Wasting money

Single mom here, checking in again.

Tell me…. what does a six year old know about wasting money?  Nothing!

Yesterday evening, Tyler and I went outside to play.  A few of the neighborhood kids were outside too.  Those kids are so nice to Tyler; they understand that he is still little and help keep a watchful eye over him.  I love them for that.  We ended up playing a game of good, old fashioned kick ball.  And, yes, I mean we…. I played too!  When I got tired and thirsty I brought out enough freeze-pops for everyone.  One little girl told me how nice I was because “most parents don’t come out and play because they have to run and stuff”.  She doesn’t realize that I don’t have a choice in the matter.  I could choose not to play but I cannot choose not to come out, at least not until Tyler is older. 

When we got tired of playing kick ball, they asked if we could play baseball.  From previous days they knew Tyler has bats and balls.  Tyler has pretty much every type of ball made.  When Tyler was a baby, my friend Anthony whose teenaged son has excelled in every sport he has undertaken told me that his son was always good at sports because he started playing with balls when he was only one year old.  So what did I do, I went out and bought balls until Tyler had them all.  The kids followed me inside to get the baseball gear.  They were amazed to see that Tyler has so many toys.  The little boy said very quizzically, “you bought all of these?”  I responded, “yes”, although some of them came from Grammy, CoCoa and my ex-boyfriend.  The boy replied, “it’s all just a waste of money”.  Excuse meeee!?!!  As we walked out the door with the all of the baseball stuff, the little boy continued to say, “it means Tyler must be spoiled”.  Whaaattt?  OK Tracey… he’s only six, I told myself.  What the heck does his little butt know about wasting money and being spoiled?  Since it sounded like him repeating what an adult said, would almost definitely contradict the policy at his home, and make him feel slighted, I decided not to express my thoughts on why a kid needs a wide variety of toys.  I’ll tell you this, I have no clue what I’m doing as a parent so I am not downing anyone else’s policies.  I envision Tyler growing in to a kind, smart, successful, well rounded man.  Problem is… I have figured out that I, as a parent, have no clue as to how to make my vision reality.  I am just playing it by ear, taking it as it comes, rolling with the punches.  Although I love kids, being the baby of my family, I have not been around many kids.  I really think that even if I had, I still wouldn’t know the inner workings of raising a child in a way that will allow them to reach their highest potential.  I read, I observe, and I listen to all things that teach me how to accomplish this goal.  What I have seen is that the daycares and preschools are filled with toys that all teach some skill; everything from motor skills and sensory perception to imaginary play and space conception.  When Tyler 17 months old and I was a little concerned because he wasn’t talking too much, the therapist brought what?…. toys to use in their testing.  I will admit that Tyler’s paternal grandparents don’t usually buy Tyler toys; they say he already has too many. I disregarded their opinion after they told me he didn’t need a drum, he could ‘rat-tat-tat’ on a coffee can and it would do the same thing.  And… my cousin, Dawn, says that my house looks like Toys-R-Us.  But Dawn doesn’t have any kids besides the fact that she just always got jokes!  Almost all of these things were purchased because I wanted him to learn something.  Before Tyler turned one year old, I noticed that he loves music so I make sure he had some musical instrument toys.  When he got interested in dinosaurs, I bought a dinosaur book and two toy dinosaurs.  In my mind, there is a long list of many varied reasons for the blocks, the trucks, the tent, the Thomas the Train train set, the trucks and cars, books and puzzles.  Nothing on this list of many varied reasons for each toy is something a six year old is even remotely aware of.  So we can just add one more reason to the list of why I disregarded someone’s opinion when it comes to my baby and his toy.  Reason #897  What does a six year old know about wasting money, being spoiled, and raising a kid?  NOTHING!

Related Articles

• Is Your Child Spoiled? (webmd.com)
• How to Create a Spoiled Brat: 9 Parenting No-Nos (cbsnews.com)
• Tyler Clementi’s Parents: Let This Be a Lesson in ‘Human Dignity’ (newser.com)

Commit

Single Mom here, checking in again.

