Like Pigs At A Trough During Feeding Time

Not sure if many of you know this or not but this past Saturday at Old Navy was there $1 flip-flop sale. What you probably already know from my previous posts is that I am a total flip-flopaholic...yup its a word, I just made it up.

So of course, I just haaaddd to go on Saturday morning to get me some deals. I got to the nearest Old Navy at about 9:30 am and had a feeling it would be busy, but what I encountered was something more like Black Friday. At this time there were already huge lines at the checkout and the flip-flops were sparse and also spread throughout the store. It was actually kind of exciting trying to find where they put all the women's flip flops...you see this is a very small Old Navy.

Anyways, I calmly looked for flip flops in my size and just about any color that would have it. I'm a size 7 and so is most of the female population. After about 10 minutes I noticed there was an influx in women...yes most of the flip flop buyers were women. The sales associates would bring out boxes filled with flip flops and just set them down anywhere just to replenish the stock on the floor.

I'm not even lying when I tell you the women attacked those boxes like pigs at a trough during feeding time! .

I even have a battle wound to prove it! Not kidding, a huge chunk of my skin off my knuckles is hanging on some rack at Old Navy. And since I was getting shoved out of the way by these Linebackers, I decided to play dirty.

Oh.

Yes.

I.

Did.

I sent little ole' Hunter in between these beasts and their legs to find my size. Is that stooping low? I think not! I was smart. And besides, that's one of the many perks of having kids.

After getting 10 pairs in 10 fabulous colors, I stood in line at the checkout for a good 30 minutes. There was a 5 pair limit per customer, so instead of only getting 5 or going back to the end of the line to stand there for another 30 minutes, you can bet your ass I handed my son a $5 bill and made him purchase my other 5 pairs right behind me. Smart again! I even influenced the woman standing behind me to do the same. Hey, kids are consumers too.

Did I really need 10 pairs of flip flops in every color of the rainbow? Yup.

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Hunter? Is that REALLY his name??

If you can believe it, that was a question i had been asked when Hunter was only 3 by some ditzy flake inquiring young lady. I was completely dumbfounded and when i told her that it was his name, she had that insert-foot-into-mouth look on her face. You know the "How far along are you?" "No i'm not pregnant" look. Even when i named him seven years ago, it wasn't a very common name here in Massachusetts. People would say they either loved it or hated it. Yeah i could do without the peanut gallery. The name is slowly gaining popularity.



But i didn't want a common name. I didn't want him to go to school and be the third one in his class with the same name. So i guess the weird looks and questions is my own fault. However, people don't react the same way they did when he was younger...as weird as that is. And dont get me wrong, there were plenty of people who would say, "wow, thats a great name."



People ask me all the time where i got the name. When i was in high school i was reading Teen Magazine or one of those teeny-bopper mags, and there was an article about a Dallas Cowboy cheerleader and her son Hunter. I thought then that that was such a cool name. Of course, i probably thought it was cool because his mom was a cheerleader. I actually never really thought much about the name after that until i became pregnant at 19. Before i found out what i was having i had picked names for both sexes. Hunter being if it was a boy...much to his fathers displeasure. I wanted a boy so bad that i had actually convinced myself i was having a girl. So when the ultrasound was being done and she told me it was a boy i didn't believe her. But the doctor had come in and confirmed without a doubt...it was a boy. Hunter it was. Now, his father absolutely HATED the name and was deadset against it. But since he had dropped us like a hot potato, the decision became ultimately mine.



Now its becoming increasingly popular in this part of the country. I even work with two guys who both have sons name Hunter. My Hunter is the oldest of the three but we joke about it all the time. So how did you come up with your kids' names??

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Being a Single Mother

This post may cause a little controversy but it's my blog and this is just how I feel.

I am a single mother.

I have been a single mother pretty much since i was pregnant. Hunters father and I were off and on for years...more off...and i always felt like the single mom even when we were together. I'm not going to get into details, just take my word for it.

With that being said, being a single mother does not define who i am.

Its simply part of what i do.

Nothing irks me more than when single mothers try to use it to their advantage and have people feel sorry for them. You will never hear me use it as an excuse for anything. In fact, i barely ever mention it. I hate when i tell people my story and they say, "Oh that must be so hard for you." Yeah, sure it is, but parenting is hard for everyone. I don't sit here and think, "Oh poor me, my life is so hard," and throw myself a pity party. Who has time for that?



I don't find it to be all that difficult...sure it sucks sometimes when you would like to pass the kid off to your hubby but can't. Maybe its just because it's been this way since the beginning and i'm used to it. I actually really enjoy not having to "share" him on weekends and i like being the only decision maker. What mama says, goes!

I give single parents all the credit in the world but i just don't like it when people use it as an excuse. I heard a woman say at the school yard recently, "Oh well, i'm a single mom, and his/her father is hardly ever around. That's why they behave so bad." I just wanted to shake her!

Hello!! I'm in the same boat only my sons father hasn't seen him in 3 years and my son doesn't act like that.

