321. Perception is Reality

This post is a bit of a rant.  There is no particular story with this post.  Just sharing various disparate thoughts about perception.  It’s a bit about how it is so easy for all of us to be hypnotized by fragile and comforting lies and disregard those inconvenient truths that undermine those lies.  It’s also a bit about our fear of being vulnerable.  I am not throwing stones.  I am not immune from this.  None of us are.

I’ve done four or five posts about fielding questions from my sisters regarding TTWD.   One was questioning me again, and it reminded me a lot of what I posted the last time she questioned me (239. Filters: As you sow so shall you reap).

Since we are sisters, you’d think we share a lot of the same filters.   We do, but they are not exact.   There are things she takes as fact that I do not.  And things I take as fact that she does not.  Of course, we all like to think facts are facts, but there are facts and there are also beliefs, and there are things you want so badly to believe that they become facts to you.   And all your behaviors serve to reinforce these “facts.”  Such was the point of my about Filters.

And without getting into the specific details of my sister’s questions, it was basically about the swinging and the sex I have with other men.   Yeah, I REALLY shouldn’t have ever told her about my blog!!   Oh well, too late.  Hi Sis!  

When we have these discussions my intent is to help her understand that this dynamic is right for me.   For one, I know she cares about me and she wants to be convinced that I am convinced.  But of course, I understand that believing in my dynamic is important to me.  I am very invested in it.  I want to believe it so badly that it is not a belief, it is a fact. It must be.   

And for her, my dynamic is so foreign to her that refuting it is important to her.  She is very invested in abhorring it.  She wants to believe it so badly that it is not a belief, it is a fact.  It must be. 

So I give her the most meaningful evidence there is.  The unequivocal, undeniable evidence of MY experience. Where I am today and how happy I am today in all aspects of my life.  Nope.  She is not only unshaken in her stance, but even MORE convinced of the “truth” of her beliefs than ever before.  

It’s a classic case of what psychology literature calls “motivated reasoning.”  Motivated reasoning is how people convince themselves to remain convinced of what they want to believe.  It’s that “filters” thing I mentioned in that other post.  You seek out agreeable information and you “let that in” very easily.  Simultaneously you avoid, ignore, devalue, forget, or argue against (i.e. filter out) information that contradicts your beliefs.  And thus we have Fox News.  LOL.

Seriously, I am not throwing stones.  I am not immune to this.  I don’t read or follow any blogs that say any of TTWD are bad, but I follow plenty extolling its virtues.  I surround myself with people who accept my lifestyle and avoid those who don’t (or they avoid me!).  I love reading things that promote being vulnerable, open, honest, and trusting in your relationships.  And to me, I assume that vulnerability must extend to include sexual desires and fantasies. 

Here’s an interesting article that definitely won’t do anything to change your mind about anything.  I guarantee it!  But it did help me better articulate my thoughts for this post.  Here’s another great post dealing with perception from a blogger I follow whose blog is titled, “Must be this Tall to Ride.”  

And I loved the final sentence, “It’s merely an opportunity to check your own biases and bullshit at the door.”  

That’s really hard to do.  I am fortunate that I am close to my sister.  We can have very frank talks about anything and everything, and no matter if we agree or disagree we love and respect each other. 

We both have something in common that really helps us to have meaningful conversations.  We both strive to check our biases and bullshit at the door and are receptive when the other is quick to challenge the other persons’ biases and bullshit.  Well, at least a little receptive.  It’s still hard.  No amount of sisterly love can make such discussions easy.

So what is my point of this post?   I think it is to illustrate that we all look for validation of our actions and feelings.  And guess what?  There is almost always plenty of stuff out there to validate them.  You just have to focus on what validates them and ignore what doesn’t.  You’ll feel vindicated and validated! 

But that is not what personal growth is about!  Personal growth is about challenging your beliefs and perceptions about the world.  And that’s the similarity between me and my sister – we are willing to have our beliefs and perceptions questioned.  We both joke that growing up we didn’t understand why the sermon’s at church didn’t end with “any questions?”   We came to understand why, but I digress. 

It’s that willingness to challenge my perceptions that allowed me to consider DD.  And it’s what has allowed me to be open to all of life’s possibilities.  To me, that is what it means to truly be alive!   And my willingness to fully be open to life’s possibilities has changed my life in ways that go beyond TTWD.  

To get something you never had, to experience something you’ve never experienced, to live a life you don’t have but always wanted — you have to be open to something you’ve never been open to.  Of course, it’s uncomfortable.  It means challenging and even disregarding the comforting lies that blanket your life. 

And yes, it doesn’t have to mean being open to being a Dominant, or being submissive, or swinging, or anything kink related – but here’s a hint — it’s sure fun if it does!

It doesn’t even have to be a life-altering thing.  Just pick one thing that you believe as fact, and really allow yourself to be vulnerable and challenge that belief.  For me, it is as addicting as it is painful.  Yep, it’s painful to discover the falseness of something you swore was fact.  But it’s also liberating and addicting.   If you haven’t figured it out, I am addicted to vulnerability.  

It’s official.  I am a weirdo. 

And if you DO want it to be life-altering, don’t just be vulnerable to your own closely held “facts,” but be vulnerable to and with your partner in life.  Now THAT is life-altering! 

Yawn!  Okay, Jen, enough of your drivel.   You do get spanked now and then, don’t you?  Tell us about that.   And you speak of all this sex and swinging, but where are the details?    Forget your friends and family and your rants.  Give us the tea!!!

Alright.  I’ll consider it.

 

320. Domestic Discipline Contract Version 3.1

Here’s our latest contract.  I refer to it as our 3.1 Version as it isn’t that much different than the one we completed in October 2017.   I touched on some of the differences in Post 313.

And the 2017 version was a big step from our October 2015 version that I refer to as our “2.0” version.   Our 1.0 versions were the two we had from March 2015 to October 2015.  I don’t have copies of those. 

Our very first agreement was just for 30 days as we were trying to figure this out, and the second was for six months.  Confident in what we learned those first seven months, we did a two-year agreement.  Then a two-and-half year agreement.   We did it for 2.5 years because we wanted to sync up the date with our “DD Anniversary” of March 17.  Hey, even kinksters can be sentimental! 

As part of our contract ceremony, once we have agreed on all the changes, we plop our agreement into the barbeque grill and light it on fire.  We then just hold each other and watch it burn.  At that moment, we have no written agreement regarding our dynamic.  We then go inside and sign our new agreement.   

The reason for this is that we don’t want each agreement to just mark an extension of our commitments to each other.  We want them to technically all be NEW commitments, as they did not exist until we signed the new document.  Even though it may only be a matter of minutes between the burning and signing, it is symbolic and very emotional. I get teary-eyed as I am signing.  

I am so happy to have this blog as a reflection.  Like last time, contract time prompted me to go back and read my first dozen or so posts.  I just can’t believe where I was and how far I’ve come in consistently being the wife, mother, sister, friend, and person I want to be.

Okay, enough sentimental stuff.   By the way, we talked about paring it down quite a bit.  We really don’t need such much detail any more as we have internalized so much of it.   The agreement boils down to three simple things – Honesty, Obedience, and Safety.  Ultimately, we decided to leave the detail in.  It was really fun to re-read it and go through each and every word.  Sort of a recommitment, a restating of our DD vows!   Ahhhh, isn’t that sweet?  I guess I wasn’t quite done with the sentimental stuff.   Now I am. 

Or am I?  I also had this one last thought.  I’ve read various things on DD contracts and they often are structured around the “negative” of three D’s – Dishonesty, Disobedience, and Danger.  Early on I choose to make those more positive and state them in a way that is conveying the outcome I was seeking, not the behavior I was trying to avoid.   Sounds subtle, but it meant a lot to me then, and still does today.   Thus, Honest, Obedience, and Safety are what I strive for and for which I am accountable to Mike.    

Here’s our latest masterpiece!  hee-hee.   Apologize for any formatting errors I didn’t catch.  WordPress acts a bit funky with the formatting.

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DOMESTIC DISCIPLINE CONTRACT

 TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Purpose
   II. Definitions
   III. Effective Date, Term, and Negotiation
   IV. General Duties and Obligations
   V. Jennifer’s Specific Duties and Obligations
   VI. Discipline
   VII. Maintenance Sessions
   Exhibit A.  Mantras

Whereas Michael and Jennifer voluntarily and without pressure from the other or from anyone else, are entering into a loving, caring, and consensual agreement codifying and reinforcing their commitments, duties, and obligations to one another for the Purpose stated below.

SECTION I. PURPOSE

This Agreement codifies Jennifer’s desires to conduct herself in ways that serve Michael and allows her to live the life she desires for herself and to love life, every moment, and every day.
This Agreement codifies Michael’s desires to conduct himself in ways that support Jennifer’s desires to serve him.

Michael’s statement of intent: Jennifer, my love for you is absolute, without limits or conditions.   I admire, respect, and love all that you do for me and our family.  I commit to always treating you in the manner you want to be treated.  Thank you for the immeasurable trust and confidence you place in me, and most importantly, for your love.  I intend to consistently adhere to your wishes in helping you live the life you strive to live and to be the person you strive to be.

Jennifer’s statement of intent: Michael, I can’t imagine a better partner in life.  Words fail to fully express my thanks, joy, admiration, fulfillment, and love that I receive from you and feel towards you.  I wholeheartedly enter into this Agreement with you as yet another chapter in my desire to submit to you.  I look forward to consistently meeting my commitments with your leadership to guide me.  I surrender myself to you because my love, respect, and trust in you are without end.

SECTION II. DEFINITIONS

1. DISOBEDIENCE: A violation by Jennifer of her Duties and Obligations. 
2. DISCIPLINE: A consequence of Jennifer’s Disobedience. Other commonly understood terms for such consequences include but are not limited to “correction,” “discipline,” “punishment,” “reprimand,” and “reward.”  The forms of Discipline are specified in Section VI.7.

SECTION III. EFFECTIVE DATE, TERM, AND NEGOTIATION

1. TERM and TERMINATION: Michael and Jennifer agree to these terms effective March 17, 2019.  These terms remain valid until March 17, 2021 (“Termination Date”). This contract shall terminate on March 17, 2021, unless amended as mutually agreed upon.
2. NEGOTIATION DATE: Michael and Jennifer shall meet starting no later than February 17, 2021 (“Negotiation Date”), to begin negotiation on a new agreement. If the parties are unable to meet by the Negotiation Date or are unable to complete the negotiations on that day, both parties must mutually agree on alternative and or additional Negotiation Date(s).
3. NEGOTIATION MEETING:  Michael and Jennifer will discuss and agree upon any desired changes to this Agreement.  It is not a critique of anyone’s past performance under the Agreement and discussions are focused on what is desired for the future. Michael will call the meeting to order by declaring, “Negotiation of our Domestic Discipline Agreement shall now begin.”
4. SUSPENSION OF THIS AGREEMENT: Upon Michael’s declaration that negotiations have begun, all aspects except Section III of this Agreement are suspended.  Jennifer enters the Negotiation Meeting on equal terms as Michael, no longer submissive to him.  Jennifer speaks first to recognize that she is the author of this Agreement and can consider Michael’s input at her discretion.  If the meeting must continue into a second or subsequent meeting, Jennifer will declare, “This Renegotiating Meeting will continue on {stated date and/or time} and I am once again bound by our existing Agreement.”  Upon that declaration, the Suspension of this Agreement ends and the existing Agreement is in full effect until Michael calls the next Negotiation meeting to order.  Once this Agreement is signed, Jennifer will then declare, “This Negotiation Meeting is now over and I am bound by our new Agreement.”

