Thursday, April 28, 2011

No Apologies, It Ended In a Tie and Cherished Friends

 
I guess I could start this post out by once again apologizing that it has been way too long since my last post. But guess what? NOT GOING TO HAPPEN! I imagined when I finally created this blog (I had been thinking about it for months), that is was going to be a fun little outlet for me to share, vent or maybe just make random observations. No pressure, just post when I feel it. Well in theory that sounds perfect, but anyone that knows anything about me knows that I am famous for putting pressure on myself and setting insane expectaions. I can honestly say that I have never been busier or felt more pressure at my job....even though I still love it. I don't think that I have ever been as sickly as I have been the last two and a half months...still can't shake this cough. And finally, I am just plain worn out. So, no excuses - no apologies. I will post when I am inspired and when the urge to write overcomes the welcoming voice of my pillow beckoning me to call it a night. Many nights the pillow winds by a landslide!
 

When I said that I have been busy at work, I was not exaggerating for effect.  This was the state of my cubicle for most of the day, and unfortunately it didn't look much better when I left.
My son's final soccer game of the season was Saturday morning - 10:10 to be exact....we can leave out the part where I was convinced that it was late Saturday afternoon and that was what my whole day was planned around. This is his fourth season to play and I believe the light bulb has finally gone off...not just for him, but I think a large portion of the team. Things finally started to click on the field and there were actually big portions of the season where the boys were working as a team. They had a great coach - she doesn't take things too seriously, at the same time teaching but firm when she needs to be. He is at that age where if you give an inch he'll take a mile, and she was just what those boys needed (Mrs. Dawn also happens to be his PE teacher).  Although the game ended in a tie, it was a really great season and I hope that Zachary will stick with it. Way to go Patriots!
 


 
On Good Friday, I received a text from a girlfriend from Louisiana - OK Melinda, here is your fifteen minutes I hope you are reading LOL!  She was in town and wanted to know if I was around.  Hello, I jumped at the chance to see her!  Let me give you a bit of background.  I have another amazing friend from Louisiana and she is the one that introduced Melinda and I.  Denise worked for Pavestone and was the rep for our East TX / Louisiana territory.  I had instant connections with both of them and just knew that no matter what they were always going to be amazing women in my life.  OK back to Melinda.  I met her, her sister and her three girls for lunch.  We had not seen each other in well over a year....probably closer to two.  And I am ashamed to say we hadn't talked that much either.  I sat down and we picked up again just like we had talked the week before.  It was a great visit and I am so thankful to have been able to spend even a short time catching up in person.  She and Denise live close to each other so they see each other frequently - I am the wicked step sister in TX that never gets to go to the ball!!  I am jealous but not in a psycho kind of way, but more of a completely healthy envious way for the friendships that I could continue to grow if only I was closer.  I forgot to mention that they are two of the funniest people that I have ever met - no, not funny looking, funny as in your stomach will hurt from constant laughter after spending any length of time with them.  I am truly blessed to call them friends, and vow to do better at staying in touch....love you both!!!!!
 
Me, Denise and Melinda August 2009 Chill in Grapevine - how I love these ladies!

Me and Melinda April 2011

My pillow is now doing some serious beckoning.  Good night and have a fabulous weekend!
 

Sunday, April 3, 2011

I Have to Become "That Mom"

WARNING:  The is not a happy...birds are singing....it has been a wonderful weekend blog post.  So if that is what you were hoping for, you make want to run - not walk....this blogger is frustrated!!!

At what point as a parent do you cease giving your child the benefit of the doubt?  When do you become that obnoxious micro-managing parent because you know that if you aren't, the things that need to get done simply won't get done?  Sadly, I believe that my time has come.

Let me preface this rant by saying that I share custody of my son with his dad.  We each have him 50 percent of the time.  Let me also say that it really sucks....in all actuality I miss out on half of his life.  I will not bore you with all the specifics of why his dad and I are not together, but we do try to do what is best for our son.  With all the being said I will be the first to admit that sometimes I want to just have a fun filled weekend with Zach, with hardly a care in the world.  I believe that as a single parent I have a tendency to want to compensate for him being from a broken home and this is where I am getting into trouble.  He had a sleep over on Friday at a friends house and to be honest when he asked if he could go every ounce of my being wanted to scream...."no way, it is my weekend I want you to be with me!".  Not to worry - I did not become "that mom".  He went to the sleepover and I picked him up Saturday morning and we went about the rest of our weekend.  Fast forward to after dinner tonight.  I told him after dinner he needed to take a shower, finish his food log for school, and do some reading.  The minute I told him that it was time for his shower...the back talk started.  Once he got through the shower, he picked up a book and started to read....when I told him that he needed to do his food log first because that would actually be graded he informed me that he left it at school.  I told him to get a piece of notebook paper and write the log there....I was of course met with eye rolling resistance.  He finally told me that he was done and went back to reading.  When it got to be bed time, I went to kiss him good night and tuck him in.  There was an entire day missing from the food log and in over an hour and a half he had barely finished one chapter.  Zachary is a really good reader.....three or four chapters in that amount of time is a lot more like it.  I admit it - I flew off the handle!  He seems to have found every single one of my buttons and seems to reveling in pushing each and every one of them. 

So, as of this evening I guess I officially become "that mom".  That mom that micro-manages her child, stands over him while he does his homework and firmly sticks to the absolutely no fun until all the non-fun stuff is done rule.  I hate that I have to become her, but I am also not willing to let my son become one of "those kids".   The rude, disrespecting....I don't care kind of kids that seem to be running rampant these days.  He is a really good kid, and I see sooooo much potential - but we are definitely going through a phase right now and it is not much fun for either of us I am afraid.  My goal right now is to be strong, stick to my guns and pray a lot.  I am hoping with a little work and determination, he and I will both come out on the other side stronger for the sacrifices.

Now that I have gotten all that off my chest, I am feeling a little better...have a little more resolve and would love to share that there were in fact some high points to the weekend.   Zachary's soccer team won their third game of the season.  We went to the matinee of "Hop", had a load of fun, and sang "I Want Candy"  all the way home from the theater.  That is the kind of stuff that you just can't beat.  All too soon it will no longer be OK to be at the show with your mom and when I sing and dance in the car, my sweet little "baby" will roll his eyes and tell me to stop because I am embarrassing him.  I guess maybe the moral of this post is that this is just one of the many trials of parenthood.  Am I frustrated....you bet!  But I wouldn't trade it for the world.  That "mouthy, eye rolling. I know everything and you know nothing" ten year old is the light of my life.  I pleaded and prayed for that little guy and God gave me exactly what I asked for and I have to be willing to take the good and the bad.

I hope everyone had a great weekend!  Even with the rough end to the weekend....it was still "A Beautiful Day"!  Night...I am off to give that boy one last kiss and squeeze.

Talking strategy with the Coach Dawn

Mom....why are you taking pictures?????


I love that boy!!!!!