4th Day of House sitting...

Many of you know that I have started a month long journey of house sitting. The people I am sitting for also have two small dogs, hence the house sitting. My kids are here too - obviously. My normal life consists of living with my mother(moved in last year) and my younger brother who has friends in/out of our house all day! The point here is that I thought that this would be a nice time for me to see how it feels to live alone again. Don't you dare say this in front of the kids though because they say with sad faces - but you're not alone mommy. We are here too. It's different. Can't explain that to them - this alone feeling. Well...I have decided after day 4 that I don't like living alone. Although the kids are around and we have tons of space to do whatever we want - there is this adult presence that is missing - and I miss that - from living with my mother/brother. Around 7pm is when you realize you're alone again. The house is quiet. Dinner is done and the kids are ready to prepare for their decent to sleep land. And then, there you are. Alone. I'm not saying I am missing the presence of a man or my mother but something is...not here. I'm sure - in fact, I know I can do this. Living alone. But what I wanna be clear about now is that - I just don't like it. I like having chaos around. I like to hear the streets with people making noise over near Colfax and my brother and his music - djing alllllllllll day and night.

Friends coming and going. The kids running in and out of the house and my mother yelling at them to STOP SLAMMING THE DOOR!!!! I even miss my mom yelling at me about cleaning up our shit!

I like family and I like when they live together. I even have a good friend as my neighbor - and that makes my home feel even bigger. Friends and family right at my hands reach. Let's be clear here though - I am not referring to not liking independency. That I can do - I know this. But, I have decided I don't want too. Hmmmm...now what? Time to make Sunday morning breakfast for the kids and I and it doesn't feel the same. Cooking for three only. Cheers to family and friends being close. Some don't have that opportunity. I am grateful.

enter.resting.

the INTRUDER!

WHO left all these dishes in the sink while I was at work?

WHO is pulling all the damn covers!

WHO left all this junk by the computer - used tissues, empty cups, papers not addressed to me!

WHO left the nozzle in the shower at a level that is obviously meant for someone who may stand at 6’4?

WHO DIDN’T PUT THE DAMN TOILET SEAT DOWN?????

Geesh.

A houseguest moved in to my home for a month and it immediately brought back all the reasons why I live alone. I started thinking about every previous roommate, boyfriend, relative, etc. that has stayed with me at some point in my life and found myself locked in the bathroom, with headphones, cigarettes and my trusty cell phone, in case I needed to call for help while I was hiding in my own house!

I’m going to continue my story with the MAN intruder rant…

It really doesn’t matter if you are male or female, although guys are generally the ones who like to say they cant stand living with someone - I beg to differ. When a woman decides to take in a houseguest of the male persuasion, we are immediately placed into an ideal role of what the heck we should be doing and/or deal with while this “HOUSEGUEST” is Intruding on our personal space.

You leave for work…no, no, let’s start at the VERY beginning…You wake up. Suddenly someone is expecting you to feed them, make them coffee, and still take care of the kids, get ready for work and then make sense of how you allowed yourself to get trumped. Then, you leave for work, continue with all the crap you gotta deal with at work - then head over to 3 hours of class, which entails you listening to some boring lecture about something you wont remember after the quiz.

After that you’re driving home, to what you think is the house you left earlier that morning and then WHAM! You walk in the door and EVERYTHING IS NOT HOW YOU LEFT IT!!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! That was me - screaming, thinking about the past. Dishes are every where, tissues all over, toilet seat up - and don’t forget you’re walking into the house with a hand full of groceries when suddenly your oldest child comes down screaming “MOM!!! THE TOILET IT OVERFLOWING!!! HURRY!!!” - you slam the bags down, run upstairs, rush to save the floor from drowning in toilet water and THEN your youngest child screams from downstairs “MOM!!! HURRY!!!! Water is coming from the ceiling!!!! IN THE KITCHEN (which is directly below the bathroom toilet that just overflowed)!!! So you rush to clean up both INFURIATING messes. Problem solved? NO! Then you have to wash the dishes that were left for you so lovingly in order to cook dinner successfully. Dishes done. Now cook dinner WOMAN! The kids are barking and the old man is snoring on the damn couch!!! Think you’re done yet? NO!

Now, homework, baths and off to bed for the kiddies! So…would you like to know where the said houseguest is during all of this? Sitting. Watching MY TV! Unaware that chaos is taking place in the house! (Insert scream here)

This may be something I live through daily but when you have a houseguest you think HEY! Maybe I’ll finally get some help around here? NOOOOOOO! You wont. All you get is a mess you didn’t make, an extra dinner plate to wash, plenty of tissues to throw away, cold shower water sprayed on your face because SOMEONE left it in full shower mode and then, finally, you get to sit in toilet water because again SOMEONE forgot to put the seat down. Naturally.

Hats of to Tim Burton and his wife for having separate places!

Houseguests are not for me.

enter.resting.

goodbye summer...ill see you next year!

tonight is the last night that i am allowed to do whatever i want. my last day not to plan, educate and raise the up and coming adults of the future! --2010/2011 school year is in effect ya'll and already it looks like we may be beginning to see change in our schools. there is now, officially, salad bar's in elementary school lunch rooms. this is a huge accomplishment and i would just like to let all the parents of the children i will be supervising during lunch know that your kids - will be encouraged and rewarded for choosing healthier foods. I am so excited about this, really.

secondly, I would like to give a shot out to all the kids who made my summer special. i had so much fun hosting "Camp Kalina" and keeping myself busy with activities and tons of imagination(s)! seriously, you couldn't ask for a better group of little kids! It rocked! This was also my first summer off with my kids!! i can't wait for future summers off with them, as i know it truly is a luxury!

for those who may not know me well, i'm attending college for a teacher licensure and work as a paraprofessional. i love it and am so glad i made the decision to work with children and their futures! one thing i can't wait for is to see the students from last year and how much they have grown over summer! i can't wait. i feel like a child the night before the first day of school. exploding with anticipation and anxious eyes as you imagine the following morning...wake up. get dressed (in your previously laid out clothes from the night before), extra fresh, pressed and ready to go! got your backpack all packed and zipped up, new sneaks, maybe a home lunch, maybe hot lunch (depends how mommy was feelin'!) and then off! to meet new friends and new crushes!!!! AHHHHHHHH!!!! Love it!

i had a nice Summer and it was cool to see another side to mom-hood..."the stay at home mom, mom." but i will say that i am very happy to be going back to work, i enjoy the challenge...and it allows my kids time to grow and become even more dependent. we went camping a few times, bbq's and such, gardening and ran a mini camp inside my house. i'm told that it was one of the best CAMPS EVER!!!!!

LASTLY, my summer would not have been so great if it weren't for my dear friend Mary! Thank you Mary for latte's and conversation at the end of my day after all the kids and snacks and choas and blah, blah, blah! i love you dearly and would not have made it through the summer without you, FUUURRR REAL!

so...goodbye summer, i'll see ya when i see ya!