SECTION IV. GENERAL DUTIES AND OBLIGATIONS

1. FOR JENNIFER: Jennifer shall, at all times, be Honest, Obedient, and Safe in her daily life, and to adhere to all aspects regarding the moral commitments she has made under this Agreement.  It is Jennifer’s expressed and unqualified intent to be accountable to Michael for any and all of her behaviors.  Jennifer shall defer to Michael’s judgment in determining if her behavior is Disobedient and defer to Michael’s judgment in determining proper Discipline.  If Jennifer has any concerns about Michael’s execution of her Discipline, she will respectively discuss it only during Maintenance Sessions.  Jennifer accepts Michael’s commands not because she is any less than Michael, but because Jennifer accepts Michael’s authority over her
2. FOR MICHAEL: Michael shall strive to never hesitate to hold Jennifer accountable for her behavior.  Michael commits to sharing his desires with Jennifer, however prurient, patriarchal, or misogynistic they may be interpreted by Jennifer or others, and Michael will inform Jennifer if he demands her to help fulfill those desires in any way. Michael will strive to be stern and maintain a somber and serious tone in administering Discipline.

SECTION V. JENNIFER’s SPECIFIC DUTIES AND OBLIGATIONS

Jennifer’s Duties and Obligations consist of Honesty, Obedience, and Safety.

1. HONESTY:  Jennifer’s shall always be unquestionably honest with Michael, behaving in a way that cannot be disputed or doubted.  Evaluating her honesty is at Michael’s discretion.  Any doubt Michael has to Jennifer’s honesty is sufficient to be labeled as dishonest.  Dishonesty includes embellishment, deceit, disingenuousness, withholding whole or part of the truth, and failure to share with Michael information that he deems Jennifer should know is important to share with him.
2. OBEDIENCE: Includes (1) Respect Michael as Head of Household, (2) Physical Self Care, (3) Emotional Self-Care, (4) Finances.
   1. .RESPECT MICHAEL AS HEAD OF HOUSEHOLDconsists of 10 (ten) components:
      1. Respectful Tone and Acknowledgement:  Jennifer shall maintain, at all times, whether in public or in private, a respectful tone in speaking to Michael; avoiding a tone that Michael interprets as rude, dismissive, irritated, impatient, or is in any way displeasing to him; responding to Michael with “Yes Sir” or “No Sir” or “Thank you, Sir” as appropriate; never cuss at Michael.
      2. Promptness: Jennifer shall do what Michael tells her without hesitation and without body language that Michael may interpret as rude, dismissive, or that conveys that Jennifer is in any way inconvenienced by Michael’s request, or is in any way displeasing to Michael.  This includes instructions Michael gives on any topic, any time, in any place.
      3. Sexual Obedience: Michael may demand any sexual or physical activity to be performed upon or by Jennifer on him or any other person at any time and anywhere and Jennifer shall comply without hesitation.  Jennifer will adhere to “Anytime.    Anything.  Anyone.  Without hesitation.”  Jennifer shall behave in a way that Mike perceives as oblivious as to the time, place, activity, and/or person(s) involved.  Jennifer may use the next Maintenance Session to air her concerns and request any modifications or cessation of a particular act that Michael demanded.  Michael shall comply with Jennifer’s request.  Jennifer must share with Michael all sexual thoughts, dreams desires, or fantasies she has.
      4. Homemaker: Jennifer shall remain joyful, scheduled, and optimized regarding her homemaker duties which include all household chores regarding organization and cleanliness, and presentability, including ironing.
         1. Joyful: Jennifer shall never refer or imply to anyone that her Homemaker duties are a burden or inconvenience or react to her Homemaker duties in a way that is displeasing to Michael.
         2. Scheduled: Jennifer shall create, maintain, and adhere to a written schedule of chores, errands, events, and masturbation, and submit the schedule and any changes for Michael’s editing and approval.  Jennifer will not watch television, talk on the phone, or do anything to otherwise “relax” when the schedule is not complete.  Jennifer is allowed to have music on while she performs her household chores unless she has sought Michael’s permission to have the television on.  Jennifer shall not behave in a manner that increases any household chores such as leaving her own trash on tables or counters, leaving dishes or cups out, towels on the floor, etc.  Further, she is to immediately pick up any such items others have left out.
         3. Optimized: Jennifer shall research the optimal way to perform various duties that she has not previously researched. Such as tips on ironing, cleaning, folding fitted sheets, or other household tasks. She will share such research with Michael and incorporate what she learned, as well as Michael’s preferences, into her methods.
      5. Mantras: Jennifer shall begin each morning and end each evening by correctly reciting her Morning Mantra or Evening Mantra three times as per Exhibit A.  If Michael is home she will recite it in his presence.  If Michael is not home, she will recite them over the phone to him.  If a call was not possible, she will record herself reciting them out loud and text the recording to Michael.  Jennifer’s Morning Mantra shall be the first words she speaks for the day, and her Evening Mantra shall be her last.  If she speaks again that evening, she will again have to repeat her Evening Mantra so that it remains her last spoken words of the day.
      6. Availability and Awareness. Jennifer shall let Michael know where she is at all times. She is to provide Michael an appropriate and timely reminder of scheduled events she attends outside the house.  She must keep her cell phone battery charged and have a way for Michael to reach her at any time.  Jennifer shall ask Michael’s permission before doing something that could mean a change in the usual routine or that could result in a delay in the performance of her Duties and Obligations.
      7. Permission: Jennifer shall ask Michael’s permission when; leaving the house for other than scheduled errands, faced with decisions regarding her social calendar, such as friends asking her to lunch, when a repairman asks for approval on work to be done, or when family members make a request of her time.  When such decisions are needed she is to let the person know using wording similar to:  “I need to check with my husband.”
      8. Deference: Consistent with the respectfulness, dutifulness, and obedience that Jennifer desires, Jennifer shall defer to Michael’s judgment on any matter that Michael and Jennifer may disagree on.  She may calmly discuss the matter at a Maintenance Session and any discussion ends when Michael says it ends, and any decision he makes will be accepted by Jennifer.  Jennifer shall also consult with Michael on any major decisions before Jennifer makes her opinions known to anyone other than Michael.  Jennifer will always defer to Michael in public, never questioning his statements and never offering her opinion unless Michael has asked.
      9. Loyalty: Jennifer shall never complain to others about Michael or about any of her responsibilities.  Complaining includes coming across as burdened, frustrated, annoyed, or inconvenienced by Michael or by her Duties and Responsibilities.  Any of Jennifer’s concerns or complaints should be aired only to Michael.   Further, accounts Jennifer provides to others regarding Michael or her Duties and Obligations should always be done in positive terms with reverence and joy.
      10. Assignments At any time and at his full discretion, Michael may provide Jennifer with a specific Assignment such as reading a particular book or doing research, as well as providing a written report to him on the book or research.  The Assignment may also encompass any other tasks that he may assign for any reason.
   2. PHYSICAL SELF-CAREconsists of four components:
      1. Physical Well-Being: Jennifer shall look after her physical well-being; bathing, brushing and flossing teeth (no cavities),  maintaining weight acceptable to Michael, exercising to Michael’s satisfaction, going to regular doctor, dental, optometrist, or other medical appointments, taking medications as prescribed, getting the flu shot, maintaining OTC meds (vitamins, etc.), and getting good rest, including adhering to a bedtime prescribed by Michael.
      2. Physical Appearance: Jennifer shall maintain a physical appearance pleasing to Michael and subject to all his demands.  These demands include but are not limited to; maintaining hair that is presentable and styled to Michael’s liking, maintaining or attaining a weight to Michael’s liking, putting on sufficient make up as early in the morning as reasonable, and maintaining pubic hair according to Michael’s demands, whether that be to partially or wholly shave, trim, shape, or grow out. Jennifer shall seek Mike’s permission and approval before obtaining any body piercings, tattoos, or any type of body modification, including the removal of existing piercings.
      3. Attire: Jennifer shall be fully nude at home unless given permission by Michael to the contrary.  Jennifer has Michael’s implied permission for things such as a solicitor or delivery person who comes to the door but Jennifer shall inform Michael of this.  Michael may deem that Jennifer is in violation if he feels the situation did not warrant her to be clothed.   Whenever possible Jennifer should ask Mike for permission to be clothed before donning clothes in the house.  When Jennifer is dressed, whether in public or in private, Jennifer shall dress consistent to Michael demands, including whether or not she is to wear a bra or panties.  Jennifer shall always ask Michael’s permission to remove her nipple piercings.
      4. Gracefulness: Jennifer shall walk gracefully, sit down smoothly, and assume a pretty sitting posture, in public at Michael’s discretion. Michael shall correct her if she is not presenting herself gracefully.
   3. EMOTIONAL SELF-CARE Consists of five components:
      1. Feelings: Jennifer shall avoid overextending her time and emotions to other family members or friends. Jennifer shall comply with any demand from Michael regarding decreasing or eliminating her attention on others.  Jennifer shall always share with Michael any negative feelings she may be having about any person, experience, or subject.  Such negative feelings include but are not limited to anxiety, boredom, irritation, sadness, stress, and jealousy.  Any cussing by Jennifer for any reason at any time will be deemed a failure to properly express her feelings.
      2. Relationships: Jennifer shall maintain healthy, positive relationships with friends and family.  Jennifer will cut off relationships that Michael believes are unhealthy; however, Maintenance Sessions can be used for open and respectful dialogue and Michael must allow Jennifer to make reasonable attempts to improve a questionable relationship before Michael forbids it.
      3. Workload: Jennifer shall only take on tasks she can handle.  It is at Michael’s discretion to determine if she has taken on too much.  Behaviors Jennifer is known to exhibit when overworked include but are not limited to: missed deadlines, missed appointments, leaving the house without her cell phone or other items needed for that errand, not keeping personal belongings clean and in working order (if broken, repairs must be quickly arranged).  Other indicators are at Michael’s discretion to identify and for Jennifer to self-report as soon as she begins to feel burdened by her workload.
      4. Masturbation: Jennifer shall masturbate alone and to climax three times a week, not including any additional demands from Michael.  Two of the three masturbation session must be written into her weekly Homemaker Schedule per Section V.2.1.4.2.
      5. Journaling: Jennifer must maintain a handwritten daily journal addressing these topics
         1. Jennifer’s reflection on significant events of the day, including any Discipline she may have received that day.
         2. Any Disobedient act of Jennifer’s that Michael was not aware of.
         3. Insights into her required masturbating, including details of when, where, how, and for how long she masturbated.
         4. A detailed account of any sexual activity she had with anyone other than Michael if Michael was not present during the activity, including details on the acts performed and how she felt before, during, and afterward.
         5. Points of clarity she is seeking regarding any topic Jennifer wants to address at Maintenance.
         6. Any concerns or troubling thoughts she has on any topic, including any moments she may not have felt submissive or acted as submissively as she would have liked.
      6. Self-disparaging Remarks: Jennifer shall never disparage herself for any reason, such as referring to herself as a whore, slut, or any other negative term.  While she may do so for humor, it is at Michael’s discretion as to whether the humor was appropriate.  
   4. FINANCES: Jennifer shall keep within the budget and never make household purchases beyond basic necessities, as defined by Michael, such as food and toiletries without Michael’s permission, regardless of the cost of the item.  If something needs to be returned, she is to promptly return it.  She does not leave lights on in a room if she is the last to exit and she is not to waste water or any household materials.
3. SAFETY consists of the following:
   1. RISK OF ACCIDENT, INJURY, OR THEFT: Jennifer shall not engage in activities that increase the risk of accident or injury to herself or others.  This includes but is not limited to any traffic violations whether ticketed or not, leaving a pan on the stove, texting while driving, using the cell phone in other than hands free while driving, or unsafe activities such as leaving things on the floor that present a trip hazard (whether or not anyone actually has tripped), or standing on a ladder without someone being there for support. Further, if Jennifer breaks something, Michael will determine if it was reasonable to assume her action could have led to the breakage.  Jennifer shall never run out of gas while driving, shall make sure the house is locked when she leaves it unoccupied, shall not leave her credit or debit card or drivers license at any store or office, and shall make sure the garage door is closed after she comes home.
   2. RISK OF JUDGMENT OF FAMILY OR FRIENDS: Jennifer must show discretion and respect for her and her family’s safety regarding sharing aspects of her lifestyle with others.  Such aspects include but are not limited to Domestic Discipline, Dominant/submissive, Polyamory, or Swinging. Jennifer shall not initiate disseminating such information but is free to answer any direct question someone may have of her about those aspects of her lifestyle.  Such answers should provide the minimal amount of information necessary to truthfully answer their question.  This includes sharing additional details with people who are already aware of some or all aspects of her lifestyle.  Jennifer shall promptly share with Michael any such disclosures she made to someone.  It will be at Michael’s discretion to determine if such disclosure was consistent with Jennifer demonstrating appropriate discretion and respect for Safety.

