WELL FOR THE 1ST TIME EVER, I ACTUALLY GOT TO HAVE MY DAUGHTER SPEND THE ENTIRE WEEKEND WITH ME W/O MY MOTHER IN LAW. HOORAY! THE FIRST TIME IN NEARLY 8 YRS. ON JULY 1ST, I WENT DOWN TO PICK HER UP AND BRING HER BACK TO MY HOME. SHE WAS REALLY EXCITED. SO WAS I! WE GOT HOME KINDA LATER IN THE EVENING.
AFTER WE GOT HOME, I NOTICED SHE WAS WEARING PURPLE AND BLUE NAIL POLISH. HOW TACKY. NOT TO MENTION THAT MY M.I.L. (MOTHER IN LAW) ACTUALLY LET HER WEAR ANY AT ALL SURPRISES ME, SEEING AS HOW PARANOID ABOUT TOXINS, AND HARMFUL CHEMICALS THAT ARE COMMONLY FOUND IN BEAUTY PRODUCTS. ANYHOO, I TOOK IT OFF AND APPLIED A PRETTY SOFT PINK POLISH ON INSTEAD. I GAVE HER SOME DESSERT, AND ASKED HER TO GET READY FOR BED BY BRUSHING HER TEETH AND WASHING HER FACE AND HANDS. ABOUT THAT TIME, MY SISTER HAD ROLLED INTO TOWN FROM OREGON. SHE HADN'T SEEN MY DAUGHTER SINCE SHE WAS PROBABLY ABOUT 2YRS OLD.
WELL WE STAYED UP A LITTLE BIT LONGER AND THEN I HAD TO GET MARISSA INTO BED FOR WE WOULD BE GETTING UP EARLY TO DRIVE TO SPOKANE FOR A FAMILY REUNION. I TUCKED HER IN AND WE READ A BOOK. ABOUT THE 4TH PAGE INTO THE STORY SHE CUDDLED CLOSE TO ME AND FELL ASLEEP. HOW PEACEFUL I FELT. SHE WAS THAT COMFORTABLE TO FALL ASLEEP CUDDLED NEXT TO ME. I REALLY TRULY FELT LIKE A MOTHER. I CAN BARELY DESCRIBE THE FEELING. WOW. IT ALMOST FELT THIS IS WHERE SHE REALLY BELONGS.
I LAY CLOSE TO HER FOR ABOUT 10 MORE MINUTES, AND I KISSED HER FOREHEAD AND LEFT THE ROOM. I WENT TO TELL MY SISTER GOODNIGHT AND MY HUSBAND AS WELL. I THEN CRAWLED BACK UNDER THE COVERS WITH MY DAUGHTER AND I PROMPTLY FELL ASLEEP. IT WAS VERY PEACEFUL, SO SERENE. I ONLY WISH THIS WOULD BE EVERY NIGHT!
THE NEXT MORNING, I HEARD MY SISTER GOING OUT THE FRONT DOOR AT ABOUT 5 AM, SO I WENT OUT TO CATCH HER. WE CHATTED FOR ABOUT 20 MINUTES. I WISH I HAD GOTTEN TO SPEND A LITTLE MORE TIME W/HER, BUT SHE WAS ALSO ON HER WAY TO SPOKANE FOR A HORSE SHOW. SO I CAME BACK INSIDE AND LAID DOWN AGAIN IN BED AND FELL ASLEEP. DON HAD WOKE ME UP AND SO I STARTED TO GET READY, AND LOAD THINGS IN THE CAR. I LET MARISSA SLEEP A LITTLE LONGER SINCE WE WERE UP LATE. THEN I WOKE HER UP. HER BEDROOM WAS FILLED WITH FRESH MORNING AIR AND SUNLIGHT OF A NEW DAY.
