Dear So and So

Dear May
I welcome you with fear and loathing into my heart.  You are just as busy as December, if not busier.  I love you for your nice weather.  I fear you for your proximity to summer.

Signed,
Shouldn't this be a month to kick back and relax?

Dear Summer Vacation -
You are now 5 short, short, short weeks away. 

Signed,
Hold me, I'm scared

Dear Children -
With our new TV restrictions that everyone L-O-V-E-S, what are we going to do to fill those 14 hour summer days? 

Signed,
Mommy's actually pretty excited for summer with you guys - I'm just having transition anxiety a month early.  At least my kids get it honestly.  Transition anxiety, that is. 

Dear 10,000 views -
I'm closing in.  Will it be today?  Spread the word?  Help a girl out?
Signed,
Milestones get me excited


Head over to 3 bedroom for more! 

Learning the Unspoken Rules

Do you have trouble communicating the unspoken rules of life to your child?

Both of my children like to "pick our seats" when we eat at places like Chipotle and Panera.  Places where I can order and watch them at the same time.  Oldest almost always picks the seat closest to where other people are sitting.  Sunday afternoon, for example, Chipotle was empty but for one side table of 3 teenage boys.  Where did Oldest pick?  The side table right next to the teenage boys, of course. 

Then when I said, "Oldest, pick somewhere different," I was met with "Why?  This is my favorite table!"

All did not end in a tantrum, as it would have 3-4 years ago, and I am very thankful for that! 

But when we sat down and I tried to explain the empty room and how it just wasn't right to sit right next to other people, I was met with a blank stare and this response:  "Yeah, but, why wouldn't I want to sit next to them?  I can talk to them or listen to them if we're closer." 

Well, yeah. 

I had to tell her that this was one of life's Great Unspoken Rules - you just have to do it even if doesn't make sense.  She didn't get it.

What about you?  What unspoken rules have you had to teach your children?  How did you do it?  Any funny stories to go along with it? 

What a Great Day

Saturday was Oldest's First Communion.  We had a wonderful, wonderful weekend with family.  And the service was beautiful.

Out of the Mouths of Babes

Youngest, while sitting in the computer chair (I start 'em young around here):  "Mommy, do I have a diaper on?"

Me:  "No.  Why, do you need to go potty?"

Youngest:  "I don't think so.  I'm already went in the chair.  Look!" 

(Chair - SOAKED)

Me:  "Awesome."

Youngest:  "Can I keep doing computer in my buttom?"

Me:  "Not until it's covered with dry pants and underpants."

Youngest:  "Oh.  Ok.  That sounds like a great idea, Mommy." 

My Happiness Project - How Do You Do Assignments?

It's Happiness Monday! I love My Happiness Project, where I decided to spend a year "finding" happiness with the help of Gretchen Rubin and her awesome book. Check out her website for more information. And buy the book! It's never too late to start your own Happiness Project.

Do you do projects by assignment or deadline? 

By assignment - when you learn you need to do something, do you try to do it closer to the time you learn about the assignment? 

OR

By deadline - do you look at the day or time an assignment is due and start doing it closer to that deadline?

For example, let's say you get something assigned to you today on April 26th, with the knowledge that its due date is May 7th.  Do you start working on it right away, today, or do you wait until next week, maybe Wednesday, saying "I have plenty of time to get this done?"

As a general rule, I am a "by assignment" kind of gal.  If it's assigned today, I want to get started today.  I want to have time to devote to the project, leave it for a few days, then maybe come back to it in the couple of days before it's due and look at it again with "fresh eyes."  I try to do that with my blog posts.  I try to write them a couple of days in advance to give myself time to come back to them and revise.  I don't like to just write, glance over, then hit "publish post."

This makes me quite happy. 

What can make me unhappy is when I have no choice but to operate by deadline.  It stresses me out.  I feel like the opportunity to make mistakes is much higher when I'm operating close to a deadline.  And I feel like I'm a "day late and a dollar short" when operating by deadline. 

What kind of person are you?  Do you operate by assignment or deadline?  And why does that work or not work for you? 

Happy Monday!

6 Word Saturday

Cate always has such great 6 word Saturdays.  Go check them out!

Mine for today?

Another whirlwind weekend.  Our current life. 

But it's ok.  We're having fun.  :)

Dear So and So - Birthday Edition

Head over to 3 bedroom bungalow for other Dear So and So posts!

