Alison Hodgson

Expert on the etiquette of perilous times.

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Archives for February 2008

Good Mother

February 29, 2008 by Alison Hodgson 3 Comments

There are times that I wonder if my colleagues have secret meetings without me and schedule our days so that at all times, at least one of them, is misbehaving.  I’ve never actually come across the little planners I picture, but I won’t be surprised if I ever do.

Now, as regular readers know, we have a heavy lifter, if you will, someone who carries the bulk of the naughty behavior, but even a work horse needs a break and then one of the little fillies is right there with a whole new twist.   
The other night at bedtime, Eden must have had “Push Mom to the limit” in pen in her planner.  I won’t give you the gory details.  Suffice it to say she was naughty, repeatedly.  I stayed calm and firm and took away some privileges, which ticked her off.  She was screaming and yelling blame at me, as I tucked her in, kissed her and left the room.  Sweet dreams.
I was done with her.  Had the gypsies happened by at that moment I would have gladly packed her suitcase and carried it out to the caravan, so it’s good that they didn’t.   I went and sat on my bed.  She continued to scream and yell.  I practiced breathing.  In the repeated exhalation and inhalation some of the anger was released and a little compassion came in it’s place.  It stinks to fall asleep crying, blaming someone else for your unhappy situation that, if you’re honest, you know is your own fault. 
I went back in and asked Eden if she wanted to pray.  She said she didn’t know what to say.  I said I thought she did and waited.  She prayed and asked God to forgive her and then she apologized to me and I forgave her and then I told her to roll over so I could scratch her back and while I did that I sang a soft song that I’ve been singing to her since before she was born. Any of the tightness remaining eased and I felt her relax.
The song ended, but I continued to stroke and scratch her back.  
“Does that feel better?”  I asked.
She turned her head and whispered, “It’s like we’re making a movie, but we didn’t get it right the first time, so we get to make it again.”
Yes.  I’m just learning this myself, but that’s exactly how it is.

Filed Under: Eden, grace, my colleagues, my professional life

Needy Jack H.

February 28, 2008 by Alison Hodgson 1 Comment

The other day Jack was following me everywhere.  I was constantly turning around and running into him.  Every step I took he was right there his nails clicking on the floor.  Don’t get me wrong, I love the dog and his devotion is a beautiful thing, and yet, like anything in excess, it became too much.

And then there was that little bell in my head ringing a warning, but I couldn’t quite figure out what.  It was only when I was taking a shower and Jack pushed his head under the shower curtain and began to delicately lap the water as it ran down the drain, that I recognized what it was.
I think I have myself a Buster. 

Filed Under: Jack

In the bookbag:

February 28, 2008 by Alison Hodgson 7 Comments

“Coloring Outside The Lines, Raising a smarter kid by breaking all the rules” by Roger Schank

“Seeing Through Places, Reflections on geography and identity” by Mary Gordon
“The Noonday Demon, An Atlas of Depression” by Andrew Solomon 
“The Lynne Truss Treasury, Columns and Three Comic Novels by the author of Eats, Shoots & Leaves”

Filed Under: reading

Testing…

February 26, 2008 by Alison Hodgson 2 Comments

Playing around with the blog.  I haven’t dared since I accidentally…I don’t even know what I did a couple of years ago and haven’t touched it since.  But who wants to live in fear?

I don’t like the current sitch, but we can work with it.  

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Update

February 25, 2008 by Alison Hodgson 3 Comments

Tanner is fine.  I got an e-mail today.

  
When I lived in Japan I lived on the island of Shikoku.  Often, my friends and family would get excited about things that occurred in Tokyo because that’s the news they got in the States. Someone would call me up concerned about a monsoon in Tokyo and I’d be all, “What!”  It would be like calling someone in South Carolina to ask her about things in New York City.  I think this with Tanner was a similar deal.   But come on, the dude is in Iraq, a little over reaction is fine.
Thanks to those who prayed.
Happy Monday.

Filed Under: prayer, Tanner

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