"Three weeks and then I'll be back." That's what Patrick said, 3 weeks ago. He wasn't totally lying, he is coming back...for a week and then moving up to Missouri permanently. I say permanently, "tongue in cheek".
He says that God wants him there. He is writing blog posts about crying out to Jesus and fighting demons etc. I won't judge his relationship with God, but abandoning his children isn't the sort of thing God does, so it's difficult to believe that God has encouraged Patrick to do so.
What I have found is that it seems easier to take care of the children 100% of the time than it was doing it half and half. I don't know if it's because you get used to the chaos and no privacy or by simply having no other choice, but to enjoy the time spent together. It could also be the fact that I have full control over every single parental and disciplinary decision. Either way, that's how it is from now until Patrick comes up with another great opportunity for himself that effects us.
It was not fun trying to explain to Noah that this is his last week with his Father for a while. Patrick has been calling to talk to the kids almost consistently for the passed three weeks. That was very good for Noah, yet highly unusual. I am assuming this means Patrick will not be joining the Army. It's his last chance since he will be turning 29 in October and I think that's the cut-off.
I am just glad this wasn't another family move to another state and personally, I chalk this up to an, "I'm almost 30, now what?" crisis.
Jason and I planned a trip up to North Carolina with the kids to visit Jason's family. All except his sister Trish, stuck in Iraq for atleast another month.
It is a 9 hour drive, not including stops. It is a ten to twelve hour drive, including kids. SIGH. We did really well on the way up. We got up really early, had snacks and waters. I borrowed a DVD player from my friend Marci to keep the kids entertained. We stopped a lot, but it wasn't so bad. We get there and our first stop is the new house that Charley (Jason's dad) is currently building-by himself. It is a beautiful (atleast on the outside, the inside is still framework) three story with a couple of decks with great views and right next door to horses and goats. I have met his parents once before, but enjoyed the visit, so I wasn't too nervous. This was their first meeting of the kids. Keep in mind that Patrick left for Missouri the week before, so I have no idea how well the kids will behave. So far, so good. We take a little tour and then head down to Corrine's (Jason's mom) house.
North Carolina is beautiful! Mountains and trees and woods. They live in Franklin, which hosts the local Piggly Wiggly, nuff said. We get to her house and only Sheena (Jason's sister) is home and of course the puppies, Corky and JoJo. Sheena is beautiful and the puppies are too cute. I got to spend a little bit of time with Sheena the week before when she was visiting Lakeland. We saw The Dark Night and that neat pencil trick... The house is very girly, lots of purple, I LOVED it! We start to settle in, Amber comes home and Nora immediately hugs her... I don't know if she's a good judge of character or just trusts the brown haired girls quicker? Hmmm... Amber is as imagined...a bit of a rocker and very quiet. The kids go down fairly easily and we get to watch some really great home movies of when Jason was a little one. I got to see his parents in action too. There were some cute and very hilarious moments caught on tape.
The next day is spent with a walk in the woods enjoying the cool weather. The only animal we saw was a snake and falling rocks from behind while we were hiking scared the crap out of us. Noah, "doesn't like the woods because it's scary and it's scary because he doesn't like the woods." Well then. Lunch at a diner and then back to the house. I think it was this day that Corrine showed me the coffee shop downtown and the Whistlestop Mall. The mall was a really neat down home kindof place. I really enjoyed it. There was a wood furniture shop, the type of furniture that looks like they grabbed a few trees and nailed them together to form a dresser. Corrine and I walked around the shops while Jason took care of the kids (he is so awesome). We got to learn a little more about each other and do what girls do best, shop! After a smash and grab at the candy shop we headed home. I made Jason try Jalapeno Jelly Bellies, ha! Ryan (Amber's new boyfriend) was coming over to meet her big brother that night, so we got to play Apples to Apples and Cranium, yay! I really liked him, but it could have been the 2g holes in his ears. :o) My throat started to hurt that night and by about 11pm I was officially not feeling well.
I will spare you the gory details about the following morning, but I'll just say I was glad Corrine was there. I ended up at the hospital with her that morning with Strep throat and what I'm guessing was a much needed IV. I scared Jason totally unintentionally and spent the rest of the day in bed. I was given something that "might make me sleepy." I am sensitive to the might's of medicines and pretty much slept all day. Jason was wonderful and Sheena too, though babysitting is not her fave. They took care of the kids and Jason took care of me while I got better. The next day was our last and I moved a little slow. Another trip to Charley's where we fed horses and dinner at a great little restaurant with a band. It was perfect for rambunctious kids. Nora really liked the music, closing her eyes and swaying back and forth or clapping.
Two things. When I walked into the bathroom at the house to find a place for my bathroom stuff I was a little shocked. Three girls, one bathroom. We all use pretty much the same products. Same shampoo, razors, body wash, girly products. Same bath towels! Thin purple bath towels, lavender, same as I have at home. Hmm.
And. I think that Charley and Corrine did a fantastic job with their children. When Jason is around the kids I notice his skill of consistency and the time spent with his family was no different. Though it was tough a lot of the time the kids really benefited being around grownups that didn't let them get away with anything. I learned a lot too. A lot of great lessons are caught, not taught and I don't think you ever stop being a teacher in that sense.
So, thank you so much Greb family for opening your homes to us. We enjoyed meeting and getting to know you.
Devil or Angel? Just give her what she wants!! Aaaagh!
It's been a few days, having the kids 24/7. Noah is adjusting. He is totally acting out and whining and being an all around brat, but I know it will eventually pass. He talked to his Daddy today without bawling his eyes out and Nora talks to Daddy too and I can tell she benefits from it. She is too smart for her own good!
