My Baby isn't a baby anymore....

Grant is fourteen today. Fourteen. Years. Old. While it was a big day for Grant- he's counting down the days to a drivers license- I was left feeling, well, I don't really know. Sure, there was the obvious holy-cow-my-son-is-fourteen-I'm-really-old feeling. And, if I didn't already think it, I had plenty of people to remind me (thanks, Mindy). But, more than anything else, I realize that Grant is becoming a young man. Check that, Grant has become a young man. And, I think that he's pretty great. He's smart, makes good grades, is polite and respectful, and yet... I wonder if I've done all that I can to help him become a good man. As a mom, I wonder if I've been too strict, or too lenient? Have I helped to instill the right values? How have the decisions that I've made affect him and his future? Again, I know he's a good kid, son that anyone would be proud of, and an amazing big brother. I can only hope that he takes what we've given to him (or saddled him with) and makes the best of it.

Momma Drama

Since we do the week on-week off custody thing, it's always much easier when certain dates (like, say, Mother's Day) fall on my week ON.  This year, Mother's Day fell on dad's week (we 'switch' on Mondays after school).  So, on Friday before Mom's Day, I called dad and asked if he was going to drop off the Boys in the morning, or if I should pick them up.  He replied with, "I'll drop them off sometime in the afternoon".  Um, it's Mother's Day. And I'm, ya know, their Mom?  And then:  "Yeah, well, we're planning on taking Amy (his girlfriend of about a year) to the Driscoll Hotel for Mother's Day Brunch." 
Deep breath.  Don't cry. "Um, I'd like to spend the day with them.  I am, after all, their M.O.M"
And then came the dagger through the heart.  "Listen, I'm trying to be fair and divide the time fairly.  I mean, she's just like a mom to them."
Don't cry. Do. Not. Cry. 
Let me start by saying that I genuinely like Amy.  I do.  She's sweet and young and an elementary teacher and she provides a great home for my Boys (yeah, they moved into her house).  But, I am their MOM.
Dad went on to say that if, on Father's Day, the Boys wanted to spend time with my boyfriend, he'd totally understand.  Really.  Really?  I explained to him that Father's Day was his.  Period.  Even if I were to get re-married, the Boys would give step-dad a card, a nice gift, but would spend that special day with their Father.  I couldn't finish the conversation, so I asked him to re-think it and call me later. 
Later, he did call and said that he'd read through the divorce decree and I 'get' them on Mother's Day.  *sigh*
But, Mother's Day was fabulous.  I picked up Grant & Lane early and we went out for breakfast.  Then, we did yard work- something I actually really do enjoy.  Later, my parents came over and I made dinner for them.  Mimi and Pop Music (yes, we really do call my dad 'Pop Music') loved the mahi mahi fish tacos and we ate until we were stuffed. 
So, despite the drama leading up to it, this Mother's Day was fun and relaxing and, most importantly, filled with love.

Stairmaster, I've missed you.

After several months of avoiding the gym at all costs, I finally made my return this week. I have all sorts of excuses for why I haven't been. I re-injured my shoulder in January playing soccer. Sure, that shouldn't keep me from jumping on the stairmaster or elliptical, but it makes it really painful to pull my sports bra over my head. How's that for an excuse? Also, baseball season started up, I've had to travel more for work, my allergies are going berzerk, mercury is in retrograde(?), etc. You get it. I'm lazy. Now, I have been taking the dog for several walks every day and playing soccer on weekends. But, still. I actually PAY for this gym membership. So, I met my sister at the gym the other night and we hit the stairmaster. Ouch. Cardio, check. We did a little weight work, as well. But, the steam room was really calling to me. In my defense, I did do some ab work while laying in the sauna. I did a few leg lifts. So... yeah. Abs, check.I wanted to go back to the gym last night. I should've and really, I could have. But, I went to Target, instead, while silently promising myself an extra-hard workout tomorrow.






So, today is that 'tomorrow'. The Boys are with their dad this week. No chaotic morning of the battle to get kids out of bed, dressed, fed and off to school. I got up extra early, put on my work-out clothes, took the dogs for a walk and drove to Starbucks. I heard on the Today show that a cup of coffee 20 minutes prior to a workout helps with energy/endurance. So, everything was in place for a perfect workout. It's gonna be a good day. Until, I pulled into the Starbucks drive-thru. First, the Starbucks girl tells me that the person in the car 20 cars ahead of me purchased coffee for the next 20 cars. Score. Free coffee. Sweet. A really good day. Then she says, you can 'pay it forward' by buying coffee for the car behind me. What? Crap. I go to this Starbucks every day. I don't want to be that jerk. So, fine. I'll buy the next car coffee. The bill is twice what mine is. Great. Paying it forward. Fan-freakin-tastic. Phone rings. Work call. As I'm retrieving my coffee from the barrista, I hit the cup on the car window and spill it all over me, the car, and my work-out wear. So, now I obviously can't go straight to the gym with coffee all over me.


Now it's too late to go to the gym. Gotta get to work. Maybe at lunch, I'll get in a workout. Maybe.