SECTION VI: DISCIPLINE

1. GENERAL GUIDELINES:
   1. MICHAEL’S AUTHORITY: Jennifer grants Michael full and ultimate authority to determine the appropriate Discipline Jennifer is to receive.  Michael may use his discretion to provide any Discipline not explicitly defined or explained in this Agreement.
   2. DISPUTES: If Jennifer feels her Discipline was not consistent with the intent or spirit of this Agreement, she is to say nothing at the time of the Discipline and accept it without complaint or use her Safe Words to modify or stop the Discipline.  She can then use the next Maintenance Session to discuss her concerns about the Discipline she received.
   3. SAFEWORDS: Jennifer can use two safe words when receiving Discipline.  Use of a safe word will not subject Jennifer to additional Discipline for her use of the said safe word.
      1. Yellow instructs Michael to pause.  Michael will ask Jennifer if it is okay to resume that specific activity that caused her to call “Yellow” or if he needs to alter the Discipline.  The Discipline will not resume until Jennifer indicates it is okay to either proceed with the Discipline that was being given or she indicates that different Discipline is needed.
      2. Red instructs Michael to stop.  Michael and Jennifer will discuss whether or not the Discipline can resume in some alternative form.  It will be at Jennifer’s discretion to resume; else it will be considered complete and After Care will commence.    
   4. HARD LIMITS: Jennifer may alter, add, or remove any Hard Limits at any time.  Current hard limits include Blood, Branding, Breath Play, Gun Play, Fire Play, Knife Play, Piercing (in the context of play or Discipline), Scat, and any illegal activities.
2. DISCIPLINE TIMING/LOCATION: Michael will strive to promptly administer all Discipline.  When Michael determines it is not possible to quickly administer Discipline, it will be administered as soon as reasonably possible.  Jennifer agrees to be subject to Discipline at any time, at any place, without regard to how public or private it may be, regardless who else may be present, and regardless the type of Discipline Michael chooses to administer, whether verbal, physical, bare bottom, or otherwise.  If Michael is comfortable administering the Discipline at a given time and place, Jennifer must accept the Discipline in that given time and place.  When Discipline is provided at home and Michael directs Jennifer to go to her room, it will follow the Discipline Ceremony as per Section V.4.; otherwise, it will follow Section V.5.
3. DISCIPLINE INTEGRITY: Discipline shall generally be given in a calm, purposeful, and resolved manner, with the exception of lectures.  Jennifer expressly desires Michael to be as stern, serious, and mean as he chooses when lecturing her.  Michael may use condescending and/or degrading terms of his choosing.  Michael shall determine the type, duration, and intensity of the Discipline necessary for Jennifer to be Reflective, Remorseful, and Surrendered.  Jennifer’s demeanor and body language shall be consistent with being Reflective, Remorseful, and Surrendered, and is subject to Michael’s interpretation.  Michael shall perform appropriate After Care and perform the Closing Ceremony to mark the end of that Discipline.
   1. Remorseful: Jennifer should feel remorse, not sorrow. Her remorse is expected to be for both letting Michael down for failing to be Honest, Obedient, or Safe, and for letting herself down for failing to uphold her Duties and Obligations in being submissive to Michael.
   2. Surrendered: Jennifer must be physically and emotionally surrendered while being Disciplined, granting Michael complete ability to deliver the Discipline.  This means no pulling away, pushing Michael’s hand, or in any way interfering with the Discipline. Unless instructed otherwise, Jennifer will avoid eye contact with Michael.  If she is standing, her head and eyes should be facing downward with her hands clasped behind her back. Jennifer encourages Michael to verbally demand her to present and maintain specific surrendered postures.
   3. Aftercare: Michael is to comfort Jennifer by cuddling her and maintaining a comforting mindset with affirming words of love and commitment. No lecturing during After Care as all the focus is on expressing love for Jennifer and reassuring all is forgiven. 
   4. Closing Ceremony: At the completion of the Discipline, Michael will say, “All is forgiven.”  Jennifer will respond, “All is forgiven.”  This serves as a sign that Michael has forgiven her and that Jennifer has forgiven herself.   Further, Michael harbors no negative feelings towards Jennifer for her need for Discipline, and Jennifer harbors no negative feelings towards Michael for his administering Discipline.  Life moves on in peace.   
      .
4. DISCIPLINE CEREMONY:  When Jennifer is directed to go to her room to be Disciplined.
   1. Upon entering the room Jennifer will disrobe if not already nude. 
   2. Jennifer shall stand facing the designated corner waiting for Michael. Absent any other instructions from Michael regarding her posture, her default posture will be to stand upright, with her hands to her side, palms open and touching the side of her legs. 
   3. Jennifer will not make eye contact or even acknowledge Michael when he enters the room. Jennifer is to remain silent and await any command.  Michael may demand that Jennifer retrieve an implement or he may have already selected one.  Michael will then call Jennifer over.
   4. Jennifer is to remain silent and kneel down in front of Michael with her eyes open and her head bowed.
   5. Michael speaks first and asked Jennifer to state why she is being Disciplined.  Jennifer must look up and into Michael’s eyes and accurately state why.   If she does not know or is inaccurate, Michael may choose to increase the severity of the Discipline.  When Jennifer speaks she must speak clearly, calmly, and matter-of-factly so that Michael can easily hear.  While maintaining eye contact with Michael, Jennifer must recite her Discipline Mantra per Exhibit A.  Jennifer is then to return to bowing her head and avoiding eye contact until After Care.
   6. Michael shall thank Jennifer for recognizing her Disobedience and her acceptance of his leadership and authority.  Michael may begin or continue to lecture Jennifer.
   7. Michael will instruct Jennifer as to the position she must take.  Michael will then administer the Discipline and may continue lecturing throughout. Michael may assign other Discipline(s) such as writing lines, corner time, or anything else at his discretion before initiating the Closing Ceremony per Section VI 3.3 and Section VI.3.4
      .
5. IMMEDIATE DISCIPLINE:  When Michael administers Discipline on the spot, without sending Jennifer to her room.
   1. Michael will provide Jennifer instructions regarding a location suitable to him to provide the Discipline, including on the spot she where she stands.  She is to follow Michael’s instructions regarding the removal of any or all clothing and as to what position she is to take.     
   2. Jennifer is not to object or speak. She is only to immediately comply without regard to the surroundings.
   3. Michael will deliver her initial Discipline.  Immediate Discipline is given without warm up, with strokes that are in quick succession and continue as long as Michael wishes.   The intent is to create a sort of “Shock and Awe” such that Jennifer knows that she may be subject to quick and immediate Discipline the moment she is Disobedient. 
   4. Michael will ask Jennifer why she is being Disciplined.  Michael will administer additional Discipline if Jennifer is uncertain or incorrect.  Michael will then explain to Jennifer why she earned the Discipline. 
   5. Jennifer shall receipt her Discipline Mantra per Exhibit A.
   6. Michael may lecture Jennifer as he deems necessary and will then Discipline Jennifer a final time.  Michael may assign other Discipline such as writing lines, corner time, or anything else at his discretion before initiating the Closing Ceremony per Section VI.3.3. and Section VI.3.4.
6. MAINTENANCE DISCIPLINE: All Maintenance Sessions will begin and end with a spanking at Michael’s discretion.  These are not intended as punishment, but as a reminder of Jennifer’s submission and to provide her appropriate release as per Michael’s discretion. 
7. CATEGORIES OF DISCIPLINE
   1. SPANKING DISCIPLINE consists of Jennifer being spanked with an implement of Michael’s choice, or by hand.  She may be spanked on any part of her body that Michael determines is appropriate for her Discipline.
   2. NON-SPANKING PHYSICAL DISCIPLINEconsists of any physical discipline other than a spanking.  It includes but is not limited to breast bindings, nipple clamps, tack bra, butt plug, nipple and/or clit clamps, enemas, or any other device or implement intended to cause appropriate discomfort consistent with the Discipline Michael wants to administer.
   3. NON-PHYSICAL DISCIPLINEincludes but is not limited to corner time, kneeling, loss of privileges such as television or internet or seeing family or friends.  Any restrictions on seeing family or friends is not to exceed one week. 
   4. VERBAL DISCIPLINEconsists of any verbal admonishing and/or lecturing Michael may direct at Jennifer.  It is rarely given by itself as behaviors requiring Verbal Discipline most often require other forms of Discipline be administered.

