Sorry for repeating myself cordy, every time I look at it it makes my blood boil.
To set the scene, hubby and I have spent the summer,slowly painting, wallpapering and tiling various bits of the house (and yes the fingers have paid the price).
Hubby and I decided to go the whole hog and forgo a weeks break to the Med. to have a new hall, stairs and landing carpet put in. It looks fab.... so nice I keep looking at it (sad I know, but we waited 9 years for it
On Thursday last week, 17 1/2 year old calls in a panic to do the 'really, really, really, really' sorry thing. What have you done I ask, he says I've spilt liquid black boot polish on your new carpet. I tell him I'm too angry to speak to him and put the phone down. 5 mins later I ring back to ask him how big is the spill (unfortunately, he's not prone to exaggeration) and tells me its big. I tell him to go to work and leave it. When I get home and remove the kitchen roll from the spill I cry.
We put a rug over it and forgot about it for the weekend but I lifted it this morning and my upset hit me again, slap in the face.
My insurance are going to pay for a replacement, but I'm so mad that son of 17 tried to open the polish in the hall and not either outside/in kitchen with paper on floor. Why do they do things like this?
Then my four legged baby, Milo, decides that birds and mice are no longer fun because they die of heart attack when he catches and this morning brought me home ANOTHER baby rabbit! I know this is what cats do.... but I've got a fox that sits in the garden sunning himself whilst the magpies go mad, a cat that thinks he's a hunting dog.... a very capable one; and a young man who.... well just dont get me started.
Big breath in, big breath out, big breath in yadda yadda
Just want some peace... is that tooo much to ask for?LOL Oh Sarah!!!! I'm sorry. Why do 17 year olds do what they do? I don't know. And I can remember BEING 17, and I still can't tell you. I can say that from about 14-19 it really feels like your head has been kidnapped by aliens and they are controlling your every move. So don't blame your son, blame the aliens.
I can't speak for all men but as a man I have a tendancy to go after my objective w/o thinking of the consequences of what I do to get there. It's called:
Ready! Fire! Aim!
Hope you have a better evening!
Chris
Deep breaths, Sarah.
17 year olds are definitely not on the same planet as the rest of us, if he didnt have to go to work he'd sleep all day and be up all night (I know this is totally normal behaviour for teenagers). He's not a bad lad but I could have killed him. The old carpet had been downfor 8 years before we moved in so we were so pleased to get rid of it.
Re: Milo, I'm not kidding but the first rabbit he brought home could have been skinned and cooked. He must have had to drag it home like a tiger does with a kill, you know holding the prey in his teeth with the kill dragging between his front two legs! I know he loves me.... little bugger!
Sorry that's happened Sweetie. I can imagine how upset you still are about the situation.
Yes, my boss said the same thing, she said there was an irony in the whole incident in that she didnt know a 17 year old who would polish their shoes.
As previously mentioned I'm a forces child, brought up by very strict forces parents, married a forces guy so polished shoes maketh the man and all that.... He irons his owns stuff (has done since he was 11), keeps a tidy room (nothing to do with me, we've always kept out of his room saying that its his personal space (apart from a wednesday when I hoover and dust upstairs) and he cooks too.....he'll make someone a lovely husband one day (in the long distant future)!Wills, I know this may not help....but it is only carpet. And I say this because
your 17 is young, alive, and healthy. He could have called you(or better yet,
the police) to tell you he was in a horrific accident and may not live. I know I
have been really upset about things like when my daughters boxer came to
visit and ruined my cherry floors that had just been installed. (I was furious).
I told my mom about it and she said to me....Think of it this way...Every
scratch in your new floor is a memory. So, this is the way I look at it now
because otherwise I would be absolutely nuts and let me tell you, I have a
memory of every single scratch in that expensive floor but i say that with
humor and not anger. Try to see it that way if you can and years down the
road, it will be a funny story you all share at the family dinner. I hope this
helps and does not make you more angry and upset. Hugggs
Hi Lori
Yes 17 year old alive a kicking. Normally this would have been a 'done & gone' incident but I've a lot going on at the mo and not really up to the emotional strain..... who'd have thought a stain on a new carpet would be an emotional strain?*
Thanks for the hugs, appreciated.
Oh Sarah, I'm sorry about the new carpet. I've had five 17 year old boys at one time or another so I know how aggravating(and lovable, I might add)they can be. But hey, he took responsibility for himself. He could have made up some huge story but he didn't. Not that he would have gotten away with it, but still. Lorsters right, in the grand scheme of things someday it will seem small and you will be able to laugh about it. Right now though, you're not laughing..... and I'm not laughing with you....but, it is a tiny bit funny in it's irony, like, did he ever spill shoe polish on the old carpet? If not, WHY NOT FOR GOD's SAKE!! Why did he wait until you got NEW carpet to polish his shoes?!! Sheesh....17 year olds.
Oh, and my kitty brings me snakes and lizards, he loves me too.
Hey SarahThat said, I am, once again, reminded why I don't have cats
Next, having had 17-year old girls, I am also impressed that he was polishing his shoes. Especially without you there to force him.
I do, however, understand your stress. We've just finished re-doing our kitchen, and I, too, go in there just to stand and admire it
Sometimes you just can't say "What more could happen?" Because something else will, before the words leave your mouth.
Try to relax, Sweetie. Remember, it's not good for you to be so stressed.
Be well,
Hugs, Nini
Sarah, I do sympathize, and I understand how hard it is to wait a long time for something and then something happens to it. I think we all do. It stinks.
But, I also feel badly for your son.
I'm the first one to feel sorry for someone who's made a mistake, cause I make so many myself! I'm glad your carpet will be replaced by insurance. Everything will be as it should be again. It will just be one of life's "uh oh's" soon.
My heart goes out to you Sarah. We waited 7 years for new carpet in the lounge room. It had been down for about 6 months when we had Christmas at our place last year. My carpet is white ( yeah yeah yeah I know, stupid colour, but it looks really nice). By the time everyone left 2 year old nephew had dribbled lord knows what all over the carpet because no one else in the family could understand my request for the kids to eat in the timber floored dining area. Sister in law had spilled a whole glass of cranberry punch on the carpet. I nearly cried. The whole extended family basically said it was my own fault for getting white carpet. I just can't understand why people can't follow as simple request and make their kids respect other peoples belongings. I think if I do it again I will lock all the kids outside and feed the adults outside too. I'll keep my lounge/dining room for real company.