Official Cowgirl

The Daughter's new boots. She's officially a cowgirl. At 6 years old she wears a 1.5 in big kid's sizes. Still can't believe we have to shop in a different department for her clothing. Wasn't it just yesterday that she was a baby? I was going to buy myself some brown boots but they were $150 (originally $300 but 50% off due to going out of business sale)! Just couldn't spend that much on shoes, especially not for myself.

Toadally too much rain lately

Manipulation Monday

We started Monday morning off with a dose of manipulation, added a side of defiance, then ended with some sneakiness. The Cheerleader's worker has hinted at a going home date, and so some behaviors are escalating. She doesn't care 'cause she's going home, and we're all getting the finger on her way out.

She had an appointment today and therefore didn't want to go to school at all. My rule is that she has to go to school and I'll pick her up for the appointment and then take her back to school afterwards. But there was testing at school and she was bored and she didn't wanna go. I knew Sunday night that she was going to push me on this issue. Monday morning she "accidentally" slept late because her alarm clock mysteriously didn't go off on time. Only when she realized I was serious about making her go to school whether she chose to ride the bus or walk with me driving behind her, did she finally get up and go out the door. From wake up time to bus arrival was 5 minutes. Sabotage thwarted.

Then I pick her up for the appointment and she makes me wait in the office until after her appointment time passed. She sauntered into the school office and off we went to the appointment only to receive a call that it had been rescheduled to Tuesday. I took her back to school. She whined protested.

I barely got down the road before she began texting me that she needed workout clothes for cheer practice. I told her she needed to come home right after school due to other obligations. She said her cheer coach said she HAD TO attend practice. I texted back that parents trump cheer coaches.

A little later she texts me saying the cheer coach has clothes that she can borrow and the coach will also bring her home after practice. I agree that she can stay so long as she is home no later than 5pm so we can zoom off to the other Monday events.

Car conversation leads to talk of her going home. I say she has to finish her chore list to be out of trouble for getting the speeding ticket and attempting to hide it. She says "I'll just come back later and finish it." Umm, no. You'll finish before you move. I thought she'd trip over her lip she was pouting so much.

Fast forward to our ride home from said events and she begins texting someone and giggling. I inquire. She starts deleting.

Speed Demon

Last Sunday night I received a call from a very angry parent. Seems one of my kids drove her kid's car and she had just found out. This parent said her daughter was grounded for the week. Grounded from driving her car, period, and grounded from doing anything with The Cheerleader over the weekend. Okie dokie.

I knew The Cheerleader was driving her friend's car, but I did not know that it was against their rules. I figured if the kids were so open about it around me, the SW, the therapist, etc that it was a widely known phenomenon.

Monday morning The Cheerleader's friend was already ungrounded. Yes, they are so harsh in their punishment that from Sunday night to Monday morning they had already reneged. Great follow through ... teaching her all kinds of stuff. /sarcasm

I was determined to follow through though, so The Cheerleader wasn't allowed to go with any friends for this week. She still went to cheer practice, family visits, doctor appointments and everywhere else we went from birthday parties to shopping. Then, Thursday night her SW called me asking if I knew about a speeding ticket. Huh? Recently? I was a little confused. Then irritated that The Cheerleader had not only failed to tell me about getting a speeding ticket but that I had to find out from her worker of all people. Ugh.

I just told The Cheerleader that I was disappointed. That's all. Then I told her that her friend's parents needed to know and either she could tell them or I would. She said she would tell her friend's mom at school the next day. That day came and went and she didn't tell her, of course, so I had to call. Now The Cheerleader's friend is mad at her and won't answer her calls. Apparently she wanted to hide this from her parents regardless. Anywho, The Cheerleader now has to come up with $225 in less than a month. I gave her extra chores and told her as soon as they are completed, she is off the hook with me. CPS will have her do classes or something to earn ILP funds to pay for the ticket. She told her birth family today and they were upset because this will make vehicle insurance higher for them when she goes home.

