Slowly but surely, I am getting over being fried from our day at the waterpark. I still can not believe how sunburnt I did get after applying 50 block sunscreen three times! Jack is nursing a good sunburn on his shoulders, which he whines mightly about quite often.
We are still in the middle of drama in the Jackaroo house. Laura's mother is enjoying playing with all of our emotions, but especially Laura's, by not making a decision whether Laura can stay here. I have a feeling that she will drag it out until the night before Laura was scheduled to go back and putting all of us through the wringer. Laura is so torn up inside because she really does want to stay here and go to the same school as Jack. But her mother keeps coming up with new reasons why this place is a horrible place. The list is quite long, which includes, she will get fat (her mother tells her she is fat all the time and does not let her eat anything but salads), I will turn into an evil step-monster and eat her while she sleeps, Mississippi is a horrible, humid place that nobody wants to live in, her entire "lifestyle" will change, her father works (doesn't most fathers?), this decision will be a huge mistake that will forever scar Laura in irrevocable ways.
I am so tired of this mess. I really do want Laura to stay. She is a joy to have around. But I am tired of having Laura's mother having control over MY life as she has for the last 6 years. Even my wedding plans to Jim had to be scrapped and we ended up going to Vegas because of her. And here she is again toying with us. It is very similar to the way a cat plays with a mouse - very cruel. Every time we press her for an answer, she comes up with some other BS, the last being she wanted 10 reasons from both Jim and Laura why Laura should stay here. Then there was the time she wanted info on the school and she was going to talk to Laura's teachers to see if they "approve" of the school, even though it is a top-rated private school. Of course they both emailed their reasons off to her two days ago with no response. Jim has tried to call her about 20 times and she does not answer her phone. Again, she holds all the cards and I am sick sick sick of it.
As it stands now, if she says no, we will have to send a very angry Laura back to her mother on Wednesday. At that point, we will probably have to spend thousands of dollars to pursue custody through the court. We have researched and the judge many times takes the wishes of the child at Laura's age into consideration. But it will take time and it will get ugly, not to mention having to cash in our retirement savings.
I know that you should never hate a person, but with Laura's mother, she is at the top of the list if I did hate somebody. I thought that moving 2000 miles away would help, but it is now looking like I need to wait another 6 years until Laura is 18 before she is out of my life. But then I am sure even then, she will find a way to push her nose into my life. Ugh!
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Monday, July 28, 2008
Fried
Laura, Jack and I went to the waterpark today. We went with my friend Jennifer and her sons Kyle and Josh. And we picked the day that had the highest UV rating of the year and the hottest with temps over 100. I walked away from the place after five hours a fried lobster, despite the fact that I applied sunscreen three times! Of course, my two naturally tanned and bronze kids did not burn nearly as bad as I did.
Anyway, this year, Jack is finally tall enough to ride some of the bigger slides. He was so scared walking up the steps to the roller coaster slide and was practically begging me not to go on the thing, but I knew he would love it once he got on it. And of course he did. I think his exact expression after splashing down the slide was "That was Totally Awesome!" and we had to do it again.
But it was a fun day for all. But I really don't need to be in the sun again for awhile.
Anyway, this year, Jack is finally tall enough to ride some of the bigger slides. He was so scared walking up the steps to the roller coaster slide and was practically begging me not to go on the thing, but I knew he would love it once he got on it. And of course he did. I think his exact expression after splashing down the slide was "That was Totally Awesome!" and we had to do it again.
But it was a fun day for all. But I really don't need to be in the sun again for awhile.
Big News ... Almost Official
It has been quite a couple of weeks around here at the Jackaroo House.
So Laura is here for her usual summer visit. I love having her here because she is such a great stepdaughter and Jack practically worships his Sissy. It also is pretty nice having a built-in babysitter! She fits into the family so well that when she is here, it feels like she has always been here. And when she is not here, it does feel like something is missing.
