Uncle Sam I am Wants You!

As I’m driving The Boy to school this morning,
He begins to explain to me how the morning will proceed.
Mom, when you drop me off at school, you go in daycare and vote
You vote for the California Gobener Mom, he continues.
I know his school is a polling place,
but I do my best to explain to him that I vote at a different school.
We’re rushing through our routine and he takes my explanation for what it is.

At the end of the day, I pick him up from school and tell him we’re going to vote.
He’s pouting a little because I just shot down his request of going to the skate park.
After about 30 seconds of silence, he begins to ask me
Mom, why do people need safety vests?
To keep you safe son, I answer.
To keep you away from the fish and the creatures, he continues.
A life vest. Yes, I explain, it keeps you from drowning in the water.
Are we going to be in the sea or the ocean, he asks.
Son, what do you mean? I’m very confused at this point.
Then the puzzle comes together…
Life vest,
Creatures and fish,
Sea or ocean.
Son, I try to hold back my laughter, we’re going to VVOTTTTTE
I try to emphasize the difference in letters.
We’re not gonna float.
We’re not going on a boat.
We’re going to VOTE!

Float? He asks
Boat? He says.

No, VOTE!
I do my best with a Kindergarten analogy.
Let’s say your teacher is going to choose a line leader.
She says who wants to be a line leader?
And you and Jacob choose to be one.
The teacher will then ask all the other kids, who wants The Boy to be a line leader.
5 kids in class raise their hand for you.
Then she asks again, who wants Jacob to be the line leader.
3 kids in the class raise their hand for Jacob.
(He’s my son, I had to make him the winner obviously)
So you would win Son.
That’s what voting means.
We’re choosing who we want to win.

Silence, I’m so proud of myself for such a great explanation.
I’m thinking, he gets it, as I continue to snicker to myself.

We make a right turn into our tract
And then I hear.

Are we going in a sea or an ocean?

www.daysoffivelives.blogspot.com

You're Up then You're Down

My name is Janelle, and I love to eat.

So I’ve gained some weight.
I’ve blamed my past surgery- it must be hormonal I say.

I also try to convince myself that I don’t care,

I’m happy with the way I am, I think to myself.
But when clothes are no longer fitting properly

and my muffin top has now become a cupcake with extra topping

I realize that I’m kidding yourself.

I try eating right again.

Getting on the treadmill a few days a week.

How to Love

We were having dinner at a local Mexican cantina that we found The Boy, Teen 2, hubby, and I.

The Boy is a restless eater.
He can never sit still.
At home, he leans back on the chairs lays down,
rolls around in the chairs
slips out from under the dining table to fetch a glass of this or that

At the restaurant, he finishes a portion of his taco plate
stands up and makes his way over to me

I look at his little face thats growing and changing
I stare into his warewolf eyeballs that change colors
I admire the little freckles across the bridge of his nose and upper cheeks

I look at his face, pull him in close to me and say "I love you son"
He looks at me, smiles, then turns away.

Son, I love you. I repeat.
He gives me that one raised eyebrow crooked face.

Tell me, you love me. I plea.
I look at his dad with that "you better make him tell me he loves me" face.
Hubby nudges the boy, tell your mom. iloveyou.

he quickly says without looking at me.
Sheesh, who taught you how to love, your dad? I ask.
With a straight face, he looks at me and replies- Little Wayne.

It Takes a Bush

Our family tree is not grown perfectly upright

with all its branches and leaves pruned just right
where the green grass grows all around and around…
where the green grows all around

We’re better compared to a bush

As my Stepmom’s husband
(who, just to clarify, is not my Dad)
would say.

And our bush has been growing wildly.

Hence my absence.

Teen 1 has since grown all up-
graduated, married, had a beautiful baby boy, and moved out
(not particularly in that order, but hey, that’s how we do)

Teen 2 is now a senior- Yikes. That’s all I can say about that.
She has a job, earned enough credits early to have minimum days at school, and is deciding what to do when she grows up

And our rambunctious little toddler is now a full grown boy.

Raising teenagers is no walk in the park.
It’s been beyond challenging.
I know I was no angel, if you recall this blog-http://daysoffivelives.blogspot.com/2009/07/life-changingteen-pregnancy.html
this was a doozy on my parents.

I often talk to my parents and tell them I don’t know how they dealt with it.
How do you deal with a teenage pregnancy, knowing yourself how hard it is.
Knowing the discrimination your child will go through.
How do you deal with your child raising their own child in your home.

