• Posted By Crazy Single Mom @ 11:00 PM • • •
Friday, July 29, 2005
I still have nothing to say but I now have questions to answer
I am still in a slump, however I'm not depressed, nor am I bored. I just think that for me, summer is not the time I think of to blog. Since this is my first summer blogging, I'm not sure if this is going to happen every summer, but hey I roll with it :-)
Thanks to Christine and Presentstorm, at least I now have something to write, so here goes:
Christine asked:
You're going on vacation again? Yep, next weekend. I know, I just came back, and timing could be better had I a few more weeks between vacations, but this is a trip with my sis in law and her kids, and Princess's best friend and family, and we had to go by what dates worked best for everyone.
Where to this time? (And more importantly, can I come, too?! I'm going to Sesame Place in Pennsylvania. I went last year and had a blast, so I'm going again this year and plan on having a blast again. Of course you can come, just pack a bag and hop a plane, we'll meet you there, your kids would LOVE it!!
Question: I'd like to know which of your teenage years was your favorite, and why: My favorite teenage years were between 16 and 18, I finally came out of my shell and had a blast!!! At least with my friends. It's funny, but my favorite teenage years would also have to be categorized as my worst teenage years. In school and with my friends, I came into my own, was dating, got good grades, went everywhere, did all the things a teenage girl would want to do. At home, my brother was spiraling down into mental illness, my mom stopped being a mom to me or to anyone as she dealt with her son's illness. I ran the house, and made sure dad payed the bills because they both fell apart. The reason I did what I wanted to do with my friends is because I'm not too sure that my parents knew I was there at all. Come to think of it, my teenage years weren't so hot, but I do have good memories of my friends. I'm hoping Princess has good teenage years, but not to the extent I had. I want her to have good memories of a functioning mother.One of these days I think I'll have to blog about that dark time, it will be a bunch of posts, and not necessarily one right after the other. That much pain can't be exercised so easily day after day. Also I have some times I have very little recollection of, as I blocked them out, so I have to piece together my memories.
Presentstorm asked:
If you could have named yourself at birth what would it have been ? Oh good question! I used to hate my name as no one else had it growing up, now I love my name as so few people have it, so I feel unique in that way. My birth name was not Nina, it was Na Mi Ok, family name in Korean was first, and the "K" sound is usually pronounced as an "NG" sound, so my name would have been translated into English as "Me Ong Na". I think keeping some of my heritage intact in my name would have been nice, but in those days, there was no celebrating the culture of your adopted child, it was blending your child into society so they didn't stand out. I wouldn't have minded Meung, which would have been an Americanized version of my name. Other than that, I always liked Alexandria.
Thanks guys for giving me something to blog, and anyone else who wants to ask a question, I'm still up to answering :-)
Wednesday, July 27, 2005
The post where I have nothing to say
It's past twelve, I should be sleeping, but alas, I am not.
My daughter is strange, I mean that in the nicest way possible, as I too am strange and would expect nothing less from my child. Still, I had to mention she was strange.
Notice the lack of blogging? It's not that nothing at ALL has happened in my life, I just can't muster up the energy to blog about it.
This is my "I'm feeling guilty I have not blogged" blog.
I tend to do random thoughts a lot, seems to be the way my mind works....or is that a random thought??
Summer so far, GREAT....Humidity so far...SUCKS....funny how one thing can be great and at the same time suck.
My boss is getting a divorce, something he almost went through a while back but they reconciled. She had asked for it the first time, he the second. In describing my boss's divorce, I use a chocolate analogy (because really, chocolate just about sums up the universe). You know when your a kid, and you see a really big piece of chocolate in a candy store window, and you really really want it but you don't have any money, so you do all sorts of odd jobs around the house to earn enough money to buy it, you buy it and take your first bite...and then realize it's not what you truly wanted? The reconciliation and subsequent divorce is like that with him I think.
They own a house now, which they didn't the first time, which complicates matters.
I need to go back on vacation...oh wait, I am next weekend woo hoo!!
Explain this to me, why is it when a hair colorist (me) takes a vacation, the week prior and the two weeks after I come back are so dang busy I can't breathe? Happens to me every year, like they think "oh god I just have to have my hair done NOW, because if I don't she might fall off the face of the earth".
Not that I'm complaining, I make a lot of money when I'm so busy so all is well.
I love my little strange child, I can relate well to her and she to me. Life is good like that.
Still waiting to hear if she gets into the really good pre-school this fall, or if she stays in the daycare she is in now, which is just slightly less cool than the other one, but the other one has a better curriculum.
My mind is now blank, I think I can finally sleep.
Thanks for putting up with my lack of good blog material.
Hey I know, why don't you guys ask me something you have just been DYING to know about me? I'll answer any and all questions. That way, I have something to blog and you get your curiosity out of the way, win win all around I say.
If you have no curiosity that's cool too, just means I'll have to work harder for my blogging hee :-)
Wednesday, July 20, 2005
Princess, 4 going on 14!
