So, it seems there is a new "G" family member; Princess' Uncle EJB and his girlfriend SW had a baby boy the day before Santamas; first name is Liam, middle is James (same as the uncle's middle name), and last is (of course) the same as the uncle's last. Liam was due in early February, but due to some complications, came a little over a month early. He was just over 5lbs, and will be in the NICU a while, but will most likely be fine.
The astonishing part (although, after all these years of secrecy for no reason from that side of Princess' family, you'd think we'd be used to it by now) is that during any number of phone calls over the last 6 or 7 months (ok, we all know he rarely calls, but there have been - on average - one per month since he lost his p/t), her bio never shared with her that she was going to have a new cousin. Did he decide it didn't matter, since she never sees that side anyway? Or, did he think she wouldn't care? Or... what?
I don't know. I also don't know why he (*she* -- 'cuz you know it's bio's wife) thinks it's perfectly appropriate to send Princess a holiday card full of photos of his other family, but nothing else; for the second year in a row, all she got was a Christmas--oriented photo card... no note, no gifts, nothing. I suppose in the long run, these things only add to the ever-lengthening list of reasons why he's most likely never to get any parenting time with her. Because, as a general rule, REAL parents would share familial information with their children, not make them erased.
Monday, December 26, 2011
Santamas Recap
This year, we had three celebrations...
Round One: Sunday, December 18th, I brought the girls to Mimi's church to pick her up, then we drove to the club my mom belongs to. They were hosting/throwing an Xmas Brunch, and we had reservations for 1215p. After about an hour, we had all more than had our fill (definitely got our $30/person worth of food!), and headed up to Mimi's to unwrap some gifts. Highlights of that round -- Princess got books (one of which is all about Australia; their next adventure spot!) & some college money, Squeeks got a hand-made gloves/scarf/hat set & pillowcase and some new ornaments, and I got tickets for Storm Large's show in April (to see with Ace, of course).
Round Two: Saturday, December 24th, we invited Ace's sister & BIL up from Salem and GamerBoy down from the mountain. Everyone arrived between 1230p & 1p. We had a lovely ham dinner, fully prepared by Ace, and finished with lots of goodies for dessert (some made by me, some made by Ace, some bought). A small gift exchange, photos session, & lots of talking ensued soon after. We were happy to find that GamerBoy's next term is already scheduled, and he's really pushing himself to find a job (turning in roughly 15 applications per week); he's had interviews, but nothing's panned out yet. Everyone left around 530p, so the rest of the evening consisted of leftovers for dinner & playing games.
Round Three: Sunday, December 25th, both girls & Ace all slept 'til after 930a, so I spent a quiet morning with my mocha, my laptop, & my dogs... and wishing some friends & friends a Merry Santamas via text messages. Once everyone was up (& Ace was coffee'd), we got to opening the rest of the gifts. Every single gift this year was bought with CASH (or debit; no credit cards); so proud of that. Anyway, highlight gifts included: Ace got a new weather station system, I got a promise for an acrylic craft paint shaker (trust me, this is an awesome thing in my work world -- my arm's starting to hurt from all the bottle shaking I have to do) & Ace had my CND certificate professionally framed, Squeeks & Princess both got books, clothes, and lots of gift cards.
Ace & I spent the afternoon watching Stephen King's miniseries (recorded earlier in the day) "BAG OF BONES", based on his novel of the same name, but with a *lot* of updates. The girls, meanwhile, played on the computer, downloaded some music using their Amazon gift cards, and hung out together.
Today is another quiet day... I took the girls to Target this morning (not super-early though; those "early birds" are certifiably crazy -- NO deal is worth the lack of sleep). With their 50% off, plus using my Target card (an extra 5% off, plus $$ for Princess' school), I spent just under $60 on boxes, tissue, tins, cards, etc... prepping for next year! Princess got herself a new tank top & some new headphones, and Squeeks chose to wait to spend her gift cards for now.
Princess & Ace will get some one-on-one time this afternoon/evening while I drop Squeeks off at her friends' house, head up to work for a few hours, then pick her back up so we all can enjoy one more family dinner before she returns to her mother's tomorrow.
Round One: Sunday, December 18th, I brought the girls to Mimi's church to pick her up, then we drove to the club my mom belongs to. They were hosting/throwing an Xmas Brunch, and we had reservations for 1215p. After about an hour, we had all more than had our fill (definitely got our $30/person worth of food!), and headed up to Mimi's to unwrap some gifts. Highlights of that round -- Princess got books (one of which is all about Australia; their next adventure spot!) & some college money, Squeeks got a hand-made gloves/scarf/hat set & pillowcase and some new ornaments, and I got tickets for Storm Large's show in April (to see with Ace, of course).
