Um... this post has nothing to do with these Village People.
For the next couple days my mother-in-law, Paula, will be staying with my wife and me. Honestly I couldn’t be happier.
POP QUIZ
Why (in the world) am I actually excited for my mother-in-law to come stay with us?
A. Because Paula and I are bestees, and we can’t go two days without talking. (bestee – opposite of leastee)
B. Because she’s going to be cooking us some home-made meals during her stay.
C. Because she’s going to baby-sit our little guy, Brady, while we’re at work (saving us mucho dinero).
D. Because she’s going to “passive-aggressively” cause me to be less lazy, and get more things done around the house and in the yard over the next couple days.
E. All of the above, except the second part of A. – “can’t go two days without talking”.
The answer… while a little confusing, is obviously E. Ok, so we’re not bestees (just so you know, I don’t actually speak like this), but the truth is I get along great with my mother-in-law, and can’t imagine not having her help us out from time to time, be it – making a meal, giving us temporary breaks from our parental duties, and even guilting me into working harder. Let me explain the last one. I am a procrastinator. My wife, and her mother are not. I get things done, but at a later time than these ladies would like. While I usually don’t mind my wife taking the initiative and finishing one of my projects before I happen to get around to it (example – the dishes), I can’t stand to let a guest in my house do even one of my chores. (My friend/neighbor Shane is another story. He does a ton of them! – see the bottom of this post for more on him.) While I’ll admit she’s gotten away with doing a few of them in the past, mark my words, those days are over. In fact, over my lunch hour I quickly washed and dried all the dishes and dirty bottles before she arrived.
How does this relate to Morningside College? Well, I like to think of our campus community (faculty, staff, alumni, and current students) as an extended family. There always seems to be someone watching out for your best interests, helping out when you need it most, and constantly pushing you to become a better student, athlete, or all around person, even though at times it may not seem that way because of extra homework, tough practices, etc. If you ask me, it’s silly to think just one or two people should be entrusted with raising a child (Paula, if you’re reading this, I’m not asking you to move in with us), but it takes many more people (a whole family or community) to help educate, care for, and raise a well rounded individual.
With family, friends, and the Morningside Community watching his back, our little man, Brady, should be just fine.
Thanks Paula for all your help, and thanks to everyone else for reading this post. Oh yeah, and don’t forget to read about my neighbor below. Take care!
The Mside Admissions Guy
– Jim Braunschweig
Shane Townsend – My nominee for neighbor of the year.
Yesterday he mowed my back yard, edged my entire property, and cut down some large tree branches. No, Shane’s not my lawn service man – he’s actually my chiropractor! He also happens to be an avid outdoorsman, loves to fish (trophy fish are hung all over his office), and he’s always looking for ways he can help his friends and neighbors. I’m fairly new to this whole home ownership thing, and he’s been kind enough to take me under his wing and help me quite a bit. I’ll probably bring up Shane, his wife Cindy, and other friends of mine in future posts, but for now I just want to give him a shout out as a thank you for all his help. If you’re in need of a GOOD chiropractor, I highly recommend him. Thanks for everything Shane!
Check out his website for more information – Butler-Townsend Chiropractic
… Don’t forget, if you ask him nicely he may come do yard work for you too. Just tell him Jim sent you. :)
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MsideGuy
The Mside Admissions Guy 
