made me a better mother and wife because I am now doing things for me. That way I do not feel like I am just some one's mother or wife. I am starting to get me back a little and I love it.

So today do one thing for yourself. Whether it is reading a book or taking a long shower. Enjoy the quiet and love yourself for it.

Why am i so Tired

Maybe because my 11 year old is driving me crazy. He is a great kid and I love spending time with him. He is also very hyper and loves to bother this brother and sister all the time. Like this morning.

It is not even 9:00 and he is running around the house making all kinds of noises and just being a pain. He will sit on the couch and just start bugging one of them. I am so tired of hearing. "Jared, stop it, or Cut it out"

I tried to explain to him why this is a problem and he does not see it that way.

One day when he has an 11 year old and he is complaining about the same things I will be right there reminding him of these days.

Tip of the Day

Remember to wear Sun Screen.

I went to the beach today with the kids. Just the 4 of us and we had a blast. I remembered to put sun screen on the kids and even on myself. I remembered to reapply every 1/2 hour or so. I forgot to put it on the bottom half of my legs and now they are SCREAMING at me. I do not think they will forgive me at this moment.

I have applied cream to them in hopes that the screaming would stop and it hasn't.

Next time I will remember to apply sun screen. The days of baby oil and baking in the sun are over.

Little Girls

So I took Jordan to a jewelry party tonight since her grandmother was the one having it. I knew she would have loads of fun and that she would love trying on all the jewelry and looking at the purses. She got a new necklace and anklet, which she absolutely loves.

On the way home she was talking about my new purse and why she could not use it.

Me: "it is as big as your head. Grandma is going to get you a nice pink one."

Jordan; " Well can't we share this one. Since I am starting to act all lady like now and need a new purse."

Me: "Did you just say lady like."

Jordan: "Yes, since I spend all my time with boys, I do have 2 older brothers you know. I need to start acting like a girl and your new purse will help be do that."

Me: "Not now it won't"

I can not believe that at 7 she is already starting to take over my things. I also think it is funny that she need to start acting like girl, since when she got home she changed out of her dress and put on one of the boys tang tops and PJ bottoms to wear to bed.

I keep telling her all these boys will come in handy one day! She will learn and then we really are in trouble!

Tip of the Day

Making mistakes is okay. I was sitting talking with Lori about parents and why they are a certain way. We both agree that it is because parents do not want to make mistakes.

I say "Make the mistakes. Not only does it let your children know that no one is perfect it will also help them realize it is okay to make mistakes."

I figure I am going to make them so I might as well talk about everything with my kids and let them know that it is okay.

When they were little they looked up to me and thought I was perfect. Now they realize that I make mistakes just like everyone else.

So have fun and remember no one is perfect!

Temple Juice

We are sitting at dinner the other night and the kids ordered Shirley Temples. We started talking about them and how good they were.

Me: "How are those drinks?"

Devon: " Good, but they are just water and temple juice"

Me: "Temple Juice"

Devon: "You know the stuff that makes them good"

Me: " Now I know why you are some smart. It is all that Temple Juice"

Next time I get a drink I am going to order Temple Juice in hopes that it will make me smarter as well.

Troubling Times

Something that has really been bothering me lately is people. I do not know if it is because I just went and saw "The Happening" and then " The Bee Movie" right after or if the Pearl Jam concert really got me thinking.

I was watching a TV show with my children last night, they are 11, 9 and 6. As we sat watching I thought what is wrong with this. The kids in this show have no respect for authority and they think they should be able to do whatever they want. This make no sense to me. I am raising my kids to understand that they should respect people even if they do not like them and that there are consequences to the choice you make. Then they watch TV and get a totally different message. I never knew how much this bothered me until recently.

We always watch TV together and talk about the shows, and it made me think about all the kids out there who don't have that. They are watching these shows and thinking there is nothing wrong with the ways children are acting in them. It is very sad.

As I was talking to Lori about this she brought up another very good point. Children in TV shows or Movies usually don't tell there parents about the awful or difficult things that are happening to them. Another mistake because if my child was in trouble I would want to be the first person they come to. I want them to feel safe enough to be able to tell me anything.

So hopefully I am doing my job correctly, as their parent, and they will come to me. I hope that I have instilled enough values in them to make the right choices. I know that they are not perfect and they know this as well. Why because I am always telling them NOBODY IS PERFECT!

Happy 4th

Happy 4th to all.

We do not have big plans for the Holiday weekend. I am working today at the Monson Summerfest. We have been working at this fair for 3 years and we always have fun at it. It does usually rain and it looks like it will rain again this year.

Devon is playing in a soccer tournament and I think he is very excited about that. He has not seen any of his soccer friends since the season ended.

Looks like a quiet weekend for us

Enjoy and party lots!

Pearl Jam

We took the boys to see Pearl Jam on Monday night we had an awesome time. I think the boys really enjoyed it except for a few things, it was really loud, the people were crazy, and there was to much smoke. Okay so maybe I forgot how insane some concerts can be.

There were so many people there it amazed me. The smoke was a little much and the drugs, I completely for got about the drugs. Couple of funny things happened.

First, you can bring water bottles into a concert, but you can not keep the caps. This drives me up the wall. I can have lighters and all sorts of other things, I just can not have the cap to my water bottle, it makes total sense.

Second, I hate peoples lack of regard for certain things. I also can not believe how lazy some people can be. We are standing watching the concert enjoying the music when the following happened.

Stephen, who was standing next to me, turns and yells, "Dude, What the FUCK is your problem!"

I turn to see why and the guy behind us was peeing right there. I could not believe it. Like the bathrooms are so far away you can't walk to them or pee in a cup. No just peed right there on the ground. Jeff and I had just seen the happening and I now understand why nature would revolt against us. We are the most inconsiderate and disgusting creatures on this planet.

After all the my night was made because they played "Footsteps" This is the only song that I really wanted to hear because I have never seen them play it in concert. It means a great deal to me for many reasons and I am so glad that they played it.

All and all the night was a blast and I am so glad we went.