SECTION VII. MAINTENANCE SESSIONS

1. SUNDAY SESSIONS consist of  Michael and Jennifer meeting to discuss certain topics allowing Jennifer to seek clarification on any Discipline or any other aspect of their dynamic, have Michael review Jennifer’s behavior and progress, have Jennifer present her Daily Journal for inspection, and for Jennifer to receive Maintenance Discipline as per guidelines in Section VII.3.
2. THURSDAY SESSIONSconsist of Michael and Jennifer meeting with Kayla to review the collective triad dynamic with the intent of maintaining and fostering health and open communication between the three of them.  Jennifer will receive Maintenance Discipline per Section VII.3.
3. MAINTENANCE SESSION CEREMONY Jennifer shall be nude throughout and will begin with Michael administering her first Maintenance Discipline.
   1. Much like After-Care, Michael and Jennifer will embrace and Jennifer will speak, reaffirming her love and respect for herself, her family, and for Michael.  Michael will, in turn, express his love for Jennifer and thank her for the commitment of personal responsibility she has made and state his continued support to help her become the person she wants to be.
   2. SUNDAY SESSIONS:  They will then discuss Jennifer’s behaviors and Discipline that week.  All discussions will focus only on that week.  Jennifer will not bring up past issues as those issues are considered resolved. Jennifer will present her Daily Journal to Michael for his review and inspection.
      Jennifer will self-report on any Disobedience that occurred that week for which Michael was unaware. Michael will administer any Discipline he deems necessary for any of Jennifer’s self-reported Disobedience, as well as for any Journal shortcomings.
      Michael will lecture Jennifer as to his expectations of her for the coming week and may choose to dialogue with Jennifer.
      Jennifer will be given corner time for self-reflection as determined by Michael.  Michael may choose to leave the room, stay, or come and go during her corner time.  When corner time is up, she is to masturbate to climax.  After Jennifer’s orgasm she is to lay in bed, meditate, and it is acceptable for her to fall asleep as she waits for further instruction.
      When Michael determines her self-reflection time is complete, he will call Jennifer over.  She is to kneel in front of him, look up into his eyes, and recite her Morning and Evening Mantras per Exhibit A.  She will then bow her head and reach out her hands.  Michael may wait for as long as he chooses before holding her outstretched hands.  While holding her hands, Jennifer will remain kneeling with her head bowed.
      When Michael is ready, he will instruct Jennifer to take a position and receive her last Maintenance Discipline.
      Appropriate After-Care is administered and the Maintenance Session is over
   3. THURSDAY SESSIONS: After Maintenance Discipline is given, the remainder of the Thursday sessions are unstructured and at Mike’s discretion.  They may include a final Maintenance Discipline.
      .

EXHIBIT A:  MANTRAS

1. MORNING MANTRA
   “Today I desire submission;
   through humility, not humiliation,
   through service, not suffering, 
   through being present, not in pain
   through being useful, not used,  
   through discipline, not punishment, 
   through focusing on Michael’s desires, my only need and purpose.”
2. EVENING MANTRA
   “Thank you, Michael. 
   Thank you, Michael, for leading, as I follow you.
   Thank you, Michael, for working, as I serve you.
   Thank you, Michael, for providing, as I appreciate you.
   Thank you, Michael, for guiding, as I trust you.
   Thank you, Michael, for deciding, as I obey you.
   I look forward to tomorrow when we get to do it all again.
3. DISCIPLINE MANTRA
   I accept your leadership and authority over me.
   I accept whatever discipline you decide that I have earned.
   I accept and appreciate the punishment I have earned
   I apologize for {transgression} as that does not represent the person and wife I want to be.
   I apologize that you have to take the time to correct me
   I am ready to be punished.

Next: 321. Perception is Reality

319. Empty nest?

Here’s a break from the kink and some insights into family life which I have shared from time to time.

J graduates from high school in a few weeks.  I’ve shared before that he has some special needs.  We have lived our lives assuming he would have to live with us our entire life, unable to be independent.  His condition has a wide spectrum of issues and some with his condition can be fully independent and some can not.  And while development was not expected to be linear, everything pointed to him needing life long assistance.     A life of all kinds of therapies was producing steady and painfully incremental gains.  Then, Bam! 

About 3-4 years ago those gains began to grow, and grow exponentially.   Physically, cognitively, emotionally.   I credit the three M’s (technically, Mike came up with the three M’s, but I humbling accept them as fact!).   Those are, medicine, maturity, and mom!  Or the way I say, “Mom, maturity, medicine.”  Hell yes, I will take top billing for his progress!   

As for medicine, I don’t just mean prescription meds, I mean the entire medical field, from therapies to prescriptions.  And while maturity was likely to always evolve on its own, he went from a lot of behaviors that were a good 5-6 years behind his age to pretty close to age-appropriate behaviors.   I’d say he is still a couple of years behind, but that difference matters less when you are talking age 16 behaviors at age 18 compared to age 6 behaviors at age 12.

It wasn’t until the beginning of this year that we started leaving him alone at home.  Of course, we always made sure John and Donna (our neighbors, I think you’ve heard of them),  were home, aware, and available in case something came up.

Some of the concern was also physical.  He can lose his balance very easily and has low muscle tone, so the risk of falling was always high.  If he trips over anything, he would always fall and fall awkwardly and hard.  But his strength has improved immensely along with his balance.  He still has issues, but nothing like before.

Our thinking evolved from the idea of him always being at home to perhaps being able to live in the right group setting at some point.  Well, now we are taking that thinking a bit further.

J has been spending a lot of time at T1’s and E’s farm.  He loves caring for the animals and is a big help around the farm.  It has got to the point that right after school on Friday’s we almost always drive J to the farm for the weekend.  For sure every other weekend and sometimes back-to-back weekends.

GULP!  MOVING OUT??
T1 and E came to us with an idea.  They wouldn’t mind adding a few more animals to the farm.  Maybe some goats, or more beehives, or whatever.  But they have to balance their time commitments with their regular full-time jobs.   They were thinking, maybe they get more animals and J comes to live with them to help out.  Initially, in their house, but eventually, we could build him his own place on the property.   There is plenty of room.

The idea has merit, but I am not ready to jump into it.  I worry that he would be an imposition.   T1 and E are adjusting to married life and now this kid with unique needs requires their attention.  That’s a lot to take on.  T1 has always adored J and even though they are eleven years apart,  T1 has always gone out of his way to stay close and connected to him.  And E is amazing with him as she is just an amazing person.  Still, that’s a lot for a couple to take on.  And once they have kids, then what?   Yep. This would only work long term if J continues to develop and becomes more independent.

The vibe on the farm is perfect for J.  T1 and E are easy going, the farm is quiet, and J can be naked all the time.  I can’t understate how nudism has also helped him.  He has always had tactile issues, especially with clothing.  Even before we adopted nudism, around the house he would often wear an oversized t-shirt and loose underwear, nothing else.  It never dawned on me even that created some anxiety in him.  We saw an immediate decrease in anxiety when we ditched the textile norms around the house. 

For now we decided we can ease towards that direction and see how it goes.   After school is out, we told him he can spend a full month at their place (with frequent visits from me).  Then he can come home and we can talk when his next farm visit will be.  We have not told him of the idea of living there and likely never will.  He doesn’t do well with “maybe” but does very well with, “this is just how it is.”   Very black and white, no gray.

In a perfect scenario, I envision that we can get a mobile home or a small one-bedroom home built on the property for him.  I also envision moving closer to them.  3-hour drive is just a bit too far.  I need to be closer to J.  I am not looking to cut those apron strings just yet, but I am willing to consider a long tether.  Just not too long.

WHAT OF TTWD?
While my focus is on what it means for J and making sure he is set up with the greatest chances for success, it does make the three of us think what it means for us. (me, Mike, Kayla).  We’ve already got a little taste of this.  Part of increased adventures this year has been because J has spent a lot of weekends away.  In the past, it wasn’t uncommon for me or for Kayla to stay behind with J.   All three of us going out together was a treat.

It’s not like it never happened.  Since J was born my parents and sisters made it point to coordinate at least one night a week for J to spend with them.  It was their way of giving me and Mike some respite.  And there were the two weeks during the summer that he would stay with my parents – which led to our Immersions.  Hey, when the kids are away, the adults shall play!    But still, having him spend almost every other weekend this year with T1 has been amazing.  No doubt it is part of what allowed us to increase our adult play opportunities without having to leave me or Kayla out to stay with J. 

While our kink is never the priority and has no bearing on our decisions regarding J, I do wonder what it means for TTWD.   No more logistical issues with a spanking such as a sudden and discreet trip to the bedroom.   No more, “Hey, we need to wrap this up, J will be home soon.”  There has been so much play and punishments that have been cut short or modified.  Such is TTWD when there are kids in the house.  

WHAT OF DAY TO DAY LIVING?
And not just the kink, but just life in general.  If any of you have children with any types of unique needs, you know how emotionally and physically draining it can be.  It’s been 18 years of an intense and constant focus.

Not just on J’s immediate needs, but a focus on all the trip-wires, boobytraps, and time bombs that surrounded him.  Those things that would trigger anxiety or injury or obsession that if identified quickly, I could defuse without him noticing or at least quickly redirect.  Mike and I developed a sixth sense about it, like Jason Bourne casing a room and in an instant assessing all the threats and exit strategies.  That’s been my life at least since he was 4.  14 years!

MINI RANT RE RAISING A SPECIAL NEEDS CHILD
And just to be clear, we were not that way with T1 or T2.  I believe normally developing children need to deal with age-appropriate adversity.  It’s part of developing the skills you need as an adult.

But when your child is not normally developing, when adversity creates a major set back in their development, in their health (central adrenal insufficiency), in their happiness, in the happiness of everyone around them, that gnaws on them like a parasite, draining them and everyone around them – then what?  You do all you can to keep adversity at bay, allowing it only in the tiniest of doses, in the most controlled setting possible.  This positions the child to successfully overcome it and truly learn from it.   Treat them like a normally developing child and their life will be hell, as will the life of everyone around them.

While J has come a long way, I still have lost all concept of what it is like to suddenly have that sixth sense turned off for more than a breath or two.   The signs are now pointing to a chance that he indeed can thrive fairly independently.  I know I am going to struggle to be an empty-nester.  As long as I know J is thriving, it’s a struggle I can’t wait to take on.  We shall see. 

Post: 320. Domestic Discipline Contract Version 3.1

318. Master Kayla. She no longer submits?

A family update

KAYLA IS A MASTER 
Kayla is a cunning linguist, a master of many tounges, and a master debater.  Yes, she has mastered many things.  And now it’s official!

We attended Kayla’s Commencement Ceremony regarding her M.B.A.  She is done with her formal education and is preparing to enter her adult working life.  But not quite yet!

When she first moved in with us over two years ago we felt that she might be with us up until she graduated.  We initially looked at our relationship with her as being a chapter in her life that she would want to end and graduating seemed like a good ending point.

Of course, we all ended up madly in love.  She totally meshed with our entire household vibe as well as my marriage beyond what we could have envisioned.  About a year ago we talked about our future together.  She made it clear to us that her desire was to stay a part of us with no arbitrary end date such as graduation, a birthday, or whatever.   She feels like a permanent part of us.  And we agreed 100%.   We really are three.   That led to our ceremony complete with a ring for Kayla.   We are in a long term committed relationship.   Period.

However, our situation requires meaningful, honest, and realistic discussions about what we want, both in the near term and in the long term.  We don’t speak of our relationship as “forever” as that seems unrealistic and unnecessary.  Mike is going to be 51 soon, and I’ll be 50.  And it’s not that age by itself matters, it is that life experiences matter and Kayla (24 in case you forgot) deserves experiences outside of what we can offer her.

Kayla admits at some point she may want to explore those experiences, but at the moment she can’t imagine that time.  She agrees it is probably “out there somewhere” but at the moment it is nowhere in sight.  She hates talking about the possibility of it and that’s the end of the conversation.

