Back from vacation

I went on vacation last week and had an excellent time. I was reminiscing about it on the way home gathering my thoughts as to what I will say when asked "how was your vacation?" and I found it was excellent- flawless- I told you I was a lucky girl, and I winned(always). I got to go with my new beau, Jerry (new for about a year now, wow that was fast)his two daughters Jaime- 10 and Cortney- 13, my Andrew and Race.
Jerry, the kids and I (excluding Andrew) drove down. The car only holds 5 passengers so for less than it would have cost in gas for me to take another vehicle, we flew Andrew down Saturday morning on Jet Blue. He loved it, and the ride home was going to be minus two- Jerry's girls were staying another week in Florida and we were meeting their mother there to deliver them, so Andrew would ride back with us.
We stayed in my timeshare at Westgate Lakes Orlando for the first time in six years since Raymond and I bought it in 2001. He would never let us go on vacation there- said the kids didn't deserve it and they should not even see it. So we never went. Until this year- hehehe. He didn't like it when he heard that I was going to go down and stay there either. He asked me specifically "are you staying in the timeshare?" and of course I said "yes". He said that was interesting because it is supposed to be for sale and it should be rented. I agreed and added- "but it's not sold, and it is not rented it is available, and I am going down to use it." You have got to know there would be more to the rebuttal than that. There was. But you have the end result- my flawless vacation!!!
We arrived Friday at 7:30 pm. Wow it was fast getting in. Then the place was really great- that kids went bananas- we had a lock off apartment and Cortney scooped that up right away (trouble when Andrew gets in but we can wait for that). we ordered pizza and the kids jumped in the jacuzzi tub. Next day we played in the pool all day-all sunny warm day.
We went to Universal studios on Monday- what a hoot with Race. We rode the Cat in the Hat rides (all of them), and the Jurassic park ride with the T-Rex about to eat us on the way down the river- Race thought that was scary. He wasn't big (tall)enough for some of the rides and he talks about that when he describes his vacation. Tuesday we pooled it- well until I had to leave to take Andrew to see his prospective college in Winter Park- Full Sail. What a cool college. We got a tour and finished up with a visit with his rep in her office. Back at Westgate by 7:30 pm. Wednesday we had to see the westgaters about upgrading- that didn't take long- No, I am not interested in upgrading and then I left-.They had a free buffet, but I am used to having Jerry cook me breakfast it didn't even tempt me.We made tie dyed t-shirts for the kids by the pool and they had a movie matinee night at the pool at dusk- Toy Story was the movie. Thursday we caught up on all the park activities we had not done yet. Jerry rented a sail boat and took it out on the lake. We rented a paddle boat, and we miniature golfed, checked out the bikes for 4 +1. Walked to all the other pools (6 in all) and landed in the furthest one away with the least amount of people in it and swam until 7 or so. It was a great vacation. We left Westgate Friday by 10 am and went to Blizzard Beach at Disney World, a water park, and left Orlando Saturday and got home Sunday.
It was a great vacation and I had a wonderful time with Jerry and his girls and my beautiful boys. Ikey stayed home to deliver papers- his new job, and practice baseball. He made me promise we would go somewhere this summer- so watch for us Uncle Tommy and all you California family members, we just might be knocking on your door to say hello soon.
I am the lucky girl, and I winned.

Tuesday March 27, 2007

Tuesday already and have been up since 4 a.m. again. At first I was a little grumbly about it but after a cup of coffee, my vitamin and motivational pills, and a piece of cinnamon bread toasted I was better. Then the air was warm and like we were on a lake this morning when we ventured out to deliver Isaac's papers. It only took 1/2 hour and was actually pretty fun being with him all alone and having a routine, and we get alone pretty well together. I have been gone quite a bit since I started working in Sodus Point on Tuesdays, Thursdays with Fridays and some Saturdays every other week and Isaac seems to be the one who mentions it the most. He sincerely misses me- which is nice, when it's not just for money. He makes me laugh.

