May you please go away

I am looking forward to June.  June is not my month, but it is close to my month.  July IS my month.  This is the month where my parents welcome their firstborn child, ME.  I will talk about June and July in their prospective months.  In the meantime, I hate to do this, but it is reflection time.

May the pandemic

Photo by Pixabay.com

There is no doubt that May continued the lockdown.  It wasn’t until May 16^th that things started to open back up.  Was it too soon? Probably, people are just too glad to get out.  To wear a mask or not wear a mask in my opinion is a personal preference.  I prefer to wear one for safety since I have to go visit my parents, who are elderly and sickly.  I have mentioned that in several of my posts as of late, and I am not about to change that stance soon. 

Because of my stance, I have postponed my family’s trip to Disney.  I have mentioned in a previous post that the trip that was canceled in October 2019 for a totally different reason and will not be rescheduled until July 1, 2020, for the date of December 2021.  I have other reasons too, including that Walt Disney World will not accept reservations until July 1, 2020, so I have no choice.

I have stepped into two stores since the state of Ohio opened back up. It was yesterday.  I had to get an air filter from Lowes and water from Dollar tree.  My air conditioner needed the filer and I needed some water to put into my toilets.  Why?  Because my water was shut off due to an outside pipe bursting from the winter thaw.  It started leaking the Thursday before, and from where the sound was coming from, I thought that it was the next-door neighbor’s pipe.  I ignored it.  I was going to take something to my parent’s house when I found a note on my back door.  I grabbed the note and showed it to my dad, who tried to see over the next several days on how to get the outside pipe, which was not in my fence.  To make a long story short, the water was shut off.  I could not bath, wash clothes, wash the dishes (thank God for being able to hide dirty dishes in a dishwasher), and found out that my attic is attached to my neighbor’s attic and only separated by a divider. Got to love the designer for these buildings.

My water is now turned back on.  It is in moments like these that allow me to respect outhouses😅.  Tip:  if you have a Dollar Tree or any dollar store, getting water from there for $1 is wonderful.  You can get $10 worth and store them in case of emergencies.  When the emergency is over, refill and save for next time.  The good news is water does not spoil.  If you feel uneasy about refilling the bottles, buy 10 more sealed new ones for $1.

The cat is in heat again. I tell you, I feel brand new when she does this.  Thank God she will be fixed soon.

May the activist

I do not have to tell you about what has been going on in the African American community and beyond.   It is another sad story of an officer overstepping his authority, and he put his own agenda over the person who he was arresting.  The man died, and it took the officer’s superior and department a day after George Floyd died to arrest the officer. At first, it was going to be just a firing. People started peacefully protesting, then it got out of hand from there. They are even protesting in my city. I found out that it is only an arrest for 3rd-degree murder.  If it had been the opposite, George Floyd would have been charged for 1^st-degree murder.  The officer needs to be charged for 1^st-degree murder.

I have or will have mentioned this in my last post, but I am tired. My people are tired.  When you see a photo of a tired person, it is of an African-American.  We have been down this road oh so many times until we cannot count anymore.  We do not have to be doing anything but going about our day, just living in the moment.  What do I mean by that? Let see:

·         Going to work

·         Sitting in the back yard

·         Going to the mailbox

·         Talking to a neighbor

·         Getting something to eat

·         Sleeping in our own home

·         Walking the dog

·         Going to the store for some skittles (remember Treyvon Martin)

·         Having an outing in the park

·          Add sitting in a car or having anything to do with a car (Sandra Bland and now George Floyd)

·         Enjoying a night of fellowshipping (the 9 that were killed in a North Carolina Church during bible study)

·         Jogging (Ahmad Avery)

I have a whole list of things that we want to do without some white person getting upset, calling the police, and wasting taxpayers money, and putting in false reports, or becoming a vigilante and take matters into your own hands.

This started well before these incidents.  There was:

·         The 1960s

·         Jim Crow

·         Sharecropping

·         Slavery

To name a few.  When will it end?

Now, I am not saying that all white people are racist.  I have some good, decent white friends who have my back.  Not all black people are cheaters and anything else that we are being accused of. I do not want to spend any more time on this than I have to.  I have started back my YouTube channel (I took a break from it), and I have addressed it there.