Dear 39 year old body and brain -
You didn't need to be quite the baby you were being at the beginning of this week.  Everything turned out just fine and you had a great time too!  Kids?  Darling and uber-well-behaved.  Husband?  Attentive and sweet.  How about you lay off the eating a little bit though?  At the rate you're going, you're going to need an intervention.

Signed,
Maybe 39 won't be so bad after all

Dear laptop birthday present -

Me love you.

Signed,
Sitting on the couch blogging is pretty AWE-SOME!

Dear best family dinner EVER -

We go every year.  So fun, even if it is always in time for the early bird special. 

Signed,
I love my family

Dear Youngest -
I love your newest "fun phrase."  Rock it.  Ever.  You know it sister.  We will rock it.  Forever.

Signed,
I also love that you eat Curry Rice for lunch with Mommy.  With Chopsticks.


Dear Oldest -
First Communion tomorrow.  Recognize the import and act accordingly.  Don't dwell too much and freak out.

Signed,
I'm worried about  being a teary puddle when I watch you tomorrow.  Maybe I need to take my advice to you, hmmm?

Dear Readers:
Thank you for the many birthday wishes yesterday.  Much appreciated.

Signed,
Missy

You Say it's Your Birthday?

No?  It's actually mine.  

My day is a study in contradictions:

~I want Husband to surprise me, but I already went out and got everything I wanted . . . 
~I want a BREAK FROM MY KIDS!  Except it's my birthday, I want to share it with them . . . 
~I want to feel special, but right now I feel overwhelmed . . . 
~I want to be contacted by all of my friends and family, but don't really want to spend hours on the phone . . . 
~I want a surprise party, but I really don't . . . 
~I want the day to be all about me, but I'm way too old for that . . . 


How can I possibly be pleased with all of those emotions?  This is my last birthday in my 30's, unless I start calling my birthday the "anniversary of my 39th birthday" from now on.  I'm trying to be OK with that.

Tomorrow we're having 20 people over to our house for the weekend to celebrate Oldest's first communion on Saturday.  As luck would have it, 3 other people on Husband's side of the family have birthdays right now too - within about 10 days.  So we're having a 4-way party tomorrow night for all of us (2 adults, 2 kids), then Oldest's day is Saturday, with a party after her communion.  I'm trying to be OK, no HAPPY, about all of this hoopla, when I wouldn't mind just lying in bed all day reading a novel.  And eating cookies.  Iced ones.

So how DO I get past this?  Just appreciate my many blessings, I suppose - a wonderful Husband, healthy, fun kids, my own good health, our annual family birthday dinner to my favorite place, having a good relationship with my parents.  And a hope that the kids don't MAKE ME CRAZY TODAY!  Maybe I need to remove all rules and regulations for them today too.  Cheetos for breakfast?  Sure, it's Mommy's birthday.  Fresca in your lunch box?  Why not - it's Mommy's birthday.  TV all day?  Absolutely, maybe it will give me some time to catch up on my Google Reader.

Everybody needs a break from the responsibilities of life sometimes.  Why not today?

No Time = Less Commenting

Why is blogging about being too busy to blog a cliche?  That's always bothered me.  When someone says, "I'd write a post about how busy I am and how I have no time to nurture my blog, but that's such a cliche, so I'm not going to do that."

Well, didn't you just?

And really, if you really are busy, isn't it good manners to share with your readers that you still care about them and that you miss them and that you really do wish you could spend as much time as you did this winter checking out all of your favorite posts AND commenting on them?

Well, I think it's good manners to share this.  I don't think it's a cliche.  So that's what I'm sharing.  I miss you cyber friends of mine.  I miss pouring over my comments and commenting back to people.  I miss discovering new blogs through the memes I like.  I.  Miss.  You.

So please keep the comments coming.  If you comment on mine, I promise to drop you a line through an email or comment.  I just don't have time right now to sift through my Reader and find your nuggets of brilliance.  But if you leave a nugget on my blog, I'll come see you.

Promise.

Technical Question Tuesday

Can someone help a sister out?  I don't know how to post a YouTube video on my actual post.  I have only figured out how to link to it.  I have something from YouTube I want to actually reside IN my post on Thursday and would love to know how to do it before then.


Thanks much,
Technically challenged girl.

My Happiness Project - the Year I became a Grown Up

It's Happiness Monday!  I love My Happiness Project, where I decided to spend a year "finding" happiness with the help of Gretchen Rubin and her awesome book.  Check out her website for more information.  And buy the book!  It's never too late to start your own Happiness Project.  

