stupidity

I did something stupid yesterday.  I backed into an SVU.  DUH!  I wasn't even going fast, there was no reason I couldn't see the car.  STUPID!

The best part is that it was a older Explorer with a metal bumper while my newer car has a cheap plastic bumper.  Lovely.  Can you guess who's car got the worst end of the deal?

Mine

Their's

Merry Christmas!

Ok, I'm a little late for Christmas.  I was busy being a mom and Santa all at the same time!  We had a wonderful holiday.

Christmas eve, Son went to his fathers for the day, which gave me time to wrap the Santa presents that were hidden in the shed.  After all the wrapping was done, I went upstairs to my parents for dinner and drinkie-winkies and to wait for Son to come home.  We exchanged presesnts with them and let me tell you , I am still Daddy's Spoiled Little Girl!  Son made out pretty well with them too.

Christmas Morning, Santa left this pile for Son:

Son expressed his disappointment at the smallness of the size.  FINE.  Let's call Santa to come and get ALL of them, if you are going to be ungrateful.  And Son's tune changed QUICKLY.

Note to Self: Small pile again next year!

Son is on the floor right now, reading the directions for this:

He is asking for my help and since I am playing Full Time Mom this week, I am going to crawl around on the floor with him.  I don't know how much I will be around this week but I hope your Christmas Holiday was a wonderful as mine!

My Job

I work for a non-profit drug and alcohol outpatient treatment center as the grant writer.  This is an important position because if I don't write and beg for money, we don't get money in to help the people or pay the employees.  Over the course of my 7 years with this agency, I have gotten pretty good at writing about addiction and our treatment and prevention programs.  I like what I do.

Usually, I sit in an office in front of a computer, some days looking for places to beg from, other days writing to places to beg from.  Most days, I sit and write or look up stats while I email with friends or read blogs.

Last summer, I was able and allowed to work from home on 13 requests that were due at the same time.  It was for prevention programs and since my agency is in 7 counties and each county and program we were offering to perform needed a separate submission, I had 13 to write by September 30.  So my boss allowed me to work from home where I wouldn't be interrupted as much.  I sat with my laptop on my front porch and watched the river go by while I wrote those grants.  It was the best, least stressful time!

At the moment, I am writing to the federal government to beg for money from them.  I have never been awarded a federal grant and think it would be quite an accomplishment (my ex-boss says it is VERY hard to get awarded by them!).

This time of year, there are TONS of reports that come out that I have to read so I can write based on current trends and facts. 

My reading piles:

On the left is what I have to read for THIS grant I am working on.

Due 1-14-2010 and I am on vacation for 10 days during Christmas.

On the right is stuff I have to read just because it pertains to other things I may write about.

None of this is exciting stuff.  There are no vampires or wizards to entertain you.  Every once in a while, I feel myself drifting off to sleep from the boredom of the facts.

But when I think about the people we have saved from their addictions or the kids we prevented from starting, I wake up and read some more.  Either that or I get a comment from my blog.  So comment away and wake me up!

It's MY Fault

Ok.  Its all my fault.  This

Is ALL my fault.

I have been emailing with Son's father about the holiday schedule and while I haven't been NICE to him, I have been generous with the time he can see Son.  In his response to me he said THANKS and I'M SORRY both in the SAME EMAIL!

So, Hell almost froze over.  All my fault.

Isn't he cute?

My Stepmother - A History Lesson

My stepmother came into my life about 10 years ago - really, was it really 10 years? - I guess it was.  I will be the first to say that I wasn't the happiest person about it either but then what child is happy about a step parent.......

Anyway, my father was smitten and wanted all of us to get along.  GREAT.  She has 4 children, who have kids of their own, to blend with my brother and I.  You could just see that they wanted all us kids to get along and be one big happy Brady Bunch.   The first year of their life together, we had "family" get togethers for all the holidays and cookouts in the summer for all the kids who lived around here.  GREAT.  The first December that they were dating, I went to Ocean City alone but Daddy and Stepmom showed up and stayed in their own hotel but still joined us girls for shopping and meals.