I’ve also been that mom that’s gone into a house party at midnight to search for my daughter, grabbed a hold of her, and yelled at anyone & everyone in my way.

And probably would’ve beaten the living crap out of her if I knew they weren’t watching.

It’s
Been
ROUGH
to say the least.

But life is challenging.

I’m sure I’m not alone- even though I felt as though I was
Many times throwing my hands up in the air and giving up
Wanting to quit the roll of being the mom

But with the help of my husband and all the branches of our bush

We survived.

We’ve come out better people.
Things have calmed down (knock on wood)
Everyone has branched out into their own person
Although I know it will change
They will change
We will grow more branches
Which will produce more little leaves

Colors will change with the seasons
We will continue to love and nurture the bush
And we will all be there to support one another
We hope you follow along as we grow
Janelle

A bouffant, a bomber, and a walker

walk into a bar
no seriously...

I drive through a very large, very diverse city on my way to work
I actually love this city,
There are beautiful old Spanish style homes
Great big mansions on the hill
Older, poorer neighborhoods nestled in between gorgeous 1920's Victorian homes
A small little downtown area where everything is in walking distance
Quaint older shops and dirty sleezy motels with hookers walking along the main highway
And the only traffic circle that seems to exist in SoCal

On this particular morning, I’m driving down a long stretch of the road
I look to my left and notice a 70ish looking woman with a I Love Lucy red bouffant and little twisty bun
She’s got on a pink v neck tank and a grey velour sweat suit and wedged flip flops of course
She’s walking along with an older man in a cap and a bomber jacket down the alleyway
It’s 7:40 in the morning and they’re pointing up at something on the building while discussing it
I look up at the sign and realize that they are at “Til 2am” bar

They must own the joint and are talking about the exterior that needs to be fixed, I’m thinking
I drive a few feet further
I see the even older guy sitting on the bench outside the joint like he’s the bouncer
Until I notice that he’s got his metal walker parked in front of him

I chuckle to myself

It’s 7am, and this their spot
As I’m getting older, I realize that you never really feel like you’re older
Of course you’re stressed
You deal with “adult” things
Work
Bills
Raising kids of your own
But deep down inside, when you’re hanging with friends
Or really enjoying life, you don’t feel any older than you did in your prime-
Whatever age that may be.

So go on with your bad self
Enjoy every moment of it!!
Big red bouffant and all


http://www.daysoffivelives.blogspot.com/

Ask and You Shall Receive

The Boy was told to do his homework by his Daddy.
Not just once, but several times in passing.
The Boy was in the back family room and each time in passing his dad would firmly say,
Son, you better get your homework done.

I was in the dining room, fooling around with some papers or something.
After a few minutes of hearing the T.V. blaring
And watching The Boy run in and out of the kitchen
I intervene.

Son, I say as I’m walking to the family room, you need to start working on your homework
I am, he insists as waves his hands over his papers that are spread out on the coffee table.
His pencil box is open.
And his apple is standing on it’s bottom- eaten to the core.

I grab the remote control and turn the T.V. off
You have to get your homework done or you will lose your T.V. privileges, I explain.
I turn around to walk away.
By the way, what does that mean anyway, he asks inquisitively?
What does what mean?
T.V privileges, he says shyly.
It means you won’t be able to watch T.V. at ALL, in my most dramatic voice.
I’m secretly smiling inside that he’s asking when he doesn’t understand bigger words.

Then he continues on, ok, but for how many weeks?
1 week, I quickly reply!!

This kid is making it too easy!


http://www.daysoffivelives.blogspot/

In the Dog House pt. 2

Ta-daaah!

I wish I would've taken pictures while we were painting

but I was so scared it was going to turn out terribly.

My inspiration was Mexican Riviera, Dia De Los Muertos,

I just wanted bright & colorful for this giant piece in my backyard

that was lounging by our pool

I knew what I wanted, but wasn't sure how to get there.

We started with terra cotta base color

then painted bright aqua blue in the middle section

We decided that the baseboards and corner pieces should be blue

but it was pretty horrendous from beginning

to 3/4 of the way painted

I was too scared to admit that it looked like crap

and hubby kept giving me that sideways look

but I kept smiling through it and crossing my fingers

(when he wasn't looking of course)

that it would turn out fine.

and heck,

if not,

there's always more paint!!

I recruited Teen 1 to paint the bigger dog face

the littler one is my attempt

Overall I'm pleased with their Siesta Siesta spot!

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