Reality TV

Ok, sometimes I'm SO glad I'm a single mom. I accidently got addicted to the WE tv show Raising Sextuplets. Wow. The husband on this show is a frickin train wreck. Could he be a bigger, whinier, baby? Haven't seen the new episode with the marriage counseling yet. Hope the counselor tells Big Baby Bryan to man up and shut up. Any time Jenny disagrees with him, he says she is emasculating him. Come on - your masculation must be hanging on by a thread buddy. He puts himself down for a nap and lets his wife handle putting down all six kids. At least Jon Gosselin helped with his kids.

Husbands like this are exactly why I figured I might be in for an easier time going solo. But I still feel sorry for the poor women who get stuck with a huge baby for a husband.

Happy Birthday to me

Yesterday was my 47th birthday. I can't believe I'm that old. When my mom was this age, I was 27. When my Grandma was this age, she was my Grandma already. I have a 9 and 7 year old. I hope the 40s really are the new 30s. I hate to think of myself being a doddering old fool while my kids are still young.

My kids woke me up (after 8am - wahoo)with breakfast in bed and a big "Happy Birthday, Mom!" They made scrambled eggs with ham and tomatoes, all by themselves. I also got reheated bacon, two pieces of toast and chocolate milk. They made 3 eggs and 4 slices of bacon so I had plenty to share. The seven year old was critical of her own cooking, saying that her eggs were not as good as mine. Really, they were just cooked a little longer than I usually cook them. Not burned. The only thing with a little char on it was one piece of toast. I don't know why only one piece burned - they toasted them at the same time. That is one great thing about everyone around here getting a little older - the special breakfasts in bed are actually edible.

The girls are at "mud camp" this week - an outdoor camp where they play in the creek, handle animals, learn to fish and all kinds of fun outside stuff. when they get home, I make them strip down right inside the door and go shower while I throw their clothes in the washer. They are a total mess, but then that's the point. Time to go pick them up.

I need my unemployment benefits!

Below is a copy of an email I sent to my senator today. I have been afraid of this ever since I stopped working. My small family owned company went out of business last year and though I thought I would find a job easily, I have been without one for almost a year. I have had a lot of jobs. I'm not one of those people who sticks with a company from graduation to retirement. I've looked for and found a lot of jobs before, easily. This economy is different. If this isn't a depression, I don't want to see a real one.

I'm looking for a middle manager job in financial services. I don't need to be a CEO; I'm not looking for over $100,000. I just want an 8-5 job, in my city, that pays in the mid five figures. I have interviewed for exactly four positions in the past 10 months. One was a sales job for a fly-by-night-seeming company. I haven't got a salesman's bone in my body. One had a little too much sales in it (though knowing what I know now, I should have taken this.) The next one, I really wanted, but they haven't hired the position in the four month since I interviewed. I have no idea what's going on there. I'm being considered for one I interviewed for a month ago and have had a second interview. But they aren't making any decisions for a couple of months. I'm considering making them a mix tape and playing it out on their lawn until they hire me - a la Say Anything.

There just aren't any jobs out there to be had. Period. So discontinue my unemployment benefits, then I'll use up my retirement and the kids college funds (which haven't seen any contributions for a year either.) But then expect to see me lined up at the welfare office. I promised the Chinese government I would take care of these kids and I don't feel like I'm doing that great a job of it. Maybe I should look for work in China. Sigh.

I understand you voted against exending unemployment benefits. I know there is concern about the deficit. However, families' abilities to pay their bills is being threatened. 15 million Americans can't find a job. Unemployment is not creating another entitlement or disincenting people from looking for work. It is a necessary stop gap to keep families from turning to welfare.

I have been out of work for almost a year. I am a single parent to two small children. Unemployment is not a free ride to financial security - it barely covers my mortgage payment. But it DOES cover my mortgage payment. Which leaves me to depend on help from my family and friends to cover the rest of our needs.

If unemployment is taken away, I will lose my house. How is throwing a woman and two children out on the street beneficial to our country?

Republicans keep talking about not wanting to burden our children and grandchildren with debt, but if they are not supported NOW, they will not be around to care about a future debt.

Any aid that is given directly to families helps much more than what is given to corporations to "create jobs." No one is creating jobs - they are just lining the pockets of the CEOs with bonuses for doing SUCH a great job of managing their companies into the ground.

Please reconsider your vote on this!

Summer fun - not!

Ok, is there a new rule I am not aware of? One that states that small children must be entertained 24/7 or their heads blow off? When I was a kid, my mom kicked us out of the house all day and we FOUND things to do. Occasionally, she would drive us to the pool or library. More often we WALKED or rode bikes. Am I that old? Don't answer that. Seriously, my kids think that a trip to a major amusement park should be in the cards daily.

And rain, is now apparently my fault. I wasn't aware I controlled the weather. God, I rule!

Also, if I ask you what you want for dinner and you don't answer me, do you have the right to complain about said dinner? Yeah, I thought so.

I need to get a number of days until school starts widget. Anybody know where I can get one of those? Help me...

Introduction

Hi. I am an adoptive mom of two girls from China. Just wanted to have a place to note interesting/funny/annoying things about motherhood. I love my kids to pieces and they drive me batty in equal proportion - hence the name of the blog. I'm currently unemployed -for the past 12 months, but who's counting? Oh yeah, the federal government - I'm almost out of unemployment benefits. Come on and pass the extension at least one more time. There's nothing like poverty to make you appreciate bigger government!
But I digress...I have daughter #1, who's almost 10, and was adopted at age 11 mos in 2001. Daughter #2 is 7 1/2 and was adopted at age 13 mos in 2004. They are both from Hunan province and people mistake them for twins all the time, even though they are 6 inches different in height, 10 pounds in weight and look nothing alike.
The second most popular comment I get after "Are they twins?" is "Are they real sisters?" I know people who don't know anything about adoption are not trying to be bone headed, but come on. I usually answer, "Not biologically, no." And most people get the hint and fall all over themselves saying, "Oh, yeah, that's what I meant."
I know its hard not to comment on people's families when you're out and about. I used to wonder how to ask other people where their apparently adopted kids were from without invading privacy/asking a stupid question/offending them. Then I realized, there really is no way of doing that, so I just keep my mouth shut. Why do I have to know? My curiousity does not entitle me to know anything about random strangers.
If there is a connection of some sort - we're on the same softball team, your kids are in my kid's class, etc. Then I will allow a gentle question. Are your kids adopted? is probably the best one. You can't just assume. I know a blonde mom who has three very dark skinned/haired kids. If you saw her alone at after school pickup, you might assume her kids were adopted. But if you look closely, except for the coloring, they look just like her. Her husband is Filipino. You know what they say about why you can't assume. So true.

Let's see, what else. I decided while employment was so iffy, that I would go back to school. I'm working on a masters in counseling psychology. I'm currently not studying for a weekend intensive class I have coming up. The reading seems to be pretty dry considering the subject matter is abnormal psych. Hope the classroom discussions are more lively.

Right now I smell burning food, so I must go investigate before my house burns down. I love summer break...