It's all to teach a lesson

So last Christmas, we bought the Drama Princess & Professor the hot new Nintendo DS. These damn things cost $139 EACH.

We went to a total of 4 stores to find these specific colors they wanted too. Over Thanksgiving break, I asked them where their gaming thingys were. They both shrugged their shoulders.

Did I yell?

No

Did I beat them black & blue?

No

I CANCELLED CHRISTMAS.

NO TREE

NO LIGHTS

NO CAROLS

NO JOLLY WHITE MAN VISITING THE HOUSE

NO REINDEER FEET HEARD ON THE ROOF

This was harsh, I know. Throughout the year my kids are usually honor roll or straight A students so for them to get nothing for Christmas is super bad.

To make matters worse, everywhere they go, someone asks them "what are you getting for Christmas?"

They have been ungrateful for the things we buy for them and the sacrifices we make to do fun things for them. Now they will remember forever the Christmas of 2008 and hopefully they get the message that we have been screaming about for so long.

Life 2.0 updated

You love me.......you really love me. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of my fans around the world. You guys are the best and have been there for me from the very beginning.



Okay, let me explain why I'm gushing with love. It all started with a email alert from a comment from my Thic friend wanting an update on my life and the madness involved.



Super big shot out to Thicky....baby, you're the best, thanks for thinking of me!!!

He was thinking about me, as all of my imaginary friends do and wanted an update on the crapola I was going through. Well folks, when the sh** hits the fan, it doesn't make a little splatter.

Marriage: Been working on the whole communication thing. Who knew my dear Huz couldn't read my mind and actually had opinions of his own. Yeah, I know, I sit in amazement still too. We're at the point of, when it's good, it's good but when it's bad it's really bad. We celebrate another anniversary July 31st and I'm not sure if we're celebrating or just breathing a sigh of relief because we haven't killed or divorced each other this year.

I'm still a slave to the Apple( lovin' my Ipod), but have lost some motivation after losing all of my tunes when the old computer died and went to electronics heaven. Wait, some of the things & songs might have kept my old hardrive from getting into heaven. So maybe, it went to electronic hell....who knows. That sucks big time....Apple needs to explain SLOWLY and multiple times, that you will loose your tunes & flicks if not backed up regularly. Super big sad face!!!

The kids have been out of school since early June. The Drama Princess did not pass the dreaded FCAT test. That means she was retained into the third grade. Sucks big time. I took it more personally and was more hurt that she was. I felt like I failed as a teacher and parent. I don't know. She has to go to summer school(to retake the damn test and maybe pass) despite us prepaying for this super cool, and mad expensive camp for her and The Professor.

CAN YOU SAY NON REFUNDABLE & PISSED OFF!!!!!!

The Professor: He passed the FCAT and third grade with 2 B's away from being a straight A student all school year. He is loving summer camp and the freedom of going by himself without the Drama Princess hovering near by to crush any amount of fun had.

Family Front: The Huz's grandmother had a couple of strokes this summer. She lived a full life and was blessed with 10 children, 23 grand children and 46 great grandchildren. She eventually passed away. That was super hard on all of us especially my husband. He flew home to be with his mom and family during the final preparations and for the funeral.

Job Front: The Huz was laid off from his school. He and 200 other teachers were shafted and given "non reappointment" letters from the local school board. Because he was not yet tenured, he also can not be guaranteed a job in the fall. He has been doing a little hustling on the side and making dough but when August rolls around we gotta do something full time. He has been thinking about teaching at a private christian school but there are many factors and adjustments that would be made including a pay cut.

As for me, we are trying to appeal to the private school as a package deal and want for them to hire me as well. I have my DCF certification and could use the experience for my resume. Not to mention I would love the chance to be back in the classroom full time. I was never given the opportunity to be in the classroom with the school board because I lack a degree. I'M WORKING ON IT, SLOWLY BUT STILL DILIGENTLY WORKING!!

We have been to our local unemployment office and a couple of job fairs and nothing has panned out for us. We're still hope full for our future but hate the waiting.

In a nutshell that has been our summer. There's not much else going on. I truly have valued this summer. The time home with the entire family has given me a new appreciation for my blessings. We have been able to travel a little and enjoy the company of each other. Though my family causes me the most grief, all the time, I still love them all.

Current Events

Hello Imaginary Friends

Not much has been going on in the world of ME.

The Professor and Drama Princess have made it through the FCAT testing!!!! As for their teachers...well, I know they are relieved to have it over.

We bought a new van. Well, not a NEW van but it's one that I like alot. Aside from the color I love everything about the van. The kids & the dog like it too and it has seats that are separated, you know not the big bench seat. This helps a great deal with the Drama Princess fussing on The Professor. With her ADHD and attachment issues she does not know or respect boundaries and has to constantly be the center of every one's attention.

AT. ALL. TIMES.

She fusses on The Professor all the time and he usually just accepts it.

Although lately he's been paying her back for the many years of torture.

She used to call him names under her breath so I couldn't hear them.
He now calls her "ignoramus", over and over again. She hates words she doesn't know the meaning of.

She used to boss him around.
He now tells her to "get out of my space, ignoramus"

She would take toys, books, anything that seemed interesting to him and throw them.
He now hides her things and laughs when she walks in circles looking for them.