Why doesn't he act like that? Because there is no way in hell i would allow that and then make excuses for it!! Sure some kids have a hard time with divorces or separations however, she wasn't even disciplining him or anything for his un-excusable behavior. So of course he's gonna act like that....you let him.


I guess i just hate when people do things like that because it makes us (single moms) look weak. And we are not! Single parents are exceptionally strong people...we have to be. You learn to pick up the pieces, stay strong, and move on. Trust me, in the end you'll be a better parent for it.

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Family funeral with a little drama...

Things have been a bit busy around here. I've spent the first few days of the new year de-cluttering my house. That included throwing away 11 pairs of shoes, 3 trash bags full of toys, and much more crap i found! Yesterday was the funeral for my great-grandmother. Because we were all prepared for her death it wasn't as devastating as it could have been. They held the wake yesterday morning too, right before the funeral instead of the night before. I thought that was a little odd but i guess since it was mostly just family going, it wasn't a big to-do. So what would a family event be without a little drama?!? Now i must apologize because its nothing too exciting in the way of drama.

Now, let me set the scenario up for you. Back in November my cousin Stacy (names have been changed to protect those involved), had a christening for her daughter. She had said she could only invite close family members because she didn't have a lot of money...which is fine. My grandmother made the dress for her daughter, so she was invited and i was invited. My grandmother and her grandmother are sisters. Are you still with me? Anyways, none of my grandmothers kids gets invited because of the whole money issue. So my grandmother and i go and much to our surprise my ENTIRE family was there and also friends of my cousins grandmother (who apparently knew nothing of the situation). Needless to say, my grandmother and i were quite pissed-off. She made a very expensive christening gown for this girl for free, and she pretty much said F***k you, you're kids aren't good enough. Anways, to make a long story short, my grandmother said something to her sister and she in turn told Stacy that it was completely wrong and rude what she had done.

So Stacy wrote my mother and my three aunts "apology" notes. Ya, if thats what she calls it. It went something like this " I'm sorry if you're feelings were hurt due to my financial situation"....ummm....no dumb Bitch no ones feelings were hurt b/c you are poor, their feelings are hurt because you invited non-family members over family members! DUH!

So, back to yesterday....i never said anything to Stacy or anything about the christening incident. I actually haven't talked to her or seen her since. So, when i walked into the funeral parlor, i made my rounds and was saying hello, when i got to her and my other cousins. I went over and tried to give hugs but all i got was barely a pat on the back from them. For whatever reason, none of my cousins on that side of the family would talk to me. Stacy wouldn't talk to me, look at me, and gave me the cold shoulder. Now, i can understand if she's embarrased by what happened...but what the hell did i do?? She was talking to my mom just fine and my mom was more pissed about it than me! It made just an awkward and uncomfortable situation for the entire day. And if she thought i was mad, why wouldn't she talk to me about it? I just can't understand it. I guess because if i have a problem with someone i let them know and try to work it out.

Stacy and i were always really close growing up too and i guess that's why i'm bothered by it. However, over the past few years we've grown apart. I was always the one making all the effort and i'm just done trying. I don't ever have to see these people except at funerals and weddings, so i'm fine with keeping myself distant....and that's ok, i dont need those family members anyways especially if thats the way they're gonna act.


Oh and one more thing that aggravated me....i finally got my glasses friday so naturally i've been wearing them....and all those douchebags cousins thought they were fake and i was trying to make a fashion statement. No Morons! I can't freakin see!! Basically, i had to make it a point to let everyone know that i just started wearing glasses because i need them! Argh, family!

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How i found out the truth

Most of us remember when we heard the devastating news. The words that literally changed your life. You were no longer a child with a great imagination. No. You were now considered too old to fantasize and play make-believe.

I'm talking about when you found out the truth about Santa. Maybe your parents sat you down and decided it was time. Or maybe some punk kid at school told you. Mine was far worse than any of those. As much as I gripe and groan about some imaginary fat man getting all the credit for my hard work, i still want my son to believe for as long as possible. There's just something so exciting about the kids believing so much in the magic of Christmas. It makes me wish i could still believe.

Now back to how i found out. Are you ready for this?? This was probably the worst way any child could ever find out.

I was in the fourth grade, only nine years old. Sure, the kids at school all said they didn't believe and of course i went along with them. However, i really did still believe and thought those kids weren't gonna get anything because they stopped believing. I don't ever remember any of the kids saying it was the parents. It was more or less, "cool" to say you didn't believe. So there i was, in class, right before the holidays, when my fourth grade teacher asked if anyone believed in Santa Clause. We all looked around and not one hand went up. I wasn't gonna be the only kid to raise my hand and get made fun of. Thats when my whole life changed.

My fourth grade teacher told the entire class there was no Santa and it was our parents! My. Fourth. Grade. Teacher!!! I couldn't believe my ears. I remember seeing the looks of horror on some of my classmates faces (not all but some). She had just confirmed my worst nightmare. Why did she have to ruin it for me? I loved believing!

Naturally, i went home and told my mom what Mrs. C (yup i even remember her name) said. My mother was so mad, called the school and Mrs. C was not allowed to return the following year. To this day, i still hold a grudge against that bitch teacher.


So, how did you or your kids find out?

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