Halloween 2009

So it's Halloween night, Nick and Layla went trick-or-treating and Gage and I went to see a movie. This was not Gage's first choice...AT ALL! You see, the same kid I've been raving about for the last couple of months has let his grades drop to an unacceptable level therefore he's the big "G"...grounded.

Now let me tell you this, I remember when my parents grounded me and, of course, I only thought of how that affected me. Like, they hate me, they don't care if they ruin my social life, they like it when I suffer. Little did I know that it's probably harder for the parents than the kids. I HATE it when Gage is grounded for a multitude of reasons. I don't want him to miss all the parties. I don't want him to sulk around the house all day. I don't want to hear how shitty I am as a mother because I just don't care about him. The guilt trips work on me damnit. I am a sucker and I always give in. He knows that if just asks 500 more times I will finally yell "FINE!" and he'll get his way.

Not this time. Guess who stood her ground? Guess who never raised her voice? Guess who had a thoughtful discussion? Oh yeah baby...that's me! He tried to ask a few times if I would give in because "it is a special occasion you know" and "this is the last year that I'll EVER be able to go trick-or-treating you know" but I calmly said no every time he asked and guess what? He stopped asking.

So here we are. He's spending Halloween night with his mother (oh torture of tortures) and I think he'll survive.

I think we both will.

And Layla, who has had a raging fever all week, finally registered at good ol' 98.6. It's about freaking time! She was a witch but her hat kept falling off so she looked more like a zombie and rolled with that instead.

I think she's a fantastic zombie!

Is this week over yet?

So Layla is sick. When she is sick I kind of lose my shit. I can't seem to leave her side because...well, who knows what could happen right? I know. I am the queen of overreacting...you don't need to tell me.

But really. One minute her fever is a whopping 103 and what seems like forever later, it's down to 100 and in the blink of an eye it's back up to 102. She's so hot that the white's of her eyes aren't white, they're red. The bags under her eyes are red. Her hands and feet are red. She's just such a skinny little lady anyway that she looks so tiny and frail when she's sick and I feel like if I'm right beside her she'll be okay.

Last night she told me she was ready to go to bed so to bed she went. About an hour later I heard her talking and went to her room. She was sitting up, crying, saying her stomach hurt. As soon as she realized I was there she laid right back down and went to sleep. I'm pretty sure she was never really awake but it screwed me up for the night. I didn't keep count but, if I had to guess, I would say I went in her room about 583 times to check on her.

She's feeling a little better now. Her temp is 99.3 after Motrin. We will be calling the doctor in the morning seeing as she's had a temp higher than 100 for three days. Maybe they'll have some revelation for us.

And maybe I can get some sleep.

Sweet Birthday Girl

Happy Birthday Sweet Girl!!

So our internet is down until Wednesday. It sucks.

That means you have to wait to see photos of my beautiful NINE year old on her birthday.

Happy Happy Birthday Layla!!!!!

Boo

Untitled

So I've been expecting a piece of news for the last five years or so. It's news that I assumed would roll right off my back and not affect me...at all whatsoever. It's sad news, but I was sure that I just plain wouldn't care.

I got the news today. And I'm surprisingly sad.

My older brother died. Even though he's my brother I haven't considered him a part of my family for many years. He was a horrible person and did horrible and unspeakable things to me when I was just a kid. When he was around I was in a constant state of fear. I was disgusted with myself for something that wasn't, in any way, my fault. He made a big part of my childhood something that I just don't think about. It's not something I struggle with today, I just put it behind me because I know that I didn't do anything wrong...he did. I just don't think about it.

I thought about it today though. And I still feel sad for him. I feel sad that he died and no one found him for a few days. What kind of life is that? I know that if someone couldn't reach me for a few hours they would track me down. I feel bad for him that there was no one that tracked him down.

He was 39 years old and was living with full blown AIDS for as long as I can remember, which is why I've been expecting to hear the news of his death for quite awhile. I haven't seen or spoken to him in 16 years. I had no idea where he lived. No idea what he did every day. No idea who was in his life. I didn't want to know and if he was still alive I still wouldn't want to know. He was not a good person.

But I'm sorry that he's gone. I'm sorry that his life was wasted. I'm sorry that he couldn't figure out how to be a good person because I think he could have if he tried.

20 reasons why my mom is awesome

So here are a few reasons my mom kicks ass.

1. She's kind of a big deal. A blogging mini celebrity one might say.

2.She can "whip up" a sock monkey for her granddaughter in mere hours.

3.She can cook a mean southern meal.

4.She is a fantastic writer.

5.She drives over 10 hours all by herself to see her grandkids. This is big folks...it means she actually pumps her own gas.

6.She takes care of my dad. That's a big job.