Well I guess she had been thinking a lot and one day she just said that she might want to stay here and live here! Of course, Jim and I were very cautious as she said that same thing last year, only to go back to her mother's. But this year seemed different and I told her to think about it and see if it is really what she wants to do. Well after about a week of her agonizing over the decision (she even wrote down 50 pro and con things on the advice of somebody), she told her mother that she wanted to stay and go to school here.
Of course, her mother (wicked witch of the west) went into a tirade about how bad this place is for her (we eat bad food like ice cream, she will get fat) and how I am going to turn into the evil step mother. Her mother told her that she is making a bad decision and she will regret it. Of course her mother thinks that this place is a "hostile environment" for Laura to be in. There no mention of the fact that we offer a family unit and stability, something that she doesn't get from her mother.
Anyway, to make a long story short, it is looking like we will be registering Laura in school tomorrow. She will be going to Jack's school, a private christian academy. She seems very happy with her decision and already has a ton of friends around here. In fact last night, she went to a teen night thing that her friend Lanie goes to. In fact, the only reason I let her go is because I know Lanie's mother is very protective and if she thinks it is okay, then it must be okay for Laura to go. Anyway, I was waiting up until 10:30 for her to be brought home by Lanie's mother and I felt very much like a true parent of a teenager!
Aye Aye Aye! This should be interesting! We are so thrilled!
So Laura is here for her usual summer visit. I love having her here because she is such a great stepdaughter and Jack practically worships his Sissy. It also is pretty nice having a built-in babysitter! She fits into the family so well that when she is here, it feels like she has always been here. And when she is not here, it does feel like something is missing.
Well I guess she had been thinking a lot and one day she just said that she might want to stay here and live here! Of course, Jim and I were very cautious as she said that same thing last year, only to go back to her mother's. But this year seemed different and I told her to think about it and see if it is really what she wants to do. Well after about a week of her agonizing over the decision (she even wrote down 50 pro and con things on the advice of somebody), she told her mother that she wanted to stay and go to school here.
Of course, her mother (wicked witch of the west) went into a tirade about how bad this place is for her (we eat bad food like ice cream, she will get fat) and how I am going to turn into the evil step mother. Her mother told her that she is making a bad decision and she will regret it. Of course her mother thinks that this place is a "hostile environment" for Laura to be in. There no mention of the fact that we offer a family unit and stability, something that she doesn't get from her mother.
Anyway, to make a long story short, it is looking like we will be registering Laura in school tomorrow. She will be going to Jack's school, a private christian academy. She seems very happy with her decision and already has a ton of friends around here. In fact last night, she went to a teen night thing that her friend Lanie goes to. In fact, the only reason I let her go is because I know Lanie's mother is very protective and if she thinks it is okay, then it must be okay for Laura to go. Anyway, I was waiting up until 10:30 for her to be brought home by Lanie's mother and I felt very much like a true parent of a teenager!
Aye Aye Aye! This should be interesting! We are so thrilled!
Monday, July 21, 2008
Since When Did ...
cell phones become so confusing? Our 2 year contract is up soon with what used to be Cingular Wireless and is now At&T for our cell phones. I did like them when they were Cingular, but since AT&T took over, the customer service has gone down the tubes. So we are now looking for a new company, plan, and phones for Jim and I.
And I have to ask, when did it all become so confusing and expensive! Jim's little flip phone is on its last legs by not being able to keep a charge for more than a day and I really like the new smart phones with the all the new features. So I was looking at the Palm Centro at Sprint, which comes in pink (hehe love it) and think it is a good phone with all kinds of bells and many whistles. But while we were looking at Sprint, I saw the new Instinct, which is not that much more than the Palm phone. Now if money were no object, I would own an iphone by now after playing with Jim's sister's phone for like an hour. It is just that $400 price tag that has turned me off. But the new Instinct is way cool and very close to the iphone and have rethunk my position on the whole cell phone thing.
It is all so confusing and overwhelming with so many plans, companies and a gazillion different phones these days. Another thing that makes me old when I say "back in my day, we did not have any cell phones, texting, or email at our fingertips." How did we survive? I ask myself.