I quickly read the subject of the Dr. Phil show I have saved on the DVR.  I read, when should I commit to my kids?  Odd subject, I thought, but I’ll watch it anyway because it’s about parenting and kids.  Welll, 18 minutes into the show I realized that I must have read something wrong.  The show’s subject is actually When Should I Commit My Kids?  This little girl is bipolar and, as Dr. Phil said, the parents are ‘in over their heads’.  Tired as I feel right now with only 15 minutes left before I have to leave to get Tyler from school, I realize that I may be in up to my eyeballs but at least its not quite over my head.  Geeezzz! I feels sorry for those parents. It makes me remember that as hard as I think it is, it could always be worse.  No ‘woe is me’ thinking, at least til the next crisis comes!

Flickr Tags: dr. phil,single mom,parents,problems

Related Articles

• You: How to Raise an Emotionally Healthy Child – Huffington Post (blog) (news.google.com)
• The only battle in parenting is within ourselves (courierpostonline.com)
• Lisa Firestone: How to Raise an Emotionally Healthy Child (huffingtonpost.com)
• Preschoolers: Tips for Discipline and Manners (webmd.com)
• Survey finds parents struggle to get information on children’s mental health (nationalpost.com)

Spare whaaatt????

Single Mom here, checking in again.

I am a regular.  Where am I a regular, you ask?  Sadly, I am a regular at the dentists’ office.  I have been there once a week, usually Thursday mornings, since I was fired from my job and next week will be no different. 

Why, you ask?  The answer is, because my almost 40 year old teeth are a mess and because Realtors have no medical nor dental insurance plans.  Before Tyler (B.T.), I had checked into paying for my own coverage but it would have cost me about $500-600 per month!  That was nearly as much as my mortgage and, therefore, cost prohibitive.  A relatively healthy young woman who usually only goes to the doctor for annual check ups would pay more for an insurance plan than she would if she just paid for each visit out of pocket.  However, when I got pregnant with Tyler I became eligible for Medicaid. 

Go figure.  I found myself in the OB/GYN office with a room full of mostly Mexicans who had probably come here illegally because of all of the benefits America provides to low income folks, illegal immigrants, and the disabled.  Think about it, all I had to do to get affordable or free medical coverage was have a kid.  Imagine if you were living a hard life in another country…. couldn’t afford medical care for your kids, couldn’t afford to feed your family, and living in substandard conditions.  What would you do? Imagine if you knew that you could move mere miles away from where you sat impoverished and, by doing nothing beyond getting there and filling out applications you could have secure housing, your kids would have good medical care, your family would be fed, and your kids would receive a good education.  What would you do?  B.T., I may not have understood and internalized the feelings that fuel a mother to do any and every thing she can to care for and protect her children, but now I do.  My focus in life changed during my pregnancy.  I went from a workaholic Realtor primarily concerned with growing my business to a mother primarily concerned with finding a good job that provides medical coverage, has a schedule that allows me to spend the maximum amount of time with Tyler, enables some way to manage during the ridiculous amount of days the school is closed, and pays a salary that will afford us more than just the primary needs in life.  My job search parameters and their illegally entering America have something in common.  They both stem from a mother’s love for her child(ren).  So, answer the question, what would you do?  I am not promoting illegal immigration, merely stating that the grass on the other side of the border for some is waaayy greener and I would probably put myself in the same position if it was the only way I could take care of Tyler.  I can blame America for making the grass soo green on this side of the border but I can’t blame any mother for harboring the same feelings I hold so dearly within me.  

Anyhow, after I finally put Tyler into daycare which afforded me a little time for myself, I visited the local clinic’s dentist.  That dentist told me that I had no real problems.  Thank the lord that something changed about the Medicaid plan which allowed me to go to a regular dentist outside of the clinic when my mouth started hurting in November/December 2009.  That dentist found that I needed a few root canals.  Medicaid is good because I can get the work done without a co-pay.  Having been in the working world most of my life, I realize that with any other plan there would have been some hefty co-payment.  January/February 2010, I got the root canals done.  After starting my new, full-time job in March 2010, I found it really difficult to get to the dentist to complete the remaining work.  Saturday was the only day I could schedule appointments because I couldn’t take time off from work yet.  My mom and sister helped by watching Tyler when I had those Saturday dentist’s appointments.  Now, unemployed again, I am taking advantage of my free time.  Surely there are lots of things I could do that are lots more fun BUT I have to get it in when I can fit it in.  Spare time is a rare commodity for a single mom. 