Actually, I think I did a pretty good job of hiding my discomfort from Daddy and Stepmother.  I was nice to her and her kids, I allowed her to hug and love Son like he was her grandchild, I taught Son to call her Grandmom (eventually), I let him run up to her screaming her name so that she could pick him up and swing him around before hugging him.

Son, Stepmom and me (smiling!)

I had lots of issues with her invading my family.  She wasn't my mom, I didn't want her to come in here and think that she could replace my mom.  Son was going to know about Grandmom Kathy, who WAS his grandmom in heaven.  Yet at the same time, I knew that Daddy deserved to be happy again and that Mom would want him to be happy.  Because of that thought, I bit my tongue ALOT and let Stepmom into our lives.

As I did, I came to know her, to know that she loved my father with all her heart, that she didn't WANT to replace my mom, that she loved ALL us kids (and grandkids) equally.  And since she knew my mom, she was able to share some stories with Son about Grandmom Kathy.

                                              

                       Although, I think she loves my little guy the best!

Just cause I got to know her, doesn't mean that everything is peachy keen.  There is still the usual jealousies that happen between some families but we manage to work them out and love each other again.

I haven't told her how grateful I am that she is part of our family, how much I love having her around, but I hope my actions speak louder than any words I could say.  With the addition (and acceptance) of Stepmom, we have added another chapter to our family History Book.

Check out other Theme Thursday stories!

Random Thought Tuesday On Wednesday

I have taken to writing down my random thoughts so I can remember what they are when I get around to posting.  LAME.

*****

I have decided that its ridiculous for me to be in bed at 9:00 pm, especially when I get up at 2:00 AM.  So I have enlisted my parents to help keep me up a little later in the evening.  I have been going up to their place after Son is in bed and Wii bowling with them.  They have been Wii bowling every night since they bought the Wii.  I have really enjoyed myself these past couple of nights.  I think my father has too cause he invited me back tonight!

*****

I spent ALL day yesterday at work READING.  I love to read.  Just not about how to make a recovery program work and the science of how the federal government decided recovery programs work. Snooze-ville.

*****

I am DONE with Christmas, except for wrapping.  I won't have a chance to wrap Santa presents until Christmas Eve when Son will be with his father.

*****

Anyone want to clean the turtle cage for me?  I feed him yesterday and with all the crap floating in the tank, I couldn't be sure there was a turtle in there.  I don't mind scrubbing the cage, its picking up the turtle and putting him in the bathtub that I have a problem with.  YUCK.

*****

The bosses at work are annoying again.  We are in the process of moving one office to a new location and need an inspection by the state before we can open for business.  I have told the Bosses several times that the inspector needs to see certain things in place before he will sign off on the license.  When I checked with the Bosses yesterday, we didn't have ANY of the things the inspector wants to see.  Yet, the Bosses told me to schedule the inspection.  So, I am driving to AC (which is 2 HOURS) from home to meet with the state inspector who will not sign off on our license.  Total waste of MY time, which could be better spent reading about recovery programs and how to make one work.

Ok.  Time to brush teeth and drive to AC!  Happy Tuesday on Wednesday!  Check out the other random-ness over at The Un-Mom!

My Weekend

Boy!  Was it a busy weekend!  Between seeing Santa, shopping and normal household stuff, I was so glad to go to work today and read the most BORING stats!  Here are some Pictures:

Son telling Santa COMPLETELY different stuff from

what he's asked me for.  ugh

OH!  And when Santa changed clothes and joined the party later,

Son told him he sounded just like Santa so he must be Santa. 

Can I gag my kid NOW?

OH PLEASE MOM!  I GOTTA go out!  PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE! I don't care if the other cats think I look stupid with this lamp shade.  I'll just tell them I tied one on last night and forgot it was there.

Ok, so if you stir it up, the whole neighborhood will know

what you had for lunch. 

PU!

This ship was so pretty going by the house this morning.  Everything around her was dark and the sun was just peaking over the house.  So pretty!

That was the weekend.  This week is shaping up to be a little busy at work.  Lots of reading of stats and program ideas.  OH!  And a trip to Atlantic City!  Woo ho!