7.She is hilarious.

8.She can cheer me up when I'm having a crappy day. With just a phone call.

9.She "chose" my husband for me. She'll tell anyone who'll listen that she handpicked him and she's very proud of it.

10.She is quite the gardener. I think I need a few lessons.

11. She looks fifteen years younger than she is. Too bad I look just like my dad.

12.She has the best laugh EVER!

13.She has beautiful hands.

14.She is one of the most creative people I know.

15.She is quirky. Example: She used to carry her little dog around in a Baby Bjorn. That's not weird...it's quirky.

16.She knows what my favorite and least favorite foods are. Sometimes she mixes me up with Jeff or Adrienne but she knows somebody loves pound cake and somebody hates raisins and that's all that matters.

17.She lights up, and I mean literally lights up, when she sees her grandkids. In person or photos.

18.She has a beautiful smile.

19.She really wanted Gage to be a girl but still spoiled the hell out of him with love. She eventually got buttloads of granddaughters but Gage will always be her heart.

20.She learned how to be a wonderful mother even though the odds were against her. She had a horrible example and turned it into the "what not to do" of mothering. That's not an easy thing to do. She's kind of a bad-ass that way.

Go Bears

So Gage had his last regular season game tonight and it was...interesting. They lost. They lost for many reasons. Referees that were obviously idiots, no home field advantage, playing against a bunch of kids that are bigger than most of their dads.

These kids were batshit crazy! I mean like there was seriously something wrong with them. They were yelling and screaming and grunting and I guess that's one thing but all the fouls that were never called...that's another. They were just a really shitty group of bad sports.

Nick and Gage's grandpa said at one point that if the kids were on our team that we wouldn't be complaining because as cocky as they were, they were making the plays. I wholeheartedly disagree. If Gage ever acted like that on or off the field there is no way I would let him play. I think that the teams, no matter how good or bad they are, should have a respect for each other. Plain and simple. This other team could not have been more disrespectful.

I guess the whole crazy game just made me proud to be the parent of one of our players. This team is awesome.

Table of Doom

So there's a table in this house and it's out to get everyone that comes near it. It's goal is to injure anyone that dares comes close to it.

Oh Jill, that's ridiculous you say. A table can't hurt anyone.

Exhibit A.



Do you see that giant ear sticking out? Well it's not always that big. In this photo it's swollen. Why is it swollen? Because the table attacked it! Layla was playing in a laundry basket by the table, lost her balance, and fell. The corner of the table went THROUGH HER EAR! Straight through to her head. Thank you Table of Doom for the photo op. Layla's first stitches.

Exhibit B



Okay, so I really don't have a photo of the actual injury but this photo is important. Do you see this cutie little baby in his sweet little bouncy chair? Thank God for that bouncy chair. He was sitting in that chair when Layla opened the top of the table (Table of Doom is also a chest). The hinge broke and the lid flipped all the way over to hit Gavin in the head. I say thank God for the bouncy chair because it probably would have cracked his head open if the chair hadn't bounced to take the brunt.

Exhibits C,D,E,F...etc.

There is no photographic evidence of the injuries that nieces, nephews, godchildren and neighbors have received from falling on, stubbing their toes on, cracking their heads on that table.

My final piece of evidence. Just this last weekend Layla was attacked by the damn thing again.



Her BFF slept over and they slept on the couch. I guess Layla woke up in the middle of the night and fell off the couch and OF COURSE hit her eye right on the table. You can't tell so much in the photo but the kid has a black eye.

Here it is. The Table of Doom. I think it's going in our next bonfire.

BFF

So I never had a friend like this growing up...not the way these girls are friends. They act more like sisters. Sisters that don't fight. If they do fight they're making up five minutes later. Their conversations are loud because they get so excited and try to talk over each other and then...then they start laughing and Oh My God when they start laughing you can't help but laugh too. It's incredibly contagious. I love these girls and I hope they really are best friends forever.

Facebook is CRAZY!

So the past couple of months I have "reconnected" with people on Facebook that I haven't seen or heard from in close to 20 years. If you would have asked me how long ago I saw these people I probably would have said 10 years. Then I have to stop and think. That can't be right because Layla is about to turn nine and Nick and I have been married for 10 years. Oh crap. Gage will be 15 on his next birthday and I certainly haven't seen these people since he's been around. Or when I was pregnant with him for that matter. Well...would you look at that. I'm freakin old! Somebody wanna tell me when that happened?

So, while I enjoy Facebook and catching up with these people that used to a part of my life long, LONG ago...I'm not so much enjoying the fact that it is a daily reminder that I am not 17 anymore...or anywhere near 17.

Oh My God I was 17...17 years ago!!!

I hate this post!

My kid rocks