Last night we had a birthday party for Tim, who is now 40. Mom made him his favorite flavor cake- French vanilla, and she melted frosting and dripped it over the top. Johnathan, Race and I went out together and picked out gifts and cards with the money Tommy sent from California. We got him a pair of jeans, and Zingers, Race got him box of chocolates, a Sponge Bob balloon with a crazy straw, a Sponge Bob card that he signed and squiggled a phrase as he spoke outloud- "Happy birthday Uncle Timmy we couldnt find the caker lighter but we got candles and put them on the cake AMEN". The caker lighter was the candles in the shape of a number which we have been moving around all year from one drawer to another and could not find it for the cake last night- nice. Race signed his name with a perfect R, an A that more resembles a Q, a C like a banana, and an E with 5 horizontal passes. It's a great signature for a 4 yr old and consistent. I love it, and more importantly Tim did. Isaac said he never saw Tim smile so much- so it was a great hit- Thanks Tommy, you were here. I put 40 bucks from you in his card as that was all that was left and fitting (get it 40). He smiled and stuffed it in his pocket quickly. Hey- why not.

So I gotta get going.
Today we get our new tires on the car at 9 a.m., talk to Pecia sometime today to see if indeed we can borrow the van for the Florida trip which we leave for Thursday morning, and at 10 a.m. I'm off to Sodus Point to work and file my divorce complaint and work on billing and learning default divorces. Sounds like a great day. I am not looking forward to my chiropractic appointment at 4:30 because my back is just starting to settle down from the last appointment. I had the beginnings of a rash on my belt line on the left of my spine and after electrical stimulation and ultrasound which increased the inflammation in that area, I was in misery over the weekend. I felt like a burning hot poker cut 4 inches aroung that area. I have not had a week with out discomfort after my treatments since I have started there. One week its my neck, then next my LB, and then back to my neck. Jerry said I should call and cancel my appointment then. I feel bad but I agree. Gotta get going have a great day. Sorry no pics of the birthday party- all with Sponge Bob party hats and balloons. You can picture it. Instead here is a picture of my car next to the snow bank just two weeks ago. Ciao from the lucky girl- I winned!!

OK now what? You have read about, Andrew, Ike, Race, Lori, Pecia. My mom and my dad live with me. You think I went on and on about my kids- wait until you hear about my mother. I'm sure people who know her all view her differently. She is very unique. She is very smart- she's a Thesier, they are all very smart- exceptionally smart! She raised 5 kids- not such a big deal in our family as she came from a family with 14 kids! WOW. I get to talk with her everyday and not just because she lives with me. We talked quite a bit before that too. You know when kids are growing up what a pain their parents can be? Well I'm sure I wasn't any different. Then when I had kids of my own I started to think about my mother and realized just how valuable she really is. Well thank God I had my kids young(22 when I had Andrew, and 25 for Ike)I believe that's when you really start to appreciate your parents- that's when it kicked in for me. When Andrew started acting like me when he was a baby that's when I called my mother and asked "if I apologize now will it stop?" We just laughed, and we have been able to laugh together alot since. She is a woman, a person like you and me and I am just interested in her very much. We talk about her mother, and her relationship with her mother. I told my mother that by the time we (my brothers and sisters) came around my grandmother was all worn out. The thrill of grandchildren was worn and not so shiny anymore. It wasn't that I thought she didn't love me or paid enough attention to me etc. I just watched her at family reunions and she was adored by all of us. I remember wanting to talk to her- but I was not alone. Everyone wanted to talk to gramma- so you usually had to wait- Kind of like waiting for Santa- He's special and he listens but there are alot of people waiting to talk to him too, and he know things about you that make you feel special and so does gramma. My mother shared that she didn't' remember talking to her mother like we talk. She remembers her sisters being involved with her more, and showing her and teaching her more than her mother did. Her mom was busy, always busy,e specially after grandpa died. I love my mom. I can tell her anything and I do,and she listens to me and helps me. She supports me even when I am wrong. She cooks for me (she cooks for everyone) and she makes me laugh. I just am so lucky to have her, she is so cool. I can go in her room at night after she has gone to sleep and talk to he if something is bothering me. Dad too for that matter. They are very wonderful people who have allowed me to grow and respect me and taught me to respect and so I respect my kids and look at them. It's a good idea. Talk, respect, help, support, live, love, laugh. It does a whole lot of good, and gets you through the rough times. I am a blessed girl- I winned!!!