You know the mothers curse? The one where your mom says "I hope you have a child just like you!", that one. Well, I have a child just like me, only not the me I was when I was little, but the me now. When I was little, I had no confidence, generally did what I was told, and very rarely talked back. The talking back thing started for me when I was in my teens. Well Princess on the other hand, has so much confidence I don't think it has ever occurred to her she could fail at anything, and questions things I tell her to do, and talks back quite a bit! The other day, I asked her to take her dinner plate to the sink and put it in there, this is something she does every night. That particular night, she whined and said but mom I want to watch my TV show! I told her only after she put her plate away. In she goes stomping to the sink, then she turns to me, and in a pre teen sullen kind of way she says "can I go now??", my reaction was, "if you want to watch your show, you will lose the attitude right now!" I mean she's 4 people!! Last night was the fit from hell, so bad that she was yelling incoherently. All because I told her it was too late for two books she could only read one. I even compromised and promised to read her the favorites part of the other book. 15 minutes later, she is in her room sobbing into her pillow. I felt like handing her an Oscar for best dramatic teen scene! I am so in trouble in the future! Thank god she is so cute, otherwise I think I would pack her to a military school. Just when I want to pack her away and never look back, she does something so cute and loving, and all is forgotten. She'll come up to me and sit on my lap, put her arms around me and say "mom, I love you". My hear melts, I want to give her anything, and all is better. I think that's why god made kids so dang cute, otherwise I think we all would be packing them up somewhere! Take note you parents to be, just when you think you can't take any more, they melt your heart. I also had the yelled "I DON'T LIKE YOU!" from her the other day. Perhaps to those who feel children should be coddled will not agree with me, but I looked at her torn between laughter and exasperation and said "well I'm not too crazy about you right now either!". In a way it gave her permission to feel like she did, I remember not liking my mom much, but I always loved her. After she calmed down that day we talked, and I told her no matter what, even when we can't stand each other at the moment, remember I love you always and I know you love me. She then hugged me and gave me a kiss, the most precious gift your child can give you! She's asleep now, but I'm sure tomorrow will see more ups and downs and drama moments, all ending with an "I love you". Someday I'll look back on these problems and laugh, because they are so simple. Now can someone hand me the manual on raising kids??? I must have misplaced mine somewhere!!!!
Enjoy your little drama kings and queens and remember to always tell them no matter what, you love them!
Monday, July 18, 2005
I'm Baaaaaaaaack!!!
Hello all, I don't know how my week of vacation could have been better! The weather, although hot, was wonderful, and truly, I was on an island with a breeze, it never seemed as hot there. The first day there, it was late so we actually went down to the rocky beach (pictures on flickr ) and picked mussels. How cool is that, right there for the picking, the freshest sweetest mussels EVER....and we got them right from the sea! We steamed them up and feasted, along with wine. Life is good! The kids, my sis in law's three and my one, couldn't have been happier. Not once did Princess ask for TV, she was too busy playing out in the sunshine and swimming. At night, we would put them in the kids room with a movie, not once did they actually finish the movie, usually halfway through they would all be out. I don't think that Princess went to bed before ten any night there, but somehow she managed, which I find amazing given the fact that she usually is in bed by 8:30. Between swimming, we also went on a sight seeing tour of the island, we saw Pulpit rock where Roger Williams preached to the Indians of the island, we saw Indian spring, a fresh water spring with the sweetest water I have ever tasted. We saw an old cemetery dating back to revolutionary war times, complete with tops missing because of cannon fire! We went to the highest place on the island where you could see all sides, breathtaking! We also did tick check after every walk, Princess had one on her attached which totally skeeved me out, but she's fine, it was a wood tick not a deer tick. We also visited tide pools, where there were a lot of little critters just right for children to catch. Each night after they went up, we would sit around, sometimes just us or sometimes with other "island" dwellers, either with wine or Gin and tonics. I discovered I like gin and tonics, and since I truly don't drink much more than wine, that was a surprise. At the end of a perfect week, we headed for my brothers house, for fireworks and fun at the house. It was a fun ending of a perfect week, but seriously, this town they live in is very well to do, and I think my town had WAY better fireworks! We came home yesterday night, and Princess was asleep within 15 minutes of being put into bed! Today we layed around the house like slugs, each of us needing to re-group before the real world intrudes on us tomorrow. We're refreshed, and somewhat ready, but if I have a smile on my face this week, it'll be because I remember this perfect week!!! I have truly been having a fantastic summer, I can't wait to see what the rest of it has in store!! There are a few pics below, and if you want to see more, they are over on flickr.
Enjoy!!!
Indian Spring
Princess swinging from a vine
the tide pools
another start to a gorgeous sunset
Playing in rocky beach
Early morning walk that turned into early morning swim in her shorts!
Saturday, July 09, 2005
See you in a week!
