Society

Kids must play with other kids or at least interact with them in some way.
My son just turned two and had a b-day party today.  My aunt came with her five children (one 12 year old and the other four ranging from 6 to 2).  My son played with the 12 year old, who he absolutely adores.  But, he ignored the others as they ran around the house screaming and playing and screaming some more.
The family I was with decided that I am not parenting correctly.  He is not interacting with enough children enough to know what to do with them.
"He needs to learn this now because he has to go to school."
Well... not necessarily...
Yes, I do agree he needs to have learn how to socialize.  But!  I believe he needs to socialize with ALL ages; not just the ones close to his age.
However...
I'm thinking seriously about not having him learn in a classroom, but at home instead.
I live in a large city, and we can't afford private schooling, so if he has a classroom experience it will be in a public school.
Not only do I hate how far society has digressed (the threat of a school shooting is far too high for my taste and I wouldn't put it past a kindergartner to bring a gun to class for "show and tell"), but I also don't trust that the kids are actually being taught what they need to be.
Standardized tests are all schools care about anymore, so half of learning is "how to take a test" rather than learning things they will actually need to learn.
I don't trust that History is being taught truthfully and would prefer my child to learn through museums and research than a textbook.

The problem with people nowadays is that they believe that all children who are homeschooled grow up not knowing how to behave in a social situation.  I have seen many homeschooled people who grew up sheltered and are absolutely clueless when it comes to common sense, but I believe that is on the parents who teach.
As a parent, I want my child to succeed in every area.  I would teach him common sense and bring him into social situations (not just the park, either).  My husband and I both have very strong opinions (which match!) on the whole social thing, so I wouldn't be alone.

I guess a downside would be that I still wouldn't be able to get a job, because I would have to stay home with him all the time (at least with school, I can get a part time job.. unless I don't have open availability, which I probably wouldn't anyway).

I just don't like how I feel like a bad parent because my son doesn't interact with other kids.  But at the same time, I believe it's just his personality.  He can deal with a couple of kids at once but not very many.  I have a feeling he is a little claustrophobic and all those kids can get a bit overwhelming.  That, and they weren't really paying any attention to him either.  He interacted with the 2 year old when she interacted with him and that was good enough for me.
I also don't like feeling like a bad parent for considering homeschooling :(

P.

The Lovely Art of Communication

Apparently, my husband has "forgotten" that I communicate with him when I am away.  In other words, if I was staying the night someplace other than the first place, I would tell him.  I would also tell him for how long I would be staying there and where our son was sleeping.  Especially if we were sleeping in the same room.  And when sleeping in the same room, I keep my phone on vibrate or silent so that nothing will wake my sweet baby up.

Communication, for some odd reason, goes out the window when I visit my family.  I'm the one who texts first in the mornings, and today I decided to do a little test.  How long would it be before he texted me?  Any guesses?  How about all day until I finally sent him a text telling him that he has been quiet.  That was after 5pm.  I also sent him a text reminding him about something at around 2pm or so.  Never got a response back from that text, which is fine, since the response would be akin to "kk".
When I told him of his silence, he reasoned that he had a horrible day at work.  When I asked if he did something that he needed to do today, I got a "text you during break at class".  I never got a text, but when I checked my email, I noticed that he had responded to a guy in a group email several times over the period of about 5pm-8pm.  During which time my phone was absolutely silent.
His reasoning was that the computer was out, and while he was waiting for his turn to do something in class, he would use it.  He could have easily sent me a text over YIM or something but never did.
He probably never even thought of it.

I mentioned this lack of communication over distance (it happens EVERY time) and now he is saying that it's a coping mechanism for me being gone.  Which makes no sense.  He would rather not talk to me at all since he can't see me anyway??  Is that, like, a guy thing or something?  Because, if it is, guys are dumb.
He says that's not it; he just shuts down.  Oy!

The thing is, I am married to a BIG guy.  Not muscular big, but big as in very unhealthy.  I worry about his health, and not hearing from him all day long makes me worry.  Well, that and past transgressions that I try to tell my paranoid mind won't ever happen again.

Now he tells me to "learn to live with it" and that he will try to do better.  Honestly, and I do hate to say this; I'll believe it when I see it.