I TOLD HER TO TAKE A SHOWER SO WE COULD HURRY AND GO. SHE WAS LIKE SO EXCITED TO HAVE A SHOWER. I GUESS ALL SHE GETS TO DO AT HER HOUSE IS TAKE A BATH. PLUS, SHE WAS REALLY EXCITED TO USE MY GOOD SHAMPOO AND CONDITIONER. MY M.I.L. IS A HEALTH FREAK. SHE DOESN'T BELIEVE YOU SHOULD USE ANYTHING THAT IS SOLD IN A DRUGSTORE OR BEAUTY SALON ETC. AND THIS BEHAVIOR RUBS OFF ON MY DAUGHTER. MARISSA HAS BEEN ABLE TO SAY THESE BIG LONG WORDS OF CHEMICALS OR INGREDIENTS SINCE SHE WAS ABOUT 2 YRS OLD. FOR YRS, SHE HAS BEEN TELLING ME ABOUT PROPYLENE GLYCOL, METHYLPARABEN AND PROPYLPARABEN ETC. YADDA YADDA YADDA. SHE WAS REALLY INTO USING STUFF FOR THE 1ST TIME! SHE LOVED THE GEL I PUT IN HER HAIR, AND LOTION ON HER SKIN, AND ALSO THE TOOTHPASTE! WHAT 7 1/2 YR OLD GETS EXCITED ABOUT TOOTHPASTE?! SHE TOLD ME SHE USES THIS PRODUCT THAT YOU USE KINDA LIKE A SOAP FOR YOUR SKIN AND YOUR TEETH. GROSS!
AFTER ALL THAT WAS SAID AND DONE, WE WERE RUNNING BEHIND, SO WE GRABBED BREAKFAST AT MCD'S. OF COURSE TOO, SHE IS A VEGETARIAN. SO SHE ORDERS THE MCGRIDDLE WITH NO MEAT AND JUST CHEESE ON IT. YUCK. POOR THING. ALL BECAUSE M.I.L. WANTS A HEALTHY BODY. YEAH RIGHT. ANYWAYS, SO WE GET TO SPOKANE, AND WE GO TO MY GRAMMA'S HOUSE. THEN FROM THERE WE GO TO MY BEST FRIEND MINDY'S HOUSE. HER DAUGHTER KAYLYNN IS ALMOST 5 YR OLD, AND MY DAUGHTER HASN'T SEEN HER SINCE SHE WAS ABOUT 10 MONTHS OLD IN 2001. IT WAS NICE TO LET THE GIRLS PLAY AND GET ACQUAINTED FOR AN HOUR. PLUS I GOT TO SEE THE NEW BABY, ERIKA. MINDY IS DOING WELL AFTER HER SURGERY. THANK GOSH. SHE HAD A HELL OF A TIME W/THE BLOOD CLOT IN HER BRAIN.
THE GIRLS PLAYED AND I TOOK SOME PHOTOS OF THEM TO PUT IN EACH OF THEIR PHOTO ALBUMS. THEN WE LEFT TO GO OUT TO THE VALLEY TO THE REUNION. WE GET THERE AND IT IS BEING HELD AT MY UNCLE'S HOUSE. THIS IS MY UNCLE THAT APPARENTLY DOESN'T LIKE BLACK PEOPLE ALL BECAUSE WHEN HE WAS IN THE VIETNAM WAR, HE HAD SEEN A COUPLE OF BLACK SOLDIERS THAT WOULD PURPOSELY SHOOT THEMSELVES IN THE FOOT ETC, SO THEY WOULD DISCHARGED TO GO HOME. SO SINCE THEN HIM AND MY MOM HAD NOT BEEN REALLY ON GOOD SPEAKING TERMS OR RELATIONSHIP ESPECIALLY WITH MY FATHER BEING BLACK. LIKE I HAD A SAY IN THE MATTER OF CHOOSING WHO I WOULD BE. HMMM. SO HE HELD THIS REUNION AT HIS HUGE ASS HOUSE ON BIG LAND. IT WAS NICE, AND THE FIRST SENTENCE THAT COMES OUT OF MARISSA'S MOUTH IS "GEE THEY MUST REALLY BE RICH!" I WAS SO EMBARASSED! KIDS DO SAY THE DARNDEST THINGS!
SO WE INTRODUCED HER TO EVERYONE, GRANTED THAT ABOUT 99% OF MY FAMILY HAVE NEVER MET HER BEFORE. I GOT HER CHANGED INTO HER SWIMSUIT AND TOOK HER OUT TO THE POOL. SHE LOVES TO SWIM. THEN WE KINDA JUST HUNG OUT AND WALKED AROUND. SHE BROUGHT HER CAMERA WITH HER AND I HAD HER GO AROUND THE ENTIRE HOUSE TO TAKE PHOTOS OF EVERYONE SHE COULD. KIND OF AN EVIL WAY OF GETTING THE INNOCENT KID TO DO THE EVIL DOINGS OF THE PARENT! HA HA HA! WHO IS GONNA TELL A KID NO THEY CAN'T TAKE YOUR PICTURE FOR THEIR SCRAPBOOK? SO SHE WENT AROUND AND SNAPPED SOME REALLY GOOD SHOTS.
