Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Rose colored glasses

There had better be some serious May flowers after all this rain.

Maybe from going to bed late, being up all night and then getting up too early. Maybe from the trip to the post office to put all our money in the mail box addressed to the government. Maybe because it won't stop raining. I am in a bland washed out mood. I know this is nothing compared to lots of places, its only been a few days. I don't know what I would do in the pacific north west.

I am in a better mood than when I woke up, so there is hope. I finally got my one pair of jeans that fits washed, so I am no longer wearing one of the arsenal of clown pants jeans I have that fall down all the time. That is positive mood inducing.

S and I went to the post office to mail the taxes after dropping H off at school. There was no line, plenty of parking. S insisted on wearing sunglasses, even though as I mentioned it won't stop raining. They are rose colored glasses. Maybe I could learn something here.

I had tried all morning yesterday to write the tax checks, and prevent them from getting yogurt, coffee or markers all over them. I surrendered after about 2 hours of being interrupted. Finally at S's nap time, I revisited the pile of papers on the table that I had been threatening the life of anyone who touched. H wanted to do some kind of craft involving small plastic pieces that you cook in the oven to becomes larger stuck together plastic pieces. I told her we could do that after I finished up the taxes. There is nothing more joyous than doing taxes and hearing "Are you done yet?" Looped over and over. H eventually decided to do a puzzle to pass the time- she shoved all the tax papers over to make room- and then began her constant puzzle humming.

During this exercise of extreme patience on my part, H switched from humming to questioning. "Will I have to pay taxes when I grow up?" She looked scared. I tried to explain the good side of taxes. They are used for libraries (except a lot of our local libraries will be closed soon) Used for parks, to fix streets (our neighborhood pools are closing, and our street has 5 potholes at last count). I didn't mention war. I didn't mention how the taxes don't pay for us to go to the doctor. It was the Pollyanna tax talk. We talked about jobs. She asked what my job was. I told her it was my job to take care of her and her sister, to take care of the house, to pay the taxes. H said "You have a lot of jobs" I thought, you have no idea. Then she asked if I send out bills. No, I told her I don't get paid for my job. To this she said " You should get a job with the government. I'll take care of Stella. Then Daddy can come home and play with us."

I'm going to borrow S's rose colored glasses for the rest of the day.

1 comment:

Left of Ordinary said...

When you're done with those glasses, send them over my way. :)