Learning New Tricks
My Teenagers!
First I want to wish everyone a Very Happy New Year!
I don’t know about you, but I cannot get used to writing 2013. It just feels so weird. I mean, when I was little, we dreamed of having “hover cars” in the year 2000. It seemed so far away back then and now we are already up to year 2o13. Unbelievable. So, where the heck is my hover car anyway?? LOL
For the past few years, I’ve been really busy, revising, editing, polishing, learning how to format, learning Photoshop, and trying to work on some kind of marketing strategy. I’ll be honest. The last one still leaves me completely clueless.
This year will be the first time in a long time I get to devote to coming up with new material. I can’t tell you how refreshing that sounds. I love to write, to create new characters and then put them through all kinds of fun and frustrating situations. I’m so excited to dive back in it’s got me a little worried. What if I can’t? What if the words don’t come? Or if they do, what if they’re all a bunch of baloney that even I don’t want to read.
Sigh… Time to get a grip and remember that the only way to find out is to just do it. Yep, the only way to know the outcome is to welcome the challenge, explore the possibilities, and never stop learning and practicing.
I’ve signed up for our very own Gwen Hernandez’s Scrivener class in February so I can learn this amazing program. I’ve seen some of it in action and I’m very impressed. This will be the way I stay organized in 2013. I can’t wait!
Things I learned in 2012:
- My family really can get along without me. At least for a few days. Having two bunion surgeries back to back over the summer was good for all of us.
- Oldest daughter knew exactly what she was talking about when it come to the SAT scores and college applications.
- Middle daughter was paying attention when instructions for driving were being given and passed her driving test with flying colors.
- Son will make it through middle school. He’s just going to do it “HIS WAY!” (Save me now!)
- *Most Important! Group texts can get you into a lot of trouble and be a great source of comic relief for teenagers. We learned this the hard way on New Year’s Eve.
Oldest daughter sent out “Happy New Year” group text to Mom and Dad and who knows how many of her friends.
Dad accidentally replies, “I’m on my way!” to oldest daughter when trying to text middle daughter, who is needing a ride home.
Dad starts getting weird texts: “Who are you?” “????” “Why?” “I don’t care!”
Both of us are confused until the next morning when Nana text back: “Well, if you are on your way, I better go do my hair!”
After further investigation, we figured out what happened. Dad’s text went to every one of oldest daughter’s friends, plus my mom! It’s really kind of funny. I’ll be extra careful from now on. Those group texts could get you into a lot of trouble!! LOL
Dang, I had no idea I could learn so much. LOL You really can teach an old dog new tricks. 
What’s the best thing you learned in 2012?
Jan 07, 2013 @ 05:45:13
What amazes me is that a couple years ago I’d have had to ask you what the heck a group text was. Not my 67 year old dad does it!
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Jan 07, 2013 @ 13:58:23
LOL Keri! Go Dad!
We must stay on top of this techno stuff or get left behind. That’s a fact!
Jan 07, 2013 @ 06:10:18
Melissa, Hon, we have to talk. I had a doctor’s appt. January 2, and found out I need two foot surgeries too!
As of now, the Texas move is on hold. CRAP!!! Not excercise for 8 months? How is THAT possible?
Hope this isn’t a portent of the year to come…
Jan 07, 2013 @ 11:17:48
foot surgery? What kind? Is that why move to Texas on hold?
Jan 07, 2013 @ 14:00:57
Oh, Laura!! Sending hugs now! So sorry you have to go through this and the move to Texas has been put on hold. All I can say is I’m glad I got them done now. It was hard to go through, but it paid off in the end. Hope you can find some comfort in that.
Melissa Ohnoutka recently posted..In With the New, Out with the Old
Jan 07, 2013 @ 20:53:39
Oh, no! I’m so sorry your move got delayed!
Jan 07, 2013 @ 08:27:26
I get to write new material too and I’m SO excited about it!
As son started Kindergarten this year, I learned I do way too much stuff for him and I’ve got to back off. It’s not that I like to hover, but things I’ve always helped with…I’ve just kept helping with. Simple hygine, for example. I have backed off with brushing teeth. next step- teach him to wash his hair.