And I have to ask, when did it all become so confusing and expensive! Jim's little flip phone is on its last legs by not being able to keep a charge for more than a day and I really like the new smart phones with the all the new features. So I was looking at the Palm Centro at Sprint, which comes in pink (hehe love it) and think it is a good phone with all kinds of bells and many whistles. But while we were looking at Sprint, I saw the new Instinct, which is not that much more than the Palm phone. Now if money were no object, I would own an iphone by now after playing with Jim's sister's phone for like an hour. It is just that $400 price tag that has turned me off. But the new Instinct is way cool and very close to the iphone and have rethunk my position on the whole cell phone thing.
It is all so confusing and overwhelming with so many plans, companies and a gazillion different phones these days. Another thing that makes me old when I say "back in my day, we did not have any cell phones, texting, or email at our fingertips." How did we survive? I ask myself.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Whitewater Rafting Pictures
I finally got the pictures off the water-proof disposable cameras we took with us on the whitewater rafting trip. It was so much fun and I can say that all the kids thoroughly enjoyed themselves, even if they were terrified at the beginning of the 8-mile journey down the river.
Laura in front Nanhatala Outdoor Center.
Brandt hanging like a monkey wayyyyy over the river. He literally made me ill when I saw him do this.
Me and Brandt in our lovely life vests.
We are all gearing up for some whitewater action.
The boys were with the river guide.
Good picture of Laura and the beautiful scenery.
The Smokey Mountains as the backdrop. Absolutely stunning.
All of our boats together. We had three boats. One was guided by Pastor Stephen, one by a professional river guide. Our boat was lucky enough to be guided by Brandt, who hit me in the head with his paddle. I now tell people not to sit in front of Brandt on a raft.
These last two pictures were taken by the staff at the big finale, which was a class 3 rapid. It was a blast, but I have to admit after hearing the lecture of how to steer into the rapid, I admit I was more than a little nervous going down this thing. But it was so incredibly fun, probably due to the fact that nobody fell out of our raft. When Jack turns 7 (the minimum age to go on the rafts), we plan to go back again. I just know he would have a blast doing the rapids.
Laura in front Nanhatala Outdoor Center.
Brandt hanging like a monkey wayyyyy over the river. He literally made me ill when I saw him do this.
Me and Brandt in our lovely life vests.
We are all gearing up for some whitewater action.
The boys were with the river guide.
Good picture of Laura and the beautiful scenery.
The Smokey Mountains as the backdrop. Absolutely stunning.
All of our boats together. We had three boats. One was guided by Pastor Stephen, one by a professional river guide. Our boat was lucky enough to be guided by Brandt, who hit me in the head with his paddle. I now tell people not to sit in front of Brandt on a raft.
These last two pictures were taken by the staff at the big finale, which was a class 3 rapid. It was a blast, but I have to admit after hearing the lecture of how to steer into the rapid, I admit I was more than a little nervous going down this thing. But it was so incredibly fun, probably due to the fact that nobody fell out of our raft. When Jack turns 7 (the minimum age to go on the rafts), we plan to go back again. I just know he would have a blast doing the rapids.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Trip Pictures
Here are some of the many many pictures that I took on our Lake Junaluska youth trip. I will post pictures of our whitewater rafting trip later after I get the pictures off the water proof disposable camera.
The beautiful scenery of Lake Junaluska, NC.
More beautiful, breathtaking scenery.
On Friday night they had "Tacky Night". Here are some of our kids in their tacky finest.
Laura, Ashley, and Cindy. Laura made a lot of really good friends while there.
Laura and Ashley.
Laura was called up on stage because she was the "tackiest" from our church. She competed with the other churches, however ended up losing to a guy in a dress.
Mama ducky with her baby duckies on the lake.
There were a few ducks around the lake.
I thought this swan on the lake was so beautiful.
Jim and I. Also known as Mom and Dad to the kids. They started calling us Mom and Dad after a couple of days and I started calling a couple of them as my surrogate daughters.
This building known as Shackford Hall was where all the worships were held. It was built in 1923 and a beautiful building. I loved the huge columns out front.