So, May was not a good month for me.  I want a do-over, but, I would then ask for a do over for a lot of months and years, including the months where I almost took my life, the times I did not get the job I wanted, the times I ran completely out of money and had to depend on my parents, and the times where I wished I was taking care of someone other than myself, only to find out that in one big swoop that ability was taken away from me.

Those disappointments were replaced and filled with great big moments of joy, happiness, “Yay, I got the job”, “yay, I have enough money to go on that trip or to buy something I really wanted”, and “yay, I am going to be an aunt and niece (or nephew), aunty is going to spoil you like nothing else matters, but I am also going to teach you something.  I cannot wait until the newest Logan is old enough for me to give her the same treatment that I gave her cousins, uncle, and father have gotten before her. Aww, heck, she gets it now.  I am trying to think of an outfit that will make my 3-month old niece look fly. (Oh, do they still say that?  Let me know in the comments section). 

It is times like these that keep a person on their toes and to remind us that everything is not always going to go our way.  I am trying different techniques like journaling, meditating, exercising, and being kind to myself and others.  Yes, these are angry times, and for that, I try not to watch too much news, pray about a situation, and try to take a positive approach, which includes trying to ignore the tyrant in the white house.  It is hard when your race has once again become the subject of white people acting ugly and black people responding ugly.  Find your happiness or calmness in the midst of this storm of illness and protests.  You will be surprised how much better you will feel.

Until then, I pray that June will be the start of something better for all of us.

The cuteness is Real

(c)2015 P.Lynne Designs - Please note: I did not get
permission to publish actual child's face, so I went with
This one.

Two little hands ready to grab anything.  Two little feet just learning how to walk.  All of that and a head full of big, fat curls, not worrying who loves him, who cares for him, and who he turns to in time of need, but he is just a baby.  All he wants is his paci (pacifier), his Ba (bottle), his giraffe, and his mommy and da-da (daddy).

All I know is he is my nephew, a 1-year-old, who I just met, named Kirer, Ki-Ki for short, and he is the cutest little boy I have ever seen.  Yes, as his aunt, I have seen lots of cute little ones, and the ones that came before him (meaning his cousins, father, and grandfather) were all cute as babies, but he is my present cute baby boy. I cannot believe that I am a great-aunt.

Yes, you heard it right, great-aunt.  My nephew is the father, my brother is the grandfather, and my parents are great-grandparents.  Now, I know what you are thinking if you have been following this blog for a while.  Yes, I am single, and still looking in the love department and in the baby department. 

So, I talk was trying to find the actual story that I wanted to reference to on being single, but I found this one instead, and I could not help but to reference to my then great-nephew-to-be in the last paragraph because his uncle was 2 at the time.

Back to whatever I was talking about.

It is days like this that make a person wonder why they were chosen to be in a baby’s life, especially if you are adopting.  I often think why now.  Sure, I want children, and I want to be that person that a child can come to.  I am a young great-aunt, a young aunt, but I will be an older parent.  I just published a post on this blog about being in a nesting mode, and I love it.  For those who are in a rush to do anything in life, do not rush it, for it will come, IF it was meant for you.  I was hoping to share this moment with a special man in my life, but you take what you can get.  I am looking forward to mother, and hopefully we (child) can manage rather a man comes into our lives or not.

In the meantime, this aunt is enjoying the cuteness in all of her nephews and niece.  I just you as my readers to do one small favor.  Pray for us and Disney World, because 13 people will be going there and the cruise line in December.  8 adults and 5 kids.  I have a feeling that Disney Word will never be the same again, but it will be fun. 

Adventures into Aunthood part 2: That talk

Hello, and if you read yesterday’s episode, you should ready to hear about this one:   That talk.   I am not talking about THE Talk, which is a talk show on CBS with Julie Chen as one of the hosts, and what you do with pre-teens.  Nope, that is too easy.   I am talking about that talk that you feel like it is the parent’s job to have with THEIR child(ren).  This is THAT TALK that makes you cringe, often with no delight in it at all. That talk….well, let me set the scene up and you’ll be the judge.