My Ikey

OK I haven't posted a blog in awhile, sorry. Sorry Tom.
This is a long one but a good one. Worth reading. (I think so anyway, I've read it 3 times already:-))


This morning I woke up to a soft tapping on my door- It was my Ikey waking me up to help him with his paper route. It was 4:11 a.m. and I told him last night I would help him today. He has been calling the paper for about two months now looking for a paper route and got his new route just a week ago tomorrow. We have been living in tough financial times lately and he told me he feels guilty asking for money so he found a way he can have a job to make his own money and stay involved in sports. He has to get up at 4 a.m. and he has to have them delivered by 6 a.m., and 8 a.m. on Sundays. He has 47-50 papers (twice as many on Friday and three times the bulk on Sundays) and walks about two miles away to deliver them. This morning was 39 degrees out (it was warm!!!)while yesterday it was below 0 when he delivered.

Isaac is my middle child, which he has only been for 4 of his 16 years(that's when Race came around), so he is my big baby- BIG because he is pushing the top off 6'2", and the toe off a size 13 shoe. He wears a size 36x34 jean and they aren't baggy like the clothes kids today wear, they fit him. His heart is as big as they come. He has always been very helpful. When he was one year old he would make his bed when he still slept in a crib before he would climb out- Andrew would drag him out. Then he would come in my room and walk my comforter up from the bottom of my bed to the top while looking over the mattress saying "help oo mama". He would run to do anything I asked, especially if I asked Andrew to do for me. He would listen and run ahead of Andrew and have my request granted before Andrew had a synapse.

He liked a girl in kindergarten and when I asked her name he said "I don't know- the one with sun hair."
His first grade teacher told me if a child spilled their crayons in her room Isaac was the first one there to help them pick them up.

Isaac John named after his father who is John Isaac who was named after his grandfathers. I totally planned on calling him Isaac- When he was two weeks old Andrew, Isaac and I went to the drug store, and the pharmacist came over and "ooed and ahhed" over our baby and asked Andrew what his brothers name was- here was this beautiful little baby boy and out of my 2-yr olds mouth came "Ike". Nice, a baby named Ike. Well he has been Ike ever since. I used to ask him what his name was when he was 2 and he would say "Ikey John Bushey". I loved that so I always asked over and over. I love bugging him- maybe that's why he bugs me so much now- ya think?
His clothes are always pressed and neat especially before a basketball game or other sport. He does not like holes in his jeans like others wear them.
When he was learning to talk he would ask me something and if I did not understand what he said he just shut his mouth. I could beg to have him repeat it and to no avail- he would not open his mouth again until he could say it correctly. So I would not correct him when he would ask if we could go to the park in a "couple whiles".
He was the child interested in grandpa. When I would call Florida to talk to mom the phone got passed around- Andrew wanted to talk to gramma, then Ike got on and he would say "Hi gramma, where's grandpa?" Neither of them, Ike or grandpa were phone talkers- and would keep it brief- sharing basketball info (dad is a Orlando Magic fan)and NASCAR results. Dad didn't get the attention from the grandchildren first pick like that until Ike came around- well how could he compete with Grandma, she's first rate.