KAYLA THE MASTER STILL SUBMITS
Oh, and as for the tease in my title.   Kayla is as submissive today as ever.  She is Mike’s submissive in ways that go further than my submission.  It’s hard to quantify, but I would score our potpourri dynamic like this:

• Me and Mike:      44% DD, 40% D/s, 10% M/s, and 6% BDSM,
• Kayla and Mike: 10% DD, 35% D/s, 35% M/s, and 20% BDSM.

Honestly, I probably should score my DD a bit lower, but I find comfort in scoring it the way I did.  I think I like to believe it is still mostly rooted in Domestic Discipline, even though there is definitely a bigger Dominant/submissive and Master/slave element than ever before.  Hey, I can self-identify however I want, so leave me alone!  Hee-hee.

My point is Kayla is the more submissive one.  I struggle with the right term. The more “subjugated” one?  No, that doesn’t fit.  That has a connotation of “conquest” which clearly doesn’t apply.  Mike did not conquer either one of us   I believe we each forged a dynamic with Mike that has liberated us.  Liberated from the thoughts and behaviors that truly enslaved us and truly subjugated us.  Kind of reminds me of one of my fav posts, Post 30.  I found my Thrill.

Consider that paragraph a mini-rant!  Ha!  I haven’t ranted about submission in quite some time.  There was the October political rant, but it’s probably been more than a year since I last ranted about my journey.  Maybe next post?  I know some of you are like, “Jen, how about making it yet another year before your next rant?  Well, too bad.  It’s my blog and I’ll rant if I want to.

GRADUATION GIFT
I think somewhere in here I shared that when Kayla first moved in with us she was paying us rent.  While she worked an on-again/off-again part-time job, her dad sent her a check each month to help her out so she could focus on school without having to work much.  He committed to doing that until she finished her MBA program.  Also, both her parents committed to helping her pay for school.  Thankfully they didn’t end those commitments when she moved in with us.

We combining our finances at her request, I think about a year ago.  It was part of fully committing to us being three.   I posted about how we handle our finances in Post 181.  Domestic Financial Discipline.  That was prior to combining Kayla’s finances.  It basically still works the same way in that any money she received went into the “Bills” account and Mike determined how much would go into our “Day-to-Day” that she and I shared.  (It’s called Day-to-day, but it’s not a daily allowance.  You’ll have to read Post 181 for how it works).

Money can often be a point of contention, but it never has with us.  Kayla liked the arrangement as it made her feel more of us being three.  She still had money to spend but was equally accountable in making sure we stayed within our jointly allocated amount.  If exceptions were needed, whether she needed it or I did, we would talk to Mike and he would decide.    

What Kayla didn’t know (but I did), was that any amount she put in was actually not changing what Mike was putting into our Day to Day account.  Instead, he was putting it into a savings account he set up.   We really didn’t need the extra income and when she did have a few exceptional expenses (new car tires), unbeknownst to her, Mike just covered them with our money.  All along Mike planned to use all the money she contributed to our household as a graduation gift to her. 

She has given us money for 29 months.  And Mike threw in a little extra to make it a nice round number.  Let’s just say her graduation gift from us is allowing her to replace her old and dying car with a new one with a little to spare!  And as that gift really didn’t cost us anything, as we looked at it as the money we didn’t need, on top of that we told her we would pay for a trip for her and a friend to go anywhere in the U.S.   Kayla is planning a trip to NY City for her and Chelsea.

KAYLA’S KINK
Kayla’s age play (Post 279) has evolved over the last 8-9 months.  She has “aged-up” if that is the right term.  That is, she’s gone from an almost infant like play to more toddler play.  It’s not something she gets to do very often because of J in the house, and we find her some play time whenever we can.  A few times we have had visits from Nurse Ann to partake in both Mike and Kayla’s nursing desires.  Other than that, it’s been pretty much kink as usual.  She is much more into being restrained (tied up, shackled, etc) and lives for sex with two men at once (sometimes three).   

She has tremendous energy and is totally committed to Mike, always looking to serve his every need.  Wait,  he’s a man, there is no “every” need.  There’s just the “one” need.  As they say, every woman wants one man to fulfill her every need, and every man wants every woman to fulfill his one need.   And in our relationship, we call that an equitable arrangement!   

I am kidding.       Just a little.       Not much really.      

WHAT’S NEXT
Kayla has a job offer and they gave her the option of starting now or waiting until August.  At our encouragement, she opted for the August start date.   So she has two-and-a-half months to be completely free to do whatever, whenever.  Well, not whatever, per Mike’s moratorium, but who knows, Mike may give her a moratorium waiver as another gift.  Sounds funny so I’ll just have to say it, “Hey mom, for my graduation Mike’s letting me suck some stranger’s cock.”    Poor taste?

As for finances, she still plans on pooling her money with us, with two exceptions.  One, she will have a savings account that she is to put a set amount into once she starts working that is her’s long term but no using it without Mike’s permission.   And two, while the rest goes into our collective pot, there will be a nice increase in our Day-to-Day allowance.

And speaking of graduations, J will be graduating high school!  About two more weeks of school left.  I’ll share on my next post what we think his future holds.  Graduating high school comes with a lot of emotion.  It’s equal parts exciting, amazing, scary, anxiety-filled, and pit-in-your-stomach terrifying.  And that’s just how I feel about it!   As for him, he’s like, “No biggie, I got this.”   We shall see.

Next: 319. Empty Nest?

317. Contrast on a theme of sexual aesthetics

Look at me!  Two posts in two days!

Not sure why I chose this image.  I believe the ridiculousness of it spoke to me and summed up a theme of this post.  “To each their own” as it pertains to what turns you on, even if it is a clown in a bathroom with a pretty woman and massive stacks of Benjamins.   Now that’s a unique fetish!

This post is a bit weird, but I am in a weird mood.

TURN IT TO 11
Full disclosure — All 11 of us have yet to get together at the same time.  There always seems to be a couple or two that can’t make it on any particular gathering, but I am sure it will happen at some point.   Hey, football season is right around the corner! 

Speaking of sex, we actually have dialed down our sex lives a tad.  It’s definitely been at 11 since about the start of this year (not as in 11 people, but as, dialed up to 11.  Just click the “been at 11” link).  Maybe that’s why I haven’t been posting as much.  I am exhausted.  hee-hee.   We’ve explored some new sexual terrain in the last five months.   We played with some other couples that we met at a swingers club.

It was interesting and different than some of the FetLife connections we made in the past.   While I am sure our experiences are unique to the specific groups of people with whom we met, I wonder if our observations could be consistently applied across the board?   I hate labels as they are always incomplete and full of exceptions.  But they do help ground us and convey what we are thinking.   So here it goes.

TO FET OR TO SWING? THAT IS THE QUESTION
I think Tofet Ortoswing would be a cool name of a character.  What nationality does that sound most like?   Is that a male name or female?   I digress.

We felt the swingers club was a more sophisticated and conservative group.  I don’t mean that in a political sense, although come to think of it, that could be a part of it.  It felt a bit more upscale, sophisticated, and at times, even fake.   Whereas FetLife functions were more blue-collar, more casual, more real.

I guess women in cupless leather bustiers and men with no underwear and crotchless pants lend themselves to a more raw aesthetic than women in a dress with a hint of cleavage and men in kakis and a blazer.

Maybe fake is a bit too harsh of a word.  I struggle to articulate it.  There was nothing fake about the sex and swapping.  Subdued?  A bit methodical, bordering on play-acting or pretending?   A bit more rehearsed!  Yes, that’s getting closer to describing it.  The Swing club seemed to have unspoke protocols that no one could articulate, but everyone knew existed.  A level of politeness and formality.    That’s it!  Subdued, polite, formal. 

Contrast that with our FetLife gatherings.  Spontaneous, authentic, and free-flowing.   No rules other than respect everyone’s likes and dislikes and the way you found out what they liked or didn’t like is this trick called “asking.”  You just put it all out there, nothing is unspoken.  Sharing what’s on your mind can come across noisy, impolite, and informal.

RESPECT!
I respect both vibes and enjoyed both of them.  It makes sense that they would be different.

Just think about what draws people to each of those scenes.   FetLife is simply more fetish related.  After all, it is Fetlife.   And the ranges of fetishes are immense and very diverse.  Gatherings are about exploring and enjoying not just your particular fetish, but in observing all the other kinky shit that is out there.  It makes you feel normal and more confident about your fetishes because as we all know, everyone’s kink is disgusting, except your own.

Swingers tend to be more singularly focused on one fetish – swapping.  And the swapping seems to be more straight sex.   Missionary.  Doggie.  Oral.  Yes, exceptions exist, but that sums up about 90% of it.  The variable is mostly limited to whether you watch your partner or do you swing separately?   By the way, I am not complaining nor dissing the Swing-scene.  There is a huge thrill in swinging and we thoroughly enjoyed it.  I am just trying to articulate the differences all three of us felt.

Oh, and we were also a bit odd in that “we” were three.   It made us a bit of the “freaks” with the Swingers.  Not in an uncomfortable way, although I assume some people could have been made to feel uncomfortable with that vibe.  Not us.  We reveled in it.  And it led to a lot of fun!  A lot of wives and girlfriends playfully joking with their partners, “Hey, no fair, this swap is a two for one and I am just getting the one.”   Swapping humor!

TURN IT DOWN A NOTCH OR TWO, (BUT NOT THREE)
After several months at “11,” Mike called for us to cool it down a bit.  He felt we were getting a bit sex-crazed, and he was right.  It was feeling a bit like an addiction.

We were all looking forward to our next adventure, but that anticipation was more than just a craving, it was becoming a “can’t live without it” lusting.  While all three of us had it, Kayla really had it the worst, but none of us were immune.  Mike noticed a decrease in our level of tolerance for everyday things and towards each other.  We were all a bit more irritable and both mine and Kayla’s bottoms became clear evidence of the consequences of that irritability.

While perhaps it wasn’t related to a sex-seeking frenzy, once Mike said something about it, it resonated as true to all of us.  We recognized it and agreed we were becoming very focused on when our next play session would be with anyone other than our Circle of Trust (COT).   The result was Mike has put a moratorium on any activities outside our COT.

As evidence that perhaps we had gone a bit crazy, there was a bit of feeling of withdrawal.  A feeling of anxiety and insomnia where your mind thinks of the amazing sex you are missing.  Luckily, that could be quickly remedied by a convenient antidote.  We would just have amazing sex together!

PORN AS AN AID
What also helped us was more role play between the three of us.  I mentioned a few posts back that we got an account on bdsmlr.com.  The three of us use it by logging in and making comments on the pics or gifs – snarky ones, suggestive ones, playful ones, nasty ones, you name it.  Some of it based on reality, some of it fantasy.   A little playground for us to use our imagination and share dirty thoughts.   

We each try to log in each day to see what comments the other two have made and to add more of our own.   We are Funsome Threesome if you want to see what it’s all about.   I caution you, bdsmlr.com is a bit raw and crude.  Misogyny and patriarchy reign supreme on most accounts. 

I know some of you are saying, “Well isn’t that the pot calling the kettle black.”   While I disagree, I won’t argue the point.   I get it, my lifestyle and COT is definitely not *misandry and matriarchy.   Well, at least outside of Kim’s bedroom it’s not!  lol. 

