Suddenly kidless!

Yesterday we took our 16 year old daughter Sandy to Dallas Love Field to fly back to Phoenix. As I mentioned here before, she had decided she wanted to go back and live withe her mother. Sue and I were not initially thrilled with the idea, but she is old enough to decide where she wants to be. Not only that, but she also has this ability to make others miserable until she gets her way.

Perhaps I am being too harsh, perhaps not. At any rate, she could be making a mistake, but she is getting to the age where she will have to learn to live with mistakes.

We were fortunate to get her a good price on a one way flight to Phoenix from Dallas. We were also fortunate enough to not have attempted to get a ticket on American Airlines. Unless you have been living in a cave for the last couple of weeks, you probably know about to nearly 3000 flights cancelled by American to fix a wiring problem in the wheel wells of their aging MD-80 fleet.

We got Sandy a ticket on Southwest Airlines. The flight took off on time, and apparently landed early in Phoenix.  She let us know when she landed, and then we figured that she would not call for a month or so. Strangely enough, she actually called this evening.

Time will tell if she will stay in touch or not. I suspect not, but I may be wrong. Anyway, she got what she wanted.

Now, Sue and I have found ourselves kidless. We had Sandy stay overnight a few times over the last 2 years, but it isn’t the same thing. We had sort of lost sight of who we are as a couple. We always had to deal with Sandy to a degree. She was 16 certainly, but she was high maintenance. Not that we didn’t love her, we do. It’s just that when you have a kid with major attitude problems, it takes a lot out of you to deal with it.

Sue and I are now rediscovering our sense of being a couple. We can actually spend time on our marriage. We had date nights from time to time certainly, but now we can concentrate on being us. As I said, we love Sandy, and we love Tara and Elisa.  We need this time though to be us.

We look forward to this time of rediscovery.

Just can’t wait.

Our 16 year old daughter, Sandy has decided that she wants to go live with her biological mother in Phoenix. We have decided to let her go. We spent almost a year fighting to get her out here.

She lived here for two years, and after the initial honeymoon adjustment, proceeded to make us crazy. She lied, she stole from us, she would not do her school work. She refused to show us any respect, and she refused to follow the house rules. In some respect I guess that this is standard behavior for a 16 year old, but Sue and I finally got to the point where we had to give in, and give her what she wanted. The whole time she was here she told us how much she missed her mommy. Now I understand that, but at the same time she didn’t have to go out of her way to get negative attention.

At any rate she leaves next Saturday. She wasted no time in telling everyone at school that she was going. She talked on the phone to her mentor from Phoenix, and was laughing, and giggling away. She has no clue that it is killing us to do this. To us this means defeat, and our feelings are very hurt. To her all she sees is that she got what she wanted. She just cannot understand why our feelings are hurt.

Someday she may understand. We have this suspicion that she will get back out there, and find out that things are not all that she was hoping for. We have told her that she will not be allowed to call us up in a couple of months and tell us she made a mistake and wants to come back.

On the plus side, and I have to try to keep this in mind, the stress levels that we have been living with for the last 2 years will dissipate. Sue and I will no longer have to walk around on eggshells waiting for the next explosion. We will be kidless for the first time in a while. In some respects we will miss her, in others it will almost be a relief.

I know that probably makes me seem like a bad father. All I can say is, come walk a mile in my shoes.

An Update!

Hey there, Hi there, Ho there! I have some good news for you. Remember the car problem I mentioned the other day ( Or if I didn’t mention it, I think Sue did) At any rate, we picked up a battery for the car, and naturally it was raining so we couldn’t put it in.

The next day was Sunday. I wandered out, and raised the hood. My next door neighbor Chrs walked over and asked what was up. I told him I was changing out the battery. He said “Hang on I’ll go get my tools.” He was nice enough to install the battery for me, which was a good thing, as the way this car has the battery situated was a pain in the ass.

This guy has helped us out  several times. He’s a plumber, and put in a faucet in our kitchen sink, and snaked our soil pipe for our toilet for us when we were having some problems a month or so ago, all free.  I gave him twenty bucksand got him to take it this time, telling him that it would have cost us a hell of a lot more.   It is nice to have neighbors that are cool like that. Thank God he isn’t anything like the pervert across the street! At any rate, the car is now running again, thank God, and the only thing it cost was a new battery, and one cable end.

