Cell Phone Use

When I was thirteen, I was happy to have a phone in my room, but my children have one better. My two boys each have new Sprint Rumors.

The upside of this was that they were free with our contract, but Che` has already left his on the bus and gotten it taken up due to texting in class.

I like the idea of being able to get in touch with him whenever possible, and now that he has this phone he doesn't need a camera or an Ipod for now.

It is interesting that The Hendersonville Star newspaper recently wrote an article about cell phone use in school.

Although there are positives and negatives, I am happy with the decision to allow my children to have cell phones. I happen to enjoy the texts I get that say, "I luv u mom!"

Last Minute Time Crunch

After thinking that my ex was going to be able to pick up our daughter from daycare I got a call saying that the S.W.A.T. team had been called out.

I guess this never ends even as the ex-wife of a police officer on the S.W.A.T.

I was in the math lab at the time and needed to stay until about 5:30 pm, and Scarlett has to be picked up no later than 6. Managing to get her in time was fine, even in the downpour and I was able to pick up Logan my ten year old as well from his dad's house.

My thirteen year old son Che` had his Christmas band concert tonight and this completely slipped my mind until I get a call from him reminding me he has to be at the school by 6:30.

Really?

How I let this slip my mind is beyond me. I've never missed one of Che`s band concerts and this wasn't going to be the exception. So much for sitting down and watching a Christmas movie with the kiddos tonight.

To put a fabulous spin on my hectic evening, my van got stuck in the muddy grass for a bit and Che` and a nice man had to give it a bit of a push to get it out. Yes, it is a joyous occasion having to park in the grass at an overly crowded school event in the pouring rain!

It's funny how such a hectic schedule still makes me happy at the end of the day. I suppose it is something I'm fairly used to by now, and it is just life after all.

Thanksgiving: Still A Family Event

Finally being able to have more than one full day off has been fabulous!

I took off the entire Thanksgiving weekend so that I could spend some quality holiday time with the children, and catch up on some much needed rest! The weekend started out early with Che`, Logan, and I going to The Nashville Rescue Mission to volunteer.

We were scheduled for the 4:30am to 7:00am shift. It was really cool to have the opportunity to serve, but I feel like I needed to do more. Che`, my thirteen year old wants to do it again.

The mission needs volunteers all of the time, so we will probably go back to volunteer again!

Thanksgiving dinner was enjoyable, as we were able to eat together as a family. Yes, my soon to be ex-husband was there. No, we didn't kill each other. We both figure that we tried to do that enough during our marriage, why should we do it now? Our weekly dinner visits seem to be working, so why fix something if it isn't broken?

I don't understand why so many people have such a hard time staying civil while going through the divorce process. People ask me, "How is it so uncomplicated with you guys when you have children together?" My response to this is simple. "It is because we have children together that we make it uncomplicated."

Don't get me wrong. There are times when I want to pull my hair out because it is mentally taxing to do so much on my own. Why add to my stress by going for my ex's throat over what can be perceived as trivial matters? Besides, the children are happier this way!

Getting Behind But Staying Afloat

I'm behind on my blog posts, as my thirteen year old son has been out sick for the past three days, and I have been feeling pretty badly as well.

Last Friday I stayed home in bed, but had to work a double Saturday. I had an audition Sunday, and did well considering that my voice wasn't to standard due to the scratchiness of the cold or whatever bug I have been fighting.

I hate being behind in my Journalism Technology class, especially since this is my major. I still have to get my sound and slide together which is thirty pictures and a song for a fabulous slide show to be posted on this blog and my website.

Although I feel like I am sometimes getting behind, I do however feel like I'm slowly but surely getting into a more organized routine. When you are doing a large majority of things on your own, organization and some sort of structure is inevitable to stay sane. I am finding this out the hard way.

For whatever reason, I have always been the type of person that has to learn for herself. Someone can tell me until I'm blue in the face the easier way to go about something, and I'm not sure if it is my stubborn nature or what, but I will do what "I" feel is best first nine times out of ten.