  (*hint:  those are the opposites of misogyny and patriarchy.  The fact I had to look up the opposite of misogyny just shows you how misogynistic our culture is.   Most of us don’t even know the term for its opposite.  If you did know, that’s great.  You just earned five points for social awareness.  And what can you do with those 5 points?  You can now be subject to Christian-sharia law if you live in the South.  Wow, did I digress or what?)

Stay kinky!

Next: 318. Master Kayla. She no longer submits?

316. Our Sex Club

I didn’t set off to be a teller of Kim’s story.  I wanted to share her background because it was interesting to me and before you know it, I overshared a bit.  Oh well, too late now. 
But finally, this will bring you up to where things are today. 

So about a month or so after Kim watched us have sex, she sat down with me all excited and energized.  She said she believes she has worked the kinks out  – oh, wait, not a good choice of words as the kinks have been worked in, not worked out.  Ahem.  She believes she has resolved her hang-ups with sex.   In her words, “I had a revelation!”

KIMS REVELATION
I already mentioned that Kim started masturbating regularly.  She soon told her husband he could watch, after all, she had been watching him masturbate for years.  That led to them having sex, and more sex.  More in a week than they had in the prior year.   And Kim said it was different than any sex they previously had.   She was not only the one initiating it for the first time ever, but actually directing it.  Telling her husband to do this, or do that.  She said it was the first time she felt like SHE was having sex.  That it was something she was doing, not something simply being done to her. 

And her revelation?   Actually, there were two. 

1. She enjoys being in control.  And more than that, she enjoyed a dominant role in the bedroom.   And apparently, TJ was happy to oblige, or more precisely, submit! This didn’t change her mindset out of the bedroom.  Nothing changes in day-to-day life, but she became the master of their bedroom domain.
2. She loves watching others. More precisely, she enjoys watching us, but the thought of watching anyone turns her one.  As much as I am an exhibitionist, she is a voyeur.  And she added, “And I think it is more than to just watch.  The thought of directing people and telling them what to do to each other really turns me on.

Kim said it was strange for her to say something turns her on sexually.   The idea of it is so foreign to her as well as a thrill for her.  She said she not only is able to let loose in the bedroom but can’t wait to do so.  She gets turned on just thinking about it.  Such a feeling is completely new to her – not that she is complaining!!

MORE THAN A FEELING
Kim said it goes just beyond “feeling it.”  She has this drive to act on it.  Something she never ever felt before, even remotely.

This led me to ask, “It’s great to hear that TJ is onboard and willing to accept a role in the bedroom that also suits you.  As for liking to watch others or even directing others, do you have something in mind with how you can fulfill that?  And yes, I am willing to ask Mike if we can submit our application to you.” 

Kim served up her best Jen-like response that made me smile.   

“Well, your credentials are good and you seem to be a good fit – culturally speaking of course.  You have clearly shown you can work well in a team environment and go into a project with a well-defined entry and exit plan.  Yes, you all can definitely fill a lot of holes.  From what I’ve seen, you have great manual skills.  I don’t know your writing skills, but we aren’t really in need of that.  It’s your excellent oral skills that I value.  To top it off, your interest and excitement level is infectious.  Oh!  Oops, that’s probably not a good word to use.  Your interest and excitement level is superb!  Yeah, that’s better.  If you submit your application I can talk with TJ and see what comes of it.”

“So,” I replied, “this is one job opportunity I don’t want to blow.  Oh wait.  Maybe I do?  Whatever.  You know you can count on me to bend over backwards, or forwards if you like, to get the blow. . . um, I mean, to get the job done.”

See why I Kim and I get along?  We have very similar humor.

THE GROUP TEASE
Ultimately, after Kim and TJ talked and I talked with Mike and Kayla, here’s where things are.  We are NOT having sex with Kim and TJ, but, they do have sex in front of us, and us in front of them.  There’s been some steamy play that seems to point toward an inevitable exploration into some swapping, but it hasn’t happened yet.  I think we are all enjoying getting right up to the line but not crossing it just yet.   We refer to it as a “group tease.”   Each of us sort of sexually teasing the other to see who can be enticed to cave first.   It’s a really fun game that we all enjoy. 

Kim is definitely a bit of a dom in the bedroom with TJ.  She has a new favorite toy, a strap on, that TJ is into accepting from her.  She definitely likes to be in control and have the power in the bedroom.   And it’s so great to see her comfortable and confident in demonstrating and exploring that desire.  Kim and TJ have even joined us at John and Donna’s a few times. 

Oh, and Matt has a girlfriend who is also part of our Circle of Trust.   And Raul and Valerie make an occasional guest appearance, and like Kim and TJ they don’t swap but they definitely have plenty of sexual fun.

Who needs FetLife or a swingers club?  We have our homegrown sex club!
Orgy for 11!  Your table is ready!

Next: 317.  Contrast on a theme of sexual aesthetics

315. Kim’s Sexual Awakening

I hope this post catches you up to the present day regarding our friendship with TJ and Kim.  Sorry for taking so long to provide the background story.  It was more detail than I intended to share and way more than I provided on Jamie and Chelsea.  While both couples have unique stories worthy of multiple posts, I feel more connected to Kim.   Jaime and Chelsea are more a Mike and Kayla thing.  Kim has become a close friend of mine and an interesting one at that.  Thus I want to give you a fuller picture of her. 

ONE MORE PIECE OF BACKGROUND
One more factoid to share that I omitted from the prior post.  Just a minor little thing that’s easy to forget. Ha!

TJ & Kim once lived in Georgia.  Kim encouraged TJ to have an affair.  Can you call it that when you have your wife’s consent and encouragement?   

It was another example of how accepting Kim has been of her hang-ups as well as how much she cares for TJ.   She was confident enough in their marriage to tell him he was free to find sexual fulfillment elsewhere.  It also showed me she is not emotionally fragile and is so self-aware of her issues that she does not want her problems to cause her husband’s needs to be unfulfilled, even when it comes to his sexual needs.

She said at the time it seemed logical.  She rationalized, “If I need help cleaning, I get a maid.  If I need help sexually satisfying my husband, I get him a mistress.  Either way, it  takes a weight off my shoulders — or, in this case, — off my hips.”

That’s one of the many reasons I like Kim.  Her humor is much like mine and I love to see her poke fun at her own predicament.  Humor doesn’t minimize her struggle but serves to recognize and humanize it.  I like her for a lot of other reasons too.  We’ve really become good friends.  Just how good?  Wait to read, but I bet it’s not what you think!

TJ resisted but eventually got a regular girlfriend.   Despite efforts to establish clear expectations between TJ and the mistress, after about six months it became clear that Sancha wanted more.  The relationship soon bordered on stalking.   Not quite “Fatal Attraction” level.  No rabbits were harmed, but it got creepy enough that they had to do something.  They moved to Texas where Kim is from originally.  It’s been about 8 years and they said that moving was the end of any issues or contact with the other woman.  

KIM WATCHES
Okay, enough back story.   (Hey! I heard someone say, “Finally!!”  Admit it.  It was you!)

So Kim sat in a chair near our bed and watched me have sex with Mike.  We made it a point not to do anything overly pretzel-like.  Good old missionary and doggie!  Afterward, the three of us talked for a bit and at her urging, we gave her an encore presentation, this time with oral thrown in.

Kim couldn’t articulate her thoughts that she said were swirling.  She wanted some time to process and understand them herself.  We respected that and didn’t push her to share her thoughts. 

Then she asked if we would be willing to let her watch Mike and Kayla, and even watch all three of us together.  We joked that maybe we should be charging her for our sex shows. 

“Add it to my therapy bill,” she quipped, once again fighting through her anxiety and embarrassment with some humor.

I added, “So I guess you’re not interested in any girl-on-girl action with just me and Kayla?”

And with an overly serious look and tone that feigned surprise, “What?  You’re saying that during your threesomes you and Kayla never touch each other?”

I said to myself, “Oh, so you want to play, huh?  En guarde.”   I love this type of game.

Confident I would throw her off guard knowing she can only take so much direct sex talk about herself, I replied, “If by touch you mean touching my tongue deep inside her pussy and ass like TJ is going to soon be doing to you, then yes, we touch.”

She didn’t even flinch and just laughing said, “Then I expect you to eat some pussy and ass else you’ll be eating your words.”

Point to Kim.  Well played!

And thus we soon had repeat private performances for Kim.  First Mike and Kayla, and then the three of us.  As for some of what she witnessed, let’s just say, I didn’t have to eat my words.

HER NEXT STEP
After cogitating on things for a few days, she reported to me that she was giving masturbation a try and already done it a few times.  She said it was going great and while she doesn’t really orgasm, she feels herself getting close.  My only comment to her was that I think masturbation is pretty simple.  Explore every which way you can imagine that might make yourself feel good.  When you find something feels good, do more of it.  That’s it.   And from the sounds of it, she was getting close to finding it.

HER STEP 2 – TTWD
She had often seen TJ masturbate as that was often his release and he didn’t hide it.  But now, SHE was having TJ watch her go at it.  It quickly led them to have sex.  Not that they have been sexless, but up to this point sex was like a 6-8 times a year thing and she never initiated it.

This “masturbation then sex” soon became “their thing.”  TTWD has to start somewhere!  They would both start fully clothed, she would masturbate and end up naked, and then, well, the sparks would fly.  She said she liked this because even though she was exposed and vulnerable when performing for him, she actually felt more in control and more powerful.   She felt it as something SHE was doing, not something someone was doing to her.  And once her juices were flowing, she was revved up to actually desire sex.

She said about the third time they had sex, she had her first orgasm.   She said it felt different from the start.   All day long she was looking forward to their little sex session.  The anticipation had built up and from her first touch she noticed she was wetter than ever.  It wasn’t long before she saw the fireworks.

In her words, “Wow.  I thought I sorta’ knew and kinda’ had a few orgasms before.  But there is no “sort of” or “kind of” to the real, full-blown, amazing, thing.  The warmth, up my clitoris, up my belly, up my chest, up to my head.  A whole-body convulsing experience.   Who knew?”

My response was, “Welcome to the club!”

MARITAL AIDS
It didn’t stop there.  She soon ordered a few vibrators and dildos for herself.  She even got a vibrator for her daughter.  I wrote before that Kim has tried hard to instill age-appropriate sex-positive attitudes with her daughters.  There are many other examples I could share, but this one was a doozy.  In some ways, Kim goes to the opposite extreme.  While her parents filled her with a sense of shame, guilt, and taboo over anything sexual or about her body, her kids are like, “Oh, mom, not again.  Do you really have to tell us that!”

Okay, okay.  There I go again off on a tangent.

REVELATION
So, Kim is jilling away, having regular sex with TJ.   “A year’s worth per week” as she put it.   It was all good but was soon becoming a stale routine.   That isn’t necessarily a bad thing IF you have the confidence and imagination to spice things up.   At it was clear Kim now had both.  She told me of her revelation that put her straight down the path of where she is today.   And what was that revelation?

Sorry, not quite to the “current day” with the Kim saga as I had hoped.  We are really close though.   Maybe next post.

Next: 316.  Our Sex Club

314. Can I watch you have sex? (TJ & KIM Part 4)

SUCCULENTLY NON-SUCCINCT
I thought I was getting better at being more succinct in my post.  But this one rambles a bit. 

Oh well, if you’ve read most of my posts, that’s just how it goes.  Mike calls it, “Chasing butterflies.”   I am about to make a point and then, “Oh look, a butterfly.”

