single mom
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Staying Ahead of the Game!
Published January 17, 2015 by AngelaI have big plans this weekend of getting Erin ahead on her homeschooling assessments. Her school requires that she completes Educational and Technology assignments, which goes over using your computer, good study habits, being safe on the internet, and the like. This is one of two classes that actually has both semester’s worth of assignments available.
I know the feeling!
Her grades ending this semester are mediocre at best, and I am trying to develop a schedule that she will stick to and follow in order to get the grades that she is capable of achieving.
I can honestly say I get discouraged, more often than not, when working with her on her assignments. I am sure it is the mindset she has versus mine. I have gotten 2 college degrees online, and am about half-way through my Master’s degree, also online. For her entire life she has watched me spend hours on the computer doing homework, reading textbooks, and complaining about the difficulty of going to school online. I was hoping some of that would have rubbed off on her, but as of yet, it has not.
If she can finish this school year on a strong, positive note, I may not be so strongly against her doing another year of homeschooling.
What do you do when your homeschooler can’t find the motivation they need to stay on task?
Getting Schooled By My Homeschooler
Published January 13, 2015 by AngelaWhat do you say when you have a full time job, 6am -3 pm, and get home to find your homeschooler doing, well, nothing? Here is how my day went when I got home from work….
Homeschooler: “I woke up late. Yelled at my 10 year old sister, who goes to public school but is home sick, for not waking me up.” “Oh, but then, I had to take a shower and get dressed because of my dentist appointment today.” “Oh, and I did not want to start something that I would not be able to finish.”
Really? REALLY?
Why she is under the impression (the wrong impression, I might add) that she is off the hook for the day is beyond me. I had to go out of my way after work to get her Algebra study guides sent to the school, or risk her losing 20% of her grade.
Trust me, she does not have 20% to give away.
And before you give me all hell and high water, I spend 5-6 hours every night (every. single. night.) going over her homework with her. I do not leave her hanging to do this on her own. She has a direct number to my office at work, that no one answers but me. Any questions? Call me, I can help you out.
courtesy of http://www.tasteofawesome.com
But when you have a 13 year old who is literally bigger than you in size and strength, and refuses to go to school, what do you do?
She promises she is going to go to public high school next year when she enters 9th grade; I am praying daily for this.
And How Is Your Winter Going?
Published January 9, 2015 by AngelaMine; not so great. At least not today. I had to take a vacation day from work because as I was cleaning off my car after work yesterday, my driver’s side windshield wiper broke. Clean off. 50 MPH winds, white-outs, and I am holding one of my wipers in my hand.
I am in Muskegon. Living this close to the lake is a blessing in Summer, and a curse in Winter.
I found someone inside to zip-tie it back on so I could at least attempt to get home. Which was a ride from Hell. I was afraid to use the wipers, for fear it would break off while I was on the road. I got to the nearest auto-parts store, bought new wipers, and was told they could not install them for me. He really wished he could, but it was against company policy.
So by now I am only to the half-way point of getting home, am in tears, and still need to stop to get milk and cat food. I was going to leave work at 11am to beat the storm, and knew I would regret it once I didn’t. Thankfully, the wiper did indeed break off before I got on the road, or who knows what would have happened.
So we are still under a winter storm warning in West Michigan until 4pm today, and it is still snowing out. My new wipers will get put on this afternoon, but with the amount of snow still coming down, I have no intentions of going anywhere today, either.
Now that my “workday” is officially half over, I have still not done a single constructive thing. And probably won’t. I know the fact that I have lived in Michigan for my entire 42+ years means I really should not complain about winter, but I hate it. I hate it more every single year than I did the year before.
Are you caught in this winter storm as well? My girls have not had school for 2 days now, and are on the verge of getting cabin fever, already. What are you doing to pass the time?
Day One of Back To Reality; Here We Go!
Published January 6, 2015 by AngelaI wish I could say I had a spectacular day at work, but it was rather boring. Things tend to be a bit slow at the beginning of the year. My girls got home Sunday afternoon, and were home about 10 minutes before the bickering began. Or should I say continued, from the bickering they had been doing the whole time they were gone.
I was very happy to have them home, and it is nice to be back on schedule. I was very sad that my 10 year old could not stop crying last night because she missed her dad. All I could do was hug her. I had no answers for her when she kept asking “When are we going to see dad again?” I certainly could not tell her next Christmas, which is more than likely true.
Erin is on track with her home schooling, and I already made it very clear to her that we will not be going to bed on any given night until all assessments are turned in that are due that day.
We are still under a Winter Storm Warning here in Michigan. That is supposed to expire Tuesday at noon, and then they will just issue the next one. There is no stop in the snow before Saturday, and with highs of 9 degrees, the wind chill temperature is horrible. The doors on my Mini Cooper were frozen shut this morning and there was no chance of me getting them open to get my safety glasses for work. Thank goodness I have a different car to drive in the Winter!