That thing he needed to do?  Apparently he couldn't do it because the office was closed.  Sadly, I'm going to actually go check that out...And it's true.  They close at 4.. actually they have horrible hours. 9am-4pm.  Sucks for people who work 8-5 jobs.

Whatever.  The thing is, I just want him to communicate more, but he just wants to shut down because he's depressed.  I chose to live with that the rest of my life without fully knowing what I was getting into.

On another, slightly related topic, I think I'm done travelling after this year for a while.  The stress just isn't worth it.  The fights aren't worth it.  The drama isn't worth it.  I'm just so over it.  People can come visit me for once.

Po1s0n.

What's For Lunch?

Animal crackers?  PopTarts?  Oatmeal?  Umm... Bread?
Yeah... As much as I hate to clean sticky off of your fingers, it looks like the both of us will be eating PB&Js for a while.
The kitty is sick and needs to go to the vet.  Sorry, but we don't have any food after that.

I talked to my mom, and she said she might be able to send a little bit.  Enough for sandwich fixins.  Which is hopefully enough to buy tuna and miracle whip.  And hotdogs.  For kiddo.

I'm honestly hoping we'll be able to afford whatever meds kitty has to take.  I feel so bad that he has to be miserable over the whole weekend. :(
Monday, we're going to the vet.  He can hide and protest all he wants, but I'll drag him out so he can get all better.  And then maybe give him a little tiny bit of something yummy =3

I have $70 to my name and the vet visit is going to be $56.  No idea on the meds.  Hopefully, he doesn't have any stones and it is JUST a UTI (nothing extra that will sap all of our money and more).
Because, well, emergencies happen.

I don't even know if we're going to be able to go west for turkey-day.  And if we don't, then we have to stay right here and have no turkey-day (but I'll give thanks that my baby is okay).

This sucks.
I tried to figure out how to get a chip-in going or find something for low-income, but all low-income I found was fixing and emergencies (which this isn't YET and I have to go to the vet to determine that it is before I can apply).  I had to set it up through PayPal, but I hadn't set up a bank account with mine yet and it wasn't letting me.  I'm just so frustrated at all of this.
I should have seen it sooner, and I didn't.  I'm kicking myself over and over again, but my baby isn't getting any better.  I feel SO bad.
I'm going to try to use my hubby's PayPal, but I don't know his password.

Po1s0n.

I Never Knew She Would Change My Life

Ah, facebook.  The wonderful world of cute kitty pictures/videos that make me remember just how much I love my boys.
And remind me of a cat who made me realize that life without a cat just really is no life at all.  RIP, kitty.  You'll always have my heart.

I have pretty much always had a cat in my life.  I remember the time between cats as being empty.  I'm pretty sure I begged Mom to get us another kitty.  Eventually, she did.  And we got a beautiful, shy feline.  I was very happy, but she seemed to be afraid of me.  I finally gained her trust, and though I always thought of her as Mom's cat, I think she had a pretty big soft spot for me, too.

She would climb into my bed at night, even though I was on the top bunk.  Even after she had her front claws removed, she still found a way.  She would cuddle with me for a while and then leave, as cats do.

There was a time when I realized just how special she was.  That was the time when I realized I couldn't live without a cat in my life.  She was an amazing kitty, and I will never forget her.

So now I have two beautiful feline-sons that have my heart.  But it's because of her that I believe in the powers of owning a cat.  I believe God granted these animals with so many gifts.  The trick is; them being bothered to use them ;)

Po1s0n.

You Don't Pay The Bills

Yet you continue to uncaringly rack up our electric bill.  I can't wait to leave you behind.  I can't wait till I no longer have a roommate who HAS to have the TV on to sleep.  You never even turn it off when you go to your computer even though you put your headphones on.  You're not paying the bills so quit racking them up!

That's my rant for the day.
P.

The Next Big Thing

There's this thing for us writer's to help get known.  It's called a blog hop or whatever (lol).  At any rate, the gist is that there is an interview.  I answer the questions and then pass it along via links afterwords.  You, the reader, follow those links and then those links and then... Well, you get the idea.  You get to check out their blogs and maybe find someone new you like to follow.  Tadaa!  Now, to get on with it.
Sorry ahead of time for rambling.


