Word Girl in a Snit

So Word Girl is in a bit of a snit these days. As you know she is currently employed with two jobs in her second job the first pay period came on friday. After being warned by just about all of her friends that none of them received a check that first period that for some reason it just took longer she went to pick up her check.

I warned her do not be upset if you don't get it.

Mom : Find out the reasons why and be proactive but do not be upset.

Word Girl: Oh don't worry mom I understand I wont be upset...

several hours later....

Word Girl: I didn't get my check... (stomp, stomp, stomp, throw throw throw)

Me: honey you said you were prepared for this and you weren't going to get upset...

Word Girl: I lied (stomp stomp, yell at Pita Boy)

Me: well this isn't our fault and you need to change your attitude...

Word Girl: grumble grumble grumble, attitude attitude attitude... oh and mom stay away from my facebook or I will defriend you....

and the next day....

I dared to comment on her SISTER's facebook... and you guessed I have been defriended... she is soooooo busted.... because of her attitude and behavior and the fact she made a public deal out of it.. guess it is time for mom to get even.. I mean she doesnt need to go online at all does she?

I will be getting an apology from her and I will be considering making her close the damn page down.... I am that angry, not at the defriending but at the attitude and the behavior and the way she did it.. That was rude and unforgivable.

So Blond Girl Called

So last night I got a call from Blond Girl, remember her? I wasn't sure exactly what her voice sounded like it had been a whole week... Seriously she has been having the time of her life.

So the first words out of her mouth was "guess where I am calling from?" now there is a question. The child went to Southern California the veritable playground of playgrounds and she wants me to guess where she is calling from.

Seems she has been having a rolicking good time. In the last week alone she has been to knotts (not the boring trip with the grownups) Seems my mom got her a pass and now she and my cousin (who is a year and a half younger) have been hanging out. Just going being teenage girls.. oh what great fun. But back to the phone call.. I send the child to wonderland and she calls me from UTAH... seriously my sister took my neices and my daughter to visit my dad in Utah. Now due to some odd life occurances I have been estranged from my dad for years. Don't get me wrong I adore Him.. He was the best of dads and I am not sure exactly how we lost contact..

Anyway this was the very first time my Dad had ever met blond girl and she was being cosseted and doted on. Seems they even have her birthday marked on their calender. I guess once you step let things slip away both sides have a hard time moving back together. Anyway, my Dad it seems has critters... lives on property that allows for roosters and chickens and the like so she city girl that she is is having a ball.

The day before Utah she was in Vegas... so from the eternal playground to fantasyland... My sister's best friend from childhood lives there with her husband and two daughters so once again Word Girl was able to have a blast.

You know ya gotta feel sorry for the poory thing (not) off having the time of her life with family and friends in the land of make believe..Sometimes it is just nice to be 14..

If I Could Blog Back Thursdays - #1 First Pet

So I have been following Lola over at Lola's Diner and I decided to play along.. If you want to join in on the fun make sure and go see Lola's Diner and sign up..

This is my first time blogging back thursdays under jugglingteens I usually write it over at Shaunispeaks but this time I decided to include the blog over here.

Today's Topic First Pet

We weren't allowed pets when we were younger as my mom just was not a dog person. My ex on the other hand grew up with them and had this rather large dog when we met(Peaches and she gets the honor over at Shaunispeaks but right here I am going to write about the first pet my children owned and that was Kato

Kato was a keeshound and a better family dog you could never imagine. We got Kato when Hair Boy was 6 mo old that very first Christmas. We were supposed to not spend a lot of money as we were moving into our first house on New Years but the ex came home with this adorable expensive furball that he fell in love with in the pet store. Honestly he was the absolute cutest thing I have ever seen.

We later found out that keeshond's were actually recommended for families with small children and I would have to agree, Kato's tolerance for abuse (term used figuratively) was relative to how high you were from the floor when you stood up. He would let Hair Boy all but manhandle him as a baby.

Kato was a perpetual puppy, he never really grew up and it still amazes me that when he died he was 16 years old. He loved to run and jump, we had this running leash set up in our yard, he would run the entire length of our yard in moments and everyone could tell that he loved every minute of it. The best thing would be when I would call him in, he would be at the back fence and race towards the house reaching the perfect spot he would leap and fly through the air landing on the porch at my feet (we had a Chicago Bungalow style house and the first floor was about 5 feet of the ground). It was pure poetry in motion.

