Three short days from today

literally-like-this-it-wasWell the big countdown is on!  The first sleepover!  We are so very excited, and by “we” I mean my soon to be 9-year-old and her BFF who called this morning so they could giggle about the coming party.

During the day there were moments of spontaneous happiness as I was reminded of the actual amount of days left in the countdown. The joys of youth, if we could all get so excited the world would be a much better place. We are now in preparation mode.  Cleaning the entire house is at the top of the list since we will also have a family party next weekend.  Meg has actually been very helpful with the cleaning.  Amazing what you can achieve with a well motivated child.

All I hope is that the actual event comes close to the expectations my child has for the night.

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!