Our national parks are celebrating 100 years this weekend. I have fond memories of visiting parks and traveling every summer, almost every weekend. Not aware of it at the time we were connecting with our surroundings & learning of our country's rich history.
Our family trips started many years ago...MANY years ago. A lover of history and the outdoors my dad would drag (LOL) mom, 4 little kids, & a big black lab through parks, through nature, creep crawly insects, and the brutal heat in an old blue suburban without AC. We're heading off next weekend, to our favorite state park, for our annual family vacation, not just me and the "monsters", I'm talking about us PLUS 14 more. We took many family trips when I lived at home. Every weekend at the lake in a tent, hiking in the hills, wandering around grown over cemeteries (don't ask), and trips to grandpa & grandma's. Oh my gawd, just how many cans of cold Pork n Beans did we eat? I have great memories of some beautiful country side, but I believe trips taken in the panhandle of Nebraska & the southern Black Hills of South Dakota stick solid in my head. The area rich in history, my father would stop for all the history markers and would read them to us. I have to admit, I found it a little boring. Why would you stop to read a street sign, for crying out loud! Our favorite part, MY favorite part, hiking in hills south of Scottsbluff, Nebraska. If you have bought into "Nebraska is flat", you're seriously mistaken. Not far from where we lived for a few years, it was paradise, and I could run away from my brother & pretend he ran off a cliff. (LOL don't worry, I didn't push & he's still alive) Mom would grab a book & her bag, tired of our bickering she'd drive & dump us out. She'd pull up a picnic table & turn our wild butts loose. We'd run for hours, beat each other with sticks, and throw rocks at the outhouses. Yup, we were sooo out of control. We're only a week away from jumping in the car, and all (ALL) heading west. 35+ years we've been exploring western Nebraska & connecting with the outdoors. Old blue & the black lab have been gone for years, but dad will drag us kicking & screaming. We've rented a beautiful historical 3 story Victorian home, over a 100 years old, surrounded by bluffs, streams, and history. I'll sit on the old porch, dream of hiking in hills, and ignore the kids screaming "he looked at me!". NO TV, NO WIFI! I'll tune in the old transistor radio & listen to Big Red, & open a cold can of Pork n Beans.
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My daughter is in "transition". Meaning? She is transitioning from a child to an adult? She's transitioning from a child setting and functioning as a child to an adult setting and trying to function as a adult.
I'm not sure that's correct? I don't know, I have trouble with that word. I guess it's as close as they can come to a description. My guess is, what I really think it means is WE are transitioning. She's a little girl in her mind, she doesn't appear that way so it's hard for others around her to understand. She's high functioning so she's learned to adapt very well to her surroundings. Don't think for one minute that she's not smart just because she has some challenges. Hell, most people don't even know she's maybe 10 on the inside, but even a 10 year old can run a computer. The transition for me, and other parents like me is to stay on top of the everyday tasks. It was so much easier before, I just sent her to school like any other kid. Don't get me wrong, that was a battle also. I felt like I was constantly advocating, fighting for her rights. She deserved a chair in a regular classroom, deserved to be treated with respect from the teachers and students, and deserved a spot on the basketball team, even if her shot wasn't the best and she had a heck of a time dribbling the ball. Oh, ya & the classmate that tripped her and let her books going go flying down the hall because he thought he was cool and funny. That kid needed his ass kicked but she picked up her books and went on like nothing happened. Today, it's a new battle. Is this her transition or mine? The mounding paperwork, the sickos on social media that prey on little girls (yes, we've battle those), the doctor appointments, phone calls, and yes I'm still fighting for her rights. There's little comfort or support in rural areas, not much for you to compare to. We don't have support groups, we have very few that's gone through it before you, I've found you're basically on your own. (I really need to start a support group for others like us) I think, although, I said I was soooo ready (I could kick myself for this) for her to be out of school, today is different. I almost (ALMOST) wish school was all we had to worry about. She's transitioning but I think maybe the biggest transition has been for mama. I actually slept until after 6:00am, that never happens. I'm bound and determined to blog or not to blog. I didn't want to fail on the second day. Even if it's a short post, I've made it onto the third day.
Coffee and a Little Debbie cherry pie for breakfast. (Don't judge) Cleaning continued last night on the itty bitty room. She's made great progress, I'm so proud of her. We should be able to tear down the furniture and start painting tonight, I hope. Meanwhile, while she cleans the bedroom mommy has made it a point to tackle other chores. I think I've done 50 loads of laundry over the weekend. Mainly hers! UG!! I've stayed on top of the dishes, and tonight I will focus on getting the boys to mow. This may all seem mundane to most of you, daily chores, all part of living but to a single mom without backup and someone that has barely been able to function in almost a year it's a major deal. I can do this. 5 kids; 5 dif issues...I let it weigh me down & I've thrown more than my share of pitty parties lately. I can do this. Ok, off to face the day. It's time for our morning routine. Thanks in advance for following along on our journey. I'm positive that not all will make the whole trip with us, but I appreciate your time and the messages of support. Happy Tuesday! |
Cynthia"Don't put an age limit Archives
July 2018
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