10:47 a.m. - Wednesday, Jun. 23, 2004
Friendship bracelets

Friendship bracelets

Remember those things? An interwoven series of knots made out of embroidery thread. Yeah, I must've had a dozen on my wrist (left NOT right) when I was 18 or 19 (back before dinosaurs had brains). Now, they are apparently resurging and becoming popular (so I was told). My 10 year old asked me to show him to how make one. I carefully take my time and show him strand by strand how to knot the strings. I also showed him how to make one because Queen El Dorko herself (*points to herself*) made one for *HER* wrist. Ok, so the kid is sitting there intently staring at this thread as he knots and unknots and reknots. Finally, I couldn't take it anymore... I had him show me what he had done thus far. The poor thing, and this is why he's getting a full-scholarship to MIT when he's older... because he can't make a friendship bracelet to save his life... and bless his little heart, he actually acted like he enjoyed my company for the 40 minutes it took him to make one. It's not that bad for the first try, which is what I told him, and he proudly wears it on his RIGHT wrist (against mom's insistence that it go on the OTHER wrist), because he's a LEFTY and it would interfere with his writing AND eating (of which he only has been doing the latter).

It's a rainbow one. I'm nervous because well, he's not the rainbow TYPE, however, I didn't have a lot of this thread in my craft box, so I let him pick his colors... of which he simultaneously picked (in this order): Orange, Red, Yellow and Green.

Well, once that was finished, the OLDER one comes sauntering home (after a trip to Dorney and a sleepover at his friend's) to start demanding that I show HIM how to make a bracelet.

You'd THINK that maybe they'd remember to not be demanding of the woman who suffered to bring them into this world and is continuing to suffer in order to walk them through this portion (and at times, feeling as though they need a little drop-kicking)...

However, anticipating that Mr. Bossy would do that, I had already nearly finished one for him. (Red and Orange) So, when it finished, I called over my 13 year old Super-Ass and he sticks his hand IN my face and says, "Put it on me babEE."

Ya, a smart ass who can't even get a LINE going for himself.

I told him if he calls me babee one more time, I'm going to tie the bracelet around something else that will remind him to NOT call women BABEE. So, he corrected himself: "Could you put it on this wrist mom?" (while batting his eyelashes)

So, I've tagged both my boys who now insist that I make one for the baby's ANKLE since then he won't rip it off and throw it away. I'm thinking, is there a LAW that prohibits a person from tying strings around a baby's ankle before taking him to the pool? (I'm betting there IS...)

Here's a little news reaction from my point of view:

As the news of the latest execution victim was unraveled last night for all of us to hear and see, I couldn't help but wonder how far these individuals would go to make their point? If they seek blame for their actions, blaming US Soldiers for humiliating Iraqi/Al Qaida prisoners is unbalanced attempt to vindicate themselves and eradicate their part of these tragedies. The beheadings have been happening for some time. I believe the first during this war was Daniel Pearl, the journalist, in 2002. The second was Robert Jacobs (who was shot first then it appeared that he was decapitated). The third- Nick Berg and the last was Paul Johnson, Jr. and the South Korean man- Kim Sun-Il. I'm sure there were more, but our media uses what it deems as necessary to evoke whatever emotions they desire. And, for the most part, it works...

My point is this- even though I'm personally embarassed for the humiliation the prisoners endured under American guard, it doesn't nearly compare to the sadistic decapitations that are happening over there. It's as though you are comparing apples to pickup trucks. Yes, naked Arab men are icky, however, a headless body outranks that by plenty. This is war, and unfortunately people die. I just wish there was more that the military forces could do to PROTECT the civilians who work hard to ensure that the MILITARY equipment works.

I offer my humblest sympathies to the families of those who were killed.

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