The year I became a grown up was is 2010.  Yes, ladies and gents, Missy turns 39 years old THIS WEEK and one would think I became a grown up long before now, but it is true.  This is my year.  

Why?  Why, Missy?  Why this year and not:

~the year I left for college, and learned to do laundry as an 18 year old?

~the year I got bought my first home and my first dog?

~the year I got married?

~the year I had Oldest?

~the year I had Youngest?

All of those years had "growing up" qualities that changed me, certainly, but in none of those years did I truly feel "grown up."  I felt more like a kid pretending to be a grown up, if that makes sense.  

This  year, though, it's different.

~We had thousands of dollars in home improvement costs this winter.  Nothing makes you feel like a grown up more than learning the consequences of letting things slide in your home.

~I said yes to a major leadership position that will begin this May and is a year long position.

~Husband and I are taking our first trip away from the kids this Spring as well.  I've never spent a night away from Youngest and I've only spent 4 nights away from Oldest - two of which were in the hospital having Youngest.  

When I started My Happiness Project in January, I mapped out the entire year, and it didn't include all of these big girl things.  I've since had to change much of the year of My Happiness Project to allow for the time the leadership position is going to require.  

To a certain extent, this makes me sad.  I thought I had it all set what "discovering my happiness" was going to consist of.  But I've now had to accept that part of discovering my happiness will be the growth and change that have accompanied the changes above.  

So what does "becoming a grown up" have to do with happiness?  Not much, except to say that happiness comes in all sorts of disguises and doesn't necessarily mean smiling, laughing and having an all around good time.  

I might learn in the second half of this year that happiness means giving of myself to a mission higher than myself.  

And no yelling.  No yelling is becoming one of My happiness project's keys.  

6 Word Saturday

Tax Day arrived.  Husband home now.

Is it really that simple?

Tuesday I posted a list, created by my Dad quite a few years ago, about secrets to a happy life.  Today, I'm saying what I think of his list and how it relates to happiness.

Health.  Exercising, eating right, drinking in moderation, not smoking.  All of those contribute to health and when one of them falls away, health can decline and certainly lead to unhappiness.  Or a more challenging life, at least.
Teach your Children.  He's coming at this from the angle of "being finished."  His children either have their values now as adults or they don't.  There's little, if anything, he can do to "fix" them now.
Follow a sound financial plan.  Again, coming from the "last half of life" phase.  A favorite quote of his has always been, "If youth but knew what age would crave, many a penny youth would save."

These three principles are important in life and they are broad statements, under which many other things can fall.  And I believe, for the most part, they are good, sound principles that will add to your unhappiness if you don't follow them.

But I think they can be boiled down even farther to one concept:  do you practice delayed gratification?  All of his principles rely on the ability to delay gratification.  If you can delay gratification, then your life will be less difficult, less filled with obstacles.

And I don't mean to say life will be easy.  Life is hard.  There's no ifs, ands or buts about it.  But if you are a person who lives by instant gratification, then you're going to make it much, much harder on yourself and those around you.

Delayed gratification isn't fun, really.  It doesn't make you whoop it up with its excitement.  But it will make you feel more fulfilled in life.  It will, hopefully, help you look back and say, "I made good choices that I can be proud of throughout my life."

Teaching Children Appropriate Gas Passing is Like . . .

Herding cats.

At what age do you start putting the smack down on kids for belching or passing wind any and every time the need arises?  Loudly.  And falling into fits of laughter with each other over their abilities?  In public?

I'm starting with Oldest because, frankly, her belching is becoming quite unladylike.  Picture this 8 year old girl, opening her mouth and letting rip with a "BRAWRP" that is so manly, for a minute I think Husband's at home (this being April 14th, however, we haven't seen him in days - LOVE tax day week).

Actually, that picture looks like her face right after she's done it, which usually consists of this:

"Oldest!  PLEASE!  We're in public!"
"What?  I can't help it?  Besides it's funny."
"Lots of inappropriate things are funny.  Doesn't mean you should do them in public."

Hit rewind, then play multiple times and you have our conversation every single time it happens.  Combine that with the "pull my finger" fun she picked up in Florida and I have a regular 8 year old on my hands, I'm sure.

So Wednesday evening at dinner (Chipotle), Youngest kept spilling EVERYTHING, and Oldest kept burping - loudly.  Even the din of Chipotle wasn't dimming the noise.  So I picked that moment to snap.

"Oldest, this isn't what ladies do."

"I'm not a lady."

"You are a young lady, it's disgusting and it's got to stop."