For instance, I feel compelled to share this –  At first, I had a typo in the word “succinct” in that first sentence of the post.   Spell check suggested “succulent.”   That made me smile and recognize that I also think I’ve been getting better at being succulent in my posts.  Maybe the key is to focus on the succulence and not worry about the succinctness?   {insert Seinfeld reference:  Kind of like whether I should focus on my import business or my export business.}   I digress.

I left off the post before last with having to ask Mike if we can fulfill Kims’ request to watch us have sex.  I felt prepared when went to him with this request. 

WHY MIGHT THIS HELP?
I had asked Kim what is the outcome she envisions?  This is always a great question to ask someone who asks you for their help.  Maybe I am the wrong person to deliver what she is looking for or maybe she has unrealistic expectations.  Whatever the case, it’s a great question to ask anyone who is asking you for help.  

She told me she felt she needed to see sex from a different perspective.  One that she felt would be authentic, passionate, and loving.  Things she couldn’t find in porn.  “Even the amateur stuff lacks authenticity to me.”   

“Oh, a budding porn critic, I see,” I said jokingly, “So just how much porn did you watch to come to that conclusion?” 

“That’s what I am talking about,” she said.  “You are easy to talk to about this stuff.  It it doesn’t even phase you to talk about porn.”

Humm. Maybe she is on to something.  Sort of a “porn acceptance litmus test” for measuring one’s ability to be vulnerable with someone.   That could make for an interesting Ph.D. dissertation.  And again, I digress. 

She believes that through watching me she can get a sense of what’s it like to be comfortable and at ease at both giving and receiving sexual pleasure.  Right now she understands people say this exists, but she just can’t imagine that it really does and perhaps seeing it would help.   “Besides,” she said slyly, “not only might it light my fire,  but based on what you’ve told me, you love putting on a show, right?”   

Hey, she is being both vulnerable and humorous.  That’s a good mix!

I asked her more about TJ’s reaction and she assured me he was supportive.  He did question her about her motives and what she had in mind.  She assured him it was view only mode.   “I want to strictly just be a fly on the wall.” 

MIKE CALLS FOR EXMOT
Mike has always been very cautious about our “Circle of Trust.”  Although he continues to get more and more adventurous.  The way he puts it, “I am still cautious, but I am willing to consider more candidates for my vetting.”

His vetting consists of getting to know them a bit more and feeling better about their “EXMOT” as he calls it.  Expectations and Motivations.  And he requires sharing of lab tests regarding STD’s.   In this case, since she is in observe mode, it’s just about the EXMOT.

Oh, I guess this is a good spot to add – we’ve attended several kink/swinger parties throughout the year.  Great fodder for some blog posts, if I get to blogging consistently.   We’ve met some new friends that we have played with a few times.  Not enough to call them permanent members of our COT, but they definitely have guest member status!   Yep, our swinging has been in, well, how do a phrase it?   Got it!  Full swing!

Okay, okay.  So what did Mike say?  Well, that will have to be for my next post.   Gotta go!

Just kidding. 

Like TJ, Mike wanted the four of us to meet.   So one weekend afternoon, Kayla took J out and about and TJ and Kim came over to our house.   We wore clothes.  While I told Kim we were nudists and typically were naked at home, we understand that can be a bit distracting or uncomfortable for others, especially as a first impression.   This would be there first time meeting Mike, although I shared with him all of the details about them. 

THE MEETING
Kim was so nervous and embarrassed.  After some normal meet-and-greet pleasantries, it was time to talk about, you know.   Kim showed her sense of humor by breaking the ice with, “Time to just get it all out there.  Here we are, to talk about my sex phobias.  What do you want to know?”

I won’t go into the play-by-play, but I was impressed with Mike.  He pointed out that while our experiences are not the same, there were some grains that were relatable.  He told her a story about knowing me throughout high school and knowing all the guys I ever dated.  I think I mentioned in one of my early posts – Mike has met every single guy I ever dated.  And I don’t mean since we got married. Of course, he’s met those men (okay, technically just one, Matt).  I mean before we got married.

Mike also pointed out that, like TJ, he was also previously married, although admittedly his first wife wasn’t bisexual.  The point was, we all get what it’s like to wonder how we stack up sexually with our partner’s prior experiences.

In her case, because she knew TJ’s ex-wife as a friend,  and TJ’s ex-wife was very “sharing” with information, Kim was privy to a certain amount of details.  And because Kim basically hounded TJ for even more details, she was aware of a lot, including the threesomes they had.  It was probably TMI for anyone to know, let alone someone like Kim who is dealing with a lot of hang-ups about sex.      

By the way – – – Long ago Mike and I shared who all our previous sexual partners were.  But we knew each other in high school as friends, then dated, then as friends again, before dating again.  We just sort of knew without talking about it, which made talking about no big deal.  It wasn’t until after we adopted DD that one day the topic came up and we shared all sorts of details.  Details about our first this and first that.  About funny experiences, not so funny experiences, and plain old fun experiences.  It’s so much easier to share that after you’ve established a high degree of confidence in your sexual relationship.

Back to Kim.  I thought Mike did a great job of making her feel at ease, and he eventually asked her a lot of specific questions about her thoughts on a variety of sex-related topics.
At first her responses were very guarded but soon she opened up.  Mike also kept TJ in the conversation, asking him what he thought of Kim’s responses.  It was a bit like an interview, although he did tell them to feel free to ask us any personal questions, which they did.  And when they didn’t ask us questions, Mike made it a point to add in his comments about how he viewed things or about things we experienced.  At times it felt a bit clinical, especially at first.  But soon it felt like longtime friends relaxing and talking about an otherwise sensitive topic as if they were talking about the weather, sports, or vacation tips.      

BOND OR BURDEN?
Then Mike said, “I’d like you to excuse us as I want to talk privately with Jen and will be back in a bit.”   We went up to our bedroom and had them wait in our living room.  Mike asked me about my perception of things.  Did I feel she had a screw loose, might flip out at some point, or suck us into some needy, drama-filled void that, in his words, “becomes more of a burden than a bond.”   

Mike uses that “burden or bond” phrase to mean are we letting people into our lives that will burden us emotionally or bond with us emotionally.  Not necessarily a deep, meaningful, life-long type bonding.  Think of it as a bond of friendship.  He’s simply saying, “will these people make good friends for us?”

I’d love to credit Mike with being so deliberate in having the foresight and sensitivity to ensure we surround ourselves with people that are good for us.   (Kind of like the “Filter” thing I talked about in a prior post).   But, not to brag, he credits me with “teaching” him this.  Whoever gets the credit, I was proud of how he was handling it.

“Bond!  Yes, bond, without a doubt,” I answered.  

He asked, “Why do you say that?” 

It’s mostly a vibe thing you can’t really quantify.   I believe it’s her willingness to be so vulnerable yet still appear strong.  To be so nervous and afraid, yet still appear strong.  To be totally mortified, yet still appear strong.   Someone who is unstable couldn’t do that, or make jokes about it, or have the fortitude to ask us such a thing without having good intentions.  

In classic Mike fashion, he responded, “It isn’t the intentions I am worried about, it’s the impact.”  

I went into a bit of rant, saying something like, “While we never know for sure how someone will react to anything, it seems a low risk to me to allow her to watch us have sex.   What’s the impact?  If it does nothing for her then she is no better or worse off.  And for us?  Hey, we got to have sex in front of somebody.  We enjoy that, right? (Jen increases the “whine” factor).   

“And her expectations aren’t that she watches us and gets zapped by our sexual chemistry and goes home to fuck like a rabbit the rest of her life.  This is just a first step, and if she needs our help with other steps, we can reassess it along the way.  It is a BOND up to the point it isn’t.  At this point, it isn’t a burden.  She is sweet, loving, a good mother, and secure with herself so many ways other than sex.  She even has the strength to know her hang-ups are her own.  She has a healthy view of sex regarding how she deals with the topic with her children.  And her husband is loving, patient, and fully onboard.  My vote is to do it.”  

Mike thought for a moment.  “Okay, sounds good to me, let’s do it.” 

I thanked him and as I hugged him he whispered, “I sensed a tone of frustration with me in your little rant, and was that a cuss word I heard?” 

Let’s just say it was about another five minutes before Mike returned to our living room, and about ten minutes after that before I returned.  
 
And so it was to be.  Kim would watch us have sex.   Kim asked that it would just be me and Mike, no Kayla.  And for the record, Mike invited TJ to watch, but he declined.  

I am not going to go into post-after-post of what transpired when she watched and what went on between then and now.  I’ll just jump to the present and tell you where things are today. 

Or make that where things are tomorrow, or maybe the next day, or whenever I post next.   Yep, I’ll save that info for another post!   hee-hee!   This cliffhanger thing is kinda fun.

Next:  Kim’s Sexual Awakening

313. Contract update – 4 years of DD

I am going to change gears for this post and then pick up the TJ & Kim saga next time.  I will say that it’s great that Kim recognizes she has an unhealthy view of her sexuality.  Even greater, she has the strength to verbalize it and the fortitude to try and address it despite how mortifying it makes her feel.   Each time we talk it is clear it is very difficult for her to talk about it, but she forces herself to do so.   More on that on another post.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, DOMESTIC DISCIPLINE!
This Agreement marked the 4 year anniversary of our adopting DD as our first DD agreement was March 15, 2015.   It seems like an eternity ago.  My life is so amazingly different.  A level of fulfillment, joy, happiness, excitement, and endless other words that don’t do justice in articulating the positive differences in my life.    I hope my 300+ posts serve as a testament to the positive differences.

I believe everyone could benefit from going down the first few steps of my path, even if their path is not forged in Domestic Discipline.  Simply – be 100% vulnerable and authentic to your mate, then diverge and take whatever path presents itself.

CONTRACT
My last DD Contract expired in March.  Can you believe it?  I didn’t write a dozen or so posts about reconciling my fears and desires into the changes in my Duties and Obligations.  My lack of documentation was not just because I’ve been neglectful of my blog this year.  It’s simply because we only made some minor changes that reflect we are both at a comfortable and fulfilling spot in our journey.

I came out of our 2017 negotiations a bundle of nerves – a mix of happiness, eagerness, apprehension, and sadness.  This time?  Meh.

Last time we went into our final negotiations with an outline of six major things we were changing.  This time  – no major changes.   We added points of clarity to recognize some things we’ve already incorporated and just needed to codify.  Here are some of the notable things we updated:

NAMES
Funny how we never noticed, but Mike pointed out that throughout the Agreement, he is “Mike,” yet I am referred to more formally as “Jennifer.”   Shouldn’t he be “Michael?”
Although some people do call me Jennifer and no one calls him Michael, it made sense.  We like the more formal air it gives to our Agreement.

LECTURES
This was to codify a change we made a few months ago regarding lectures.  You can read that post for what was behind this change.  Simply, I wanted harsher lectures.
The prior contract had wording such as, “When Disciplining Jennifer, Mike will strive to maintain a professional businesslike tone, avoiding a condescending or degrading tone.”

The new wording, “…Mike will strive to be stern and maintain a somber and serious tone, and lecture her as he sees appropriate.  He may use any condescending and/or degrading terms of his choosing.”     I can use our Maintenance Sessions to discuss terms I did not like that I don’t want to be repeated.  And if it is too much during the verbal chastisement, I can always use a safeword, no different than physical punishment.

