I don’t verbalize things that I expect to happen enough. I am sure that this is the reason why many people are disappointed when things don’t work out the way they wanted. They blame others for not doing things a certain way or complain out loud that things didn’t work out, but yet they probably, like me never told the parties involved, what it is that they expected before hand. I think next week, I am going to try much harder at telling people what it is that I expect to happen before it happens, and see if it helps.

As with most weeks, the great conversations with the girls are in the car, and we always try to turn them into some kind of life lesson. In a parking lot, while Nathalie was in a store, noticing one of those kids in a “Little Ceasar” costume by the side of the road waving a $5.99 sign, Julia says, “I feel so sorry for the person in the costume”. “Why do you feel sorry for them Julia?” I ask. “Well, they must be hot in there, and also no one is stopping! They are just ignoring them”. Insert life lesson here, “Well Julia, they are getting paid for what they are doing, it is their job. They are probably not that hot, and the cars are not stopping, because it is the middle of the street. If they are hungry, they are pulling into the parking lot, to buy a pizza. Sometimes, you need to do a job that is not the coolest, but it is a job and there is nothing wrong with it”. I sit back proud of my dad speech and look in the mirror to see if the wheels are turning, and as she watches the kid in the suit, franticly wave his great deal sign, she says “They still look a little silly!”

Today, while leaving skating, Julia was complaining about being a little hot, and asked for us to stop off at home, before we went to the party, so she could change. Always wanting to give people a hard time about things, I tell her it is going to cost her, and I wanted to know how much money she had in her pocket. She told me “I have nothing now, but if we stop, I have a toonie at home”. Not wanting to take her money, I tell her “I will take a kiss instead of her money” and with out pausing, she says “I would rather just pay the money”. With Nathalie laughing loud enough for the car next to us to hear, Julia then adds “Well, I can give you both if you want”. For the record, I did get both, but have put the toonie back in her piggy bank when she was not looking.