Now if I could only figure out how to have enough time to start dating again….

Related Articles

• Patient Money: Government Helps to Insure Children, Even Above the Poverty Line (nytimes.com)
• Lou Dobbs Refutes ‘Hypocrite’ Claims by The Nation (abcnews.go.com)
• Getting Medical Insurance for your Kids (medicalinsurance.org)
• Medicaid cuts in state ‘devastating’ (theolympian.com)
• Health Insurance Companies Raise Rates In Colorado And Michigan; Minn.’s GMAC Program Takes ‘Full Form’ In The State’s Hospitals (medicalnewstoday.com)
• Sister Mary Waskowiak: Health Reform: The Facts Matter (huffingtonpost.com)
• Fewer Uninsured Children despite Recession (healthinsurancequotes.org)

Being There…. or not

Single Mom here, checking in again.

Right now I sit on my couch thinking about how I am not there for someone who needs me.  Well she doesn’t need me, she just needs somebody and I am one of the few people that fits into that somebody.  But it’s not my fault that the pickins are so slim. 

I have been a full time Realtor for the last 5 years.  Of course the present economic situation has wreaked havoc on the real estate industry.  Back in 2005 or 6, I told my broker that we needed more agents.  The market was HOT and we had a good 7- 8 agents that regularly sold properties.  However, I still thought we needed more.  Agents create a synergy.  The more agents you have means the more listings you have which means the more the phone will ring which means more buyers and sellers, and more agents to handle them. 

The market here started to fall apart in 2007, the year I gave birth to Tyler, but I managed to do well that year in spite of the market slowing down and prices beginning to decline.  By the time the big stock market crash in September 2008 hit, we were down to only really 2, maybe 3 agents that sold somewhat regularly.  When one of the local, mom & pop offices closed, many of the agents that worked there came to my broker looking for a new office.  She, after talking to at least 4 of them that I know of, only chose to accept only one part-time agent who ended up not working out.  I voiced my opinion again.  WE NEED MORE AGENTS!  However, I got all of the reasons why the people weren’t a good fit for our office.  I realize that one must take care in choosing the right agents, however, I cannot and do not believe that all of those folks were bad agents.  It was then that I internalized the fact that it is not my office, I just work there.  I am an experienced agent with a good track record of sales not the owner, therefore, I cannot make business decisions.  I’d voice my opinion, then let it go. 

2009 was a bad year for me.  My search for a regular, salaried position began in the beginning of 2009.  I was on welfare, or TANF as they call it now, and getting every kind of government assistance for which I qualified.  I learned the ‘system’.  I met people for whom assistance was a rotating door, or worse yet, a regular part of life and part of their plan for success.  I was depressed, sitting around home, unable to afford good outings for Tyler and I, gaining weight and loosing confidence.  I had listings that were just sitting extremely stale when I used to pride myself in being able to sell any and every thing.  I had clerical workers trying to disrespect me because of my financial position.  Oooh yeeaaah, some of those people at these agencies who are all probably just scraping by themselves treat the people that need assistance like they are pond scum, worse than pond scum.  Having worked in professional offices, I know customer service and how to treat a client.  I guess I learned the rules for treating paying clients.  Unfortunately, when your client is not paying you, are there because they are in a desperate position, are greatly in need of help, and would really benefit from a compassionate ear, you, the employee, can try to crush what dignity they have left, treat them as if they are stealing money from your pockets, and make them jump through hoops like an animal in a circus show. 