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Jan 07, 2013 @ 14:02:53
Smart move, Keri! Start pulling back now. I waited way too late and now all three act like doing things for themselves is some kind of punishment. LOL I’ve got 6 months to get the oldest ready to be on her own before she heads off to college. Geesh…
Melissa Ohnoutka recently posted..In With the New, Out with the Old
Jan 07, 2013 @ 09:55:30
“All change is beneficial”, right?….:)
Jan 07, 2013 @ 14:03:29
LOL That is what I’m told, William! Sure wish it didn’t hurt so bad sometimes.
Melissa Ohnoutka recently posted..In With the New, Out with the Old
Jan 07, 2013 @ 10:05:33
Funny, we don’t have hover cars, but we never saw the Internet’s massive influence on our lives coming, did we?
So glad you’ll be in the class, Melissa! I have to start worrying about SATs and college applications too. Ugh. Of course, worse for my son than me, right?
Jan 07, 2013 @ 14:06:20
You are right, Gwen! I think they’d have put a person in the crazy house for even suggesting such a thing back then. LOL Good luck with the SATs and applications. I get to do it all over again this spring too with the second one. What was I thinking having my girls so close together? Oh, yeah. That’s right. She was a surprise!!! LOL
Melissa Ohnoutka recently posted..In With the New, Out with the Old
Jan 07, 2013 @ 11:19:10
I’m starting something new this year too. New words!
Gwen’s Class – I’m wanting to. Haven’t signed up yet. Chicken!
Jan 07, 2013 @ 14:07:36
Yeah, Cyndi!! New words! Love new words!
I think we should all sign up for the class so we can be the teacher’s pets! LOL
Melissa Ohnoutka recently posted..In With the New, Out with the Old
Jan 07, 2013 @ 21:03:26
LOL on the group text! They did that on a recent episode of Modern Family. It can kill you!
Hmmm. What did I learn… I can’t think of anything, though I know I did. Scrivener! But I’m planning to take Gwen’s class, too.
My kids are extremely self-sufficient, but I’m making a mental list of all the things they haven’t learned. I was in the post office recently, and a young guy, probably late teens, was in line with a stack of cards. The guy in front of me in the loooong line asked if they had a machine in the lobby. I told him yes. That prompted the kid to ask if there was a box or something to put the cards in. They were already stamped. The old guys next to him told him where it was. When he left, one was all, “that’s just sad.” Then there was “What is the world coming to” and “Next thing you know, they won’t be learning penmanship.”
Because joined-up writing is a sign of a healthy society.
But my kids haven’t been to the post office with me. I do errands while they’re at school. They barely know how to address an envelope because the only time they do it is for thank-you cards for their birthdays and Christmas.
We’re struggling with the decision on getting Number One a checking account. We want her to have one so she can learn the basics (besides what she had in class oh-so-long ago) while we’re around to teach her. But she can’t get an ATM/check card until she’s 18, and she won’t be 18 until July, and then why bother when she’ll want a bank in Boston in August, anyway. PLUS, she doesn’t spend any money! There won’t be anything to balance when we want to teach her! So we might send our kid to college never having balanced a checkbook.
This new world is complicated! LOL (BTW, last week was the date Marty McFly went to the future. And here we are, no flying cars and no hoverboards!
)
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Jan 08, 2013 @ 07:35:17
Oh, my! I never even thought about the post office. LOL I can’t think of the last time I went to an actual post office. There is a storge place down the road that takes mail and packages and sells stamps too.
For our oldest daughter, we set up a checking account when she was working two summers ago. It’s under both our names so maybe that’s why they gave her the debit card at 16. It sure has come in handy when I need a few things at the grocery store or she runs errands for me. She’s still learning the check book balancing thing but spending money isn’t a problem for her! LOL Good luck!
Melissa Ohnoutka recently posted..In With the New, Out with the Old
Jan 08, 2013 @ 19:27:38
Mine hasn’t had an outside job yet, because she has no way to get there with both of us working, and she doesn’t have her license after 18 months. I’m really embarrassed at how limited she is! LOL
But she went to Holland to play in a soccer tournament the day after she turned 13, and she was amazing with her budget. So I’m not *really* worried.
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Jan 07, 2013 @ 23:08:19
I learned to let go of the things I can’t do. *Sigh* I’ll probably be doing that this year too. I am not superwoman (But I do have the shirt) ; )
Jan 08, 2013 @ 07:36:34
Letting go has to be the hardest thing ever, Shawna! And I want a superwoman shirt too!! LOL
Melissa Ohnoutka recently posted..In With the New, Out with the Old