I turned to Mitch and said, "I can't believe we pulled this off!!"
Sunday, June 28, 2015
Tennessee (family, friend, and bbq!)
June 27-28:
June 27: Left around 9:45am from Frisco...stopped in Memphis, Tennessee to see my cousin Taylor, and a good friend, Chris. Per Taylor's suggestion, we stopped at a great barbecue joint called "Central BBQ." I tried the rib plate, which was pretty decent. I honestly preferred Taylor's bbq pork nachos. The girls didn't brave the more traditional barbecue fare but Mitch tried the brisket.
While we were eating, my friend, Chris, joined us for awhile. It's always nice seeing him, as I've not seen him since the first week of February. (He had come to visit the few days before I left to visit Mitch back in February.
Our original plan, when we left Memphis, was to drive to Nashville and spend the night. However, all the hotels in Nashville were booked as well as the surrounding areas and through Knoxville. We finally found a shoddy place to sleep called "Americas best value inn" around midnight and went right to bed. Needless to say, the place was crummy enough as to where we all immediately went to sleep and no one showered this morning.
Anyway, we left around 6:45 and per the gps, should be arriving right before dinner.
Final stretch... go!!
Wednesday, June 24, 2015
NM --> TX
Left Roadway Inn in Tucumcari, NM and just crossed the boarder of Texas...So far, nothing too exciting to report.
We should be to Mitch's parents by 2pm if all goes well.
Tuesday, June 23, 2015
AZ --> NM
June 22 (evening) - 23 (morning). Stopped in Pinetop, AZ for the night to stay with Mitch's aunt. Got a decent night's sleep and we were on our way after breakfast. We are planning to stop in Tucumcari, NM for the night (approximately a 6.5 hour drive) as it is approximately halfway between Pinetop and Frisco, TX, where Mitch's parents live.
The kids have been troopers and are being pleasant and cooperative... Surprisingly. Needless to say, we still have a lot of driving ahead of us.
Monday, June 22, 2015
Family photo shoot
May 31...Had a family photo shoot in balboa park. This entire visit has been amazing and this set of photos hardly scratches the surface of how awesome we are as a family! I was fortunate enough to have Jenna, my step daughter, for the day as well.
Off we go...
6/21: So today was the day... About 4 hours ago, we packed into the car like sardines. Armed with enough snacks, drinks and candy to last a week, we said our goodbyes and forged onward.
I was so nervous when I picked the girls up from their dad's house, I was shaking. I hadn't cried until we said goodbye to him and his girlfriend, her daughter Scarlett and my step daughter, Jenna. My heart broke a little.
The girls shed a few tears as we pulled away from the neighborhood, and I had fully prepared myself for an indefinite period of crying, but was very surprised when we hit the freeway and a dance party erupted with laughter and smiles... And questions about our route and what activities we had planned.
Wednesday, June 10, 2015
packing up my life
The process of packing for moving is really stressful. I am very excited for what lies ahead but it is definitely a stressful process, getting everything put into boxes. The girls are really excited about it and have been trying to "help" me pack, which has oftentimes proven to be more work than help...but I am feeling very thankful that they are so eager to start the new chapter of our lives.
I can't help but feel apprehensive about what's to come. This isn't my first rodeo and I am a bit nervous about making this work. Sure, we've known each other since we were kids and have only grown closer over the years, but the real test will be when we live together - and that's kind of scary. Mitch has been through a lot in his relationships, especially his marriage, and so we're both starting over. I wonder if the damage from his marriage ending will ever get in the way of us, just as much as I worry if the independence I've had for the last few years will get in the way of us.
I am so used to being by myself (or by myself with the kids) and making decisions for myself. I'm not used to checking in and explaining myself to someone - I'm used to just doing what I feel is necessary or right for whatever situation that I'm in. I take the kids' needs and my own needs into consideration and just do what I want. Mitch tends to need more explanation than I'm used to giving and it'll take some adjusting on my part to be able to give him the information that he wants.
It'll be an interesting journey, that's for sure.
I can't help but feel apprehensive about what's to come. This isn't my first rodeo and I am a bit nervous about making this work. Sure, we've known each other since we were kids and have only grown closer over the years, but the real test will be when we live together - and that's kind of scary. Mitch has been through a lot in his relationships, especially his marriage, and so we're both starting over. I wonder if the damage from his marriage ending will ever get in the way of us, just as much as I worry if the independence I've had for the last few years will get in the way of us.
I am so used to being by myself (or by myself with the kids) and making decisions for myself. I'm not used to checking in and explaining myself to someone - I'm used to just doing what I feel is necessary or right for whatever situation that I'm in. I take the kids' needs and my own needs into consideration and just do what I want. Mitch tends to need more explanation than I'm used to giving and it'll take some adjusting on my part to be able to give him the information that he wants.
It'll be an interesting journey, that's for sure.
Thursday, June 4, 2015
Oh, Z...
Tonight, Z had yet another melt down with regards to her phone. I had taken the girls with me to one of my (embarrassing) jobs - being a courier for postmates. Ordinarily, they love coming with me and get into the whole process. They scour the "heat map" for the busiest job locations and help my find parking and house numbers.
However, tonight, things were different. Z was refusing to cooperate or listen to me. E was screaming because Z was antagonizing her. Z hit E for whatever reason and when I told them to stop, so I took her phone away and told her that she could have it back the next morning. This triggered a TWO HOUR screaming match. It frustrated me so much and I really didn't know how to handle myself. I mean, what does one do when their extremely angry 11 year old is lying on the floor screaming and yelling "GIVE ME MY PHONE, GIVE IT BACK." So I told her that for every time she yelled at me to "GIVE IT BACK," she would get another day added on. She probably yelled it 40 times, but I wasn't counting. I was too busy trying to keep calm and not totally blow a gasket.
So, to my parent readers, how DOES one deal with an inconsolable pre-teen who is not listening to logic and/or reason?!?! How does one keep calm? How can I firmly place boundaries upon her without the back-and-forth arguments? I'm in need of some suggestions because I feel like I am running in circles half the time and feel like banging my head against the wall when we argue. Her logic and reason go out the window and I'm left with this Jeckyll/Hyde transformation with her switching between reasonable and unreasonable, tears and screaming to apologies and hugs... don't know how much of this I can take or whether I will survive her teenage years.
However, tonight, things were different. Z was refusing to cooperate or listen to me. E was screaming because Z was antagonizing her. Z hit E for whatever reason and when I told them to stop, so I took her phone away and told her that she could have it back the next morning. This triggered a TWO HOUR screaming match. It frustrated me so much and I really didn't know how to handle myself. I mean, what does one do when their extremely angry 11 year old is lying on the floor screaming and yelling "GIVE ME MY PHONE, GIVE IT BACK." So I told her that for every time she yelled at me to "GIVE IT BACK," she would get another day added on. She probably yelled it 40 times, but I wasn't counting. I was too busy trying to keep calm and not totally blow a gasket.
So, to my parent readers, how DOES one deal with an inconsolable pre-teen who is not listening to logic and/or reason?!?! How does one keep calm? How can I firmly place boundaries upon her without the back-and-forth arguments? I'm in need of some suggestions because I feel like I am running in circles half the time and feel like banging my head against the wall when we argue. Her logic and reason go out the window and I'm left with this Jeckyll/Hyde transformation with her switching between reasonable and unreasonable, tears and screaming to apologies and hugs... don't know how much of this I can take or whether I will survive her teenage years.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)