Since the workers at these agencies that assist low income people don’t return calls, driving cross county to apply for things, then checking and re-checking on it becomes almost as time consuming as a regular, full-time job and much more draining.  I stopped doing ‘floor time’ at the real estate office when TANF’s requirements left me with no spare time.  As it was, without a co-parent and not being the type of mother that passes her kid off on a bunch of miscellaneous folks, my only free time was during daycare hours.  My mother, sister, and nieces are Tyler’s only babysitters.  They do help, however, I’d only ask them to babysit when I needed to show a house during the evenings or weekends.  With occasionally selling a house and all of the assistance, I did manage to keep a roof over our heads, DVR cable, my cell phone, my truck, kept Tyler in daycare, and kept clothes on our backs.  My sense of style has kept Tyler looking good even when I don’t spend a lot. 

After a really rough winter, I finally got a regular JOB.  On March 1, 2010, I started working as an Administrative Assistant to the Risk Management Administrator for a property management firm.  My salary was below what I thought I should get but I took it because I was in a desperate position and I envisioned a future with this company where I’d be promoted to a Property Manager position and beyond.  My measly salary at least paid the bills.  This job took me farther out of real estate sales.  After once loving it, I was not at all sad to say goodbye to my life as a full time Realtor.  Onward and upward I thought.  I decided that I only wanted to continue listing the foreclosures that came my way.  I had worked hard to break into the foreclosure market because foreclosures ALWAYS sell.  The seller, the banks and mortgage companies, are extremely motivated to sell and able to reduce the price until it does.  I let my other listings expire and did not attempt to renew them.  Finally… I got caught up on my bills and felt the stress melting off my back.  Just then, just when I had exhaled, after only working for three months, I was abruptly fired from my job.  I had done nothing wrong, just fired.  That job and the reason for separation will require an entire posting by itself.  Needless to say though, I was shocked, devastated and confused.  Since my termination on June 11th, I have been, once again, jumping through hoops to get assistance.  This time it will be unemployment where they treat you a smidge better, I think, because at least you worked for this assistance.  After receiving no income for the last 5 weeks, I am still waiting for my application to be approved. 

After I had been unemployed for about two weeks, I told my broker that I had been terminated from my job.  If I had really thought about it, I wouldn’t have ever mentioned it.  She, after telling me her woes and how she barely has any reliable help, got me to say I’d do floor time on Mondays from 1-5:00 pm.  UUUgggghhh.  I always hated floor time, why did I do this?  Oh, yeah, because she needs me.  I regretted it after one shift.  This week I did my second shift.  Hated it!  Then, yesterday, I was asked to come in to cover the office today.  Oooh, I don’t wannaaa! I haven’t been feeling good lately, I’m tired all the time, and I haven’t finished handling some of my own affairs so I said NO.  Not just plain old no although i did feel need to explain myself, tell them what I needed to do instead.  My broker angrily told me that it’s not a matter of want for her.  She has three closings that she must attend in order to keep the bills paid at the office.  That seems a bit more important that my wants… it’s a need.  However, what I really feel deep down inside that I couldn’t say so bluntly to my broker, is that it’s not my fault that we have so few agents and therefore no one to cover when one calls in sick or has conflicts in their schedule.  I have been telling her that we need more agents.  Yet another local office has closed and, once again, my broker has stated that she doesn’t want any of their agents.  As recently as two weeks ago I had a long conversation with her about what I heard other agents (ones that I know she’d like to have) are giving as their reason for not wanting to join our office.  She told me that she listened and would consider it but strongly thinks that my suggestions would not help in getting new agents aboard.  Now, only two weeks later, I feel so guilty for saying NO when she NEEDS me.  She has been there for me, unlike my most recent employer.  I can hear her now, talking of how she feels hurt and betrayed because she was there for me when I needed her and now I’m not there for her.  What she doesn’t realize is that I am there for her.  I haven’t left the office although I have really seriously considered it and I did pick up floor time on Mondays.  I’m just not there today and I can’t/won’t be there to fill all the holes in the schedule.  I feel overwhelmingly guilty for saying no but proud of myself for standing my ground. 