Ikey very sensitive and thoughtful and deserving of my help at 4:11 a.m. When I told him I would help him he said- "No mom it's really early, you don't have to help me, I can do it". I got up and bagged his papers with him and drove him around and delivered a few. I watched him try to go quietly up onto the porches of his customers so as not to make too much noise and wake them. When he got out of the car to deliver a paper he would tell me cut the lights so we would not disturb people still sleeping. He puts the paper on a chair next to the door for one elderly woman so she does not have to bend over to pick it up. He is thinking of other people, and being kind and considerate. This is gratifying to know someone so young is thinking of other people, is being kind, and considerate, and I know him. I am blessed.
He has gone back to bed now after we ate breakfast together- He had OATMEAL!!! Where did he come from?:-)- He thanked me and gave me a big hug- (the top of my head is under his chin). He has baseball practice this morning at 7 and again after school until 8 tonight, he is on the honor roll in school, and brought me a paper to sign this week so he can be a mentor to younger kids in school. It is so easy to help someone like him. I am so blessed to know him and be in his life. What a cool guy- and he likes me. I like him too. I love this kid, he is just what I wanted. They all are.

I told my kids that their dad and I may not have stayed together but they are to never think for one minute that they werent wanted because they were always wanted. I looked forward to meeting them as soon as I knew they were coming. I still enjoy the thought of getting to know them better everyday. And I do- I'm the lucky girl- I winned!!!

I can't stop this feelin'.....

Catch that? Ever had a song stuck in your head. Yeah I'm sure you have. This is the song that is stuck in my head today. Lori knows all the songs that I bring up that get stuck in my head.
She quietly goes in her room, and emerges after a short period of time and Voila! she has a CD made for me entitled "Just for Michelle". That is sooo cool. She has all the songs you can imagine. I took a picture of her recently because she looked sooo good in this shirt- she blushed of course but she let me take the picture- so I think I will share it.

I have a picture of Pecia too come to think of it. Here she is. We got together last week and colored each others hair, and goofed off, and had fun in Northern NY despite the weather, which was very snowy that day.
She was so gracious to give my son Isaac a ride to school for practice-(he was nagging for a ride after he MADE me cut his hair). While she was gone LORI, (yeah Lori!!!) picked up Pecia's purse and started checking it out. It was a cool purse- soooo Pecia's style. It was a soft suede with long hangy downy fringe, and the strap was braided. Then Lori started going through it.
First she brought out the hair color, which was the ice breaker, that was OK though because it was the main event. Then when she opened an orange bag she found (which ended up being a pencil case) things started to get interesting.
She found another small folded black thingy, yeah it was a necessities case- drop that back in. What else was in here?
She found a small, cute heart-shaped tin labelled "Shut up and kiss me" mints. No doubt they were from pecia's new husband Vince. Lori opened them up and ate some and offered one to me-no way was I going to eat them. They were shaped like little x's and o's- really too cute, but this was taboo.
Then she started to laugh and write notes and put them in Pecia's things. She put one in her compact mirror, one in her personal "hi Jean!" case, one in her pencil case, and then we heard the car pull in the driveway!!
"Uh oh! Pecia's back!! Quick, better hurry up Lori!!" But Lori had emergency surgery less than a year ago, and she doesn't move as fast as she used to, and of course we started to laugh, and when Lori starts to laugh anything can happen, and does, and DID. All sorts of noises from all over her body start hooting, and frooping and pooping, and she snorts and well, THAT never goes the way she wants it to go - "TISSUES please!!!"
When Pecia opened the door we froze. We were lucky she drove the Mini and was still mesmerized by the ride. She was talking to herself about it as she was walking in the door, which distracted her from our loud laughing, guilty looks, the cloudy haze in the room. Not to mention the huge pile of crumpled tissues scattered about. Of course Pecia went right over to her purse and opened it. Yikes!!! We couldn't hold in the laughter. She started with the line "did you see my cool purse?" and started to tell us what a great purse it was and pulled out the contents like it was show-and-tell starting with the orange pencil case!!!
"Isn't this a great purse?" she said, and look it has all my pencils in it for school- sure enough she opened it and there was a fresh note that read ,"Cool purse, love you - LP" I laughed, Lori just looked at me and started to make those noises again without warning.
Pecia looked at us not knowing what to think. She commented on how much Lori's handwriting looks like mine- what could I say? I thought of Tom, what would Tommy say? I told her that Lori was doing so well in rehab that she has mastered her handwriting skill and being ambidextrous before surgery she certainly would be considered talented and well anything could be expected even this!!- It sounded just as much like crap then as it does not. She didn't buy it. BUSTED!!! but it was funny. It was fun to laugh with them like we did when we were kids. The only thing we were missing was Tom. I did think of you- briefly of course LOL!!!