There is a cross on a hill that is lit up at night. On Saturday night, all the kids walked up the hill to this cross for a worship service. It was quite an experience that I will remember forever. At the end of the service, we sang "Pass It On" and shouted out "Praise God" at the end, which echoed off the mountains several times. It was so cool.
Picture of all the kids during a worship service. I think there were about 250 teenagers from all over the southeast.
The kids during worship.
Jim and Brandt during worship.
Our kids during a talk back time after worship one night.
Laura and Lanie on our last day wearing their "Love Wins" t-shirt.
The beautiful scenery of Lake Junaluska, NC.
More beautiful, breathtaking scenery. 
On Friday night they had "Tacky Night". Here are some of our kids in their tacky finest.
Laura, Ashley, and Cindy. Laura made a lot of really good friends while there.
Laura and Ashley.
Laura was called up on stage because she was the "tackiest" from our church. She competed with the other churches, however ended up losing to a guy in a dress.
Mama ducky with her baby duckies on the lake.
There were a few ducks around the lake.
I thought this swan on the lake was so beautiful.
Jim and I. Also known as Mom and Dad to the kids. They started calling us Mom and Dad after a couple of days and I started calling a couple of them as my surrogate daughters.
This building known as Shackford Hall was where all the worships were held. It was built in 1923 and a beautiful building. I loved the huge columns out front.
There is a cross on a hill that is lit up at night. On Saturday night, all the kids walked up the hill to this cross for a worship service. It was quite an experience that I will remember forever. At the end of the service, we sang "Pass It On" and shouted out "Praise God" at the end, which echoed off the mountains several times. It was so cool.
Picture of all the kids during a worship service. I think there were about 250 teenagers from all over the southeast.
The kids during worship.
Jim and Brandt during worship.
Our kids during a talk back time after worship one night.
Laura and Lanie on our last day wearing their "Love Wins" t-shirt.I can't tell you how much this past weekend affected me. Not only was it a spiritual experience, but I loved seeing how our kids bonded with each other and the other kids. I loved how I bonded with the kids and was able to help them work through some of the stuff they are dealing with. There were a couple of girls who live in a group home for girls. They have been shuffled from foster home to foster home. Jim and I got close to Brandi, a girl who has been in the foster care system since she was 8 years old when her mother ran off. She started the weekend off as a very angry young girl who did not want to join in anything. She is a very wounded 14-year-old girl. But as the weekend went on, that tough exterior started to dissolve and I actually saw her smile a few times and stand up and dance to the silly songs. My heart broke for her and when we got back last night, I realized that all the other kids had nice homes and families to go home to, but those two girls had a group home with no loving family. Jim and I have vowed to try to get her to come over for dinner sometime or just to hang out.
I know that we were there as chaperons to try to keep boys from the girls and keep them safe, but we both went away with an amazing spiritual experience that we will never forget.
We're Back
We got back last night from our trip to Lake Junaluska, NC church youth trip. I would advice not to spend 24 hours of driving with 15 teenagers. It can be dangerous to your health ... seriously. All that teenage drama - Oh my gosh. I feel completely physically and emotionally drained from those things called teenagers. I have decided that Jack will never turn into one of those things.
Our trip started out early early Wednesday morning by meeting at the church at 4 am to pack up kids, bags, and lots of junk food. We drove through to Bryson City, NC where we spent the night at this motel that was tucked up into the mountains. It was incredibly beautiful and breathtaking. The next morning we all got up early to go whitewater rafting, which was such a blast. The kids had so much fun, however there was much complaining about the cold river water.
After the rafting trip, we all piled back into the vans and drove to Lake Junaluska for the youth retreat. It was an amazing experience for all involved. Some of the kids were able to bring a lot of emotional baggage out and I am amazed at what kids today have to go through. It sure is a far cry from when I was their age. I do believe that all the kids got closer to God and hopefully they will take the high they are feeling right now and keep it with them forever.