Technorati Tags: single,mom,real estate,realtor,parents,assistance,welfare,friends

Related Articles

• Realtors see hope in challenging market (lansner.ocregister.com)
• In weak housing market, can sellers stand out? (msnbc.msn.com)
• R.I.P, TANF Emergency Fund (washingtonmonthly.com)
• Buying Beats Renting as Defaults Cut Prices (businessweek.com)

Much fun at the Ice Cream Stand

Single Mom here, checking in again.

What a great thing to do.  My friend ‘text’ me to see if Tyler and I were busy.  We decided to take the kids to the Purple Penguin for ice cream after dinner.  Tyler is only seven weeks older than her son.  They looove playing together.  They attended their first daycare together.  Tyler was about seven months old when I enrolled him at Marys’ Little Lambs, a daycare run out of a lady’s house.  I’m not sure if she’s still in operation but, at that time, it was good and I knew three of the other parents who took their infants there.  Then Tyler went to Bybel’s Rieck Avenue Daycare when he turned two and my friend’s son followed a few months later when she had issues with Marys’.  Tyler left Bybel’s at the end of April 2010 because of a problem I can’t bring myself to make public yet.  He is loving his new school but only sees his friend when we get them together outside of school.

The Purple Penguin was chosen because it has a playground in addition to the ice cream and food although we passed many perfectly good ice cream stands to get there.  The playground would give the boys a chance to play together.  So, on that 90 something degree day, they ate their quickly melting ice cream cones at a table, the sped off to play.  They climbed, they jumped, they swang and they ran as Jolene and I sat, sweating, with watchful mothers eyes. 

While we were there, CoCoa called because she wanted to come over.  When I told her where we were, which is rather close to her house, she decided to meet us there.  Tyler was so excited to see his CoCoa that he left the swings and ran to her with open arms.  He was equally excited to see her new westie puppy, Randy!  Randy was a huge hit with the kids!  They took turns walking and petting him. 

Once the sun began to set, we started talking about leaving but didn’t actually go until after dark.  Jolene was gone when CoCoa gave me some of her jewelry; two pairs of earrings, a bracelet and an ring.  I recently lost my favorite pair of earrings so I understood her choosing to give me earrings but the other stuff seemed like a bit much.  What really has me worried is that CoCoa told me about a grand daughter that she has never met.  She said that the girl is about 16 now.  Then she gave me a bag with items for this long lost grand daughter she’s never met!  In my shock, I sputtered, why are you giving it to me?  She simply, calmly replied, because I trust you.  I quickly responded, but, but why now?  She, in the same calm, easy tone said, “it’s time”.  I asked is something wrong?  She reassured me, no, its just time.  I just stood there pondering what she had said and done; trying to see if I could imagine giving away my possessions if I weren’t sick, just old.  CoCoa asked me to wait for her while she went back to the window to get some ice cream to take home to Pop-Pop, so I did. 

Tyler was already strapped into his car seat so I turned the truck around to a position next to CoCoa’s car where we could watch over Randy and her stuff.  Tyler lowered his window and struggled to get himself to a position where he could see Randy.  He told me, I can’t see him.  I responded, “call his name” and kiss at him.  So, Tyler was back there calling Randy, Randy, Randy and doing his best to replicate the kissing sound.  The puppy rose from the seat. Tyler was excited to be able to see him again.  After a while, the dog decided to sit down again.  The name calling and kissing sound wasn’t working anymore.  Tyler sadly said, I can’t see him.  I told Tyler that Randy was laying down.  Then all of a sudden, Tyler lets out this awful pitched scream that made Randy jump out of his restful position.  Tyler said, “see, there he is”!  Oh, I laughed so hard!!!  When CoCoa finished at the window, I had to apologize for my kid tormenting her dog!  She said she could hear Tyler screaming from the order window that had to be a good 30-40 feet away!  We hugged and kissed, then parted ways but Tyler and I didn’t go home.

