Life of a Single Mother on Mother's Day

Weight: 147 lbs (shut it)
Drinks of choice: Jack Daniels Honey and Firefly Sweet tea vodka
Medication: none

I decided to pick up my blog on Mother's Day.  I am journaling about my day so far as I think some things have happened which illustrate nicely what its like to be a single, divorced mother on Mother's Day. It is sometimes hard and frustrating, but most times hilarious and wonderful.  Ok here goes

12:14 am:  Come home from a night with Beau.  There was an event we went to earlier.  A kind of nerd prom with food but no liquor.  But I brought my flask so it was okay.  Kids with Ms. Nike (the overnight sitter who has changed my social life;  don't think I ever blogged about her).

12:30 am Sitting and talking with beau, sippin a little something.  I like him.  Of all the random dudes that ogle my facebook photos, e-flirt, and proposition me, he is the one that follows up, that shows up, and man's up.  Honest to say what he wants and what he doesn't and who I am sure if he didn't want something I was offering, would tell me so.  Our conversation is easy. He knows The Nigerian.  that  made me nervous.  What I like about beau is his optimism, I didn't want The Nigerian's ardent pessimism and emotional laziness to rub off on him.  Thinking of that nearly gave me an anxiety attack.  But I texted brandi and she talked me down.  If he is that easily swayed I don't want beau anyway.  And its best that I just enjoy him now as he is.  worrying will just waste the time I'm with him, and I really don't want to do that.  Because I enjoy him, yes indeed I do.

1:00 am Um enjoying, enjoying or um, none of ur gosh darn business

2:00 am: sleeping and waking intermittently. Beau is very different from James Dean.  James Dean can and does sleep curled up in my arms or me in his. always touching, which is nice and I've learned to like.  Beau just wants to sleep. I can dig it . . .

7:00 am see 1:00 am

7:35 am off to pick up the kiddos.  Ms. Nike is a regular church goer and she goes to early service.  I don't want to burn any bridges!  Gotta get those kids. I promise to pay her on payday. She says "of course, that is fine"  Yes, must keep Ms. Nike happy.  Who else will babysit on credit?

8:00 am Driving back to the house.  I listen to the boys' recount their night.  Evidently there were video games and building houses involved.  I like that they like to go to the sitter.  It eases my guilt.

8:15 set the kids up with some snacks and the tv.  I'm still a little tired and want to get a couple hours of sleep.  Let's see if this works

8:45 am Justice says he forgot his video game in the car.  I give him the keys to unlock the van.  Damion Jr. comes to chastise me for letting Justice have the keys.  It's like he feels he is raising Justice with me.  Maybe he is.  Justice arrives back in the house with the video game and my keys.  Justice is becoming a big boy.  I point that out to Damion Jr.  He just shrugs . . .

9:08 am Deejay asks me to cut up the mangos that are in the refrigerator.  I told him to please let me wait until later.  I remind him that its mothers day and I should be able to sleep in.  He tells me he will be back.

9: 30 am Justice comes up and says he forgot the game card that goes in the video game in the van.  He wants to go get it.  I tell him its the last time i'm giving him my keys.  He goes and comes back without incident.

10:00 am:  Justice comes up and lays down in the bed with me. I can tell he's been eating candy.  His breath smells like chocolate.  He wants to take pictures with the phone.  It is confirmed he's been eating chocolate when I look at the picture we took... check the wide eyes

10:15 am:  Damion joins us (it's hard for me to keep putting the jr. but y'all don't know the sr. anyway, so just know when I say Damion I mean my son.  When I say asshole, I mean my ex-husband). Damion gets on my computer.  I ask if there's nothing on tv.  Damion says, well you're more fun.  Yeah right. . .Damion goes on some video game site, Justice continues to play his video game. They just want to be in my space and I'm cool with that.  I remember laying in my mothers bed, not doing anything, not wanting anything besides being in her space.  I drift off to a very shallow sleep . . .

10:43 am receive a text from Fred. He says he feels some kinda way about my facebook status.  I was reminiscing about my time with beau and was missing the feel of him during my nap.  Fred says that he is away and instead of sending a personal msg to him, I sent a status to all my random "snuggle partners"  Now he knows I'm a one woman gal, but I think that it is more comfortable for him to believe i'm just hanging around with a bunch of nobody's because he is away.  If he was ready or available or even said to me that he only wanted to be with me, this wouldn't be an issue.  But that is not the case.  I was thinking of beau and I wrote about him.  You snooze you lose, buddy. 

12:00 noon:  I wake up.  Can't legitimize being in the bed past noon.  Even on Mothers Day.  I get up.  I mow the backyard.  Fix food for the dog and let him outside.  I join the dog outside.  he is playing and I can tell he's bewildered at the fact the grass is cut.  He immediately goes behind the shed to do his business...he's so dainty that way.

12:30  poor some Jack Honey and commence social networking . . .