Well tomorrow, I am off on vacation!!! Princess and I will be going to Prudence Island, which is a little island off of Rhode Island. My brother and his wife have a house there. We go and spend time with them and my niece and nephews. It's always so much fun, and I truly can't wait to get there! Princes last night said "Mama I'm so excited about seeing my cousins!" Which about sums it up for both of us :-) I'll be back next weekend, no tears now, I WILL be back hee!!!! I'll have a lot of pics, which I will actually upload to flickr, so those of you who really don't like vacation photos don't have to be subjected to them on my blog, and for those who DO like vacation photos, well there will be a LOT of them!! You guys have a good week, and enjoy it, I know Princess and I will :-)
Thursday, July 07, 2005
No creative title here.
My heart goes out to the people in the UK. My heart goes out to the victims. My heart goes out to the men and women who fight to defend us, even if I think the war in Iraq is wrong, these people who go there when our leaders sent them they are NOT wrong and should be applauded. Can someone please tell me when this will stop? Please? I am not enjoying the ride. I want my child to grow up knowing that the good guys win, but how do I do that when I'm not too sure about that anymore. How do I tell her to embrace differences in people and yet tell her not to trust strangers. How do I raise her without fear when I myself am fearful.
I have no answers.
Just prayers, sympathy, and an overwhelming desire to lock her and myself up somewhere safe, if I knew where that was.
Be safe everyone, and vigilant. Very very vigilant.
Tuesday, July 05, 2005
4th of July Weekend Update
I find it hard to believe that the 4th of July is over. It doesn't seem possible that it could have come and gone, and we are that much closer to Fall. I find that the years just fly by lately! I did however, have a good weekend! On Sunday, Roomie had a family barbecue to go to, which she invited Princess and I to go too. When she did this, I was pretty darned happy about. Then the day came, and so did my period. I apologize to my men readers who right now are probably going eww...she's talking about THAT....but hey it's no picnic for us women either. I felt like someone had slipped me a sleeping pill, all I wanted to do is crawl back into bed and stay there!! I did snooze most of the day away, moaning about cramps, but then the time of the barbecue came and Princess truly wanted me to go, so off we went. We had a good time all in all, but my social skills were a bit lacking. I kind of sat there like a slug just smiling at everyone so they would know that I wasn't anti-social. Just for a change it would be nice if men had to deal with this instead of us women. But then again, I don't think we could handle them with the mood swings hee!!!!
Monday, we got up bright and early (Me feeling like a human being again) and went to the beach. I wanted to get there early, and leave early, so we could avoid the crowds and so Princess could get a nap in before the fireworks that night. It was beautiful!!!!!! We took a walk on the rocks, where I was a feast for a really obnoxious horse fly. I got him in the end, squished him, which made a red stain on the rock, I yelled at the corpse "hey that is MY blood sucker" to which he didn't reply, being dead and all. We then went home had lunch, and Princess slept for two hours! When she woke, a bath ensued and then off we were again, to our downtown area where they had a small fair with a few rides, yummy fair food, and the river where the fireworks were. We were THISCLOSE to where they were being shot off, so when they went, they were RIGHT OVER US, very thrilling and wonderful!! I wish they had been longer. Princess, even tired as she was, waved her little flag and was thrilled. It was a good weekend all in all, other than the killer horse fly and oh, a truly RUDE young woman who refused to let me into traffic! Young and bitchy, that was her!!! Other than that, a truly spectacular weekend! Below are some pics of this weekend. I would LOVE to hear of your weekends, so C'mon, what was the best part of the weekend for you? Mine was seeing the happiness on Princess' face as she watched the fireworks, and being so close you could actually see them being launched in the air!
Princess ready to go to Roomie's families barbecue, I thought she looked ready to hit a few tennis balls :-)
Princess at the beach having fun
Dead blood sucking fly....muwahahaha!!!!
How close we were to the fireworks barge
Climbing rocks....
The bridge between our town and the one across the river.
Fireworks....
And yet MORE fireworks.
Saturday, July 02, 2005
Things to be thankful for on a cool summer night
1) Wine
2) Good friends
3) Less humidity
4) No skunks outside woo hoo!
5) Wine
6) A wonderful time with friends at dinner by the shore
7) The stars so bright you feel like you could reach out and touch them
8) Of course, number 7 may be induced by wine hee!
9) A wonderful start to a holiday weekend
10) Princess...Always
11) Wine :-)
12) Knowing that at this moment in time, all is well with the world and in your life!
What are you thankful for on a summer night?
Friday, July 01, 2005
Conversations with Princess
Today when I picked up Princess from daycare, I noticed she had pants on from her extra clothes bin. This was the conversation that followed:
Me: What happened to your shorts Princess?
Princess: I threw them in the toilet and they got wet.
Me: (pause....) okay, honey why did you throw them in the toilet??
Princess: Because Best Friend was gonna throw them and she threw hers.
Me: okay....but...why???
Princess: (big shrug and slightly wicked smile) I don't know.
Makes you wonder how their minds work doesn't it?? Or maybe we grown-ups are better off not knowing!!