Round Two: Saturday, December 24th, we invited Ace's sister & BIL up from Salem and GamerBoy down from the mountain. Everyone arrived between 1230p & 1p. We had a lovely ham dinner, fully prepared by Ace, and finished with lots of goodies for dessert (some made by me, some made by Ace, some bought). A small gift exchange, photos session, & lots of talking ensued soon after. We were happy to find that GamerBoy's next term is already scheduled, and he's really pushing himself to find a job (turning in roughly 15 applications per week); he's had interviews, but nothing's panned out yet. Everyone left around 530p, so the rest of the evening consisted of leftovers for dinner & playing games.
Round Three: Sunday, December 25th, both girls & Ace all slept 'til after 930a, so I spent a quiet morning with my mocha, my laptop, & my dogs... and wishing some friends & friends a Merry Santamas via text messages. Once everyone was up (& Ace was coffee'd), we got to opening the rest of the gifts. Every single gift this year was bought with CASH (or debit; no credit cards); so proud of that. Anyway, highlight gifts included: Ace got a new weather station system, I got a promise for an acrylic craft paint shaker (trust me, this is an awesome thing in my work world -- my arm's starting to hurt from all the bottle shaking I have to do) & Ace had my CND certificate professionally framed, Squeeks & Princess both got books, clothes, and lots of gift cards.
Ace & I spent the afternoon watching Stephen King's miniseries (recorded earlier in the day) "BAG OF BONES", based on his novel of the same name, but with a *lot* of updates. The girls, meanwhile, played on the computer, downloaded some music using their Amazon gift cards, and hung out together.
Today is another quiet day... I took the girls to Target this morning (not super-early though; those "early birds" are certifiably crazy -- NO deal is worth the lack of sleep). With their 50% off, plus using my Target card (an extra 5% off, plus $$ for Princess' school), I spent just under $60 on boxes, tissue, tins, cards, etc... prepping for next year! Princess got herself a new tank top & some new headphones, and Squeeks chose to wait to spend her gift cards for now.
Princess & Ace will get some one-on-one time this afternoon/evening while I drop Squeeks off at her friends' house, head up to work for a few hours, then pick her back up so we all can enjoy one more family dinner before she returns to her mother's tomorrow.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Weekend Update
So, this weekend did not go as originally planned...
The biggest thing: T & his family was missing from my mom's Friday Feast. You see, his father-in-law was rushed to the hospital for (without going into detail; if you know my brother or sister-in-law, you should already know what's going on) some serious medical issues.
At first, it was just D, Firefly, & D's sister (LS). Then, it got more serious, so on Wednesday, T & Bug drove to where everyone else was & ended up staying for the weekend. Of course, that meant that we were four people short for our feast. That was the first thing.
Then, with them not at mom's for the weekend (as they usually do), Princess was a bit lost without her young cousins to hang out with. Instead of staying at Mimi's for the whole long weekend, she came back & forth with me.
Saturday morning, there was no Santa at Macy's... I suppose I could have taken Princess by herself, but a 12yo getting Santa photos by herself? A bit on the "ehhhh" side. So, we slept in instead, had a nice quiet morning, and picked up one of her friends instead.
Bug & Princess were also supposed to accompany Mimi to a ballet rendition of A Midsummer Night's Dream (which Princess has seen in Ashland during the Shakespeare Festival -- the best way to see Shakespeare, if you ask me!). Princess & KP had a great time (but Princess still missed Bug), and got to decorate the gingerbread house (Princess made the dough, Mimi baked & frosting/glued the house together).
Squeeks was able to time her transit ride to coincide with the girls' return; leaving Mimi free to have dinner with DLW & JK. After I dropped KP off at her house, we went home to pick up some money & fudge, drop of Squeeks, and be picked up by my friend ShaM for our monthly BUNCO night out (good night; Princess & I both won $$!).
Sunday, Squeeks & Ace went to have Squeeks' "school" pics taken (holy crap; she's a beauty!) while Princess went with Mimi to prep & serve chili, etc at her church (reminder -- Ace & I do not believe in any god/deity, but we believe religion is a personal choice, so we encourage Princess to experience it & make her own, educated, decision).
