Guilty Pleasures

Anyone who knows me knows that my world totally revolves around my kids.

I'm only human, though, right? So I think I deserve a moment here and there--just a moment--to enjoy some of the things that make me feel a little more alive.

Whenever the kids are settled and occupied, I try to indulge in some of these guilty pleasures. Right on cue, though......here they come to interrupt my brief moment of bliss (and I really think they do it just to annoy the piss out of me!).

So, after years of pent up frustration over this, I have come up with some creative ways to combat it:

Guilty Pleasure #1: Looking at off-kilter material or playing games on the computer

The very MOMENT I sit down to either play some stupid game or browse online for politically incorrect/questionable yet hysterical material online they all crowd me out to see what I am doing and beg to see for themselves......SOLUTION: I keep another tab open with some mind numbingly boring statistics or medical jargon, and as soon as I hear footsteps, I flip over so when they ask I can just read it to them--they leave me alone pretty quickly after that! (NOTE: this USED to work with political or news pages, but then my kids all turned into political junkies like myself so it started to backfire!)

Guilty Pleasure #2:  Reading (I know it's not a "guilty" pleasure, but the principle is the same.)

No matter what I have just sat down to read--magazine, novel, self-help book on how to NOT lose your sanity before your youngest is in school--they HAVE to take it from me to read for themselves.....SOLUTION: I set my reading materials on the coffee table and sit down to read one of their books.  After a bit of mild resistance, I give in and let them take it, then I grab MY book.

Guilty Pleasure #3: Kitchen Dance Parties with music the I want to listen to

The kids and I all LOVE to dance! We dance every chance we get, but sometimes I want to be able to control the music selection! Don't get me wrong, they NEVER make me listen to stupid little kid songs, but I get tired of 3 kids arguing for 20 minutes over what song to play next and then changing their mind 10 seconds into the song.......SOLUTION: I set a play list of all the music I want to hear before I even play anything. Then, when the arguing starts, I mess with the computer for a bit and tell them it must be broken because I can't change anything.

Guilty Pleasure #4: Eavesdropping on someone else's argument



As soon as I hear that distant mumble of fighting, my ears perk up, and sure enough one of them comes running with something they "HAVE to tell me" and won't stop talking until the good part of the argument is over........SOLUTION: As soon as I hear the first word out of their mouths, I act all excited and say,

"Hey! You've gotta hear this!! Come help me listen to this!

 (If you're lucky, you might even learn a few new words!)"

Guilty Pleasure #5: FACEBOOK

Just get over it!! I'll get off the computer when I'm good and ready!!