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September 26 2011

Posted in: Daily · Tags: single parenting, this sucks

When the cat’s away, the mouse will miss it. And then the cat will return to the mouse’s delight, only to have the cat scream and cry because she doesn’t want to be here.

Or something to that effect.

My children left with their dad for the weekend. Though it seemed like an eternity at the start. Not only was it the first time I had ever been away from them as a trio, but for days at that. While a full weekend to myself sounds like a great idea in theory, I am here to inform it had its kinks in practice. To say I missed them would be an understatement.

When I was presented with the fact that my children would not be around to pull and tug for my attention, I thought of everything I could possibly manage to get done. I could soak in a bath, eat ice cream for dinner, or take a nap. My main goal, however, was to write til my fingers bled. Such lofty aspirations. None of which came to fruition, because I was too busy missing my children.

And then they returned. My boys seemed sufficiently pleased to see me, but then there was my daughter. The daughter who normally doesn’t want to be out of my sight. The curly hair and bright laugh that I’ve looked forward to since Friday as they walked out the door. Who now wanted nothing to do with me.

It took almost two hours to get her to stop crying for her dad. She was angry with me, and has stayed that way since.

Welcome home.

Boy Scouts of America

September 24 2011

Posted in: Reviews/Giveaways · Tags: sponsored

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Boy Scouts of America for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

When my brother was a child, he spent many years in the Boy Scouts of America organization and it’s different levels. Up until he entered high school, I remember tagging along with him and my dad as they attended meetings and worked on earning badges. My brother repeated the Scout oath standing tall. I’m 6 years younger than my brother, but even I took pride in his accomplishments. So much so that I joined the Brownies, the younger version of Girl Scouts, as soon as I could.

Scouting has always been a positive instrument in bridging the family dynamic. It was a way for my dad and my brother to spend time together, father and son, building character and a link to community. I’m sure it’s still the same today. Which is why I would gladly encourage my own sons to become members if they were to ever show interest.

Not only was it a good way to bond with family, but it also helped with self-esteem at school. With so many changes happening at once between new teachers, new friends, new subjects, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. But Scouting can help boost that confidence, thereby making it easier to perform better in a classroom.

While back then there were a lot of outdoor activities, focusing on camping and safety, the Boy Scouts have improved with the times. They now offer a new curriculum focusing on STEM; science, technology, engineering and math. The most recent of these merit badges are helping Scouts develop important skills in these areas that are crucial in today’s modern, competitive world.

Rules to Live By

September 22 2011

Posted in: The Kids · Tags: Abby, Jedi, sibling love

Rule #1 in the little sister handbook: Thou shall blame her older brothers for everything.

Case in point:

Abby’s mouth had been colored all around in yellow. Like a clown in thick make-up. It spread past her lips and to her cheeks. A burst of sunshine in the middle of her face.

“Why are your lips yellow?”, I asked her.

There she sat, with the crayon she used guiltily gripped in her hand, looking at me with a smirk on her face. I could tell she was thinking of an appropriate response, one that would take the focus away from her. Then, she remembered the rules from the sister handbook. “Um…”, she started, pausing. “I think Jedi did it.”

Normally, yellow is not the color of fire, but it could have been since Abby’s pants were in flames.

“Oh, you think he did?”, I stifled a laugh. “Even though you have the crayon in your hand and Jedi has been in his room?”

“Yep, Jedi did it”, she insisted.

On cue, Jedi emerged, seriously countering with his own version of events. “And Abby started lying now. Just great! Because I didn’t do anything!”

Rule #2 in the little sister handbook: Thou shall stick with the story, even when the truth is brightly colored all over one’s face. Which leads to rule #3: If thou is cute enough, thou just might get away with it.

Before the Frost

September 21 2011

Posted in: Daily · Tags: photos, ww

This was the first year that I have ever grown anything from the ground up (aside from my kids). Since I’ve become awkwardly attached to these flowers, I wanted to document their existence before the cold weather strikes.

I am a Nosy Neighbor

September 20 2011

Posted in: Me Myself · Tags: life

It can be more entertaining than television. More suspenseful than the best cinematic drama. With the slightest peek between blinds, from the hidden shadows of a house.

I watch.

They argue, words escalating, until a door slams. I hope they’re alright. Another couple embrace on the front stoop when the wife returns home. How long had she been gone? An older mother and daughter make their daily trek down the street, on with their journey until the faintest dot is out of my line of sight. Where are they going? What are they getting? Kids bicycle past. Men working on their cars. The woman next door tends to her garden. Didn’t she just wear that shirt yesterday? Like I’m really one to judge.

I watch. I wonder.

I wonder about their day. When they wake up. The breakfast they have. The work they go to. Each step they take. Whether wherever it’s lead has guided them to a place of happy, and can I have the directions if so. I wonder about the state of their living room, and how much care they take. A scrub the baseboard type of clean or just comfortable. Does it matter? There is no cookie cutter here. We live so close, yet we’re all so distant.

Do they wonder about me, too? What do they see when I don’t think anyone is looking?

I am a nosy neighbor.

Are you?