Older siblings are awesome. Initially, they lead by example. Then, they walk beside you. And in no time, they will simply arrange to meet up with you so you both can share the details of your adventures.
pushing back, moving forward
Life’s not the breath you take, but the moments that take your breath away. – George Strait
We backed out of the driveway together. He went his way. I went mine. A few minutes down the highway and the tears were flowing a fluidly as they had a two years ago.
A song was about a father and son was the trigger. Singing about decisions this man makes to adjust a work schedule (or other) in order to be present at an event (baseball game, etc.) and the huge impact that this seemingly small act has on his son. I listened and remembered how life was for us before the trials of the past few years.
I never did tell him how much loss I felt after his father died. It was more than the obvious losing my husband. Imagined or not, I felt like I was losing my relationship with him too. Yet, I never said a thing. Nor did I make any steps of my own. I guess I figured that he needed to push back for a while. My therapist had a field day on this one.
The thing is, I sort of understood the importance of him turning his attention to his only surviving parent. I reminded myself that I am not his blood. I am his mother only by marriage.
The glue that once held us together felt like it was being eaten away. BoBo seemed to be the last of the glue, and my sending him to live on the islands was the final blow. Although all of us thought it necessary (DD included), further scattering of the family left us with no clear central meeting point. Even I, this past Christmas, did not want to remain in an environment where the brokenness of the family was so evident.
But this visit was different. With BoBo’s return, complimented by a new man in my life, I am a happier woman. The house feels more like a home these days. There is fun & games, music & magic, and many small thing which add up to a whole lot of wonderful moments.
Although things are very different from before, I have a good feeling that our cars will be coming together more often now in both my driveway and his – which is good.
Scrabble IQ
An intelligence quotient, or IQ, is a score derived from one of several different standardized tests designed to assess intelligence. Scrabble IQ is a score derived from how well one fairs in a game of Scrabble with Family F.
Hut! Hut! Hike!
Last year, after breaking his humerus while riding his bicycle, YaYa was forced to hang up his helmet for a season. Now, he’s looking forward to his return to football. But his return to the sport has one issue yet to tackle.
Pop Warner Football has a strict weight structure. Like most sports, there are age cutoffs which dictate what level a child will play in. Pop Warner also has provisions in place for kids who should “age up” but, due to being on the lighter side, safety is a concern. In YaYa’s case, a cutoff date for determining league age of July 31st works to his advantage as he will be turning 12 years old on August 21st but is considered an 11 year old for the season. Even with that, he remains on the cusp of qualifying to stay down due to his weight which teeters on the edge of each division.
While I don’t want him to diet, we are trying to encourage him to not indulge in too many sweets in these last few weeks before certification. This is something that I am finding surprisingly difficult as it means a change for all of us. Although I don’t have items such as soda in the house, they are ever-present when we go out…not to mention pancakes topped with whipped cream (served with syrup). Yeah, I didn’t make any friends when I put the brakes on that meal.
So while YaYa is watching what he eats (or as I watch), and adding a bit of running to his scheduled conditioning, I hope that you will say a prayer or two that he can drop to 85 pounds and hold steady until game #1. If he makes weight, he’ll be able to gain a pound per week from there. If he doesn’t, I’ll be force feeding him pancakes topped with whipped cream and syrup instead.
http://www.popwarner.com/football/footballstructure.asp
Somebody has been messing up MY house
Van Morrison did his best to calm my nerves this morning as I drove to work. Perhaps it was the car alarm that sounded for nearly 15 minutes at about 3:30 am. More likely, it was the propensity for disorder in my house this week.
After arriving downstairs to make my morning coffee, I discovered that all of the items I’d asked YaYa to pick up remained overnight. If that wasn’t enough, BoBo had since made his contributions to the clutter.
Call me crazy but it is my strong belief that bicycle helmets and basketballs have NO place inside the house. Likewise, shoes, socks, and sweatpants should NOT be left in the “trip zone.” And most definitely, dirty dishes should not remain on the coffee table over night – especially in the room where food is technically NOT allowed.
I told myself, “I’m tired, that’s all” and went back upstairs with my cup of coffee. I felt like Mother Bear when I noted the toilet seat was left up in MY bathroom. Grr! And SOMEONE had been sleeping in MY spot. In fact, he was still there.
I woke him up with a “GRR!” and made such a ruckus that the entire household woke with a start. But I think they heard me loud and clear: CLEAN UP YOUR MESSES BOYS!
Not only did I wake up on the wrong side of the bed so-to-speak but I arrived late for a meeting, got caught momentarily in the elevator, and was forced to hold off breakfast and urinating until the water was turned back on.
Fortunately, my day improved from there. It’s now almost time to go home. With any luck, I will come through the door to a clean house rather than feeling the urge to leave soon after getting home.