I hope you are all getting settled into your 2015, working on any resolutions you made, and getting the year started off with a bang!
Barely Into Day 3 of 2015, and I’ve Lost My Motivation!
Published January 3, 2015 by AngelaThis is my last full day of my Christmas break without my girls, as they are coming home tomorrow morning. I had a very long day yesterday which included lots of traveling to see my Granny who is in a nursing home and suffering from dementia (she had no clue who I was, but I was so happy to see her, even though it broke my heart to see her like that).
I also made a pit-stop to my parents, who were fighting like normal, and also why I have not had an overnight visit with them in over 3 years. They have been married over 51 years, but to keep a very long story short, my Mom has numerous issues that have alienated her 4 children, husband, and brother from her. Alcoholism plus mental illness does not a loving mother make. What is does make, however, is a Mother who sees no problem with calling her own children, and grandchildren, horrible names that I would not even think about typing out. And that’s just how she starts a visit off; then it goes downhill from there.
I got to spend some time with my brother, sister-in-law, and nephew as well as my aunt and uncle. My busy schedule limits my being able to make these road trips to visit, so I was grateful to be able to do so yesterday.
And now there is a storm bearing down on Michigan, and pretty much the entire Eastern side of the U.S. It is still only snow right now (I am in West Michigan, less than 10 minutes from Lake Michigan) but will be turning to rain and freezing rain, and doing that and snowing at least until next Friday.
So I got the groceries I needed before my girls come home, and I really need to get the Christmas tree taken down. I’m pretty sure that will not be happening today. Besides that, I have a couple book reviews to get written and posted, two books to finish, and a cat that is in desperate need of some serious ear scratching since I left him alone more in the past 24 hours than I have ever left him in the 7 months I have had him.
Are you in the line of some of this horrible weather moving across the country? How are you going to spend your time? Wishing you warmth and happiness whether you are going out to enjoy it, or staying in to avoid it!
And So It Begins…2015!
Published January 1, 2015 by AngelaI do not do resolutions, as for myself personally, it is almost like I am intentionally setting myself up to fail. At this point in my life, I see no need to put any more pressure upon myself than I already do 🙂
I of course have some goals I hope to achieve, mostly getting healthy (healthier), appreciating each day for the gift that it truly is, being a better Mom, a better Witness to Jesus, and a better friend.
I will continue to work on keeping my 3 blogs polished, current, and fun to read, reach for some personal goals in my career, and reach for new goals in my personal life.
May your 2015 bring you health, happiness, blessings, and answers to your prayers!
photo courtesy of Pastor Rick Warren
Parenthood and Other Horror Stories 2014 in review !
Published December 30, 2014 by AngelaThe WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2014 annual report for this blog.
Here’s an excerpt:
A San Francisco cable car holds 60 people. This blog was viewed about 1,500 times in 2014. If it were a cable car, it would take about 25 trips to carry that many people.
Silence is Golden…
Published December 27, 2014 by Angela…and I am still enjoying it. Waking up in the morning, drinking coffee in bed, reading books, and watching mindless Netflix. Napping in the afternoon, not having to cook food, take someone somewhere, go anywhere unless if I choose to, and making being lazy an art form.
I am missing my girls, and truly hoping, and praying several times a day, that they are enjoying themselves, and are okay. I am not going to pretend it is easy having them away for so long, but I am making sure I use up every moment to do the little things I do not ordinarily get to enjoy. Meaning, doing a whole bunch of nothing.
I have to do the Scripture readings at my church’s early service tomorrow, I have a dinner date with my boyfriend and oldest daughter tomorrow or Monday, and a visit to a friend’s house on Monday afternoon. Other than that, I have absolutely nothing I have to do, and no where I need to be, before I return to work on Monday, January 5th.
I am most definitely going to use this time to get myself in a great place feeling rested, relaxed, and recharged. I hope you are able to get some type of personal break as well, and get recharged and ready for the new year. I have BIG things planned for myself and my girls for 2015, and I cannot wait to share that with all of you!
Why Don’t I Feel Guilty About This?
Published December 26, 2014 by AngelaSpending my Christmas evening alone. No girls fighting. No asking for dinner. No arguing over who gets to choose what is watched on television.
Nope. I do not feel guilty. I love my girls to the end of the world, but when you are a single parent, and they only see the other parent one time a year; on Christmas: Yeah, you kind of work up to it.
Wait for it. Plan for it. Expect it. And cheer your behind off when it actually happens! (Which is not always the case).
So I am taking my nekkid kitty to bed, putting on some Hobbit movie that I have seen 76 times, but still not enough, and enjoying the “Silent Night” that I truly know and believe my Gracious Lord Jesus knew I needed.
No, I am not joking or mocking religion. Do you pray? Pray enough for something, and He will truly deliver it to you!
Merry Christmas to each and every one of you! What a beautiful day!
parenthoodandotherhorrorstories 