12: 52  Holly, my sister, facebook chats me.  She doesn't have her kids today.  Hannah is with the grandparents, Carly is with her father.  Yeah she rocks for having an ex-husband who actual visits and takes care of his child.  It's a shame my sons don't have that.  She says she's bored.  She doesn't have kids with her, but I do.  It's always the way.  Everytime I have  don't have kids, I also don't have plans.  It's the Jesus' plan to keep me all chaste and bored . . .

1:15 Holly says she's fitna get dressed and come over.  She evidently has something to tell me that is big and heavy.  "Well, " I said, "Come on over. You know I'm here . . ." 

2:35 pm:  Someone knocks at the door.  Its some kid wanting Damion to come outside.  When Damion goes out, they give each other "dap" or "a pound". Ugh I just... I can't . . .  Time flies like a mofo . . .

I Love You and Other Lies Boys Tell

"Took me out to wine, dine, sixty-nine me, but didn't hear a damn word I said. I see right through you." Alanis Morrisette

I'm going to be 38 in two weeks.  I've dated, been married, divorced, and now dating again.  When I first got divorced, it was hard to picture myself totally by myself.  Yet I found myself alone with two children and a dog. (and also several mice, but thats a previous blog altogether) I enjoy dating, I really do. Sometimes I read my past blogs and I get on my own nerves.  But things tend to happen that are pretty  bloggable.  And yes I am the constant in that equation (as a certain Jerky McJerkerson pointed out). But well sometimes I think, I choose wrong just for the excitement and a story to tell afterward.  . .

Check this out

I met a boy.  He is an artist (shut up, I know) We talked online.  One day he asked to come over.  I said that it was a bad idea.  He said it would be fine. He would come over, we would watch a movie and we would cuddle and then he would go home before the boys woke up.  I said sure, because you don't find many who understands that they have to be gone before the kiddos wake up. I mean the therapy costs alone...

So he came over and did what he said. It was nice. Just company. So every weekend almost after that, he would come over we'd "watch a movie" and then he would go home.  Sometimes I would go over to his place.  He made me waffles in the morning.  His apartment was like a vacation.  Movies, cuddling, breakfast, silence.  So after a couple of months of this, I got curious. That is a bad sign. that means I'm getting attached. I want to know about him, meet his mom and what not.  *sigh* the beginning of the end.  At any rate,  I noticed that he always came over super late.  It started to bother me.  It bothered me to the point that I said that I was tired of being secret girl he saw late at night.  It was cool for a while, but a person with half a heart wants more than just that.  He said, "ok".  I was pissed. I guess I expected him to put up a fight, to say he'd do better. no such luck.  Then I asked him to send me the beautiful pictures he took of me.  And he told me he deleted them.  I was furious.  Those were the best photos I'd ever taken. So raw and beautiful..gone. And so I do what I do what I always do.  I threw a text tantrum.  Oh the curses I used...

But the next day he said, "are you too mad to play scrabble?" And we played online scrabble just like the old days.  I was impressed. No one ever survived a text tantrum except the Nigerian, and everyone knows he's the love of my life (shut up). 

But I think, that he was a little late on the complete damage I did with my text tantrum, that may or may not have gotten back to facebook, allegedly.  Now its the silent treatment which only rivals plucking my leg hair one by one to the level of torture that is....gosh.  I guess thats over now...

Meanwhile back at the boy bunny ranch:

So I was talking to my other friend (Fred) and complaining about how boys want to have secret late night sex relationships and that was all.  He said,  "I know what you mean.  I am coming to your birthday party. I can't wait to see you."  I thought that was the sweetest thing ever.  Maybe I had mis-judged him.  Then he said, "I know what will make you feel better."  And then he sent me a picture of his penis.  Sigh . . .

So there is another boy, Aloyoisus St. Dexter.  We went to college together.  I met him on the streets one day, and we went to lunch a day later.  Super sweet.  We talked and ate and drank. And then he went back to Jamaica.  He is cool and a west indian (I SAID SHUT UP). But he is in Jamaica.  We talk and laugh on the phone and over skype, but who is to know what he would be like if we were in each other's space all the time.  Murphys Law is a bitch I tellya.

Anyways, my birthday is coming up.  I have an awesome dress, and about to order some fuck me pumps.  However, none of that will be going down.  But it is cool that they want it to.  I just wish someone would like to talk and play board games too.  Maybe a little drunk bop it (funnest game ever). The Nigerian is coming....here's hoping that nothing happens....