And on we go

Tuesday February 20, 2007. Wow this year is going by so fast. This is the Tuesday of the kids vacation ALREADY!!. No matter if it's vacation or not Race has gone to his dad's already- He goes every Tuesday at 1:30. I have had him since Friday- he he he!!!I am so happy because I had my little boy for 7 of the last 9 days when before January 10, 2007 I had him 3 out of 14 days. That is why I am smiling, and finally feeling happy again. Race was taken from me by an ex parte' order granted by a family court judge on false allegations made by my husband. I was not granted an immediate hearing, and have spent the last 7 months wreathing in agony over this custody battle. My son was literally taken from me and I could do nothing about it but wait while justice takes it course, and it's sweet time.
I was allowed to have Race during the day when his father was working but then when night came he had to go back. When my little boy was used to having his mother read, and sing to him before bed and rock him until he went to sleep he had to leave me and go to dad's. He didn't understand, I didn't understand, and it was tough. Tough on him more than on me, and it was devastating to me. However, in my first posting I said I was finally smiling again, and this is why. I have my baby back. I have to share him, which I knew I would have to do when I gave birth to him, but I have him half the time now with nights too.
This past year has really been the hardest thing I have had to go through but I made it through and I can breathe now and I feel strong, and I can feel me. I realize my life is mine- precious and wonderful, and I am a good woman, and I have a great family, and I have friends who care about me, and I can express love and be given love back, and my boys love me through thick, and thin, and it was getting quite thin. I have three beautiful, wonderful sons and I love them. They are all with me, and will always know me, and will always be loved by me.

Today I cut Races hair- and it really needed it, and it looks good!!!. He didn't like sitting there, and told me he wanted to be done NOW- 35 seconds into it, but he sat pretty good for a 4 year old having his hair cut by his mom. He told me "you are not a 'haircutter' you are a mom"!! I told him "I cut Isaac's hair so I am a haircutter". We finished the haircut(complete with a bath to be rid of all those nasty itchy hairs that love to stick to baby skin on their neck's) in time to go for the long walk across the street to his dad's (yep, the neighbor is his father) with his Valentines inside his little paper mail truck he made in pre-school, and his spiderman rolling backpack with his school clothes in it for tomorrow. Off he went until tomorrow when I pick him up and take him to school, and pick him up to stay the NIGHT with me.

Anyway also on this Tuesday, my Ikey has a sectional game at his home gym playing basketball tonight at 7 p.m. He is so nervous about it he only got 2 hours of sleep all night. He hasn't been able to participate in full practices because of shin splints, but he has been icing them and bought a - leg thingy-(yeah that's it a leg thingy)to help. I don't know what it is, all I heard was it felt better, and so I smiled- Great! mom's like hearing that. So he is feeling better, and will be playing tonight. He has led his team in scoring, and in rebounds this season. The last game of the season he scored enough points to take him over 200 total points for the season. He plays the forward positon and there is a website to see his progress at www.frontierleaguesports.com. He is in there under Isaac Bushey for Lowville Academy. I just ran him to school. He is 6'2" and a size 13 shoe. He is a nice fella with a cantankerous sort of sense of humor. It's like, well it's like anything that you have to take in slow doses to appreciate, only without the total appreciation afterwards. I just understand his humor. I have been the brunt of it for a little while now- it's unique, and quirky all at the same time.
If you can get close enough to him to see it you will know what I mean. It sort of like a foreign language, if you don't speak it, you don't get it. He says totally inappropriate things just for the facial expressions or the effect. It sounds totally disrespectful but he is actually one of the most sensitive people on the planet and would cry if he thought he actually offended or hurt someone.
Just before he left tonight for the game my mother asked him to help his grandpa into his bedroom, and Isaac said "no way!"
- Uh huh See? Not funny- but that is the humor of it- Of course he will help, and did. He has the 'shocking' sense of humor.
Don't worry, mom gets him because he and Grampa have a 'thing', and always did. He listens to me when I tell him that it's not funny, and he won't say it again- Well depending on how hard I expressed "it's not funny"- I just might see it again, and again, because it's- well, just not funny to me, which is funny to him; to see me unhumored.
What a wierd post, but there it is with a picture of my 2 subjects- One of Ike with his dress clothes before a basketball game and his side kick little brother, his biggest fan; Race- with the hairdoo before the beautiful home-made non-haircutter mom cutting.