But I just have to say that if I have to deal with one more teenage girl drama with massive tears, I am going to poke my eyes out! Good grief, what is it with teenage girls and drama? It is like they thrive on a daily dose of drama! I was thanking God all weekend that Jack is a boy. Laura was not as bad as some of the girls, but even she shed some tears over drama. I have worked with the children's (Jack's age) ministry for the past couple of years and even though that age can completely exhaust you, there is nothing like the youth teenage ministry to drain you of every possible ounce of energy and sanity.
But all in all it was a very successful trip. I will be posting lots and lots of pictures later. Right now, we need to get back in our van and drive another two hours to go to Aunt Ann's and Grammy's house to get Jack. I did pretty good in the not-missing-Jack department until last night when I talked to him on the phone and almost felt like crying. I am very ready to see my Jackaroo today and kiss and hug him all over and be very thankful that he is NOT a teenager yet.
Our trip started out early early Wednesday morning by meeting at the church at 4 am to pack up kids, bags, and lots of junk food. We drove through to Bryson City, NC where we spent the night at this motel that was tucked up into the mountains. It was incredibly beautiful and breathtaking. The next morning we all got up early to go whitewater rafting, which was such a blast. The kids had so much fun, however there was much complaining about the cold river water.
After the rafting trip, we all piled back into the vans and drove to Lake Junaluska for the youth retreat. It was an amazing experience for all involved. Some of the kids were able to bring a lot of emotional baggage out and I am amazed at what kids today have to go through. It sure is a far cry from when I was their age. I do believe that all the kids got closer to God and hopefully they will take the high they are feeling right now and keep it with them forever.
But I just have to say that if I have to deal with one more teenage girl drama with massive tears, I am going to poke my eyes out! Good grief, what is it with teenage girls and drama? It is like they thrive on a daily dose of drama! I was thanking God all weekend that Jack is a boy. Laura was not as bad as some of the girls, but even she shed some tears over drama. I have worked with the children's (Jack's age) ministry for the past couple of years and even though that age can completely exhaust you, there is nothing like the youth teenage ministry to drain you of every possible ounce of energy and sanity.
But all in all it was a very successful trip. I will be posting lots and lots of pictures later. Right now, we need to get back in our van and drive another two hours to go to Aunt Ann's and Grammy's house to get Jack. I did pretty good in the not-missing-Jack department until last night when I talked to him on the phone and almost felt like crying. I am very ready to see my Jackaroo today and kiss and hug him all over and be very thankful that he is NOT a teenager yet.
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
And We Are Off
Well we are off tomorrow morning at 4 am to chaperone a church youth group to Lake Junaluska in North Carolina. We are taking 15 teenagers, Laura being one of them and 6 of us adults. It should be a fun trip. We are going whitewater rafting on Thursday morning and then on to Lake Junaluska for the weekend. There will be a big youth rally there with kids from all over the southeast and I am hoping that Laura gets to meet a lot of new friends and have a great time.
We dropped Jack off tonight to spend the next 6 days with Aunt Ann and Grammy C. I know he is going to have a great time there, but I admit that it was hard saying goodbye to my baby for 6 whole days, the longest I have ever spent away from him. Wahhhh! But he will have fun fishing, picking blueberries, getting eggs out of the hen house, and playing with his Grammy and Aunt. And I sent him up there with a ton of cars, trucks, games, books, and even his golf clubs (he said he needed to practice his golf!?!). And I know he will be completely spoiled also.
I know that my posts have been few and far between the last few months and for those of you still sticking around for those few posts, thank you and I apologize. I do have plans to get back to my daily ramblings about life with Jack and the rest of the family. And posting lots of pics for ya'll. So until Monday, just pray for us that we do not lose our sanity with 15 teenagers!
We dropped Jack off tonight to spend the next 6 days with Aunt Ann and Grammy C. I know he is going to have a great time there, but I admit that it was hard saying goodbye to my baby for 6 whole days, the longest I have ever spent away from him. Wahhhh! But he will have fun fishing, picking blueberries, getting eggs out of the hen house, and playing with his Grammy and Aunt. And I sent him up there with a ton of cars, trucks, games, books, and even his golf clubs (he said he needed to practice his golf!?!). And I know he will be completely spoiled also.