Underwater

Sometimes I want to go back in time

bring him back through space

holding tight to his waist

in an intergalactic spooning position

brng back what was the best of us

scrape together the makings of us

into my backpack

and bring us back

all the pieces

and glue them back together

back from ashes and dust

back to life again

all 2 hours and 36 minutes of us

wouldn't that be a good trick

checking in with you

making sure everything's ok with you

thats a lie

making sure something disastrous hasn't happened

making sure a "i'd love for you to meet my girlfriend" 

hadn't happened

though it may have

and i just haven't gotten back from space

with my hearing working properly

When you have been underwater for so long

breathing comes difficult

and I find myself looking

for a familiar island for me to breathe free

another lie

I just miss you

miss what we could have been

or what my mind had created us to be

they say curiosity killed the cat

but I am a dog person

and I don't think I'll ever learn

even this poem was written in your voice

Moody Boy Fan Club

It just started out by getting random texts. Once I got a phone call just when I started my new job. When I saw his name pop up on the caller id it really surprised me. What does he want? Then it was the year anniversary of his mother's death, and I remembered. I wanted to let him know that I remembered. I do think of him sometimes, but on the whole I've pushed him to the left side of my brain. But still sometimes I think of him. I wonder what he's doing, how he's doing, wondering if he sometimes thinks of me, wondering if those thoughts are pleasant.

I used to think we would make a good team, him and I. Part of me still does. But a couple of years ago, I believed it completely. It was one of those "with every fiber of my being" beliefs. I was so flumoxed when he didn't see it. It was like everything I knew was turned on its ear. Like I was dropped into a labyrinth and hadn't dropped any bread crumbs to lead me out. It confused me to the point that I stopped feeling comfortable with myself, especially around him.

It's hard to be in a situation where you know something is true, but no one else believes it. So my main mistake is trying to convince him of it. That is the worse position in which anyone can put themselves.

They say women are attracted to men like their father. My father is or was the grumpiest, moodiest man on the planet. and that is who I find myself most attracted to. In one word, "curmudgeons". A friend of mine can be really moody. He sometimes says slick shit out of his mouth to me or to other folk. I can tell when its mood related and when I see it, all I want to do is mush his face between my hands and give him a big kiss right below his eye socket. (thats one of my favorite kissing spots. There, and in the area right below the ear). I wanna be able to give him a big nuzzle and let him know that everything will be okay and to let him know that I'm not afraid of his grumpiness. I mainly just find it amusing. (as I said, next to my dad, these dudes are cream puffs).

But one thing the Nigerian has taught me is that sometimes a nuzzle and a sloppy kiss doesn't always cure what ails you. Sometimes its a "here I am ready to love you, and you're pushing me away, and that is in no way cool. I understand, but you need to get it together, if it is me that you want. And maybe I am not what you want. And thats okay too. Maybe you can get it together in order to ready for what I have to offer. Maybe you never will be ready. And it is no one's fault and no one's deficiency." I realized that I am in need of some of that unconditional love shit that I am always so willing to give out. So yes, that's what I need. And I realize (albeit late) that love is easy, its relationships that are hard, and no one should have to convince someone they are worthy to be loved. That's the part that should be easy.

So I was finally able to let go of the Nigerian. I realized that I was taking on too much responsibility for that not working. My fearlessness might've been a bit much, but his cowardice was just a plain drag. So now that we've been communicating again, I'm reminded about how much we have in common. I'm reminded about how nice it was to talk to him. And in my more hopeful moments, I think , "wouldn't it be something if now we both got our stuff together at the same time." He being him and me being me, and if by chance we find each other . . .

What a difference a year makes

Last year away on business, I fell out of the shower and bruised my ribs and spleen.

This year away on business, I burned my hand on the iron.

Last year I ignored my pain for a while and ended up in the emergency room, and had a bruise that eventually faded, at least on the outside.

This year I ran water over my hand and it barely left a mark.

I have learned that I know how to take care of myself.

While I was away last year, my dad's kidney functions got low enough for him to start dialysis. His kidney failure was causing heart failure which landed him in the hospital. Last year I was terrified of losing him.

While I was away last year FL lost his mother. She had been sick a long time, then she died. I was sad for him. I worried about him. I was afraid for myself.

This year my dad goes to dialysis 3 times a week. After a rough start, he has responded well to it. He looks better, has gained much of his weight back. This year I'm still afraid of losing him. This year I treasure the moments I have with him. Even when he's cranky.

This year FL has spent without his mother. This year he has tried to be the one to handle the problems with his siblings. This year I haven't spoken to him much. So this year I'm not sure where he's at.

I've learned alot in a year. Things have moved and grown and stayed the same. I feel very different. Less vulnerable, more in control. I'm more satisfied with me and less desire to control and be satisfied by others.

I am much happier being who I am and letting others be who they are and leaving the rest to inclination.

You just ran across my mind

129 lbs
no drinks
no pills
and eating with some sense

Just watched that video by Jill Scott. "Cross My Mind" and then you did, cross my mind that is. wondered what you were doing, how you were. Thought of texting but thought better of it. talking with you, hangin with you although infrequent, was so much fun...I used to picture us together. I haven't pictured me with anyone since. But I know thats not what you want or wanted, so I burned the bridge so I wouldn't hope anymore.

but you crossed my mind, and I hope that sometimes I cross yours.

My period is coming anyday, so I know this will pass. Its probably just hormones . . .