Jeans and Jealousies.

 

(This was one of their friendlier moments today. Birthday party forgotten . . . by Lincoln, anyway.)

I was putting my jeans on this morning and I got to thinking.  My jeans slipped right on, not too tight, just perfect.  Cozy.  I thought to myself--with a hint of satisfaction--that it was a slight miracle because I've done zippo in the exercise department for about four weeks (I'm glad you all know I'm a slacker).  And then it hit me.  My jeans all feel great because I haven't washed them in a loooonng time (slacker in the laundering-of-jeans department, too)!  They're all stretched out!  It's amazing how we can rationalize something--like staying slim without exercise--so much that it almost seems true.  Almost.

Annie said the prayer on dinner tonight.  "Please bless us that we won't have a food fight.  And please bless us that we won't pick our noses."  Ben and I peeked at eachother with shared smiles.

Annie got invited to her first birthday party today!  She carried the invitation around with her ALL DAY LONG!  She kept asking me if it was Saturday yet.  Sweet girl.  Unfortunately, Lincoln was EXTREMELY jealous.  So much so that when I wasn't looking, he would pinch her or do something to make her cry.  When confronted he kept saying, "It's not fair.  Why does Annie get to go to a birthday party?" How quickly he forgets that he just went to a birthday party two weeks ago! Hmm.  He's is hyper-aware of others' good fortune which often blinds him to his own. We've got some work to do.

On a side note, completely unrelated to anything (Ben flipped to the Grammy's on the tele), my heart kind of aches when I see beautiful women who are either oblivious or guileful concerning the affect they have on society.  I imagine all the good a beautiful, talented, and capable woman can do in the world today, the influence she can have, etc. and when I see her living below her potential I feel so sad.  I think about all the impressionable girls and women, men even, who are affected by her.  We are a visual people.  I know, you don't have to be beautiful to make a difference.  But, there is definite power in beauty and when I see it abused I just, I don't know, I just wish things were different. So, if you're gonna be beautiful, be good, too. Because if you're beautiful, the world is gonna judge you harsher from the get-go, anyway.  People will judge you before they even know you.  Prove them wrong.  Be kind, be good, use your beauty for good.  I'm talking to you, Katy "I Kissed a Girl" Perry.  Sorry for the soapbox moment. This is just me talking.