"Mom, first of all - I'm half boy/half girl.  Second, I can't help it.  They come out so fast, I just can't stop them."

"Well, I can tell by the way you're pushing them out that you're doing it on purpose.  Try to do it with your mouth closed, then push that air out, but not the sound.  Besides, you are all girl, period.  No boy in you."

"What happens if I stop doing it totally?  And I am half boy, you know."

"You'll explode.  No, honey, I'm quite certain that you are 100% girl.  If you want to call yourself a tomboy, that's one thing."

"What do you mean, I'll explode?  Get mad, like you did just now when you said (whispered) 'Shit' when Youngest spilled her black beans everywhere?  Daddy says that when he's driving, you know.  And I really don't want to see this whole family starting to talk like that, Mommy."

"Ok, got it.  I will not say that word anymore when Youngest spills an entire cup of black beans onto a mesh chair, then smooshes them in while I'm trying to clean them up.  And your whole body would explode if you stopped passing gas, that's why it's important to do it, just not the way you have been."


A few minutes later:
"WOW!  I just burped with my mouth closed, Mom, and it totally worked!  Does this mean I can never burp again the 'fun way?'"

"Great honey!  And you can still burp the fun way at home, but there are certain things we just don't do in public, around PEOPLE.  Have you ever heard Mommy do these things in public?"

"No."

Feeling proud of myself, we finish dinner and head to the car.  When we get in and close the door:

"Youngest, quick!  Pull my finger!"

"Oh, OK Oldest.  That's fun.  That's so fun when I pull your finger."

3 Secrets for a Happy Life

1. Take care of your health.
2. Teach your children well.  Teach them a value structure that should serve them for their entire life.
3. Prepare for your financial future.  Make a financial plan and follow it.  You do not want to be a financial problem for your children.  

Want to know where these came from?  My Dad.  What do you think?  I've had this on my bulletin board for years and looked up, saw it and thought - maybe someone else would like to see these secrets.

Tune in Thursday - I'll say what I think of them.

My Happiness Project - March Madness

It's Happiness Monday!  I love My Happiness Project, where I decided to spend a year "finding" happiness with the help of Gretchen Rubin and her awesome book.  Check out her website for more information.  And buy the book!  It's never too late to start your own Happiness Project.  

How'd I do in March?  

My goals for March were child-centered:

1. Stop yelling.
2. Read 2 parenting books.
3. Finish our Family Mission.
4. Have family meetings and family nights.
5. Have Polite Nights on Sundays.
6. Buy Creative Memory Software.
7. Continue no TV (except one show per day).

The tally?

1. I yelled at them 3 times in 31 days.  Awesome.  We were all so much happier.  It wasn't like my brain was a pressure cooker either, like I had expected.  Knowing I "couldn't" yell (or else I'd have to put an X on that column in my scoresheet), made me so much more willing and able to work things through with them, instead of just jumping to yelling.
2. I read Best Friends, Worst Enemies and Siblings without Rivalry.  Both were awesome - highly recommend them and will likely be topics of future posts.
3. We finished our family mission on March 7.
4. We had 6 family nights, and for busy season, that's pretty darned good.
5. Polite night.  Fail.  Didn't do one.  Might have to wait a little on that concept and plan.
6. I bought my Creative Memories software - can't wait to use it.  In a couple of years, at the rate I'm going.
7. And the no TV thing went great.  Now we're back to one a day per child, for a total of 2 per day and it's still just lovely without TV.  

Other resolutions from previous months:

1. I'm giving up the 1 sentence gratitude journal.  I'm an expounder and to say what makes me grateful in one sentence per day is kind of like punishment.
2. It's now spring, so we will no longer be eating at home 4 times per week.  Maybe summer.  We'll see.
3. Exercising  - I exercised 26 days out of 31 in March.  
4. Food journal - not as good, but I'm sticking with it in April.  It's a great way to stay legal.

There you have it!  I highly, highly recommend making a no yelling resolution.  What a great gift for my children - and me!

Super Sunday Series - Disappointment

Welcome back to the Super Sunday Series - where I speak to all topics gifted and how they relate to your child's well-being.  Please click on the tab above if you want to discover more about the Series and its topics.

Here it is, the END of Super Sunday, and I'm just now writing my post.  Truth be told, I had no plans to write today because I wasn't able to properly research a topic this week.  

Then, VOILA!  A topic presented itself in a shining display this morning.  Disappointment.  How does your gifted child handle it?  