When I last left you, my mom and I had a hard time last night putting 4-year old niece to bed.  I got my rest by writing part 1 of my night of aunthood, and viewing You Tube vids on my Ipad.   OK, well this morning was filled with the kids waking me up, getting them to brush their teeth, wash their face, and putting clothes on.  Breakfast was uneventful, and by then, mom had returned from her doctor’s appointment (which was the whole reason why I stayed the night, instead of going home).

The kids wanted to go outside, so I said OK to that.  Next thing I knew, nephew came in, and ratted on his sister.   She decided to become farmer niece, and pulled up one of dad’s onions that he planted two weeks ago.   The rule in the family was no one touches dad’s garden, except dad.   (It’s a running joke, you can actually get veggies out of the garden, but the onion was not ready).   Niece thought I was going to beat her (I did not, CPS, but the thought crossed my mind).  

Next, mom had to go to the grocery store for a couple of items, so off to Giant Eagle we go.   I stayed out in the car with them.  That was when “That talk” hit.   I reminded nephew that he was going to be 6 on Saturday, he said it was not true (like I was not there the day he was born), he was already 6, and his half-brothers told him that he was already 6.   I almost got into an argument with that one.  He said that his mommy (my sister) was already married, and I raised an eyebrow.   Nephew said that he and niece saw their mommy and then boyfriend, “B” did adult things with their bodies. (He actually used the actually word).  I did not know what to say at that point.  Nephew did not ask questions, neither one of them wanted no answers.   I was speechless.   This is the kind of talk I do not want to have with a 5-turning 6 years old little boy and a 4- soon to be 5 years old little girl.   It is not funny, nor is it cute.   I do not want to know my sister’s business, and yes, she was upset when she heard what he said that to me.

So why am I telling you?   To serve parents a warning:  please do not do anything that you do not want your siblings to know.  (Oops, that is three do’s, need to fix that).  I feel embarrassed finding this out from a 5 year old.   5 year olds are supposed to talk about themselves, and the latest things going on in their classroom, including the class gerbil.  The same with 4 year olds.   When did these sponges grow up?  OK, scratch that question.   When my oldest nephew was the middle one’s age, he brought home a cute little guinea pig named Hannah Banana home from school.  This was over the Christmas holiday.  I am not a rodent lover by any means necessary, but I fell in love with Hannah.   We talked about Scooby Doo, Diego (Dora the Explorer’s cousin), and what his friends were doing.   My how things changed in just those few years, because the oldest was 11 years old when the middle nephew was born.  Niece is sandwiched between her brother and the 2 turning 3 years old nephew.  

That’s another thing…Kids in this age group are sponges.  They soak up everything, and my mom gave my sister a warning about that too.   They are natural tattle-tales too.   No subject can get by a 2-10 year old.  They are the original Ma Bell.  So if you do not want anything, and I mean anything to leak out to family and friends, or even your boss, do not tell your children.  You will be fired quicker than you can say “unemployment.”  

So until next time, I will talk to you later.

Have a blessed day.

My adventures in aunt hood: the overnight guest.

Ah, the joys of aunthood, what melodies they bring.   Tonight's episode:  the overnight guest.   I have done it before, but this time, it seems that I am missing the boat.   I have covered my reaction to the first time curser, bottle feeding in the middle of the night, fights between siblings, and the smart mouth.   Have I covered it all?  NO, I have not!   I have a quote for you, and it goes like this:  " if you want to make God laugh, make plans."   Well the joke was on both my mom and me. 
I had my whole day planned; go to two computer classes, done by noon, start writing out a packet for those who join my Longaberger team, as an additional bonus outside of what the company does, read email, answer email, and finally rest and sort of goof off on social media.   A fun filled day.
I get a call from my sister to watch her kids, nephew,6 and niece, 4.   It seems that other sister baled on her at the last minute.  Neice, 7, had a concert, and my sister was not sure when she would return to watch the first sister's kids.   I called mom, because my condo was too small, and I only have one bed.  Nephew could always sleep on the couch, niece in the bed with me, but I like my bed space, and well, niece is an octopus in bed. (Very much like her mommy.)
So, we go to pick up the kids.  We knocked, called from our cell phones, left messages that we were going to leave.   When all of a sudden, my sister calls back, and says that she is coming.  She sends the kids out and brings the seats.   We are off and all is quiet, but not for long.   We get to my parents house and nephew was good,   But not neice.   Have you ever felt like a broken record?   That was me in a nutshell, and yes, I like talking to myself, especially when there should be a 4 year old little girl listening to me.   I have threat written in my voice, and as a result, it has taken two hours for two people to get one little girl to go to sleep,  I am exhausted.   Her brother, on the other hand, fell asleep the moment his head hit the pillow.  I talked, mom talked, I read two bedtime stories (IBooks and my IPad have officially earned their keep, because I had no children's books on the app), and the girl to this hour, has not gone to sleep.
Parents, I feel for anyone who cannot get their cute, precious little one to sleep.   What do these people eat that makes them this way?   Oh I forgot, when we were not looking, chicky-poo got to the cookies.   She had three.
 I was supposed to write a blog post on my desktop at home, instead  of on my iPad like I am doing now.
I think she is officially asleep (yep,  with torn covers off the bed).   Do I still want a little girl?  Yes I do.   This neice is not ruining the moment for me, even if she caused me to slam on the brakes when she cursed in the backseat at the age of 3.  I cannot wait until I adopt one, and I cannot wait until I see what this niece  of mine has in store for us when she turns 5 in September.   Lord, help us all.  Did I mention we are all going to Disney World in December?

