Love is complicated.
It’s that time of year again. Time to get those kids out of the house and back into the classroom. Parents everywhere, rejoice.
This year is special for me because I have a Senior and a Freshman in high school this year. Two milestone moments. A beginning and an end.
This should be fun!
Hubby and I spent the Fourth of July week in Vegas. We walked up and down the Strip in 120 degree weather. We took a chance in various casinos. We went shopping at the outlet. We took in the Michael Jackson One Cirque Du Soleil show (Seriously, go see this show. It is so good!). We watched the Hitsville show at Planet Hollywood. We even got drunk one night in the Paris hotel. We enjoyed several excellent meals. In short, we had fun.
The next week I returned to the real world. And I was miserable. Work was piled up on my desk. I actually had to get up before noon. The daily routine was back in effect. It was a struggle but somehow I made it through the week after vacation.
I hope this week is better.
What are your vacation plans this year? Have you gone somewhere only to return to the “real” world of work?
Answers to the “Where Am I?” posts:
1. The Las Vegas strip
2. Inside the Michael Jackson One Theatre at Mandalay Bay.
3. Aria Hotel and Casino
I just realized that being a parent of a teenager and a newborn baby have a lot in common. Lack of sleep.
A baby requires constant feeding and attention. A teenager is more independent but worry their parent in other ways. Every time my daughter leaves the house in hercar I can’t rest until she comes back.
I need some sleep.
The day started out like any other. Most days are ordinary until suddenly they aren’t. A phone call. A hysterical daughter on the line. Cops. A search. And I am speeding down the road to get to my child that is being questioned by the police.
Short story: Someone called the restaurant and claims they are coming to buy drugs from my daughter through the drive in window. Manager calls the police. Police questions my child and searches her vehicle.
I meet with the policeman and refrain from cursing him out for being overly aggressive and scaring my daughter. I maintain my composure when I talk to the manager and get the details and chain of events from him. But when I saw how upset my daughter was I almost lost it. All I could do was hug her and ask her if she was okay.
Bottom line, someone’s idea of a practical joke could have had dire consequences for my daughter. She could have lost her job and been arrested.
I assured my daughter that she didn’t do anything wrong but I advised her to never give consent to the police for a search. Some may say, “Well, if you are innocent you don’t have anything to hide.” I say, “There was no cause for a search so the police over reached.” He knew he was dealing with a scared teenager and went too far. I am not naive enough to believe that the police are always right.
That was a parenting moment that caught me off guard. What would you do if it was your child being questioned by the police?
*Photo courtesy of davidsonscott15 http://www.flickr.com/photos/webhostingreview/with/3090392251/#photo_3090392251
My daughter, Princess (not her real name), went to the prom list night. These are the thoughts t hat ran through my mind as I waited up.
I finally had to call my sister on the West Coast to take my mind off all the things that could happen. I am an admitted “worrier” but my imagination takes me places I don’t need to go.
In the end, Princess made it back on safely and on time. No need to worry. Until next year.
Weekend in Charleston: $300
Dinner at Oak Steakhouse: $150
Celebrating 19 years with the man I love: Priceless
I don’t say it enough when you are around
But I feel it acutely when you are gone
I take it for granted when we are together
But I long for it when you leave
I can smile without you being here
But I feel more alive in your arms
Long distance relationships suck.
I’m all cried out.
When the news broke on Friday, December 14th about the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School, I watched in horror along with the rest of the country. Another school shooting. But this one was different. This time someone targeted babies. Little kids aged five through seven. This murderer killed 20 children and six adults.
I am a mother and I felt this event on a very personal level. I send my children to school every day fully expecting them to return home. Just like those parents in Newtown. Now that illusion is shattered.
All that you are left with is the why? Why did this happen? Can we stop the killings from happening? And we look for someone or something to blame. The media and politicians will talk about gun control, help for the mentally ill and the need for more security in our schools. There are hard questions that should be asked. There are solutions that this country needs to enact. But will it really keep us safe? Will it really protect our children from evil?
Past events have shown us that an individual intent on doing harm will find a way around our laws and our protections. Evil is persistent like that.
Yet, we find a way to wake up in the morning and feel positive about the future. We find a way to cherish the moments we have with those we love. We find a way to comfort our children and promise to protect them from harm. We pretend that we are in control. We rebuild that illusion for our own sanity’s sake.
What happened in Newtown, Connecticut was every parent’s worst nightmare. I pray that they find peace in the support on a nation.
I have a new-found respect for all the single parents out there. I was already amazed at the job they do. I was raised in a single parent home (my parents divorced when I was 13) so I am aware of what a thankless job it is to raise kids. What brought about this new enlightenment? I am now essentially a single parent myself.
Hubby has a job out-of-state. For the last four months, I’ve been adjusting to not only a long distance relationship but being a solo parent. Yes, hubby is in constant contact but it’s not the same as being here. It’s not an ideal situation but one that many families face every day.
And you want to know the truth about single parenting. It makes you tired. Like all the time. You have to do everything. Everything? Everything! It ranges from the routine morning, school, work, homework, dinner act to the more mundane answering of every question. No more passing off to the other parent. (Go ask your Dad has lost its effectiveness.)
Here is my plan. I’m going to take some vitamins, get some rest, and get back to parenting these kids. To all my fellow single parents out there I say, “Hang in there.”
Everyone has favorites. Maybe a favorite color (purple) or a favorite food (lasagna). You may even have a favorite person. This person is typically considered your best friend. But what about when it comes to family? Should you have a favorite? More specifically, should you have a favorite child and/or grandchild?
I hate to generalize, but I believe in most families with more than one child, there is a favorite. Family dynamics may vary but everyone typically knows who this child is. From the gist of this post, one can assume that the “favorite” child status is not me. And I was cool with it. I can accept a loved one shortcomings even if said shortcoming meant that I was considered the level-headed one that didn’t demand a lot of attention.
And then I had kids of my own. I love my two girls in different ways but I love them the same. Hubby and I are very sensitive about showing favoritism. What we do for one child, we do for the other.
Other people, family members included, may not show the same restraint. What to do about a grandparent that shows blatant favoritism toward the other grandchildren? What do you do when your child has been hurt by the callous disregard from a grandparent? Talking doesn’t help. This person doesn’t think they did anything wrong. My only recourse to protect my children is by keeping them away from their grandparent. Somehow that doesn’t seem right either.
Playing favorites. Everyone has them. But in families, playing that game can only push people apart.