Not-So-Normal Mom

So...I'm having issues with the layout. I changed it again, and now when I try to change it to a third-party html layout, an error code comes up. I am frustrated.

Update:
I think I've settled on this one. At least it got up okay, right? Whatever. I'm done playing with it for a while. It took up too much of my time because I was pretty much obsessed with it. ;-)
Peace Out,
Mom

They are doing construction in the intersection in front of my condo complex. I can only turn right now, which is a total pain in the ass. Also, there is a blinking red light where the stoplight used to be. Now, I assumed that everyone knew that the blinking red means that you treat it like a stop sign. You stop, and then proceed. Every single g'damn day, I am amazed at the people who breeze through it without even slowing down. And accident is inevitable.
Peace Out,
Mom

My mother in law will be coming for a visit in a couple of weeks. This is her first visit out here in about three years-since we got married, and her first trip out alone. She hasn't made the trip out here since my father in law passed away two years ago. We know now that when he came out here, he already knew he was sick. At the time, no one knew. So he came out here, and his health began to decline, so he cut his trip short and went home. He died three months later. I think she connects his illness and his trip out here. I hope her trip goes well. I hope we all get along. I'm sure it will be fine. Really. *sigh*
Peace Out,
Mom

Please be patient with me. I was trying something new. I didn't like the blogger layouts, and I don't know any html, so I'm just goofing off. Let me know what you think. I don't like how the text sits right next to the border in the posts, but I'm not sure how to fix it. What do you think? Do you hate it? Honestly. Let me know what you think. I think it might be a little too my-spacey.
Peace Out,
Mom

On the weekends, I work for my sister at her dog grooming place downtown. Yesterday, we decided that my dog needed a makeover, so we jazzed her up a bit. Now, before I start getting hate mail...it is a temporary pet dye, intended for pet use and very safe. It will be gone in about two weeks. Don't worry. But really, doesn't she look pretty cool??? :-)

AND, last night, my little man lost his first tooth while eating an apple. We had been waiting for days for it to come out, so we are sooo excited! :-) Isn't he cute? Coincidentally, tomorrow is his very first school picture day. Awesome!

The highlight of my Missouri-aka Misery-trip was the trip to the St Louis Arch. It was very interesting, and I can now check it off of my list of things to do. To get to the top, you have to ride in a little pod that feels very much like an escape pod from a "Star Trek" episode. It only seats 5 people-snugly. If you are claustrophobic, it isn't a good place to be, as it takes four long minutes to get to the top. However, it was a lovely view from the top-I could see the Mississippi river, the ballpark, and their county building. Anyway, been there, done that.

I want one. I have reached that age where my biological clock is taking its final turn. I just want one more. My hubby does want one, but says that we can't afford it. Logically, I know he's right. We work hard enough. We are in a recession for God's sake. BUT, when we can afford it-because there will be a time when we can-we will be too old. Or my eggs will be too old.

There are babies everywhere! Everywhere I go they are just cooing at me, and willing me to make one to join them in their baby games. Yeah, I'm delirious.

I saw a woman on the plane with her newborn son, and she was staring down at him while he was staring up at her with that intense baby stare. That baby stare that says "You are it. You are the only person in the world that I love." Complete adoration. No, it's not that I need that. I have a whole lot of love coming at me, really. I just feel like I have more love to put out. Damn this biological clock ticking in my ear!

Peace Out,
Mom

Well, I got back Tuesday night. It was a very interesting trip. Like I said, I went for my dad,so I did accomplish that. My aunt did indeed wear another pair of bootie shorts and another tank top to the funeral and cemetery. But this time, she wore some closed-toed shoes. Such class! Two of my uncles wore jeans, and one of them had his shirt unbuttoned just about to the navel. All that was missing was the gold chain. AND, the man kept flirting with my sister and I. His nieces. He is the father of over a dozen childern that he has no contact with. Yeah, a real winner. And gross. I kept hearing banjos playing in my head. It was just one thing after another.

Now, I need to also say that I love the country. I love the simple life and I respect people that live on the land and work with their hands. However, please don't live up to every hick stereotype that city folk put out there.

It was over a hundred degrees and 94 percent humidity the whole time we were there, so when I got home, I had never been so happy.

More stories to come. :-)

Peace Out,
Mom

My granddad died a few days ago. He was my dad's father. When my mom called to tell me, she described how sad that my dad was. It was at that point that I knew I had to go to Missouri with him. My mom and dad flew out Saturday morning, and my sister and I flew out Saturday afternoon. After a layover in Phoenix, my sister and I arrived in St Louis with a three hour drive ahead of us. Thank God there was a White Castle open all night, since we arrived at midnight and had an issue at the car rental place. So we started our journey at 1am. We got to the hotel at about 4am, and slept only until about 8:30. The viewing and masonic ceremony was yesterday, and the funeral is today. It is always interesting being around this family because we never see any of them. And really, I was somewhat disowned when I had a baby with a black man and married him. Noone is saying anything outright, but I know its there. I keep reminding myself that I am here for my father, and that's it. But there's a small part of me that wants to hit someone. I'll write later about my aunt who wore bootie shorts, a white shirt, and glittery flip-flops to the viewing and ceremony. Yeah, wow.
Peace Out,
Mom

