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.
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...
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...
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...)
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..
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...
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
