Thursday, October 29, 2009

The Snow Won't Stop!

I had to drive in the snow yesterday.

I didn’t have a choice.

I had to go to Tommy’s Parent/Teacher conference.

I was afraid. I hate driving in the snow.

Tom was unsympathetic as he left for work.

“It’s not bad. Deal with it.”

It’s easy for him to say since he has a gigantic truck.

I just have a tiny hybrid.

I was a little nervous when I first started out. I was gripping the wheel so hard that my knuckles were white.

“Are you okay, Mommy?” Tommy asked from the backseat.

“Mommy is great!” I squeaked.

“Are we going to die?” Tommy wondered.

“No. Not at all!” I was still speaking in a high-pitched tone. The snow was coming down at full force and the roads were icy. Oh, and my car was yelling at me because I wasn’t driving in an eco manner.

“I can’t! It’s snowing!” I snapped at the display. It doesn’t really yell. The display just turns this irritating shade of blue. I’m beginning to hate the color blue because of it. It’s all happy and green when you’re driving in a “green” manner. But heaven forbid you have to push on the gas!

When I finally made it to the school my eco score was pretty low. Yup, you get scored on how well you drive. “You stupid car! It’s snowing!” I said again. I know it can’t hear me. But I was on edge.

Basically, Tommy is doing really well in school. He got an excellent report card. He got all 3s, which means that he’s proficient in all areas. He’s still a few levels down where he should be in reading but on everything else, he’s in the normal range. I breathed a sigh of relief when the teacher told me this. I’ve always worried about Tommy. Probably since he was two and we realized he was speech delayed. He was never able to sit still in preschool and in Kindergarten he had all sorts of meltdowns. But now…now he’s doing great.

“He has some of the best manners I’ve ever seen,” the teacher added. “He always tells me ‘Bless you’ if I sneeze, always says ‘please’ and ‘thank you.’”

I sat up proudly when she said that. I’ve always taught my kids manners from the beginning. It’s probably why Natalie screams, “No THANKS!” if she doesn’t want to do something.

“And Tommy doesn’t tell….inappropriate jokes at school?” I asked the teacher cautiously. At home he likes to talk abut his butt. I have no idea why.

“Not at all,” the teacher assured me.

Phew.

I guess the butt jokes are just a treat for me then. Nice.

So after that I had to drive back home in the snow.

Thankfully I made it home safely.

I had planned on going to Wal-Mart but there was no way I was driving in that weather. So I called Tom and said when he got off work that we’d all go.

“The roads aren’t bad!” Tom argued.

“Yes. For a TRUCK!” I shot back.

“Oh fine. I can pick up my pie things,” Tom agreed. (He’s obsessed with these little apple pies.)

So we went to Wal-Mart and I picked up a cake.

“What’s that for?” Tom wondered. He’s a little strange. He thinks that there always has to be a reason for cake.

“For your mother’s visit, of course!” I quickly said. I mean, why not?

I had the Wal-Mart worker write, “Welcome Grandma” on the cake.

“Oh. Is your Mom coming to visit?” the baker asked me as she scrolled out the words with frosting. Mmmmm. I wonder if I could swipe one of those frosting containers and run off with it…

“No. It’s my husband’s Mom,” I answered.

The baker looked up with a start, just as the cashier from yesterday had done. “Your mother in law?” She hissed the word as though it were naughty.

“Yes. But don’t worry, I get along with her.”

The baker raised an eyebrow. “People can get along with their mother-in-laws?”

I shrugged. “Apparently so!”

When I got the cake back, I set it in the cart and said to Tom, “That’s the second person I’ve met who’s surprised that I get along with my mother-in-law. It’s not so strange. I mean, you get along with my mother.”

Tom made a face. “Actually....” he began jokingly.

I smacked him lightly on the shoulder and he laughed.

“Okay! I do! But in the beginning I thought your mom was nuts!” He only thinks this because one time he came over for dinner and my Mom didn’t have sour cream. We were having tacos and apparently it’s his rule that you MUST have sour cream with tacos. So when Mom said, “Oh, we don’t use that,” he sort of blinked in surprise.

He later told me he wanted to yell, “NOOOOOOOO!” with his hands in the air.

He really loves his sour cream. He pays extra for it at Taco Bell even if we have some in the fridge.

Yes, this bugs me.

So anyhow, as I’ve mentioned before, my Mother-in-law comes Friday (if this snow lets up!) and I’ve been cleaning like mad. Tom has been stretched on the couch and when I shrieked, “Are you going to HELP?” he went, “Help with WHAT?” and I went, “Your mother’s VISIT!” He looked positively gobsmacked as though he’s never heard of the concept of anal cleaning when a visitor comes.

She’s here until Wednesday so if I’m not on that much, it’s because I’m entertaining.

And, you know, snacking on the delicious potato salad that she makes.

Rumor also has it that she’s going to make cookies....

35 comments:

  1. No wonder you like your mother-in-law!

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    1. My husband tends to get all cocky when he drives in the snow because he has the 4x4 too. I just have a little old lady vehicle. I totally understand ya. دانلود آهنگ های ایرانی

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  2. I hope you Mom-in-law can make "proper brownies" too!!

