A Text From Claire

Jalepenos, or Not.

Yesterday a coworker made a casserole that consisted of pasta, cheese, taco meat, tomatos, and chopped jalepenos.  Normally I would pick those out but I was feeling feisty and decided to eat them.  They made my nose run and I had two cups of water with the meal but all in all, pretty tasty.

But then....................Later that afternoon I had to use the restroom.  Number 2.  Holy Shit.  My ass was on fire.  Never again people.  Never again.

When I went home, I told my son who is the King of all things hot.  I asked him if that had ever happened to him and he said no, he has a butthole of steel. 

It's Official!

Chili Mac

Last Thursday, I made Chili Mac.  It isn't something that I have made before but thought the kids might like it.  I used 2 boxes of mac n cheese, 1 can of chili (with meat and beans), and chopped up grilled hot dogs.  As I was stirring Taylor asked to look at it.

Taylor:  That looks like something Mama June would make.  (He is referring to the mother on Honey Boo Boo)

Me:  Hush.

Neither kid cared for it much but Bryan and I liked it.  Oh well, it sure was quick to make!

Another Day In Paradise..........

I have always wanted a venus flytrap.  Alays.  Actually, ever since I was about 10 or 11 and saw the movie Creep Show.  I mean, I knew mine wouldn't eat a bully but I still wanted one.  Bryan knew of this "dream" of mind so he was excited to tell me that they had them for sale at the store he is training at.  I couldn't wait for him to bring me one home!  That is, until last week when I reminded him to get me one and I received a text from him suggesting I google their care.  No problem!  Okay, so they needed a lot of light.  Check!  Filtered water.  Check!  Special dirt.  Check!  Then I got to the part about feeding them worms.  Hell to the no!  Gross.  I texted Bryan back and said I don't want one.  Nasty.

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The kids have chores that they do mostly on Sunday but I have been taking advantage of them being home for the summer by asking them to take care of this or that throughout the week.  For example, I may ask Claire to vacuum on Tuesday or Taylor to clean his room Wednesday.  Bryan and Taylor handle cleaning the bathrooms so Bryan had asked Taylor to clean the outside of the toilets, the counter/sinks, and the mirrors.  We now know jobs like this we need to be at home supervising because he did a shitty job on the mirrors and when he ran out of Clorax wipes, he proceeded to use Soft Scrub on our toilets and bathroom counters.  No more shininess and they feel weird.

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A big moment for my family!  Claire spent the entire night at a friend's house for the first time on Saturday!!  No call asking for us to come and get her, nothing, not a peep.  When I went and picked her up last night, she was grinning ear to ear with her achievement.  Love you Claire Bear!!!

First Love

Big changes are happening in my life right now with Miss Claire.  Not only will she be 14 next month but she also has her first real boyfriend!  Don't get me wrong, she has had boyfriends in elementary school but we all know those don't really amount to much.  Especially compared to a 15 year old boy with a job and drives!  I am getting a little ahead of myself so let me start off with how we were introduced to this new development.

Over the weekend Claire asked if she could go to the neighborhood park on Monday with her friend Lady.  She said she would take Loretta too which isn't uncommon.  I told her I didn't have a problem with it and that was my last thought about it.  Monday she texted me and said she didn't know if she was still going to or not.  When I asked why, she said Lady didn't know if she could go yet.  Later she texted me and said she was still going to go, for Loretta's sake.  I was fine with that because I know how much Loretta loves going to the park.

When I got home from work, she said she was still going to go to the park and one of her friends were going to meet her there.  She said she had talked to her Dad and he said it was fine.  She went on to say it was a boy so I began to ask questions.  How she knew him?  Did he live in our subdivision?  Etc.  She said she knew him from the skating rink and that he lived in Katy.  He was 15 and was driving over to hang out with her.  I was surprised that Bryan was ok with this but Claire is not one to lie so off she went and I told her to text me when she got there.

Bryan got home about 30 minutes later and I brought it up to him.  It seems Claire didn't share the whole story with her Dad.  She had just said she was going to meet a friend that was a boy up at the park.  He called her and told her he was a little dissapointed that she had left so much information out about this little rendezvous.  He told her she was not to leave the park and was not to get in the car with him.  She was to call us if there were any problems.

Being a concerned Mother, I decided to do a drive by and my heart fell into my stomach when I didn't see her.  I called Bryan, he called her and then she ended up waving at me.  They were sitting at a picnic table over to the side of the actual park.  Whew.  She came home about an hour later and all was good.  I asked her if she had a good time and she said she did and that was pretty much all that was said, until yesterday.

When I got home from work, she decided to divulge more to me about the "date".  She said that Bailey (cute name for a boy I must say) likes her and she likes him so they might start going out.  She is working on getting his friend (a little chubby says Claire) hooked up with her friend Lady.  She talked about how they sat together in the tubes on the playground.  Then she told me, they kissed.  Not a quick peck, but not an open mouth kiss either.  A long kiss though.  I was happy for her.  I remember how that feels.  I did have a quick talk with her though about going too far to fast and immediately she responded oh I know Mom, I do not want to get pregnant!  I am happy that she is so open with me but I have to say it saddened me a little as well because my baby girl is growing up.  And so a new chapter begins in her life as well as mine.  I am trying to prepare myself for the questions that are coming and the heart aches.  Wish me luck!

Update:  I do need to mention she would like for us not to be the parents that drive back and forth while they are at the park.  I started to laugh as I reply that I will do my best not to.

Happy Birthday Bryan!!