Kato loved to growl, I swear he had this version of ADHD (whenever you speak sharply to ADHD kids they get defensive so you need to always use a calm tone of voice.. yeah right but that is a subject for a different blog) so when Kato would growl, if you snapped at him he got all snarly but if you spoke softly and lovingly he came running. Of course the ex would growl back. One time I was shaking my head and calling Kato a dumb dog, my dad looked at me and with a totally straight face said "I don't know seems pretty smart to me, he taught Ron how to growl"...

When we moved Kato became an outside dog and I know that was very hard on him.. in a way the divorce was the best thing that ever happened to him because we had to give him to a friend. Kato was 10 at the time and still thinking he was a puppy. I gave him to a friend of my son's and that family adored that dog until the day he died.But I was still mom.. whenever I would show up he was all over me and Hair Boy said it was the same for him..

He was a great dog, the kind that my children will hold deep in their hearts and probably become dog owners themselves because Kato was so wonderful. I still miss him and I know the beasties do as well.

Summer Fun

I do so love summer, those times when we just run out and enjoy the moment. When we put aside the year long drudgery and enjoy time with our families, in picnics and at lakes.. just having fun

Most summers you would find me poolside cheering on numerous children as they compete. This year is an odd one as only Word Girl is competing and she is well sorta competing. She will not be in the state for conference so she more or less decided to swim to get back in shape (not that she needs to spend any more time at the pool). It is really odd for me to not be pool side every Saturday and Wednesday night from mid June to the end of July.

Word Girl is a fiend this year, she has worked the past 12 days consecutively at one job and 7 of them she worked her other one. Which means I think I may remember what she looks like.. She is working hard to help with expenses, pay her school fees, buy concert tickets and an ipod. She really really wants that ipod. The way she is going she will most certainly get it

Pita Boy is working his 35 - 40 hours at the pool or leisure center and enjoying his time. He opened his first checking account and religiously guards that balance. I must admit I am rather proud of him

Poor Hair Boy works for a skating rink, summer by nature is their down time and his boss went and hired a bunch of college kids.. so not only are the hours cut he gets less of what there is. He is a bit frustrated as his checks have been cut in half..welcome to reality Hair Boy...

Blond Girl??? I think she is out there somewhere... I think I still have a 4th child.. Not sure as I haven't heard from her since the last time I blogged. Well unless CA finally dropped into the sea and it hasn't made the news yet.. She is fine and having the time of her life..

well thanks for stopping by and being so patient...

Blond Girl Called, Sorta

Well she has been gone a week and I have heard from her once..

Seems yesterday they went to a weird park (LaMirada Regional which is a very cool park) with the cousins, all of whom are 7 and under. So they all scampered off and had fun and I am sure blond girl did as well. Last night they were off to Knott's Berry Farm, which is my favorite place in the world. I really really love Knott's even more than Disneyland we had some great adventures there when I was a kid. So anyway blond girl went to Knott's I hope she had the sense to ride the stagecoach cuz every girl knows that, that is where all the good looking guys work. rom generation to generation.. Ask my mom, my aunt, me, colleen (rememer black hat)... of coure I don't think they ever quit just occasionally hire a new hawtie to bring in the young girls

I guess she isn't all that interested in working with Grandma and wants to go have fun. Now Pita Boy would work, he is a worker but blond girl is a 15 year old girl let loose in CA work? Are you kidding me? I find I don't enjoy calling my mom when my kids are visiting cuz she points out all their "flaws" or rather what she perseves as flaws. Drives me nuts.. I mean she sees them like once a year if she is lucky and all she can do is tell me what is wrong with them? Not major things just little nit picks.. It drives me bonkers so I prefer to hear from my kids about what is going on. Then I don't get all offended on their behalf half the time they aren't even aware of it or the situation was this teeny little thing and nt worht mentioning at all.

So Blond Girl is having a blast.. too bust to chat with mom.. I hope they get to the beach soon. I don't understand how my family can have my children that close to the beach and not have that be one of the first places they go.. oh well some mysteries remain unsolved..

updates soon on her fabulous adventure ok next week or the week after that...

Hair Boy on a Temper Tantrum

Sure enough spend a few minutes with his father and he turns into a jerk. Lately I have been talking to him about moving out and getting his own place getting on with his life and just getting out. I know he has been a doll he has helped out immensly he steps up whenever the need arises but it is time to move on.