1. What is the working title of your book?  Currently, it's just known as "The Agency" but I already know I'm going to nix that title.

2. Where did the idea come from for the book?  I have no idea.  I was just taking a shower one day when it came to me.  I've had a character since I was in HS and she actually fit into the storyline.  Other characters that I've created over the years also fit in, so it was kind of a great idea for me.

3. What genre does your book fall under?  Modern Fantasy mostly, though there are some Science Fiction aspects in it as well.  It's also Young Adult.

4. Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?  I'm media challenged, so I really have no idea haha.  Three of my characters are based on real-life friends of mine, so I'd want them to play their own characters.  My husband could play his own character as well.  Gwedian and Drake, I'm not sure, though maybe Taylor Lautner could play Drake.  Gwedian starts off as a small child, so I would need at least two characters to play her (one child and one teen).  Then there are two other characters that are based off of me and another friend. Obviously, we'd have to play those.  :)

5. What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?  I haven't gotten one of those yet.  I know that a lot of the time, my stories go other directions, so I don't really want to sum it up yet.  If I think of one, I'll edit this and let you all know.

6. Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?  I should probably get an agent, because they have all the contacts.  I know I'll need proffesional editing and help with queries and the like.

7. How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?  I'm still working on it.  I'm actually on the 5th or 6th first draft.  This story has been in my head for about a year.

8. What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?  Again, I'm media challenged.  I have a hard time remembering titles.  The Riley Jenson (sp) Guardian Series has some aspects that are also in my book, but that's the only one I would compare it to.

9. Who or What inspired you to write this book?  I don't really think anything inspired it.  Like I said, I was in the shower one day and just came up with it.  Certain things inspired the characters like my real-life peoples and things I came across in life, and I just put those together.

10. What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?  I should just tell you about it, because every time I explain it, people think it's a pretty epic idea.  Basically, The Agency is a group of people that are against The Company (AKA M.C. Corps).  The Company is a group of scientists that have taken over the world as we know it.  They created a drug to make normal humans become shifters, but it didn't work like it was supposed to.  Instead of giving humans the ability to shift and the much longer life, 90% died horrible painful deaths.  3% were fine and received either full or partial benefits of the shifters.  The remaining percentage vanished.  Those drugged humans who disappeared shifted into animal form and could never shift back.  Most babies who were born after their mother had taken the drug were born with severe birth defects or died shortly after birth.  Eventually, scientists were able to help some of those who couldn't shift back.  The drug sales were stopped by the actual government.  The scientists weren't happy with the results and began kidnapping natural shifters and any who defended them.  Eventually, they began kidnapping both normal and drug-altered humans for research.  Their obsession with this made them a bit crazy, and they began taking over; creating more labs and making their own government and laws.  The Agency was formed to combat these scientists (The Company).  And the book's about all that.

Now, because I don't have a very large group of writers who also have blogs, I'm going to redirect you to the examples I was given.  :)
http://bridgetteohare.blogspot.com/2012/09/week-12-next-big-thing.html
http://josslandry.com/book-reviews-other-news-the-next-big-thing-2/
And the person who sent me here:  http://jeanlauzier.com/

Po1s0n.

I Care Too Much

It's been less than a year since you've been divorced and now you're engaged to a gal you've never even met?  I know you're on the rebound, but if you're actually being serious then you are just a big idiot!  And desperate!  I care for you like a brother, and I know you were never really happy in the marriage (she held you back from things you loved and I get that) but this fear of being alone will pass if you let it.  Who am I kidding?  I don't have any room to talk.

**

It's not the fact that we said we were going to save that loose change until the jar was full.  It's the fact that you were going to use it to buy a "sandwich" because there was $1.07.  You heard what the chiropractor said!  Don't you CARE enough about our son to actually TRY to lose weight?  But maybe I shouldn't care about my own husband enough to tell him not to take money out of our little saving jar.  Maybe I shouldn't care that we don't really have the money to waste $1.07 on a stupid sandwich at McD's.  No, I should just let you think with whatever wrong brain you're using.  Because the wife is supposed to be a follower not a leader.

**

Po1s0n.