Earlier I had told my mom, Tyler’s Grammy, that we’d come over.  I called her and, although it was about 9:15 pm, she said, “come on over anyway, I’m still up”.  So off to Grammy’s house we went.  Tyler said he didn’t want to go, I think because he was tired.  He was happy and didn’t act a bit tired once we got there.  As soon as we walked in he told Grammy he was hungry.  She was more than happy to feed him.  Feeding folks brings my mom joy.  One cannot go to her house and leave hungry nor thirsty.  We ate, we watched TV, and I gathered stuff I needed from her stockpile of supplies.  With Tyler being sick, I hadn’t had time to go shopping but I had run out of a few crucial things;  I had peanut butter but no jelly and Tyler loves for me to pack peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in his lunch bag, I was out of toilet paper in the upstairs bathroom and need that for obvious reasons, and, medical tape to be able to bandage Tyler’s recent boo-boo.  We are usually at home and Tyler in bed by no later than 9:00 pm during the summer when he has to go to school, but tonight we burned the midnight oil and didn’t get home until 11 something pm, happy and tired. 

Related Articles

• Rachael Ray On Big Gay Ice Cream Truck: ‘Oh, Sh*t’ (VIDEO) (huffingtonpost.com)
• 100 Ways to Show I Love You (socyberty.com)

Recovery Day

Saturday, July 17th, 2010

Today was recovery day.  Recovery for Tyler.  Friday Tyler was throwing up like the exorcist… OK, maybe not that bad but, considering it was the first time I have experienced a child with a stomach virus, the 24 hour bug or whatever you want to call it, it seemed like something had taken over my child.  Oh, it was awful.

It started at school (actually the summer enrichment program but I call it school because it is at the school he regularly attends) around 2 pm but I didn’t find out until I was checking my messages when I was on my way to pick him up around 5pm.  Oooh nooo!!!  I had missed two calls from the the school nurse!  The first call was around 2:30pm, the second at 4:30pm.  OMG, I felt horrible for not picking up my messages sooner. 

Figures… one of the rare occasions when I took some time to take care of myself.  My hair needed a perm really super badly.  The polish on my toes was chipping away and, my soles just felt hard and rough.  I permed my hair, threw another coat of polish on my toes, pumiced my soles and nipped away at some unsightly dead skin with my cuticle clipper.  That was all…. no fancy spa day; I don’t have enough time nor money for that.  Just a quick freshening had made me miss the school nurse calling. 

When I arrived at the school filled with guilt, the teacher let me know they needed new contact numbers from me because they couldn’t get in touch with e.  They called one number and got no answer.  They called my old job who told them that I don’t work there anymore…. like I really wanted my son’s school to know I had gotten fired.  They don’t really know I’m was fired because I just confirmed, stating “no, I don’t work there anymore” without providing any more detail.  The third number they called was my mother’s home telephone.  She wasn’t home all afternoon. “What about his father?” would be a normal question at this point.  His father is totally absent from his life.  He does not pay child support and he does not see his son.  He has not seen Tyler since Tyler was 2 years old and Tyler is now 3 1/2.  siiiggghhh.  Anyhow, I tell the school staff how bad I feel and I apologize to Tyler for not being there sooner.  By then he had soiled the original outfit I sent him to school in, he threw up on the spare outfit I sent in his back pack and, was now wearing red shorts and a Rudolph the reindeer shirt.  I gather Tyler’s things, pick him up and head for the nearest exit. 

Mistake number I don’t even know at this point was that I gave Tyler some juice to drink during the ride home.  Before we could get a good half a mile away, he threw it up all down the front of himself and on the car seat.  Big siiiggghhh, again.  I need someone to tell me what I’m supposed to do so I call my mom… she’s still not home.  I called my sister who has 3 kids…. she doesn’t pick up her cell phone.  I try the doctors office… that alone quadrupled my stress level.  The freakin’ routine you have to go through to get to talk to the on-call doctor is a frustrating, maddening 5 step process!   uuuugggh!!! 

Step 1. I call Tyler’s pediatrician to get the number to the on-call doctor’s office. 

Step 2. Call the on-call doctor’s office to get a third number.

Step 3. Call that third number

Step 4. Leave a message

Step 5. Wait for a return call. 