Mine?  Not well, most of the time.  Today was exceedingly not well.  Last night was the Spring Gala for Oldest and Youngest's school.  Really good time.  Raises a boatload of money, and we always come home with some "big win" for the family.  Last year it was a custom made dining room table (which is gorgeous and can extend 3 extra feet), this year it was a shower curtain with Oldest's class pretending to be monkeys ironed all over it.  We knew both girls would be super excited about it.  

Then, disaster.  Every year the art teacher does centerpieces that include each child's face - 275 kids.  She has the elementary kids help with their own and with the early education kids (birth to 6).  Oldest made her own this year and then a friend made Youngest's and matched their outfits.  Oldest was so proud and couldn't wait for us to bring them home last night.  

Well.  THAT PUPPY Lilly got hold of Oldest's "person" this morning and chewed half her face off and a leg off before I got to her.  

I realized that it was fixable, but sadly, not before Oldest woke up.  

She was devastated.  And I'm talking SO devastated, it's giving rise to a Super Sunday Series entry.  She's come so far, that sometimes I forget how destroyed she can get when something really traumatic happens to her.  

In her defense, I understand why she was so upset.  She worked so hard on "herself," and to have the puppy eat it was just devastating!  

BUT.  

She was so over the top about it, for so long, and with so much absolute refusal to JUST.  STOP.  that it almost got ugly.

Screaming at her sister to get away from her when she walked up to say "Can I hug you to  make you all better?"  

Walking, literally bent over at the waist on the way into church so that everyone at church could see how devastated she was.

Multiple statements of "it's ruined, it will never be better, I'm ruined because it's ruined, etc"  

Just painful, painful behavior.  And I was very, very sympathetic.  Until I wasn't.  Which was at the time that I pulled her from church, took her downstairs, sat her in a chair and said, "OK. Get all of your ugly, painful feelings out right now.  We're not going back up until you do.  Then if you persist in acting the way you have been for the last HOUR, you and I are going to have a very serious problem on our hands (which is code for " you'll be in big trouble, lady").  

So she got it all out, we shared a hug, she pulled herself together, we all had a great day.  

I don't want to change her.  I don't want to expect her to be a different child than she is.  But I don't think I'm being unreasonable to say that I want her to handle disappointment much better than this.  Really, even 30 minutes of bellyaching at home would have been manageable.  It's this NEED of hers to broadcast disappointment publicly that makes me crazy sometimes.  

This morning, she had actually starting getting over it, then the moment we hit the church parking lot, she started up again.  She seems to have a need to prove to anyone she sees that she's as disappointed as she is.  And if we lean in and say "Cool it, get a hold of yourself," she will work all that much harder to show us she can't get hold of herself.  Often to the point where she gets in trouble.  And she came very close today.

Am I the only one with a child who does this?  What can I say or do to help her manage this better?  I do not know.  

6 Word Saturday

Big Gala Tonight.  Speaking again.  Yikes!

Dear So and So

Dear Merry Go 'Round - 

Please slow down.  I'm getting dizzy.

Signed,

I never liked those dammed Merry Go Rounds anyway

Dear Grey's Anatomy

I don't like the everyone-having-sex-with-everyone storylines.  People really don't live that way, do they?

Signed,

But I keep watching you anyway

Dear That Puppy Lilly 

Stop mounting me.  You are spayed and you are a girl.  

Signed,

I don't care what the vet says about this being an attempt at dominance, I say it's mounting.  When a dog is pulling your foot down and then trying to rub her privates on said foot, that seems a lot like mounting to me.

Editorial Thursday - 24 hour access to TV

I'm writing over at sited and blogged today.  Head over, read my post and tell me what you think of this question:

What do you think of 24 hour access to kid's shows?  Is it your saving grace or your downfall in your house?

The Obligatory Vacation Pics

Vacation came and went and with these pictures, it's finally time to put it to bed.  Promise.  ;)

Craft time during nap time!

Our favorite local watering hole - yes I took them without Husband.  Bad me.  Actually, my Dad (below) was supposed to go with us, but Youngest dropped her blankie on the way and he was scouring the streets looking for it while I was drinking a margarita.  Not kidding.  I'm sure I'm going to hell for that.  Good pic though!  And he found the blankie.  Yay, Dad!

The girls L-O-V-E their grandma - "Mammy."  

Getting Your 2 Year Old to Smile in 3 Easy Steps

Step One:  Set the stage with ice cream.  

Step Two: Tell her to Smile

Step 3:  Know when to say when.