I know that my posts have been few and far between the last few months and for those of you still sticking around for those few posts, thank you and I apologize. I do have plans to get back to my daily ramblings about life with Jack and the rest of the family. And posting lots of pics for ya'll. So until Monday, just pray for us that we do not lose our sanity with 15 teenagers!
Thursday, July 03, 2008
VBS 2008 Recap
Our church had the annual vacation bible school last week. I volunteered to be one of the "Discovery" leaders in the science room. It was really fun watching the kids do the experiments each night and see their eyes light up when the experiment actually worked. This year ran a lot smoother than last year and I think all those involved had a ton of fun each night.
I, however, put my foot in my mouth one night. There was a boy named Grant who was five years old, who was THE worst kid in VBS this year. Every year, there is that one kid who you wished never signed up. Last year it was a boy named Dawson and to this day, I still have bad memories everytime I hear the name Dawson. Anyway, this year Grant was a very disrespectful, disruptful little boy. He did not want to do what all the other kids were doing and when he was challeneged, he would look at you in the eyes and just defy and dare you to do something. One night, he went behind the door and started to kick the wall so hard that I thought he was going to kick a hole through the wall.
Grant's parents do not go to our church, so I really did not know him nor his parents very well. I was in the hallway when a woman walked up to me that I did not know and start talking about how wild Grant is and well I opened up my mouth and stuck my foot in big time. I told her that he was the worst child this year at VBS and she stood there open-mouthed and told me that he was hers. Of course, I felt horrible about telling her this and tried to apologize to her. But she just walked away not wanting to hear my apology. The next day I got a phone call from a friend telling me that Grant's mother cried the rest of the night because of what I told her and she "didn't expect that kind of attitude at a church."
The next night, I tried again to apologize, but again she did not want anything to do with me nor my apology. I felt bad, but the truth was her child WAS the worst kid and she needs to know what kind of kid she has. I keep thinking that if somebody told me that Jack was acting badly, I would be the first one to apologize and not act like that person did a personal assault to me and my child. Anyway, I guess life lesson learned - I need to learn when to open my mouth up about other people's children.
I will post pictures probably tomorrow when I have a bit more time. And tell ya'll about our upcoming trip to North Carolina with 19 teenagers! Fun times!
I, however, put my foot in my mouth one night. There was a boy named Grant who was five years old, who was THE worst kid in VBS this year. Every year, there is that one kid who you wished never signed up. Last year it was a boy named Dawson and to this day, I still have bad memories everytime I hear the name Dawson. Anyway, this year Grant was a very disrespectful, disruptful little boy. He did not want to do what all the other kids were doing and when he was challeneged, he would look at you in the eyes and just defy and dare you to do something. One night, he went behind the door and started to kick the wall so hard that I thought he was going to kick a hole through the wall.
Grant's parents do not go to our church, so I really did not know him nor his parents very well. I was in the hallway when a woman walked up to me that I did not know and start talking about how wild Grant is and well I opened up my mouth and stuck my foot in big time. I told her that he was the worst child this year at VBS and she stood there open-mouthed and told me that he was hers. Of course, I felt horrible about telling her this and tried to apologize to her. But she just walked away not wanting to hear my apology. The next day I got a phone call from a friend telling me that Grant's mother cried the rest of the night because of what I told her and she "didn't expect that kind of attitude at a church."
The next night, I tried again to apologize, but again she did not want anything to do with me nor my apology. I felt bad, but the truth was her child WAS the worst kid and she needs to know what kind of kid she has. I keep thinking that if somebody told me that Jack was acting badly, I would be the first one to apologize and not act like that person did a personal assault to me and my child. Anyway, I guess life lesson learned - I need to learn when to open my mouth up about other people's children.
I will post pictures probably tomorrow when I have a bit more time. And tell ya'll about our upcoming trip to North Carolina with 19 teenagers! Fun times!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