Saturday, not so much, but Sunday I made sure we weren't home long enough to get bored. Church and then lunch, afterwards we went to Grandma's and hung out with the family. After Grandma's we met an old friend of mine, Mary, at Funtasia with her son Jaden. I wondered if we'd actually get together after our trip to Alabama and am glad we did. Her little boy is awesome and we had a good time.
There was this small incident... Noah was following Jaden, followed by Mary, Nora and then myself through the maze of twisting colorful tunnels when all of a sudden Noah pops up in front of me with his cheeks puffed up like he's gonna throw up or already did and is holding it in. We race back down, the whole time I am telling him NOT to open his mouth for fear of contaminating the play area or someone's child! He does so well and since there isn't a restroom within sight we head to the garbage can for him to spit up or continue throwing up. I graciously step between Noah and the guy at the table directly across eating dinner (pizza) and ask Noah if he's okay. Does he need a drink? No. He's ready to play some more. Okay... Can you see him saying, "put me back in Coach!"
Nora, who totally amazes me at times, was very fun. This kid about her age or a little older accidentally picks her head up with a mound of balls while in the ball pit and does she cry? No. She smacks him. Yeah, she has an older brother. And all of us climb to the tippy top of the tunnels to go down the highest tunnel slide (which is basically a deep dark scary thing or should be) and Nora just takes her turn not even waiting for Mary to get to the bottom or for me to do the train thing with her. I see her as either a cheerleader or student council president or somethin'. No private school for her, she can HANDLE herself!
I have been reflecting a lot recently. I can't believe within the next two months Nora will be two and Noah will be five. He starts Pre K in a couple of weeks!
September 14th marks one year since my car accident. So much has changed within that year.
Jason and I have been dating for almost six months. What God has done in six months is truly a blessing. Restoration is a miraculous thing.
Teaching Noah how to play Hopscotch. :o)
more cat pictures
I got back from my wonderful weekend away and met with Patrick for him to sign some paperwork. He dropped a bomb. He was moving...tomorrow. This was Monday, it's Tuesday and he's gone. Missouri is his destination.
He went to "the revival", he met a family, and left with them back to Missouri, where they live. He says he will only be gone for three weeks and is still going into the Army. He says that this is what God has told him to do. Really. God told him to abandon his family and leave a wake of destruction five miles wide to help this other family with their property.
He would not go too well into detail because I was not receptive. I wonder why?
All I know is, my little boy cried himself to sleep tonight because he misses his Daddy. The same gut wrenching cry I myself have done, grieving over this man who continues to hurt us.
Don't worry Patrick. I'll clean up the mess, I've actually gotten pretty good at it.
I am not sure I have ever been on a vacation that wasn't actually a move outta state or with children. This passed weekend Jason and I and an old friend of mine, Mary all went to visit Bryant in Alabama. Fort Rucker area. The drive was about 8 hours long and I am that annoying person who has to pee frequently. I didn't really know this about myself. Anyway. We got there finally with a time difference of one hour settled in and then went to visit the aviation museum on Bryant's Army base. It was very interesting. What was more interesting was watching Bryant and Mary do the "I like you do you like me" dance. :o)
We went to dinner at La Bamba's (bleh mexican) and back to Bryant's to watch a movie on his fantastically giant HD TV. Saturday morning we headed to the beach in Panama City. A great day was had by all! PC beach area had a Starbucks, thank GOD! and waves. We found a semi-private beach and got half naked and went dunking in the water. Swimming...not so much...with the powerful waves and tiny blue jellyfish that no one (not even WO Bryant) was brave enough to touch to see if they stung. Someone tried to drown and every ambulance/lifeguard/firetruck in the area showed up to "help". It was dinner time and we were more than an hour away from a shower and could not see one on our particular area of the beach, so we went for a little walk.
Now I am not really a criminal mind, but I have needs and one of these particular needs was to get the icky green seaweed out of my crotch and make myself presentable enough to go out to dinner and dancing after being at the beach all afternoon. We finally found a shower behind a locked gate and a very tempting pool. Now this was behind a parking garage of what looked like a new, very empty, building. No security to speak of. The blessed shower was great, but not really doing the trick, so Mary and I ran and jumped in the pool. Chlorine, I love you. Clean and happy, we walked back to the truck where we proceeded to change and get ready for dinner, completely acceptable thing to do in a beach town, which is what it certainly is.
Back at the mall area we waited forever to eat Hot and Mango Habanero boneless wings enjoying burning our tongues and good conversation. Still on FL time we arrive at Club Vela at 10pm where we are forced to listen to a horrific metal band until 11pm when the clubs open. Bryant has told me stories. Stories of Jason and Vodka and dancing with the ladies. One Sex on the Beach and a SoCo shot later (thanks Mary) we are making our way onto the dance floor. I usually go out dancing with the girls. Jason's been out a few times, but we have never been out together. If you've ever been to a club, it starts out like high school with only the bravest or most retarded dancing and gets a little more crowded as the alcohol flows. It was great though. We danced, Mary and Bryant danced, more and more shots, NO PURPLE HOOTERS, and it was time to go. At the final club there were beds, in the club. BEDS! Seriously? No. There may have been a little puking on the way home, by the girl who asked for one more shot please! Sexy right?
Sunday morning was spent getting a picture in from of the infamous Boll Weevil and eating at Po'folks where the word Ya'll was spread around evenly by the staff. It was definitely Alabama. One more movie and we started the trek home. Eight more hours in the car and we finally made it. Yay! I had a fabulous time with Jason who, after we hit Alabama, did not answer his phone once. Double Yay! Let's do it again in two weeks, but this time with two kids and two extra hours in the car!
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Bobby Kuzma said:
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on Vacation...ur doin it wrong...