Bad Habits

As I battle jet lag and the inevitable flu-like symptoms that result from being confined to a small space for 15 hours with several sick and inconsiderate flyers, my patience is at a minimum.  Who am I kidding?  My patience is always at a minimum.  But even my minimal patience is disintegrating as I swiftly come to the conclusion that some bad habits can’t be broken.

1. Maya will continue to kick her shoes off at the front door and will not pick them up, despite my repeated requests and numerous threats to give them all away to a child who has no shoes.

“But how do you know she wears my size, Mama?”  Smart ass.

2. Despite my best intentions to start eating proper meals I will continue to resort to scrambled eggs for dinner due to lack of time, groceries, and inspiration.

3. As I eat my scrambled eggs  I will get a text from my husband who is currently in Las Vegas “working” asking me what he should order from one of my favorite restaurants ever – Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill. 

“At Mesa, u think I will like Halibut more or Mahi?”

I’m not even sure where to start on this one but I’ll just go with the obvious…even when I don’t have to cook for Ali I still have to think about his dinner plans.  Apparently that now includes having to consult via text. 

4. When Maya and I decide to have dinner with my brother at Coral Tree Cafe the serial cougher, a.k.a. Maya Din, will cough all over my food as well as my brother’s food, and will insist that even though it’ s a “fake cough” she cannot help it.

After sharing all her germs Maya will share her ketchup-covered fingers as well…all over my white pants.

5. And despite reading an article about how one shouldn’t start their sentences with a conjunction like “and” or “but” I will continue to do so because I simply can’t think of replacement words.  But I do believe that when compared to my family’s transgressions, my grammar mistakes are forgivable. 

So please forgive me.