Yesterday was his first day of Kinder, but the parents stayed all day. Today, he went all on his own. Wow. I didn't cry like I did when my oldest went to Kinder. Maybe I'm an old veteran now. I got this school seperation anxiety down. It wasn't until I was driving away in the minivan that I realized that the van was so very big and empty. And I also felt so silly talking to myself.
Peace Out,
Mom

Today, MO and MM went back to school. MO went to his first day of high school, and MM went to his first day of middle school. Tomorrow will be the first day of kindergarten for Little Man. This is a busy back-to-school time for our family with a lot of transitions for us to work out, which is why I took the summer off from the Writing Center. We have to figure out what our schedules are going to look like and how we are going to handle it. I really wanted to keep little man out of daycare this year. However, that's going to be pretty hard. Here in wonderful San Diego, kinder is still only half a day. He will be going to the afternoon class, which means he goes from about 11-2. Not too long, right? I need to get my schedule at the Writing Center worked out so that I can drop him off, and work for a while, and be home for the big boys. My wonderful husband did homework with them all last year and I think he's a bit burned out. I'm better at that sort of thing. ;-)
Anyway, I'm trying to not worry about the big boys at their new big schools. I really hope MM makes friends. Psychologists say that the most difficult transition for kids is the one between elementary school and middle school. They are going from a small group of kids that they've known for 7 years to a huge pool of kids from all around. Ugh! Still, I'll try not to worry too much. :-I
Peace Out,
Mom

The fair was pretty fun. My hubby and I took the little man over to ride a few rides in the kiddie area and then we looked at the exhibits and ate a few fattening things. The fair food is so effing good; it's ridiculous. I probably clogged a couple of arteries. We let the four big boys run amok in the ride area and checked on them periodically. It was pay-one-price day, which means you p;ay 30 bucks a piece and ride all of the rides. They had a great time. I figured that it was better to let them run around and ride than be subjected to watching them ride those ridiculously scary rides. :-)
Like I said in the last post, I knew that I would be picking up our little visiting friend on Monday. I did, and we still have him. I'm taking them to the beach in about 10 minutes. We also have an extra boy. So again, I have five boys. I must like to abuse myself. D informed me Monday morning that he's moving back here. He says that his dad hits him and his mom said that he could move back. I'm so glad that he's moving back, but I'm so sad that he has to volley between two bad choices. WTF??? His mom doesn't live in a very good part of town. I proposed to my husband that he stay with us Monday through Friday so that he can get a good, safe education. I don't think my husband wants to think about it. We are struggling with a huge mortgage and feeding these growing boys as it is. I just wish I could do more for him. I feel like it's my job. I don't know, maybe something will come to me.
Peace Out,
Mom

I took five boys to the fair today. I'm so weary.

The boy who is visiting from Chicago will be staying with us at least through Saturday. When we called his mom this morning to ask her when she wanted him home, she said we could keep him until we got sick of him. I told her that we wouldn't get sick of him, but we would be dropping him off Saturday because I have to work this weekend. I will be picking him up again Monday morning because if I don't, she wil take him to daycare. It makes me sad for him, but I'm glad to have him. He's pretty awesome.
Peace Out,
Mom

Today, I have five boys in my home. I will still have those boys when I take them to the County Fair tomorrow for "Pay One Price Day." One of them is a boy from our old apartments that often comes to visit. His mom said it was too hard to raise him, so she shipped him off to Chicago to stay with his dad. When he comes back to San Diego to visit, he calls us when his plane lands and is usually at our house within a day of arriving. He then usually spends most of the time at my house. I love him. I have told my husband many times that I would adopt him if I could. I picked him up last night. He arrived Monday morning and spent Monday and Tuesday in daycare. He is 12, almost 13. His mother kept his little brother living at home, so she sent D to the same daycare that his little brother is at while she's at work. She didn't take any time off from work. WTF???? He comes about every six months or so, and every time, she doesn't take time off from work. When he's here, she doesn't call to see how he is, and she always expresses gratitude. When he's not here, I have passed her in the halls at the college, and she pretends that she doesn't know me.
I know that I am not a perfect mom. Believe me, I know. I screw up. However, I can't imagine shipping my son off and then not taking time off when he visits. It makes my heart hurt.
The other boy lives across the way and his mom works a lot. So he is here every day and a lot of nights. He calls me mom. I kinda love him, too.
I always wanted more kids-I just didn't realize that they would come to me as boys, on the brink of manhood. I want them all to grow up to be responsible, loving men. I feel a responsibility to all of them to teach them the importance of education and responsibility. I want them to know that it is important to love and care for each other. It's hard being a woman in a sea of burdgeoning testosterone.
Peace Out,
Mom