it happened....what we've all been waiting for

FINALLY OMG!!!!!

so whenever, i'm talking every.single.time.my.[cell].phone.rings.at.work, there's a little panic in my heart that it's my bff peggy [Z's vp] calling not to share her new fab recipe, but to tell me Z's in trouble. again.

but it happened.
the day of redemption.
she called.
my phone rang.
my heart skipped a bit.

& by now, i'm pretty sure girlfriend knows i know what's about to be said, so she starts out with "Z's ok, he's not hurt, but i would like to talk to about something that happened today".

gulp.
[actually is more of - now wtf? but whatever....]

the boys were playing a game during recess which involved kicking a ball, but you know how things get out of hand [& here's where Z kicks some kid's a** - usually].

but IT DIDN'T.

Z used his words.
& he didn't kick, punch or bite anyone either!
[remember prison playground brawl '09]
nor did he piss on any walls.
[at least not that we're aware of]

so, the kicking got out of control & a gaggle of boys got to visit bff peggy. Z was the only one that didn't get in trouble; he blocked kicks to defend himself & did not kick anyone back.

peggy called to let us know how proud she was of Z; that he was growing up & making better choices & she wanted us to be aware of it.

yes, you read that right.
9 years, 5 months, 3 days is all it took.

time for costumes

i thought it was pretty funny that i was dressing up for halloween to go to work yet Z couldn't dress up to go to school....school's way too uptight nowadays....

Z ended up picking out a blade costume, although he called it an inspector or something like that & i was a sailor girl. at the end of the day i was wiped, pantyhose really wear a girl out....

at home B & I were just putting up our halloween decorations when we got our first trick or treaters. once it starting getting dark we headed over to J's so Z could trick or treat with a gang of kiddos, always much more fun, especially beings mommy got a drink to take along thanks to J.

we went up & down the neighborhood blocks, it was surprising how many houses didn't participate this year, lots of darkness. the kiddos had a good time though, so that's all that mattered....oh & momma getting her drink on.

when we got home we got very few trick or treaters as well, surprisingly no giant teenagers this year. although after we closed up shop for the night we did get someone at the door at like 9pm, which was a bit weird. lights out buddy, you missed it!

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.

what happened at school

i thought Z had matured over the summer, maybe i was wrong.  he did well at the summer play place we sent him to, granted it wasn't all day but still.  i thought the new teacher was a good fit, not that i've changed my mind, it's just another piece in the puzzle.

my bff called tues; i told her Z had grown up, how we liked his new teacher & that we hoped this year would be much better than last.  she was calling to check in, she had sent a message home for us to have a meeting to re-assess everything after last year's review, but i hadn't received the notice.  based on my words she decided to wait a few weeks to set up the meeting.

on weds i missed her call.  i also missed B's 2 calls, i didn't have a clue what was up until i got home.

Z had gotten in trouble.
someone had told him to hit another kid.
so he did.
a girl.
then he asked her if she was ok, she said yes.
then he asked her if she wanted to tell a supervisor, she said no.

then later she did & Z went to the office.

so 3 weeks into the school year & he's used up his one chance.
he was given "school suspension" where he went to a different classroom for the day.

i need a suspended tag

that's all i'm gonna say about that

the interview

my job listing did come up, i applied & later received a notice from HR that my salary requirements exceeded the position. they provided a range & said if i didn't reply accepting it, i would be dropped from the pool. i contacted F that night & asked if this was negotiable. i had put a salary higher than what i was currently making bc i thought it was standard practice to negotiate during the interview process, in addition i'm not taking their medical benefits which are a large portion of their package.

F did speak with me the following am & explained his hands were tied by HR, but there were other things he could do. that was good enough for me so i replied to the message.

F & i interviewed the other day & even though i know him, i was still nervous & uncomfortable. the HR guy was part of the interview process as well & he had 3 pages of questions. F asked him if we really had to do all that? if we had to ask all the questions? there were moments that were easy, but there was a question i choked on & F had to lead me to an answer.

as far as i know he didn't interview anyone else for the job (a benefit of calendar management) & i forgot to ask when they would be making a decision (mainly bc i did so poorly on the interview).

i don't know why i was so nervous, but i was & i was so mad at myself later i ended up with a headache.

good thing my boss likes me!