Speaking of which, The Cheerleader should be going home soon. She is getting a new worker in a few weeks and I think once someone different becomes familiar with the case, she'll go home quickly. There is no reason for her to remain in care.

Wordless Wednesday: Agitated

I am thankful for

I am thankful for having family nearby so both Grandma and Grandpa can attend Grandparent's Day activities at the kids school.

I am thankful for having a roof over our heads and food in our stomach and money in the bank.

I am thankful for little kid giggles which are always contagious.

I am thankful for hugs and kisses from all three of my kids.

I am thankful for teachers who are passionate about their jobs, coaches who volunteer their time to deal with Soccer Mom Politics, and a community that is closenit enough that they know to call me when they see one of my kids doing wrong.

I am thankful for the 11 acres of land & nature surrounding our house.

I am thankful for my Toyota Sienna and it's impressive ability to hold lots of kids and their stuff.

I am thankful for patient and gentle horses that bring my kids so much joy.

I am thankful that Kismet the Cat has lived so long and seems to be healthy still.

I am thankful for my kids playdates, for without them I wouldn't have adult interaction some days.

I am thankful for my health. I really shouldn't take it for granted.

I am thankful for my friends both local, in the computer, and spread out all over the world. They are my sounding board, my cheering squad, my support base, and know just when to tell me to get over it already.

Getting tired of dating myself

Only four seven more months of this deployment* or whatever the hell you want to call it. Then perhaps Movie Night will once again become Date Night. For now, I struggle to stay awake long enough for a movie and popcorn after the kids go to bed. Recent showings at Mi Casa include: Gran Torino, Yes Man, The House Bunny, Duplicity, Coraline, and Hannah Montana.

*Had this saved in drafts and before it could even become a post, we found out that he will have to go to another country when he leaves this one and he won't be able to come home in between. So, 6 to 7 months of doing their own job and then another 3 or more helping the slackers ones getting a late start. Then, he'll probably be home like a week before being sent off to some other place for work. Meanwhile, plenty of people consistently get to stay local. But I'm not bitter or anything. Okay, I am. Yeah, I know, cry me a fucking river then build a bridge and get over it already.

Eight years ago today ...

Eight years ago my husband and I were in our first year of marriage, and even though my Momaw kept telling stories of how her husband went of to war right after they married, we thought it wouldn't happen to us. It was peace time after all and we were invincible. As a country, I mean, we were seemingly on top. In our marriage we had already dealt with separations due to training, endured a miscarriage, and was still trying to get to know one another.

We had just got back from our first vacation together, if you can call a week spent sleeping on the InLaws living room floor a vacation, and The Husband went in to work like any other normal day. I slept in, grateful that I wasn't required to adhere to PT at the asscrack of dawn, then ate breakfast in front of the computer. It was there that I first heard about the plane flying into the World Trade Center. I turned on the TV and the phone rang. It was The Husband saying he was going on lock down and they were packing up to head out. He did secret squirrel shit. While we were on the phone, the 2nd plane hit. As I watched the day's events unfold, over and over and OVER again, reality began to sink in. My Momaw was right.

My husband left but soon came back and was put on 24 hour duty with Rear Detachment. This meant he was local but still didn't get to see him much. I could take him food at meal times which was enough to make the wives of deployed guys mad. Not much longer and he went off again for a while, then home for a few weeks in 2002 before heading back out again. This was all to say that Sept 11th changed our lives, like many other people of course, but not with the same impact those at Ground Zero had to endure. We both grew as people, and grew as a couple, though the experiences brought on by that day.

Nickeled and Dimed

$10 an hour times 40 hours per week equals $400 dollars a week

$400 minus $110 for daycare, $35 for extended day, $60 for gas (all expenses not acquired as a SAHM) equals $195

$195 times 4 weeks equals $780 left to pay bills such as mortgage, vehicle, insurance, food, utilities, etc

Thanking the powers that be that I'm only solo parenting and not single parenting.