Puberty in Boys

My son is in 6th grade now and he's not adjusting well to the changes - having to switch classes.  With the start of school, he also only sees his dad on weekends now. I am married but Monday - Friday, I am SINGLE MOM because of dad's work. 

My son and I dipped our toes into the "puberty" talk a couple weeks ago, but that's all we did.  He doesn't want to talk to mom about that!  We talked about body hair (he thinks it's cool that his toes are "getting furry") and I told him he could get acne in other places than his face (back, chest, neck acne). I remember my brother always grossing us out by popping pimples on his chest in front of us. Gross. I need to either read up more on what he needs to know or make dad sit down and start the talk with him on a weekend.

Dad has never potty trained any of the six kids, had "the talk", or anything else like that so it'll probably come back to me to deal with this too.  If you can't tell, I'm feeling a bit resentful at the moment.  Not a good place to be.

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Busy Weeks!

The weeks are so busy!  I can't wait until Monday comes around when there is nowhere I have to go or nothing I have to do. 

My daughter has a field trip tomorrow to a one-room school house.  They want them to dress like the days from that time period.  I don't have skirts down to their shoes, etc.  I am going to run out today to see if I can find a Holly Hobby halloween costume or something like that for next to nothing.  I am going to try the Goodwill first.  Maybe I'll get lucky and find something suitably "old-fashioned".  I am surrounded by Amish but I think it'd be a bit rude to ask them for clothes.   

My other daughter has a field trip to a farm, soccer practice and game, cheerleading, football game, riding, etc.  I have to get an auto insurance quote and schedule eye appointments. I need an assistant!  I need to find a new home for the little stray allergy ball of cat fur that has made herself so at home in our house.   So much to do!

I encourage the kids to sign up for sports, etc., but secretly start wishing for the end of the season by halfway through the season!  With four kids, and just myself to take care of it all, I can't help it.

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Livid, Livid, Livid

I am livid right now.  My stepdaughter wants her dad to drive nine hours to come see her play for 20 minutes, at most, in marching band this month.  He promised her he would.  He didn't talk to me about it first.  If he had, I would've shown him our budget for this month.  We pulled our house out of foreclosure a couple months ago.  If he makes this trip and spends this money, we can't make our house payment this month because his hours have been reduced.  Our four kids need winter coats.  20 minutes of clarinet is more important?  I could buy four winter coats on what he'll spend on this trip.  They get child support before all of our other bills are paid - our house payment, our own kids' needs.  We don't have this extra money right now. 

Oh yeah, we made a trip to see her in two clarinet recitals already.  It's not like dad has never seen her play before.

A nine hour drive for 20 minutes of my stepkids' time when she couldn't spend five minutes to help her sister with a school project at any time in the last month?  The same kids who couldn't spend any time with us when we were in town over the summer?  When they were sooo busy they couldn't fit dad in for parenting time most of the time in the last five years?  His almost 18-year-old daughter asks him to jump on her time, and he'll do it without regard to anybody else. 

Oh yeah, the ex would save him a seat.  Isn't that sweet of her?

I don't know, call me weird, but I thought we were married and discussed these things first.  A trip out of state and not making our house payment are kinds of things you'd talk to your spouse about first. 

Then my husband asks me, "What's wrong?"  Really? 

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Non-Custodial Parents: Did you contact the school yet?

If you are a non-custodial parent, did you remember to contact the school to ensure you are on their mailing and contact list for your kids? I usually remember to do this in August but with all the activity with job hunting and house hunting, I have to admit that I forgot until I received my own kids interim reports and realized we hadn't contacted my stepkids' school yet. They started two weeks later, in September, than my kids so we haven't missed anything yet thankfully.

I sent an email last night to the school principal, from hubby of course, requesting we be on the mailing list for progress reports, report cards, and any other important information that concerns the kids, along with our current address. 

Don't forget to check the school web site calendar to make your calendars with important dates - parent teacher conferences, band concerts, sports schedules, etc.  No point in waiting for the ex to provide all of that for you (if she or he does).

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Earth-Like Planet Found. Earth Jr?

Earth-like planet found!  This isn't one of the STAR rag magazine headlines that are never true.  This is from Discovery and you can read about it here.  Is there life there already? 

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