Well after time with his father he has decided that he has the right to criticize and insult the way I do things. He is under the impression that it is ok to throw fits and rant and rave. Wrong!! I am still the parent, I am still the one who makes sure he has whatever he needs. I am the one who filled out his fafsfa, I am the one who does his taxes... I am the one who makes the phone calls to pave the way to make things easier.. in short I am the one who takes care and nurtures him. And frankly I am the one who makes sure he has a roof over his head. It may not be much, it may not be the best but it is there.

I am just tired of the attitude coming off of the men in my life. One insults my parenting after he maybe shows up 10 times a year (he lives 20 minutes away), one insults my parenting as he has yet to do one grown up thing for himself and one is just a pain in my rear...

Ok, the rant on the boys is over.. tomorrow the girls (giggles not really...)

So Dad is a Superhero now

I know this should not bother me, I know all things considered it is the least of worries but honestly the way the man zooms in and plays superdad totally pisses me off.

As you may be aware, Hair Boy turned 21 last week (just in case you missed the blog), well his father took him downtown to the Blues Fest, this is something they do most every year as his birthday does fall close to the festival.. as a matter of fact I had to miss the fest the year he was born because... well he was born.. anyway they went to Blues Fest.. and since he was 21 they went drinking. Yes my child is now an adult, yes he is gonna drink on occasion but it is just me? Is the need to go drinking with your son just not right? Are we ever not the parent? I guess I am just mad that he did this.

Next issue, Hair Boy has a car, it has been sitting in the parking lot kinda sad and all by it's lonesome lately as it had issues. Well superdad came and together they fixed the car... He looks so good but honestly the car has been down for over a month where was superdad then. The worst part about it was the fact that Pita Boy kept looking out the window watching.. I could tell he wanted to go join them in the worst way.. but since he wasn't invited he stayed up and watched. Just thinking about it makes me wanna scream and cry at the same time. Then superdad left without even saying hi to Pita Boy...

Now Blond Girl has a birthday coming up which superdad blew off last year.. She and her father usually go to lollapalooza for her day.. this year he is gonna take Pita Boy.. she is already mad at him for blowing her off last year (which btw, he didnt even contact the kids for months after her b-day so she has a point). If I try to explain to him that his choices are ruining his relationship with his kids he will just get all huffy and pissy...

As it is Word Girl pretty much blows him off and Blond Girl is well on her way to feeling the same thing.. I mean take what you can get and dont expect anything else. I worked damn hard so they would not resent their father.. When they wanted to be angry and hate him when they were children I spent hours making sure the could accept him for who he is not who he isn't but his behaviour is ruining all my hard work. I guess I knew it would happen but I want my kids to have a healthy relationship with their father..

Guess that isn't gonna happen...

Oh yeah.. and the number one thing they do when they are with him is bash mom (ok kids need to vent but come on) idiotfaceratbastard...i mean superdad should be kissing my feet praising me to the moon and singing my accolades cuz his children are such great individuals.. and they dont hate him.. but nope he just bashes me right along with them. Will this man ever grow up?

Sorry I am a bit irked..

One Having Fun in the Sun, One With a Brand New License

Well blond girl made it.. was picked up by grandma and last I hear (Thursday night) she had already gotten two new pairs of shoes (a pair of flip flops and a replacement for her smelly hightops), a haircut and her eyebrows waxed! That was the first day!! Poor baby.. I am sure she is having the time of her life but am equally sure I won't hear from her for a while. Having raised incredibly independent children even when they were little they wouldn't call. They just are having too much fun and since they are with grandma I don't even get the mom i need money calls (oh darn).

Word Girl got her license this week, now this is not as big of a crises as most would think as we don't have a car but having that license was important to her. She wheedled and cajoled her father until finally she was able to get it. Now she has two jobs and a license.. Somehow I think I will see more of Blond Girl (who is in CA) over the next month than I will of Word Girl. may I repeat myself.. OH DARN!!

Pita Boy is working like crazy at the pool, getting him out from under my hair. He already has two saves under his belt and received the coveted mini tube... something you get for a good save (like there is a bad one)

Hair Boy is off being an adult.. He too had license issues, he needed to renew as he is now 21 and his had expired. The nut rode his bike to the DMV.. wouldnt be too bad except he went to the one about 30 min away by car.. needless to say it was a day trip. Seems the DMV had all sorts of misinformation on him, like his birthday was Sept. 9 instead of June, he no longer looked like his pic (well yeah he was 17 last time) as he had cut his hair and didnt have the curly locks.. guess no one ever does that.. sheesh I am lucky if my hair is the same COLOR each time I go..