Mike has cranked up the lectures over the last few months.  He is still finding the right amount of condescension that he is comfortable with that at the same time doesn’t exceed my comfort levels.  I’ve encouraged him to keep dialing it up and I would let him know.  Much like other limits, you typically don’t know what they are until you exceed them.

As Mike often reminds me, physical wounds are easier for him to see and easier to heal.  Lectures are 100% emotional and it’s hard to judge when you’ve gone too far and the healing process may be longer.   I’d something snarky and funny and self-deprecating, but, yeah, I’ll keep that thought in as it would probably get me spanked.  Why?

NO SELF-DISPARAGING REMARKS
This was Mike’s idea and I agreed.  He doesn’t want me referring to myself as a whore or a slut or anything disparaging.  This arose in part from his reaction to my “Whoring me Out” post which I wrote about in Post 271. Unfair exploitative whoring.  He felt that with him being able to include disparaging comments in lectures, he didn’t want me reinforcing those terms by referring to myself that way.   He did say there could be some latitude when I am clearly joking or we engaged in play, but the humor needs to be clear and the setting needs to appropriate.

He summed it up as, “Self-depreciation is one thing, self-loathing another.”   Not that I am someone with any self-esteem issues or feelings of inadequacies, but I understand his point.  It’s like my mantra’s  – words are power and the more they are repeated, the more power they have in your mind.

I think this one will be easy enough to adhere to; however, I know my attempts at humor some time cross the line between what is fun and what is foolish.  Oh well, nothing a few well-earned spankings can’t correct.  hee-hee.

DEFERENCE
Our Agreement has a section about deferring to Mike’s judgment.   We added some wording to make it clear it isn’t just about after the fact, such as once he has made a decision.  But also before the fact.  That is, I need to consult with him on any major decisions before making my opinion known to anyone.  I mentioned this one in my prior post re the Godfather reference.  

This was also Mike’s idea.  I really liked it as it thrills me to tell people I need to check with Mike.   Depending on the audience, I sometimes say, “I must check to see if Mike will allow me.” It makes me feel so submissive and vulnerable, yet so secure and confident in my submission.  I have no qualms about making my deference to Mike’s authority over me known to others.

I’ve also found it may prompt a question like, “So you have to ask permission?”  And in keeping with our “If asked, do tell” policy, I say yes!  And sometimes that prompts more questions, sometimes not.  

IF ASKED, DO TELL
The prior contract required me to get Mike’s permission before I could tell anyone about any elements of TTWD.  We updated the new contract with how Mike has loosened this to what we call an “if asked, do tell” policy.   If someone asks a question, I can answer it honestly and provide no more than the minimal amount of information to do so.

This demonstrates how far Mike has come in his confidence with our lifestyle.  He tends to have an “I don’t care what people think” streak in him, but it is has a few guard rails that can be tough to penetrate.  

SEXUAL OBEDIENCE
Here’s another area that wasn’t really changed, just clarified.  We made it consistent with wording from Kayla’s contract.  We don’t make it a point to compare and contrast our agreements, but where we are already similar in practice, Mike prefers we use the same wording.  He said this helps reinforces the sameness with him, as well as makes the differences easier to spot and remember.

The wording already gave him complete authority… “Mike may demand any sexual or physical activity to be performed upon or by Jennifer on him or any other person at any time and Jennifer shall comply without hesitation.”    It now includes some pointed wording such as  “Anything.  Anytime.  Anywhere.  Anyone.  Without hesitation and without regard to the surroundings.”   There are still some controls such as hard limits, safe words, and my ability to use the next Maintenance Session to request any modifications or cessation of a particular act.

WORDS ARE POWER
Beyond the items noted above, a few other wording tweaks, additions, and subtractions, all with the intent to provide further clarity.   Remember, words are power.  And ultimately the words we put into the Agreement are not as important as the wordsmithing process itself.   The conversations we had were priceless.

We don’t let the contract rule us.  We rule the contract.  We don’t run to the contract to see what it has to say, but we do periodically review it together to ensure we are in sync with our expectations and agreements to one another.  We look at the contract as a living, breathing, thing.  Not a hammer.

Having to articulate my desires, for both myself and for what I desire for Mike, our marriage, and those around us, is an incredible gift to our relationship.  And having Mike do the same is just that much more incredible.

You can do this in your relationship.  All it requires is one ton of vulnerability, and equal parts love and compassion.  Hint: the hardest part is the vulnerability, assuming the love and compassion are already there.  If they aren’t, you will never be able to be truly vulnerable.

For us, every part of TTWD has been the byproduct, not the goal, of our being vulnerable, loving, and compassionate.  Your results are up to you and your relationship – DD or kink or whatever I have, is NOT an automatic byproduct. 

NEXT: 314. Can I watch you have sex?

312. Oh, you want me to do THAT! (TJ and Kim Part III)

A bit more background before the “reveal.”  Yes, I can be a tease. 

Kim shared that she knows TJ masturbates and watches porn.  She actually encourages this.   Yet more evidence that she is able to take a “sex-positive” stance regarding others, but is unable to do so for herself. 

 She has tried to watch porn but it reinforces her distorted views that enjoying sex and having your partner enjoy it means you must be open to all things and you must “perform gymnastics in the bedroom” (a phrase she repeatedly uses).   To be clear, I think porn can contribute to a healthy sexual relationship for a couple, and even be healthy for an individual, but if your views on sex are already entrenched in dark and painful thoughts, it is not going to improve your sexual health. 

PORN / BDSMLR
As a quick aside – our own porn viewing habits are such that we typically don’t watch it together.  No need for that as we can put on our own “show” when we are together.  There is some viewing on our own, but mostly it is done in fun.  A “porn sharing game” of sorts that we play.  We like to find things that turn us on and share them with each other.  Sometimes in a strict, “this is just fantasy” way, and other times, “can we try that?,” or, a flirty, “this made me think of you.”   

Our porn habits add to our open sexual dialogue and exploration.  Oh – one thing we started doing lately is using bdsmlr.com as a way to have some fun and explore and share our fantasies and desires.  The three of us share an account and make comments on pics, gifs, or vids that we like.   The comments are sometimes in fun, sometimes reflecting truth, sometimes reflecting fantasy.   Check us out if you are interested.  We are FunsomeThreesome.   That site is a bit “aggressive” if you ask me.  A bit more “ugly” stuff that I’d prefer not to see, but to each their own.  The way we use it is fun for us. 

Back to a regularly scheduled programming. . .

KIM MAKES A REQUEST
Kim told me she had something to ask me.  I recognized her uncomfortable and awkward demeanor as a clear sign it was something related to sex as we had previously had several direct conversations about sex.  I was encouraging her to masturbate and offered to show her in what I joked was either in a “view only” mode or a “hands-on” mode.  She declined.   I thought perhaps she changed her mind.

I admit I also thought perhaps she wants to have sex with me.  She did admit to “playing around” with another woman once.  I am open to it, with Mike’s permission of course.

Then she asked, “Can I watch you and Mike have sex?”

I wasn’t expecting that.

I replied, “I’ll ask Mike.”

She said she wanted to know what I felt.  This led to an interesting discussion about my submission.   So changing gears a bit, here’s how that discussion went.

MY SUBMISSION AND A GODFATHER REFERENCE
I told her my feelings about it are tied to Mike’s feelings.  I want to know his thoughts before making my own conclusions.   She then adeptly asked me, “Forget conclusions, just tell me what you’re thinking.”

I told her I did not feel comfortable sharing my thoughts without first discussing it with Mike.  I explained it is part of my agreement with Mike to respect and support his decisions.  I don’t want to put him in a position of being the “bad guy” by taking a stance that differs from mine.  One way I do that is simply not to take a stance before discussing it with him.

This is actually something that arose from our last contract negotiation – about which I haven’t even written!  I’ll get to a post on that soon.   The short of it is that I need to better demonstrate deference to Mike’s views and decisions.  Sharing my own thoughts and conclusions with others, before sharing it with him, is not consistent with that deference.

I told her, “Ever watch the Godfather?”

“Yeah, TJ loves that movie.”  (Don’t all guys love that movie?  I mean, it’s good, but, men seem to think it’s great.  I think seeing the power the men in the movie have connects to a desire most men can relate to.  It’s basically about a misogynistic culture where certain rules and laws don’t apply to the men.  I digress).

“There’s a scene where Vito Corleone tells Sonny, ‘Don’t ever let someone outside the family know what you’re thinking.’   Well, we’ve adopted that mindset where we both want to present a united front to others.  Big decisions – and I would call this a big decision – require a dialogue with Mike before I share my thoughts with others. 

It’s not that I don’t have a voice.  It’s that my voice is heard by Mike first.  Then based on his conclusions, we form our united front.  That’s how I like it and what I have agreed to with Mike. 

Kim still pressed.  I soon understood that she was very insecure about the question and had a lot of anxiety about not getting any indication as to my feelings.  So I did add something that probably tipped my hand just a little bit – 

“I am happy to help you in any way you want that Mike agrees to.  I am not saying that as an indication that I will obey Mike regardless of my thoughts on this.  I mean, I will obey his wishes, but my reason for saying that is because I want to help you.  In other words, my willingness to help you is because I am willing to help you, and of course, I will obey Mike’s wishes on this or any other way I can help.”

I tempered her thoughts on this being a “done deal.”   Sure, I’ve told her of a lot of our sexploits, but she shouldn’t assume that means Mike agrees to everything.   He is cautious with our “Circle of Trust.”  He doesn’t know her or TJ other than what I’ve shared.  So while I don’t want to guess as to what his decision will be, I know that it isn’t something he considers flippantly.

TJ’S THOUGHTS?
Kim already ran it by TJ.  She told me he was supportive but would want to talk about it with the four of us.  Fair enough.   I’ll ask Mike and if Mike is agreeable, we’ll all talk.

Kim admitted she was feeling tremendous anxiety over this.  The thought that the four of us need to get together to talk through this because of her own hang-ups puts all the focus on her sexual shortcomings.   It’s a lot for her to think about.  She feels very exposed.  In my lingo, she feels extremely vulnerable!   

What a great opportunity to share with her all my thoughts on vulnerability.   I only have a few, hee-hee.  Of my dozen or so posts on this topic, my favorites are Post 30.  I found my Thrill,  Post 67. An Esoteric Ramble and Post 129. Submissive ramble: Vulnerability, Respect, or Love?.  In fact, I think those are my favorite posts of all-time.  They sum up my ideology regarding what it is to really love yourself and others. 

Thus I proceeded to share with her all the wonderful things that come from allowing yourself to be vulnerable.  And she already took the hardest steps.  She had the courage to be vulnerable to TJ in telling him she wanted to ask me that question.   In addition, she was vulnerable to me in actually asking.  And TJ also showed vulnerability in being open to the idea.  There was more to his response than just, “Sure, ask her.”  But I felt it wasn’t relevant to go into detail as overall he was supportive and accepting of the idea.  

MIKES THOUGHTS
I asked Mike.  And his answer?   Next time!  hee-hee.  I am liking these cliffhangers!

NEXT: 313. Contract update – 4 years of DD