I usually have to closely ref their interactions with each other and make sure they don't get brutal but lately I can't help but let some of the stuff the Professor does slip by. I know it's not the "parentally responsible" thing to do. I just love the fact that The Professor is now standing up for himself and not taking her crap anymore.

I know, I know....I get the Bad Parent of the Year Award!!!!

Drama AKA My Sister

So I haven't blogged in a while......shoot me. No really I deserve a kick in the pants because more blogging was apart of my New Year's Resolutions.

I just had to let this go.....

Weeks ago I got a call from the Drama Princess' mom(AKA my sister) asking if she could come and scoop the 'D' Princess for a birthday party (weekend of March 7th) thrown for her girlfriend's son 'Cardo

(girlfriend like bow*wow*chicka bow*wow)

Yep, she's gay!!! Quite the shock to me too!!!

Sooooo, I agree and tell her okay not analyzing all the heavy variables around the dates.

Usually, the weekends spent with DP's mom are disasters waiting to happen
disasters like:

*not returning her on time(no, we are not awake expecting her back at 2am)

*returning her days later(school starts on Monday not Thursday!!!!!)

*returning her smelly

*returning her sick(with ear infections, coughs, diahrrea)

*returning her without feeding her(not a big deal right, try telling DP dinner was at 6pm and not 2am

*returning her with clothing you bought for her that looks like hooker uniforms

*not bringing back herMUCH NEEDED, VERY EXPENSIVE ADHD MEDS

*bring her back with NO SHOES OR JACKET or a combo of both

I hate dealing with any of the above mentioned things in any combonation. but I have to go through this because it is court ordered.

BOTTOM LINE THEY PISS ME OFF.

So now the variables,
this weekend is day light savings time(bad enough she is already late, now she'll be even later)
the big standardized test FCAT (that result in pass or fail 3rd grade)
she is always SUPER DUPER emotional after visits
there's a lot of traffic due to it being Bike Week(another reason to be late)

AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

What the hell was I thinking!!!!

This is what I am grateful for...

"Drama Princess"

Daytona Beach---January, 2008

I know I don't say it enough...could I ever possibly. Princess, I love you. It is moments like these that I treasure. You were not born of me but I feel you are still apart of me.

I know I yell at you for alot of the things you do. I know, and I'm sorry. Sometimes I find it hard to parent you with all of your "quirks" that come with your ADHD and other issues. Your logic and reasoning does not match mine and that makes us constantly bump heads. I'm working on my patience as a parent.

I look back and remember how much progress you have made in life despite_______________(fill in the blank with one of your many issues).

I really and truely believe that your future will be bright and that you are a blessing to our family!!

Mommy/Auntie loves you!!!

Missing Memories....

It is amazing some of the things that we remember from our childhood. There are things that, perhaps, I should forget but still stain my memory still to this day. These are the things that contribute to the pieces of me that often come undone.


My Mom had 4 daughters. She raised us by herself(except for the occasional live in boyfriend), up until the end. I can vividly remember when she started to get sick. I was in the 7th grade and school had been in for about a month.

I remember, it was a Thursday, when I got off the bus and found my Grandfather waiting at the bus stop for us to get off. This was really, really strange, especially being that we were latchkey kids since I was 7 years old.

Being the fat kid I was, I got excited, thinking he was taking us for a snack. But when we got into his Ford Bronco, and he turned off Mahalia Jackson's wailings and got quiet. He took a deep breath and told us that we were going to start staying with Him and Grandma for a while and that our Momma was real sick and was going in the hospital.

Living with my Grandparents was cool, at first. They spoiled us every chance they could. We got all our favorite meals cooked for us (Huge plus in the fat girl department). And because we hastily moved in, we also got new clothes. My sisters and I were oblivious to the hushed conversations that abruptly stopped when we entered the room. Why should we have been, we had just went shopping, got Blue Wack-A-Doo flavored Slurpees before dinner, nobody bothered us about homework, and we were getting ready to have my favorite meal...smothered pork chops, sweet peas & rice pilaf (I have not eaten any of the above meal since).

That following Sunday, after church, we were allowed to go visit my Momma at the hospital...no one prepared us for what were going to see. My plus-sized Momma, had wasted away in a matter of days. The doctor at her bedside patted me on my shoulder while the nurse nearby just shook her head and whispered "Dem poo' babies". None of them had the heart to tell us that our Momma was DYING.... This later on pissed me off. I stayed angry at alot of people because of this and still hang on to threads of hate today. What I also hang on to are the unimportant details that I should forget.

I sometimes have panic attacks because I feel like I can't remember my Momma any more. I have times when it is hard to remember what her face looked like, how her hair was styled, what perfume she wore, her favorite color, her favorite food, how her voice sounded, her favorite song...these missing memories have a tendency to make me come undone....

But then I get a sign, something that I have overlooked many, many times before. It has been kept awaiting the right time to reveal itself to me, in a time when it sooths my aching heart.

My mother passed away at Bethesda Memorial Hospital, in Boynton Beach, Florida on Thursday, September 19, 1991...I was 12 1/2 years old, my sisters, Shahara,11 years old, Crystal (7 years old), Chianti(6 years old)

Fast forward to today...

My Drama Princess has been hounding me to paint her fingernails for days. I just was too busy or it was a tactic to avoid going to bed. I had looked at & painted her nails a thousand times before but had never noticed that she has the oddly long & slender fingers.......that my Momma had.

To this, I say thank you to the universe for sending this RIGHT ON TIME....