My Happiness Project - April is ME Month

It's Happiness Monday!  I love My Happiness Project, where I decided to spend a year "finding" happiness with the help of Gretchen Rubin and her awesome book.  Check out her website for more information.  And buy the book!  It's never too late to start your own Happiness Project.  

April!  The month I've been waiting for - the all-about-me-it's-my-birthday month!  Which is a little laughable, because as I'll share in a couple of Mondays, it's SO not all about me starting very, very soon.  

I planned it, though, allllllllllllllllllll the way back in January, to be about ME and the things I love.

What?  What do you love, Missy?  I know you are sitting there, rapt, waiting to hear what my indulgences are.  Here we go:

1. I'm getting a pedicure, facial and massage.  I normally do these things once a year and n-e-v-e-r in the same month.  That's way too frivolous and self-centered.  
2. I'm trying one new restaurant and one old favorite.  One of my greatest pleasures in life is dining out (without kids) at a fancy-ish restaurant.  
3. I'm doing dinner with girlfriends.  I'm letting too many friendships lapse because of being "too busy."  People I really care about and miss.  
4. Making my bucket list.  I have a really old one, from the end of college.  Wonder how much it will change?
5. I'm taking a nap each week this month.  
6. I'm finally, finally, finally getting my laptop.  
7. I'm treating myself to some new makeup.
8. I THINK I'm going to build my blog sans blogger this month.  This may need to be re-thought in light of some recent developments, so we'll see.  

Gosh!  I feel elated and selfish at the same time looking back over this list.  I feel embarassed to actually put into writing that I'm spending a month indulging myself this much.  I feel like I should say, "no I'm kidding - I actually don't deserve this."  Because the truth is, like so many of us out there, I put myself last 95% of the time.  And most of the time, that's OK.   

So if YOU were to spend a month treating yourself to your favorite things, what would it consist of? And what do you think of my list?  Share with me.  

Super Sunday Series

Taking a break from the Super Sunday Series today to celebrate Easter.  May everyone's Easter and Passover be filled with happiness.

6 Word Saturday

Wheeeee!  Get TV back tomorrow!

Now, head over to Cate and Show My Face for more!

Dear So and So - Life after spring break

Head over to 3 bedroom bungalow to read more Dear So and So!

Dear 350 emails while on vacation -

Wow.  Record. I must be popular now.

Signed,
Nah, at least half were spam - damn!


Dear Children - 


I agree that vacations have a certain relaxed quality.  They can be a bit Bohemian, if you will.  But we're home now and it's time to be civilized.  So doing things like playing Pull My Finger in public venues (gymnastics, doctor appointment in front of the doctor), just don't work anymore (and thank you AGAIN, Dad, for teaching them that gem).

Signed,
Who knew the joys of parenting?

Dear Oldest - 


Sick?  On Easter weekend?

Signed,
Who knew the joys of parenting?

Dear Youngest - 


You were the best sleeper EVER on vacation.  What happened?  Waking up 3,4,5 times a night now that we're home?  Doesn't work for anyone in the family, child.

Signed,
Who knew the joys of parenting?

More Tipping - not Cows

Two weeks ago I wrote about my fervent dislike of tip jars.  I enjoyed some great comments, where people shared their thoughts on tip jars.

So I thought about it some more (because I have nothing else to do) and looked at where I tip heavily and why:

Airport Baggage Handler - Especially if they go above and beyond.  I know I'll not see the same person again, but there's something about heavily tipping a baggage handler, then your luggage appears on the other end of a flight.  Call me superstitious.
Garbage people - At Christmas - can you imagine a harder job than this?  If you can, share it in a comment.
Hairdresser - Completely selfish - I figure if she's happy with my tips, she'll work harder on my hair - plus it's a long term relationship, not much unlike a relationship you have with a psychologist - why is that?
Breakfast and lunch wait staff - They work just as hard for bills that are 1/2 to 3/4 lower than a dinner bill - I usually tip 30% or more -and got this idea from my dad.  On a $10 bill, what's it hurt me to give the person $3 instead of $2?
Teachers and school staff - Can you thank these people enough?  Ever?  They have our children for the equivalent of a full time job weekly and I try to let my generosity reflect that.
Newspaper delivery person - And my paper is never in the bushes.


Most of my over-tipping is self-motivated, frankly.  I should be embarassed by this, but I'm not.  I'm altruistic in other ways, I like to think (like excessive volunteerism, for one).

So I'll throw it out to you again - have you ever thought about where you tip heavily and why you do it?  I really hadn't until I thought about how much I hate tip jars.