When I Want Your Opinion I'll Ask for It. (Alternate title: Shut Up Already)

I'm beginning to hate Facebook.

Normally the "social media" site tends to just be annoying and full of humlebragging but the thing that is turning me off lately is the overwhelming trend of posting your contrary opinion on a post when NO ONE ASKED FOR IT.

Look, I get it. Everyone likes to post status updated on Facebook. But guess what? You don't need to post your opinion on every status update. If I say "I'm so sick and tired of all this snow and cold weather!" you don't need to post "but you live in Ohio!" or "If you don't like the weather, move!"

I know I live in Ohio.
I can still hate winter.
And I'm not moving anytime soon.

And when I post about how annoyed I am that we have yet ANOTHER SNOW DAY (number 9 or 10 ... I've lost count) there's no reason to yell at me about the dangers of having my kids on the school bus in freezing rain.

Because (1) there's NO freezing rain, and (2) it's only snowing outside right now and then kids would already be at school.

Here's the thing - if I want your opinion I'll ask for it. As in "Hey guys what color is this dress? It totally looks white and gold to me."

But if I'm posting a status about how I can't wait to see 'Fifty Shades of Grey' don't post something about how I'm a bad person and I'm supporting abuse. It's a freaking movie. If you don't like it, don't go see it. If I post a status about another snow day and my overall annoyance about winter in general don't try to start a debate with me about the safety of traveling in the snow.

I'm not going to play your stupid game.
And I'll just end up blogging about it.

I see status updates every single day on Facebook where I think "wow, I could really say something here" but I don't. You want to know why? Because I freaking have self control and I know that no good will come from me voicing my opinion when no one asked for it.

And yeah, I'm annoyed right now.

A good rule of thumb - if you wouldn't say it to someone in person then perhaps you shouldn't post it on Facebook. And if you would say it to someone in person perhaps you need to rethink how you interact with people.

#RantOver

Making lists

I am a list maker.
If list making was an Olympic sport, I'd medal every single time.

I make lists for darn near everything.
Grocery lists.
To do lists for home and office.
Blogging lists - what I should blog about, what I might blog about, what I'll never blog about.
Twitter lists.
Christmas lists.
Packing lists for Disney.

Lists, lists everywhere.
I have notebooks and pens all over my house, just in case the urge to make a list suddenly hits as I'm watching television, or cooking dinner, or tweeting.

I'm a fan of lists..for the most part.

I like being added to some lists - you know, the ones that end in fun and frivolity.
Christmas lists.
Secret Santa lists.
Party invitation lists.
'Follow these people on Twitter' lists.

What I'm not a fan of is being put on negative lists - you know, the ones from which nothing good comes.
Sh*t lists.
"To be fired" lists.
Complaint lists.
Santa's naughty list.
Telemarketer call lists.
Spam e-mail lists.

So, to recap....
Positive lists = good.
Negative lists = bad.

You get the picture, right?
Good.
Now if you'll excuse me...I have some lists to make.

Um, thanks...but I don't remember asking

I should know better than to go grocery shopping with two kids in tow.

It never ends well.

But, wanting to get this one 'chore' out of the way for the week and needing to get the kids (and myself) out of the house for a little bit, I decided "Hey! Let's go to the grocery store!"

I bribed the kids with lunch at McDonald's first, figuring that if they had been fed perhaps they would be OK.

I might have also told them that if they didn't behave and if I had to tell them to "walk", "hold hands", "don't touch", or "stop running" at any point during the trip to the store, I would be sending Santa Claus an e-mail as soon as we returned home and maybe, just maybe, he would skip our house on Christmas Eve.

Yeah, I might have said that. :) [Oh, go ahead. Judge me. I have to play the 'Santa Card' while I still can.]

But I digress from the point of this story.

See, as we're walking through the aisles of the store I said to the girls "Hold on guys...mommy needs to stop here." And of course, they didn't listen. So I said "Girls! Stop walking. Now."

And then suddenly this woman says to me "Oh, mom. They're just having fun. They grow up so fast, you should enjoy it."

WH-WHA-WHA-WHAT?????

I'm sorry, I must be losing my hearing, because I swear you just told me how to parent MY children.

I looked at her and as politely as I could said, "Yeah. Thanks."

And she just kept talking about how I needed to enjoy my kids now because before I know it they'll be all grown up, blah blah blah.

[And I'm thinking, no...if you keep blabbing on like this, before I know it my kids will be in the dairy section. Alone. Because I'm stuck here, listening to you give me unsolicited and unwanted "advice".]

Grrr.

Here's my issue with this. These are MY kids. And therefore if I want to tell them (somewhat sternly) to stay put while we're in a public place (that could be full of potential monsters who steal small children), well that's my choice. So you, Miss BUTTINSKY, should just mind your own business.

I know that kids grow up too fast. I get that. But kids also get lost (or worse) when they wander away from their parents. And that is not a risk I'm willing to take.

And so, the point of this story is: unless (1) you know me somehow and (2) I actually ask you for your opinion, do NOT tell me how I should (a) parent my children or (b) stop and "enjoy" my children as they run wildly through the grocery store.

I've got it all under control.

Most of the time.