Summer only comes once a year.

For the better part of last summer, my girls were stuck in the house mostly keeping an eye on me.  After my surgery I was not very mobile for many weeks and was not able to drive for a few more than that.  We watched a lot of movies (mostly they watched and I slept), and they spent a good amount of time on the computer.  Frank did his best running them around after he got home from work but the reality is that they spent much of their time sitting around.

Day one of soccer camp
Day one of soccer camp

This summer I wanted to make sure that was not the case!  I have tried to both Image 1Image 2schedule events that keep them active and challenge them as well as allow them time to “relax” and enjoy the summer.  Several camps for both girls mixed with pool time, visits to the library and of course a little summer homework to keep little minds fresh.

This week the girls are at the park for soccer camp.  This has been good for all of us.  I drop them with the coach and then use the opportunity to walk the park.  It is a nice change of scenery.  I managed 2 miles today in all of our heat and humidity.

It has been a nice start to the summer!  I am enjoying the time with the girls.   I do have surgery next Friday but I do not expect to skip a beat.  I figure I will be back to normal in a day or two. We have too much to do and too little time!  Time sure does fly when you are having fun!

Sperm donor, daddy, jackass, grandpop……loser!

Around Christmas time I posted about my father and his meeting with my girls.  I use the term “father” since it would be politically incorrect to say sperm donor.  My life would probably have been easier if he had been just that a donor.  Some dude who did his thing behind a closed-door expecting anonymity.  Instead mine was just a weak and pitiful male human being.  One who cheated on my mother and had nothing to do with us as children.  One who would show up sometimes for visitation with us with a possible new wife or girlfriend.

So, we are about 6 months out from the big meeting. If anyone is wondering how that has gone I thought I would share an update.   Following Christmas, the girls had contact with their grandfather.   A few phone calls, a card at both Valentine’s day and Easter.  He calls, they answer I have nothing to do with any of it.  I have no interest in a relationship with a man who left me when I was a mere baby, a man who showed up from time to time with different girlfriends/ wives each younger than the last.  A man who never felt a second of responsibility in his life.

I accepted years ago who he was which in my life honestly, was nothing.  To me he has been dead for many years.  It was a tough decision for me but as my girls got old enough to actually start asking the right questions I did not want to lie to them.  They had a right to meet the only living grandparent that they had.  I tried to prepare them not to exect too much.  It is hard to explain how they felt about him to be honest.  The phone calls would last less about 5 minutes and could be counted on one hand.  They of course loved getting $20 in the mail at Easter.  They never spoke about him outside of the calls themselves nor do they ask about him, which it turns out is a good thing.

See, he is the weak, sad, pitiful man I always knew he was.  Recently he decided to stir things up and in the end has done what he always has, what he is good at and he has disappeared.  No more calls.  I told the girls the truth, some people just suck.  My 6-year-old sums it up perfectly, “Mommy, any daddy who leaves his family is not nice anyway so I don’t care if he calls”.

Am I upset about this?  Sure because I allowed him to have contact with the most important, most wonderful, most innocent things in the world, my babies. Would I have loved him to have surprised me and actually stepped up to something, sure!  In the end, he is exactly what I have always believed, a loser!

I have certain memories.  My siblings and I do not discuss my father much.  Between an alcoholic mother and a non-existent father sometimes having conversations about childhood can be tough.  Instead we each have our own memories good, bad and everything in-between.  Some may or may not be accurate but it is how we each remember things.

Since I had the least contact with him in growing up, I hoped that somewhere I had made things worse in my own mind to “deal” with reality.  Sadly, I have to report, that is not the case.  He is truly the  immature, shallow, weak, irresponsible ass I grew up thinking that he was.

To my girls, I am sorry.  I guess maybe lying is sometimes the better way to go.  It does not matter what else is out there, mommy and daddy love you both with all of our hearts!

Wax, Patience and a do over

The weather has been unstable to say the least over the last week or so.  Yesterday it stormed off and on all day rainy very heavy at points.  We went to the movies to see Monsters University.  It was good.  The kids loved it and Frank and I were both pleasantly entertained.

Today it was rainy from the time I woke up.  I knew we would need to find something to fill the day so the girls and I did something different.  Before the girls were born I played around making candles.  There has been a bin of supplies stashed away on a shelf in the garage for the better part of 9 years.  Early this morning I pulled it down and we did a quick inventory.  Then we headed to the craft store for a few needed things.  The girls were so excited.

Strawberry and Ocean Mist
Strawberry and Ocean Mist

Once we got home a marathon of wax melting began.  We made both jar candles and pillar.  We started with the jar candles and things went very smoothly.  The girls each chose a color and scent and both turned out wonderfully.  The morning was going so well we decided to push our luck and go for the pillar candles.  For those who had never tried candle making these take much more work and patience.

Things started well, wax melted, molds set up with wicks and ready. The girls were so in the groove we made three.  After sitting for several hours we decided to try to remove them.  Now, this is where that patience thing comes in handy, something that is just not a strong suit for me or the girls.  They

Lavender and Cranberry
Lavender and Cranberry

would have been better off if we had let them sit over night.  Two came out with little to no effort but one does have some cracking running through it.  Gives it a little character I guess.  The third, well that is a totally different story.  We will not have a lovely round Vanilla candle since after multiple attempts at removing it I just pulled the wick clean out.  A very frustrating turn of events. Tomorrow we will chisel out the wax melt it back down and try again.  Next time I guess we will not skip the step recommending mold release spray :-).  It was still a very nice day spent with my girls.