I just picked up Sandy from Teen Court.  This is pretty much what it sounds like. When kids get into trouble they can opt for being heard by a jury of their peers. This is done ever two weeks after school, at the courthouse here in The Colony. Sandy is in ROTC, and by going there she gets Community Service Points for ROTC (The ROTC Cadets have to have a certain number of points throughout the year – they get them by working as security for football games, car washes and things like this) She got to be on the jury this time. The case she heard involved a kid who streaked one of the away football games, supposedly for team spirit. They gave him Community Service Hours to perform. (Different then the ROTC type ) I think it is good for kids to get an idea how court works. I just hope Sandy never has to be on the defendant end!

I hope both of my readers have a great week!

The William Tell Mom’s Overture

This is a hilarious video I found yesterday on the Internet. This is Anita Renfroe, a Christian Comedian, who gives talks to Women’s groups around the country. She is obviously a mom, who has come up with this very funny rendition of what a mom would likely say in a 24 hour period.

She can also be found at: http://www.anitarenfroe.com/

Turn on your speakers, click on the video link, sit back and enjoy, The William Tell Mom’s Overture!

And if it goes by a little fast, here are the lyrics to the song….

Get up now
Get up now
Get up out of bed
Wash your face
Brush your teeth
Comb your sleepy head
Here’s your clothes
And your shoes
Hear the words I said
Get up now
Get up and make your bed
Are you hot?
Are you cold?
Are you wearing that?
Where’s your books and your lunch and your homework at?
Grab your coat and your gloves and your scarf and hat
Don’t forget you got to feed the cat
Eat your breakfast
The experts tell us it’s the most important meal of all
Take your vitamins so you will grow up one day to be big and tall
Please remember the orthodontist will be seeing you at three today?
Don’t forget your piano lesson is this afternoon

So you must play
Don’t shovel
Chew slowly
But hurry
The bus is here
Be careful
Come back here
Did you wash behind your ears?
Play outside
Don’t play rough
Would you just play fair?
Be polite
Make a friend
Don’t forget to share
Work it out
Wait your turn
Never take a dare
Get along
Don’t make me come down there
Clean your room
Fold your clothes
Put your stuff away
Make your bed
Do it now
Do we have all day?
Were you born in a barn?
Would you like some hay
Can you even hear a word I say?
Answer the phone
Get Off the phone
Don’t sit so close
Turn it down
No texting at the table
No more computer time tonight
Your iPod’s my iPod if you don’t listen up

Where you going and with whom and what time do you think you’re coming home?
Saying thank you, please, excuse me
Makes you welcome everywhere you roam
You’ll appreciate my wisdom
Someday when you’re older and you’re grown
Can’t wait ’til you have a couple little children of your own
You’ll thank me for the counsel I gave you so willingly
But right now
I thank you NOT to roll your eyes at me
Close your mouth when you chew
Would appreciate
Take a bite
Maybe two
Of the stuff you hate
Use your fork
Do not you burp
Or I’ll set you straight
Eat the food I put upon your plate
Get an A, Get the door
Don’t get smart with me
Get a Grip
Get in here I’ll count to 3
Get a job
Get a life
Get a PhD
Get a dose of…
I don’t care who started it
You’re grounded until your 36
Get your story straight
And tell the truth for once for heaven’s sake
And if all your friends jumped off a cliff
Would you jump too?

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said at least a thousand times before that
You’re too old to act this way
It must be your father’s DNA
Look at me when I am talking
Stand up straight when you walk
A place for everything
And everything must be in place
Stop crying or I’ll give you something real to cry about
Oh!
Brush your teeth
Wash your face
Get your PJs on
Get in bed
Get a hug
Say a prayer with Mom
Don’t forget
I love you
**KISS**
And tomorrow we will do this all again because a mom’s work never ends
You don’t need the reason why
Because
Because
Because
Because
I said so
I said so
I said so
I said so
I’m the Mom
The mom
The mom
The mom
The mom
Ta-da

Words by Anita Renfroe Copyright 2007 Bluebonnet Hills Music/BMI