The rest of the afternoon was spent putting up our SANTAmas (a future blog will explain my use of this word) decorations inside the house. With our new (skinnier/taller) tree, the house seems to not be as packed full of decor... or maybe it's just that we don't have the lights up yet. :)
The biggest thing: T & his family was missing from my mom's Friday Feast. You see, his father-in-law was rushed to the hospital for (without going into detail; if you know my brother or sister-in-law, you should already know what's going on) some serious medical issues.
At first, it was just D, Firefly, & D's sister (LS). Then, it got more serious, so on Wednesday, T & Bug drove to where everyone else was & ended up staying for the weekend. Of course, that meant that we were four people short for our feast. That was the first thing.
Then, with them not at mom's for the weekend (as they usually do), Princess was a bit lost without her young cousins to hang out with. Instead of staying at Mimi's for the whole long weekend, she came back & forth with me.
Saturday morning, there was no Santa at Macy's... I suppose I could have taken Princess by herself, but a 12yo getting Santa photos by herself? A bit on the "ehhhh" side. So, we slept in instead, had a nice quiet morning, and picked up one of her friends instead.
Bug & Princess were also supposed to accompany Mimi to a ballet rendition of A Midsummer Night's Dream (which Princess has seen in Ashland during the Shakespeare Festival -- the best way to see Shakespeare, if you ask me!). Princess & KP had a great time (but Princess still missed Bug), and got to decorate the gingerbread house (Princess made the dough, Mimi baked & frosting/glued the house together).
Squeeks was able to time her transit ride to coincide with the girls' return; leaving Mimi free to have dinner with DLW & JK. After I dropped KP off at her house, we went home to pick up some money & fudge, drop of Squeeks, and be picked up by my friend ShaM for our monthly BUNCO night out (good night; Princess & I both won $$!).
Sunday, Squeeks & Ace went to have Squeeks' "school" pics taken (holy crap; she's a beauty!) while Princess went with Mimi to prep & serve chili, etc at her church (reminder -- Ace & I do not believe in any god/deity, but we believe religion is a personal choice, so we encourage Princess to experience it & make her own, educated, decision).
The rest of the afternoon was spent putting up our SANTAmas (a future blog will explain my use of this word) decorations inside the house. With our new (skinnier/taller) tree, the house seems to not be as packed full of decor... or maybe it's just that we don't have the lights up yet. :)
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Giving Thanks...
Some years, it's difficult to come up with anything to be thankful for. Some years, I have a LONG LIST. This year, I decided to blog it:
1. My friends, old & new.
2. My animals; two of which have health issues, but they're still here.
3. My home; paid off completely four years ago, and almost done being upgraded.
4. My career, the success I'm having with it, & the flexibility it gives me for home life.
5. My clients, old & new.
6. My SKs. Gamerboy is (slowly but surely) maturing into a responsible adult. Squeeks has such plans; we just continue to offer support.
7. My husband. We've been through some crap, I'll tell you. But, he's my rock, and he works very hard to make sure we're well taken care of. He's working today, even, because working today gives him Christmas off.
8. My daughter. In her 12 years of life (so far), she's had some terrible things happen to her; things no one should ever have to go through. In spite of everything, she is happy, healthy, and very loved; and she knows it.
9. Food on my table. There are a lot of people who go hungry. I am not one of them.
10. My health, and that of those around me.
11. My beautiful nieces, Bug & Firefly. Those two continue to amaze me. They are smart, and oh so sweet to each other, and adore their cousin!
12. My mother. She is way too nosey, smothers my daughter (& me) at times, & pisses me off on a regular basis... but (especially after her health scare a couple months ago) I realized recently that life without her in it would never be the same.
13. My parents. My dad & smom are wonderful people. They raised us to be self-sufficient, independent, loving, & responsible people. We all have become successful because of their gentle pushes during our childhood.
14. The rest of my family -- "adopted", married-in, &/or birthed. MWAH!
15. Facebook -- for helping me to find lost friends and family I didn't even know existed.
Now, eat, drink, and love on your family and friends!
1. My friends, old & new.
2. My animals; two of which have health issues, but they're still here.
3. My home; paid off completely four years ago, and almost done being upgraded.
4. My career, the success I'm having with it, & the flexibility it gives me for home life.
5. My clients, old & new.
6. My SKs. Gamerboy is (slowly but surely) maturing into a responsible adult. Squeeks has such plans; we just continue to offer support.