Today is my husband's birthday.  I thank God for him often because I know there are lots of marriages out there that can't say what we can.  We are best friends.  If I had to pick one person to be stranded on an island with or to be stuck in a car for long periods of time traveling, I would choose him.  We make each other better people.

Have you ever heard of making a wish when the clock has all of the same numbers?  Like if it says 1:11, you make a wish.  Can I tell you a secret?  I always wish that Bryan and I will stay married and be happy.

So it brings me great pleasure to wish Bryan Arthur a Happy 37th birthday!!  Today is your day baby - let's make it special! 

143
Nicole

4th of July Weekend

I hope that your 4th of July was fabulous!  Mine was ok.  Not what I had planned -- for sure.  My parents had thrown a big party at their house that we had planned on going to for months now only for it to be foiled by a gout attack in his foot and I had a super heavy day with my monthly visitor who decided to come early.  Of course.  Claire didn't really care because she had plans to spend the night with a friend anyway but Taylor was dissapointed.  He perked right up though when Bryan took him to buy fireworks.  It ended up pouring over at my Dad's so maybe it was a blessing in disguise.  Also it was nice to be able to be home for Loretta with it being her first time to experience fireworks.  She was such a trooper!  I love that dog.

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I received a call from my Aunt yesterday in regards to my brother.  To catch you up real quick, he had a baby on New Years Eve this past year with his girlfriend.  This is the girlfriend he met in a halfway house.  They are both recovering drug and alcohol abusers.  They moved in together, things weren't working out, now they live apart.  He had the baby on the weekdays and the Baby Momma had her on the weekends.  Baby Momma started drinking again and supposedly was also suffering from Post Partum but wasn't getting help.  She has tried to commit suicide multiple times in the past and a few times while she was with my brother.  She tried again yesterday WHILE she was drunk and had the baby.  She was taken to the hospital because she did a number on her arms and would have to have surgery.  Police called my brother and he came and got the baby.  As bad as this is, it was a good thing for my brother's case because Baby Momma and her Mother had decided to take my brother to court to try and get full custody of my niece.  I am not saying my brother is a saint but he claims he is staying clean and on the right track for his daughter.  He already has WIC and food stamps and is currently trying to get the government aid for free daycare in his state so he has somewhere for her to go when he works and continues school.

He was calling my Aunt to tell her about what had taken place that day with Baby Momma and to ask her for money for next month's rent.  By then, he figures he will have everything in place.  For his sake I hope so and for my Aunt's sanity, I certainly hope so!  All of this causes so much stress on her and then she calls me and tells me about it and I feel like she is wanting me to say something but I don't know what to say other than I am sorry he is struggling right now but in the end, he was the one that did drugs, tried to get better, met her, etc, etc.  I love my brother but the road he is on right now is the one he has chosen so I find it hard to be all boo hoo I am so sorry you are going through this.  Although I never had a substance abuse problem, I have had my fair share in struggling with raising two kids as a single mom but in the end, I had to fight to get to where I am today.  I had to want to.  And so does he.

Throwback Thursday!

Awww look at me! 

That Was a Close One.......

Claire has been doing very well with caring for the dogs this summer.  I know it can get a little overwhelming with letting them in and out, making sure they have food and water, keeping them from acting up, all day long.  Claire has not made one peep about it driving her crazy nor have I heard the dreaded sigh her Dad and I love so much.  Not.

So yesterday I thought I would play a little prank on her when I returned from taking Paris to the vet.

Me:  Claire, you have been doing such a good job with the dogs, I got you a surprise.

Claire:  Ok?

Me:  I am getting you a new puppy!!  (I was thinking with all of the work she has been having to do with the dogs, she would be all oh no not another dog Mom.)

Claire:  *Face lighting up*  Really?!?!?!

Me:  Nnnooooooo.  I thought you were going to respond differently.  Like, not another dog Mom.  I was thinking more along the lines of paying you.


Claire:  That works too.

The Brady Bunch We Are Not.

I know I have mentioned before how I wish I had a normal Mother.  But I'd also like to say, I wish I had a normal family.  Maybe normal isn't the right word to use because my definition of normal may not be your definition of normal.  Maybe what I should say is that I wish everyone could just get along.

It has been going on for years but it was usually just my Mom.  I remember one birthday of Taylor's we had his party at Chuck E Cheese's, and she was pissed that I had invited my Dad and Stepmom even though both were huge parts of his life.  I had to tell her the party was for Taylor, not her so I didn't care if she was upset.

Now it is between my Aunt and my Stepmom.  My Aunt has never much cared for her but was the bigger person and put it aside for birthdays and family gatherings.  But now, my Stepmom has decided she doesn't like my Aunt so even though they are having a HUGE 4th of July party which includes my sister who is in the Army, we are not to invite my Aunt.  #oldpeopleissues

I wish they could be like Bryan's family who put all of their differences aside and even go on cruises together!  I am talking his Dad and his new wife and his Mom and her new husband.  His Dad's new wife was actually the Mistress back in the day and still, Bryan's mom vacations with her!!  Why?  Because of the kids.  I have to put Bryan's Mom on a pedestal for that alone.

My Head Was a Trampoline.

When I was pregnant with Taylor, I had terrible morning sickness.  Not the whole pregnancy but at the beginning.  It would always come around 3 or 4 which was the same time I was supposed to be headed to my waitress job.  I would lie on the floor, moaning, hoping not to puke.

Claire would take that opportunity to bounce up and down on my head with her diapered bottom.  She would laugh and giggle and I didn't have the strength/nerve to try and get her off of me.  Memories.  =)