    :) Just teasin' ya.

    Driving in snow is no fun - even in a truck... and its way tooooooo early for it this year.

    I'm happy to hear Tommy is doing well in school and that he saves his "extra good" jokes just for you!!

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  3. My husband tends to get all cocky when he drives in the snow because he has the 4x4 too. I just have a little old lady vehicle. I totally understand ya.

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  4. Oh now I have hope that all the "in poor taste" humor that happens in my house stays in my house. Thanks!

    And I too clean manically when visitors are coming and my hubby...does nothing.

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  5. That is too funny about your daughter! I was actually going to post about my son and his manners and the crazy things he says. Just the other day he would not leave his little sister alone. I said "BE NICE TO YOUR SISTER!". He replied, "No, thank you". HA!

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  6. Few people are blessed with bomb ass MILs. :)

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  7. Your MIL cooks when she visits!? Can we trade? LOL

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  8. I dont understand...what is this snow stuff you speak of? We dont see that stuff here in the desert

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  9. I too hate driving in the snow. I drive like a granny!

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  10. I really like me MIL too. We have a great relationship. What is just with all this MIL hate?

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  11. I miss snow but hate driving in it! My MIL hates me and I well hate is a strong word but I strongly dislike her too. I'm happy that some MIL can be nice! I think it is rare! What kind of cookies...hell it doesn't matter is cookies right!

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  12. My husband totally misses the point before the freak out clean before company visits. I don't get it...it seems so obvious.

    And I'm pretty sure all boys like to tell butt jokes. Glad everything is going well at school.

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  13. My mom cooks when she visits.. my MIL doesn't visit :) she is 95 no lie.

    I HATE to drive in the snow as well.. I have an all wheel so it isnt too bad

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  14. I love my MIL. She's the best.
    It's not that uncommon, or, maybe it is and we are just so totally awesome??
    Let's go with that.

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  15. I know you Tom, Tommy and Natalie are going to enjoy your mother-in-laws visit. I still say have her cook lots and freeze it.

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  16. You've got my sympathy on the snow thing--our school bus was canceled today. Oh, and your hubby has my approval on the sour cream deal, I mean--it's a food group isn't it?!

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  17. I so love that you get along well with your mother-in-law. I make a special effort to have good relationships with my kids' spouses and/or significant others.

    Hooray for Tommy! He's really doing so great-- good grades, good manners (I posted about good manners AGAIN today) AND no butt jokes! Yahoo!

    Do we get the potato salad recipe?

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  18. Have fun with your MIL. You're in amazingly good spirits! She must be special.

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  19. Snow? Yuk!

    Does your MIL make brownies from scratch? Is that how Tom turned in to be such a brownie snob? LOL!

    Hope you have a good visit.

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  20. First of all, sour cream is totally weird, so GO YOUR MOM!

    Second, where do you live? I think I've asked this before? Colorado because DAMN this snow is nuts!

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  21. Your MIL and my MIL are total opposites.

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  22. My MIL and I do not get along. Never have. Never will. She doesn't clean her house. Like ever. And she cannot cook. When my kids were little they wouldn't ever eat at her house "because it didn't taste like mommy's" and she used to get really mad.

    But we are civil now. Which is better then it used to be. I keep telling my daughter to marry someone whose mother she gets along with. It will make her life easier.

    ♥Spot

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  23. I have a few nightmares myself of driving in snow...I hate it too and I totally white knuckle the steering wheel and yell at my kids while I drive...glad I'm not the only one, LOL!

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  24. I hate driving in snow! That's why I moved South :) How odd, my hybrid turns more blue, the better score I get! Oh and my MIL was CRAZY!! Luckily she ran away screaming in the night with my cheating ex :)

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  25. Enjoy the Monster-In-Laws visit, the cake and Happy Halloween.

    Way to Go Tommy!!!

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  26. Hello to your mom-in-law...
    Hope you have a wonderful weekend! :)

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  27. My MIL is a nice woman. It's my wife I feel sorry for - hers is thousands of miles away and will probably never form a bond with her.

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  28. You're not alone! I actually get along better with her than my own mother sometimes!

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  29. I love my MIL. I like to tell people that my Husband got the bad inlaws. (We love my family, they are just extremely opinionated and drive us NUTS.) So yeah, I totally understand the confusion from other people. "Wait...you...LIKE your inlaws?..." *head explodes*

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  30. I don't like driving in snow either, but hubby got me a suburban this summer so i won't panic so much and I was raised in MN, ya think i'd be used to it by now. LOL

    Hope she bakes you some cookies lol Enjoy the visit with her and glad your sons PTC was a good one :)

    Following you now too!
    http://www.homespunheartscandles.blogspot.com

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  31. so glad tommy is doing so well!!

    and yea, if i had to drive in snow.. well unless it was an emergency.. i don't think i would!!

    have a great visit and a great wkend!!

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  32. LOL - glad you made it home safe and sound! I hope you have a wonderful time and visit with your mother-in-law - I happen to be VERY good friends with my mother-in-law as well! Big hugs! ;o)

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