Luckily for me and my children, I am learning the more structured route is going to be better in the long run. Of course, veering a bit off the beaten path is sometimes good for the soul as long as you don't wind up in another galaxy entirely!

Struggling

I know that my blog is supposed to be an uplifting read of how the single mother can accomplish anything!

I am realizing now more than ever that this just isn't possible. There are ways to get things accomplished, but sometimes I feel like I'm sinking rather than rising above and beyond.

Today I actually got to my first class early despite only one hour of sleep. The one hour of sleep wasn't for lack of trying, as I went to sleep at 11 p.m. I couldn't get my brain to rest and I kept thinking about things that shouldn't even be stressful to me at all, but actually have been the cause of most of my heartache and lack of rest for the past few months.

Sometimes I feel like I am doing a wonderful job getting everything accomplished. I get to class on time, homework gets completed, have my blogs posted in a timely manner for the PR office, and spend quality time with my children.

I wonder how successful single moms of the past have accomplished everything they have to do. For the love of God, I know I'm not the only woman to go through a divorce while taking care of the children, going to school, and working to make ends meet.

I'm currently reading the book "Standing Alone: An American Woman's Struggle for the Soul of Islam" by Asra Nomani. I had the privilege of meeting Asra when she came to speak at Vol State a few weeks ago.

As strange as this may sound, her struggles that she has overcome is such a motivation for me. She is a single mother herself, and former journalist for the Wall Street Journal. I feel a sort of kinship with her if that makes any sense.

She has struggled with faith in her religion, and that is another thing I can definitely relate to.

Basically, I am doing the best that I can and trying to stay focused on the goal.

Math Mayhem

Stress abounds whenever I think of math. Ever since the age of six, I remember math being an issue for me.

When the other first grade children had no problem learning addition and subtraction, I struggled. This problem continued well into long division, fractions, and Algebra in high school.

I'm scheduled to graduate Vol State May 2010, and while I got a fabulous A in History it took me two tries to get through Basic Math, and this is my second semester trying Elementary Algebra.

It is frustrating that you have to get at least a seventy five percent to pass the developmental classes. Personally I feel like if you have that much trouble with the subject in the first place, why make it harder?

When I have homework in Algebra, these are the days I depend on Scarlett's dad to take her for a couple of hours. Being the vibrant four year old she is, she isn't very happy when the attention is taken away from her due to "My Math Lab."

I believe that unless you are an engineer, computer programmer, or doctor, you don't need to know how to solve 8(8-y)/3=-y. I can't recall one time in my life of balancing my checkbook that a calculator didn't help me get the job done!

I just hope and pray that I can do well on the future tests so that I can pass this class, and move on!

Morning Madness

Mornings have a tendency to be crazy in my household. It doesn't help matters when I have a distinct tendency to procrastinate. Even when I have the best intentions to get out the door in x amount of time, it seems to fail.

My first class is at 8:00am, and I get up anywhere between 5:30-6:30am. I really shouldn't get up later than 6am because I know that I have to have my coffee and watch a little TV, check email etc. to get going.

Even on the best of days when I'm ready this is when my daughter Scarlett decides to be four. Okay, she is four but it is becoming apparent that she is more and more like mommy when it comes to getting out the door. We can both be dressed and packed up and it still takes me an extra thirty minutes to get her out the door and in her car seat.

She is going through a very rebellious stage and short of dragging her out the door before Dora, Mickey, Backyardigans, you name it is over she won't budge. There has come a point on a few days where I have had to pick her up kicking and screaming and try my damnedest to get her in the car seat.

This struggle doesn't make for getting to class on time. I'm usually between five to twenty minutes late to my first class and if I miss attendance being called I'm not counted present for the day.

I know this sounds crazy and exasperating but honestly I'm very lucky to have my children, and it is always a learning process.