7. My husband. We've been through some crap, I'll tell you. But, he's my rock, and he works very hard to make sure we're well taken care of. He's working today, even, because working today gives him Christmas off.
8. My daughter. In her 12 years of life (so far), she's had some terrible things happen to her; things no one should ever have to go through. In spite of everything, she is happy, healthy, and very loved; and she knows it.
9. Food on my table. There are a lot of people who go hungry. I am not one of them.
10. My health, and that of those around me.
11. My beautiful nieces, Bug & Firefly. Those two continue to amaze me. They are smart, and oh so sweet to each other, and adore their cousin!
12. My mother. She is way too nosey, smothers my daughter (& me) at times, & pisses me off on a regular basis... but (especially after her health scare a couple months ago) I realized recently that life without her in it would never be the same.
13. My parents. My dad & smom are wonderful people. They raised us to be self-sufficient, independent, loving, & responsible people. We all have become successful because of their gentle pushes during our childhood.
14. The rest of my family -- "adopted", married-in, &/or birthed. MWAH!
15. Facebook -- for helping me to find lost friends and family I didn't even know existed.
Now, eat, drink, and love on your family and friends!
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
There's a Difference Between DEfensive Driving & OFfensive Driving...
This post is specifically for those of you who think you don't have to abide by the rules & laws of the road: YOU DO! Those laws & rules are for EVERYONE, not just some of us... I know I'm not the only one to get pissed when they get cut off in traffic, and I know I'm not the only one who laughs my ass off when that same driver is seen pulled over by the cops just up the road. So, here are a few things to remember when driving (especially in inclement weather, but really... anytime):
1. Whether you want to turn or just change lanes, turn on your signal. If your signals don't work, it is perfectly acceptable (and legal) to use bicyclist's hand signals.
2. When you are merging from two lanes down to one, it should be "left car, right car, left car, right car..." Don't be rude & push your way in behind a car that was already let in.
3. When a driver allows you in front of them (regardless of if it was your turn or not), waving to them is the correct "thank you."
4. Drive the speed limit; a bit slower in bad weather, a bit faster in good weather (keeping up with traffic). If you MUST go slower, use the right lane; that's what it's for. If you MUST pass, use the left lane. Going a lot slower than moving traffic is not any safer than speeding; both can lead to accidents (which, btw, aren't "accidental" in my book; they're on purpose because of your stupidity).
5. Keep your distance. In good weather, the proper distance between cars is one car length per 10m/hr (that's 5-6 car lengths apart on the freeways, people!). In inclement weather (rainy, windy, snowy, icy), that distance should be more... and slow down! Your car's response time is not as fast as you think it is.
6. Make sure you have proper insurance, as well as a current driver's license. Failure to have these could lead to some serious consequences -- tickets, having your vehicle towed, losing/suspending your license & possibly jail.
Readers -- this is definitely not a complete list, but one off the top of my head after driving to & from work today, and watching the idiots act... well... like idiots on the road. Please feel free to comment, adding more to this list. I hope to share it on my FB wall. Thanks.
1. Whether you want to turn or just change lanes, turn on your signal. If your signals don't work, it is perfectly acceptable (and legal) to use bicyclist's hand signals.
2. When you are merging from two lanes down to one, it should be "left car, right car, left car, right car..." Don't be rude & push your way in behind a car that was already let in.
3. When a driver allows you in front of them (regardless of if it was your turn or not), waving to them is the correct "thank you."
4. Drive the speed limit; a bit slower in bad weather, a bit faster in good weather (keeping up with traffic). If you MUST go slower, use the right lane; that's what it's for. If you MUST pass, use the left lane. Going a lot slower than moving traffic is not any safer than speeding; both can lead to accidents (which, btw, aren't "accidental" in my book; they're on purpose because of your stupidity).
5. Keep your distance. In good weather, the proper distance between cars is one car length per 10m/hr (that's 5-6 car lengths apart on the freeways, people!). In inclement weather (rainy, windy, snowy, icy), that distance should be more... and slow down! Your car's response time is not as fast as you think it is.
6. Make sure you have proper insurance, as well as a current driver's license. Failure to have these could lead to some serious consequences -- tickets, having your vehicle towed, losing/suspending your license & possibly jail.
Readers -- this is definitely not a complete list, but one off the top of my head after driving to & from work today, and watching the idiots act... well... like idiots on the road. Please feel free to comment, adding more to this list. I hope to share it on my FB wall. Thanks.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)