halloween paybacks

for weeks Z & I went back & forth on costumes. i took him to the party store, we looked at walmart & target, then finally to the halloween shop.

he wanted bloody scream & i said no; too gruesome & he wore a mask last year, i wanted to see his face. we finally agreed on a swat-team grey camo costume with a muscled chest & a helmet with glasses. at home he put it on & decided he didn't want it.

then....on friday when i went to pick him up the school parking lot was packed. i was a bit confused until i realized it was the school halloween "carnival". so i ask him if he wants to go, of course, so then does that mean he will wear the swat costume? bc if he does, that means it's his for halloween. yes and no were his answers.....

he decided to wear his costume from last year; it was a black robe with blue material on the front & a mask from a star wars character (blue with little horns around the head). i was fine with that & we all went back to school.

& everyone one we saw Z had to tell them that he was wearing last year's costume.....thanks kiddo.

down to the valley

weekend before last i went down to the valley, a surprise trip to celebrate S's birthday.  well, it was for her grandma; M & I surprised her though.

when i got to town i went by nana's house; i had to see it.  there was an rv in the driveway with a for sale sign on it & they installed a handrail along the front porch steps, then i went back to the alley.  i needed to see the backyard too, even though i knew it was going to hurt.  the shed that was just outside the back door was gone.  the big chair that used to be in her living room was out on the patio.  i think the hardest part was looking at her trees; knowing i couldn't go walk in that yard anymore.

the fig tree i used to climb.  the trunk still has the marks from where i used an axe to cut steps in it.  yeah, so my dog could climb the tree, duh....never mind that it was ok for a little girl to play with an axe unsupervised.

i left there & went to visit cousin C.  little C didn't like me at first, he thought i was a teacher coming to work with him.  cousin C & i caught up on family drama & little C warmed up to me.  for the first time i saw the scar on his tummy from the operation he had when he was a baby.  before i knew it he was putting his feet & hands on me so i could rub on him.  must be a guy thing, i am here, rub me.

i got to town late so i didn't get to spend as much time visiting the C's as i would have liked before it was time for me to head over to surprise S.  it was fun to talk, hang out & catch up, we've all been so busy with things; even FB check ins have been sparse, so in person was really over due.

even though i didn't take Z with me, one of S's cousins managed to end up calling me mom, here i thought i would get the night off.  mid-October the middle of the day was still 100, so we were all wiped pretty early & headed off to M's hotel room to soak up some a/c. 

the next morning we got up just in time to have hotel breakfast, then shortly we went on our separate ways.  when i got home the boys had enjoyed their time alone.

finally

i'm back, i know, it's been way too long...

work was kicking my butt, i was completely exhausted all the time, plenty of nights i was going to bed at 8:30.  then the laptop up & died, without a cursory blue screen of death....i got vertical lines of color & the screen went out.  luckily, i was able to get all my bookmarks & thankfully i didn't keep anything on there before it was gone.

Z's been busy with school.  i almost am afraid to say it, but my bff hasn't called lately.  although Z did get a red card the other (which really, who cares if bff doesn't call, i'm good).  he started guitar lessons a few weeks ago; he goes back & forth between liking it & not....because he actually has to practice.  he's also still doing the cub scout thing, but along the same lines, he's not all that into it other than going to the meetings, he's not down with extra effort.  reports cards are coming out soon, i don't think anyone around here is looking forward to that.

B's also been busy doing his nursing thing.  thankfully his class load isn't too heavy, but he's about to start his clinicals soon, so that will be interesting.  they actually went to check things out last week & the entire class got stuck in the parking lot elevator....for an hour.  glad i wasn't there, i would most surely have to pee or something.

i think i've gotten into the swing of things with working.  one day i forgot to put on anti-antiperspirant...while it was still very summer.  another day i forgot to brush my teeth.  seriously!  how could i, clean teeth freak forget i really don't know!  what's worse, i couldn't come home at lunch to brush them.  so i used wet paper towels to rub them a little, chewed several pieces of gum & popped breath mints, often & managed to survive the day.

my mom still isn't talking to me.

i miss nana like crazy still, her birthday back in september was a rough day.