Have a blessed day.

Are you a Cool Aunt?

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

For weeks I have seen this ad for Swifter mops, and in this particular one,  a woman says, " I'm Done".  She picks up a magazine that reads, "Are you a Cool Mom?".  she then exclaims, "I'm got to do this." (cue the announcer).  Next she ask her kids, Bright, and Not so Bright , if she is "Mom-tacler" or "Mom-Trous".  Forgive me if I am calling names, but that is the look they had on their faces.  Remember it is the questions you ask your kids when they give those silly little faces like you just killed them.
Now why am I asking this question about cool aunts?   I was thinking about this question as I was dropping my oldest nephew off at a friend's house 30 minutes ago.  You know, aunts are different than moms, because even though they may have kids of their own (I do not yet, that day is coming), there is something about an aunt, depending on which way you play it, that is cool way of getting away with everything.   At least that is the way my niece and nephews see it (the youngest one is still trying to figure me out)  Just for the record, I have nephews who are 16, 5, and 2, while the niece is 4.   to me, they are the joy of my life, and like their parents and grandparents, I would die for them, go to jail for them, that sort of thing.
so what makes a cool aunt?  I really do not know, but I can tell you what I have done...
When mommy or daddy said no,  I said yes, and gave it to them anyway.  I had fun with them and tried to understand their stuff.  I have babysat when I did not feel like it. take them to the store, bought junk food, let them stay up late when they spend the night.  While to some that is a complete no-no, I was not doing to to gain friendship, but to know I am there too.  I have also reprimanded when they needed it, gave advise, hugged, gave kisses, held when the boo-boos came, rocked to sleep, and basically loved them as though they were my own child.  My oldest nephew will be 18 in 2 years, and I am looking forward to those talks we will have when he is a man.  I wrote a entry to my second installment of my journal, and in it this is what I said at the time about my nephew when just a year older than his brother now:

"Oh do not get me wrong, I love Mikey, and he is a wonderful challenge for me.  I loved it when I changed his diapers, fed him, sing to him, and played with him.  He will be turning from a toddler to a preschooler in four short weeks, and I miss the baby in him already.  I will enjoy it, when he does turn four, because I love it when he counts, sings his Preschool songs to me, tells me what color he wants in Lucky Ducks, and he is getting better in pronouncing “L” words.  I also love it when he gives me a great big hug, and a big wet kiss." (except from "My life in the 21st century, a personal journal of mine)

One thing I have say about my nephew that most people do not get to say about their sibling's children, he is a good kid.  At the age of 16, he does have his moments, but over all he is a good kid.  Yes, he does have a girlfriend, and no I am not a great-aunt yet (let's keep it that way for a while)   The other three are learning.  The one next to him is 5, and to Deonte, I am a cool aunt. His sister thinks I am too.  Mike's little brother at age 2 is still trying to figure me out.
So Are you a Cool Aunt?   I know I am, but I have also have values and other things that will help them along in life, and maybe they can teach me how to do the Dougie.