AFTER A FEW HOURS THERE, WE DECIDED TO GET GOING EXCEPT MY GRAMMA WANTED US TO COME BACK TO HER HOUSE SO I COULD GET MY BIRTHDAY GIFT, A LILAC BUSH. WHOOPEE. AND I MEAN THAT SARCASTICALLY! SO WE DRIVE 20 MILES BACK TO TOWN AND ONLY TO SEE THAT WE BEAT GRAMMA TO THE HOUSE. SO WE WENT AROUND BACK TO GET THE DAMN THING AND STICK IT IN THE BACK SEAT. BY THIS TIME, MARISSA WANTED TO GET SOME SOUVENIRS, AND DO YOU THINK WE CAN FIND ANY AT WALMART? NOPE, THEY DISCONTINUED THEM. SO WE WENT TO RITE-AID, NONE EITHER. STOPPED AT THE ZIPTRIP GAS STATION, NONE THERE TOO. SO I TOLD HER THAT WHEN I COME UP NEXT TIME THAT I WILL GET HER A SOUVENIR. I'M UP IN SPOKANE ALL THE TIME.
ON JULY 3RD WE TOOK HER TO GO SEE A FRIEND OF OURS, AND GO SHOPPING. MY GRAMPA WHO WAS MARRIED TO MY GRAMMA STOPPED BY WITH HIS WIFE (THE FIRST WIFE HE WAS WED TO BEFORE HE HAD AN AFFAIR ON MY GRAMMA) SO WE CHAT FOR ABOUT AN HOUR. THEN WE HAD HER PACK HER BELONGINGS SO WE COULD TAKE HER BACK TO OREGON. WE GOT HER BACK TO HER HOUSE, AND SHE KEPT SAYING SHE WANTED TO COME BACK TO MY HOUSE, AND KINDA THREW A FIT. SHE WAS KICKING THE CRAP OUT OF A BOX, AND NOT MINDING HER GRAMMA (M.I.L.) I FELT BAD, BUT IT WAS FLATTERING TO KNOW THAT SHE FELT COMFORTABLE AT MY HOUSE AND THAT SHE WANTED TO STAY. IT WAS HARD TO LEAVE HER THERE, BUT IT WAS FOR THE BEST FOR NOW.
WITH THE WAY THAT MY M.I.L. SHIELDS HER, I THINK IT WILL ONLY BECOME A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE SHE REALLY ACTS OUT AND WANTS TO COME LIVE W/ME. SHE TOLD US SHE HATES THE KIDS AT SCHOOL CUZ THEY PICK ON HER OR MAKE FUN OF HER. SO SHE FEELS ALIENATED BY BEING A YOUNG VEGETARIAN, WHO IS OVERLY RELIGOUS, WHO IS TAUGHT NOT TO USE CONVENTIONAL THINGS, AND CAN'T ACT A CERTAIN WAY OR ASSOCIATE W/KIDS WHO DO OR SAY OR WATCH DIFFERENT OR UNAPPROVING CARTOONS ETC. SO NO WONDER THE KIDS THINK SHE IS A FREAK. I'M IN NO WAY SAYING SHE SHOULD FAIL IN SCHOOL TO GET HER POINT ACROSS THAT SHE'S NOT HAPPY WHERE SHE IS AT, AND WANTS TO COME LIVE WITH ME. I WANT HER TO THRIVE AND DO WELL. SHE LIVES IN A VERY SMALL TOWN AND GOES TO A PRIVATE SCHOOL WHERE THERE IS ONLY ABOUT 6 OTHER KIDS IN HER CLASS. THAT CLASS WILL BE TOGETHER FOR THE NEXT 9 YEARS UNTIL THEY ARE JUNIORS!
I DO FEEL SORRY THAT SHE ISN'T THAT WELL LIKED, BUT KIDS ARE CRUEL, AND LIFE IS NOT PERFECT. I DO SUPPORT HER DECISION IN WANTING TO TRY LIVING WITH ME. THE ONLY THING IS TRYING TO LET HER GRAMMA LET GO OF HER LEASH. SHE IS SO BOUND TO HER. GIVE HER SOME GODDAMN ROOM TO GROW IS WHAT I HAVE TO SAY.