So all is well in the land of teenagers.. man oh man I do love summer...

Off to California

Packing well into the night, deciding last minute wardrobe.. picking out what to carry on and what to just ignore.. searching for her id (which we never found) and finally crashing about 2am only to rise again at 4 since we were leaving at 4:30...

A drive to the airport and a kiss at the security gate (hey, I am depending on other people for transportation she is gonna have to wait by herself). Then 5 1/2 hours later a 30 second phone call... I am here!!

Probably won't hear from blond girl for at least another week...

have fun sweetie.. be good for grandma cuz she will clobber you if you aren't

21 TODAY

Well it happened.. my baby turned 21 today. I don't quite know how it happened. How this angel who thought his birthday was June night (but we celebrated during the day so his friends could come) turned into this amazing young man but he did. Oh he isn't perfect, he has helped my hair turn grey, but he is funny and witty and creative, unique and fun.

My son Mr. tall, dark and handsome, the musician, the friend, the comic wit.. If I could define him I would say he is loyal, caring, charismatic, bright, witty, talented, moody, broody and arrogant. The women love him and the men like him. He is the single most laid back person I have ever met. At one point a teacher said he was so calm that a pulse would be nice.. He is what he is and makes no bones about it. He doesn't have to prove to the world that he more than he is, he just doesn't care.

He has always been brite and observant one of those kids who asked the difficult questions..

Mommy where does God live?

Well He lives in our hearts...

How can He live in your heart and my heart?

I am not sure honey some things we just have to accept on faith...

(silence)

Oh I get it! A piece of God lives in all of us...

He was four.. yes he is a rocket scientist... have i mentioned he is a physics major? yeppers good looking all that hair, talented and smart...

happy birthday baby

Day 5 - Countdown to 21

Well tomorrow is it.. Tomorrow my first born is hitting that all important mile stone and I will be the mother of a 21 year old. I am way to young to be the mother of a 21 year old. (am so not going to explain this picture.. but He is the tall one on the left)

It is a bittersweet moment when you realize that you have done your job as a mother. I mean face it we know we have done our jobs correctly when they walk away.. become independent and don't need us anymore. This young man was born independent, he has always listened to his own council and is remarkably self assured. I know I did something right because he honestly doesn't care what others think of him. I must admit I am more than a bit envious of this trait as I personally need constant validation from just about everyone.

I am contemplating waking him up tomorrow at 6:44am just to say happy birthday, I mean face it he woke me up... grins..

Day 4 - Countdown to 21

With the best friend in Disneyworld.. they have had a storied friendship from the age of 6 months..

From Disneyland to Disneyworld, Chicago to Spain... and many places in between...

That we all could have as good of a friend or as wonderful of a life..

Day 3 - Countdown to 21

Just thought I would share a few pics that Hair Boy sent me from college one year... first I got this one

then I got this one


then I got this one


and finally I got this one

fortunately it is just hair and grows back.. which it has and he has cut it again (not shaved thankfully) and it is growing again.. who knows what comes next. One year it was smurf blue, another it was fire engine red and one time for swim conference he had me braid it into over 50 braids (looked like he had snakes slithering all over his head). There is a reason I call him Hair Boy..

Day 2 in Countdown to 21

Do you know how much he will kill me when he realizes that I am going through his pics?

He is/was a fantastic tuba player one of the best in the state...

Count Down to 21

On Tuesday, June 9 at 6:44 am Hair Boy turns 21.. wow!! when did that happen? How did that happen? so I decided to really embarrass him and for the next few days post pics of him I can find on this laptop.. All the rest are somewhere lost for now...

School's Out

It is official, school is out!! The girls have their final few minutes of school today... It should have been on friday but they are having to go one last day as they had a snow day over the winter. Now because this is about federal dollars not education they will be there until about 9 then school is out.

And it is off to the pool!! Word girl is working as a lifeguard and blond girl is going to hang out with her friends and look appropriately sexy. oh to be young again!!

This is the first year in 12 years that I will not be standing poolside watching children swim back and forth on Wed nights and Sat mornings. As both girls are spending time in CA this summer it is going to interfere with the meet schedule.It will be an odd summer (for me)

Relay for life on Friday (please feel free to donate if you want to support this fine cause). Hair Boy turns 21 on Tues and Blond girl leaves for CA on thursday. And summer begins...