Worry Dolls

Recently I went to Cave Creek and happened to stop at a craft fair.  Normally I hate those kind of things.  I have a tremendous guilt complex and I hate browsing in someone's booth only to leave empty-handed.

But this time was different.  I found a booth that sold Guatemalan worry dolls.  I'd never heard of them before.  They're dolls made by children in Guatemala and when they have trouble sleeping they tell their worries to the dolls and put them under their pillows.  The idea is that the doll does the worrying for them so they can rest easy.  I bought a ton of them.

Of course I don't believe in the folklore but I like the idea.  I'm a worry wart.  I come from a long line of worriers.  I like having the little dolls around now to remind me that I need to go against my genetics and give up the worrying.  After all, 85% of what we worry about never happens.  The other 15% usually isn't as bad as we feared it would be anyway.  Can you remember what you were worried about a year ago?  Even a week ago?  Neither can I.

I have a new favorite quote by an unknown author:  "Troubles are like people.  They grow bigger the more you nurse them."  Think about it.

Spring Breakdown

Spring break has officially started for my 13 year-old DD.  For her it's a break from school and teachers and homework and tests.  For me it's more like a breakdown.  A breakdown of the routines I work so hard to establish.  And a nervous breakdown if I'm not careful.

Silly me.  As a SAHM I try and plan fun things for her and her friends to do.  But what does a teenager want to do?  Whatever they feel like at any given moment.  Mine in particular thrives on spontaneity.   For her, planning for the future is deciding what she wants for dinner. 

I can tell already this coming week will be filled with a parade of children running in and out for drinks of water and requests for chauffeur services.  The snacks I bought on sale at Fry's probably won't last through Wednesday.  That's a bummer because when there's no chips in the cupboard I get the long sigh and, "Mom, I'm hungry."  That's a call to action, not a statement by the way.

Oh well.  Secretly, I like having the house all the kids come to.  I know my daughter's friends and I can keep an eye on them.  I'm just looking forward to my break after Spring Break is over.  But I did get some R&R today... I got a pedicure.  For me it's about the awesome massage chairs and the sea salt.  I don't really care about the color.  Although today I got It's Not So Bora Bora-ing Pink.  Very cute.

I'm Out of Love with Facebook

Like most people I never seem to have time to do everything in a day that I want to get done. So I try and prioritize which means that updating my Facebook status is at the bottom of the list.  I logged on today for the first time in ages.  I used to waste countless hours playing Bejeweled Blitz and leaving witty one-liners on friends' walls.  I enjoyed the ego-boosts of friend requests.  It was all kind of fun until I friend'ed too many Facebook junkies. You know these people. They are the ones who keep you in a perpetual water balloon and pillow fight. They suggest you become a fan of this-or-that and join obscure causes. They want you on their YoVille crew and they want to be your neighbor in Farmville. They send you hearts and flair and smiles and lattes and hugs and blah-blah-blah.  I feel guilty ignoring these requests but I do it all the time.

Which leads me to a question.  Is there appropriate Facebook etiquette for how many quizzes you have to take?  How many snowballs do you have to throw before you can end the fight?  I wonder what Miss Manners would have to say.

So if you're one of the many whose requests I've ignored, I'm sorry.  I just don't have the time to write a testimonial or accept quiz challenges on 80s movies (which I'm pretty good at, by the way.)  But I'm almost always up for a chat at Starbucks.  I'm powered by caffeine.  And that's a request I'm not likely to ignore.