What was so much more frustrating was that the recording at the on call doctor’s office (step 2) stating the third and final phone number to call was inaudible.  So… I repeated step 2 about 10 times trying to understand what the heck the chick on the machine was saying. I wanted to scream profanities at the phone but the kid was in the car. And if you’re wondering, YES I made calls WHILE I drove. Yes, I took the Oprah pledge not to talk and drive AND YES, I broke it!

When we got home I went into doctor-mode although I didn’t know what the heck to do.  My answer to a lot of things is to just hug him and love him up.  So that’s what I did.  I found out it was the wrong thing to do, but after a while, I offered him more juice which produced more throw up.  After he had thrown up about 3 times and his temperature was about 102 degrees, I finally heeded my sister’s instruction to give him NOTHING!  I, after speaking with my mother, almost decided to take Tyler to the hospital but, in the end, decided against it.  I gave him a cool bath and put him to bed.

Amazingly, the next morning, recovery day, Tyler woke up and told me he felt much better.  He didn’t eat a lot BUT he held down everything he did eat!  Yippee!

Tyler’s paternal grandparents came over.  I didn’t tell them that the exorcist event was just the previous day because they may not have come!  Tyler and I love them.  Tyler, as usually, wanted his pop-pop to build something with him.  He poured out all of his blocks and looked at Pop-Pop, kinda summoning him to the play area.  They came bearing gifts.  I got a new Louis Vutton knock off pocketbook… super cool.  Tyler got a sonic stuffed animal.  We both got bracelets.  And, I got some  money… thank the Lord because I was down to only one dollar in my pocket and about four dollars in the bank!  I hadn’t told anyone that I had run out of money, I just knew that, somehow, God would take care of us!  (My current financial situation entails so much that it alone will be the topic of a post sometime in the future.)  Tyler asked for a strawberry milkshake from WaWa.  Pop-Pop acted like he really didn’t want to take him but I know that that is just the way Pop-Pop talks and that he would probably looovvve getting to take his grandson out.  I knew Tyler would love it too.  I would have let them take my truck except that I hadn’t washed the vomitty car seat yet!  I enjoyed getting to sit and talk with CoCoa in peace so it was a total win-win situation for everyone.  CoCoa is Kenyan for grandmom and is what Tyler’s grandmom wants to be called.  I she is like my second mother.  I feel blessed to now have 2 mothers.  After a really nice visit they went home, leaving Tyler and I perfectly content. 

Related Articles

• Prevent Flu: Don’t Be Touchy (webmd.com)
• Prevent Flu: Go to Work or Stay in Bed? (webmd.com)
• Many Americans Plan to Skip Flu Shot This Year (nlm.nih.gov)
• Treating Flu at Home: 10 Natural Remedies (webmd.com)
• August heat can be risky for athletes (cnn.com)

My first hello

Single mom here.

When I finally watched Julie and Julia on Friday, July 16th, 2010, I made the decision to start my blog.  I, like Julie, have no expectations.  Unlike Julie, I am not a writer.  My career has been focused within the real estate industry.  My writing style is simple and for this blog, I am not going to worry about grammatical correctness because I’d rather tell it the way it comes to me, which is not always in perfect sentences. 

I have been thinking about starting a blog for a while now, probably since my son was born.  What stopped me up until now was that I was afraid to put my fears, hopes and dreams in writing.  What has changed is that, at this point, I just plan to write but I am not inviting all of my friends and family to read it.  It seems easier to think that this will be somewhat anonymous.  I think it will be good for me to get some of my feelings out while getting a chance to document some of my son’s life.  AND, maybe, just maybe, some other single mothers will identify with me, and maybe some youngsters thinking of having babies will postpone that life changing event after truly understanding what I mean by “Single Mom vs. Life” and, possibly some couples may appreciate their partner a little more after realizing how much all of those little things would mean if they were forced to do it all alone. 

Sooo… hello everyone (although probably no one).  Welcome to “Single Mom vs.. Life”.

Related Articles

• Single Mothers: Turn Your Tears in to Triumph (socyberty.com)
• Pay for 8 years of college on 1 salary (money.cnn.com)
• Effective jobs bill to die in just a few days (washingtonmonthly.com)