I am blessed beyond measure to have my new life that has allowed me to be surrounded by my family who all get along miraculously well. This is a time with a reason behind it... that I am sure of, yet I have absolutely no clue what the reason is, but hey... here we all are, and on we go. We all have each other, and we all need each other right now. No one could have predicted this menagerie of a life for any of us.
Good thing we all get along or this would be hell.



Hope you liked my post- Thanks for commenting. Hey- it's all about you Tommy- I love you -you're the greatest xoxoxoxox

My Valentine

This is actually the Friday following Valentines day but I think this is worth blogging since I did not make an entry on Wednesday the actual Valentines Day. My son is a senior this year- He is my oldest and so we are doing all the senior things starting with his senior pictures- beautiful if I must say so myself- anyway. This fella is not just a beauty on the outside he is so beautiful on the inside it will make your eyes tear. I'll just tell you a little bit about my beauty-Andrew. When he was born there was no more beautiful creature on the planet in my eyes. Not until this year when looking at his baby pictures did I actually see what everyone else saw- WOW. As a baby he had a perfectly shaped head- very round- and BIG, bigger then I remember it, and bald at that time, his eyes were big and blue- they still are but now they don't work very well as he needs contacts and cannot see at all without them. His smile was as big as the moon, and I mean that quite literally- he could fit (and still can) his clenched fist into his enormous mouth, but his smile is real and genuine. He melts you when he talks to you.

He was very attatched to his grandmother from a very early age. I'm not sure why as she was making fun of him since birth starting with clapping a pair of shoes together on his feet making quacking noises with them because they were too big, until I couldn't breath anymore from laughing so hard. When he was 2 years old grandma was leaving for Florida. He did not understand this and when we said goodbye he cried, and cried. She told him that whenever he felt a breeze on his cheek it was her blowing him a kiss. He spent the ride home with his head out the window just so he could feel the breeze.

Then when he was 10 years old and I was in the grocery store he would leave me and when I found him he would be pushing some elderly woman's (no doubt a grandmother) cart around helping her find, and reach all her groceries. One of his rewards was a pint of Ben and Jerry's ice cream- the lady asked for help getting ice cream and while he was helping her she asked his favorite- he told her and she bought it for him as he would never accept money for helping out. He really is a nice guy.

This is why I wrote this- My senior went to school and got the names and locker numbers of all the girls in his senior class. He took the money he made from mentoring an underclassman and tutoring and bought two bunches of red carnations, and wrote this poem "People will come and people will pass, but I will always remember all the girls in my class." He attatched a copy of the poem to each flower, and wrote down each name and locker number, and then put one on every girls locker in his senior class. Every girl in the class of 2007 at his high school received a Valentine flower this year. The school attendance lady called looking for my nephew, who was at a doctors appointment, and asked me which one of my sons was responsible for putting all the flowers on the lockers at school? She said the school was flowers everywhere because of it. What a great way to be remembered. He is my Valentine.

First posting

Hellooooo out there. .....I can hear myself. I wonder of anyone is listening.
Helloooo..............

When I was a little girl my brother Tommy and I would hollar out 'helloooo' on the beach at Stoney Lake when we arrived at our favorite place on the planet, and the lake would always hollar back in a very friendly, familiar voice. It was great. We did that for about five times each before we ran inside and donned our bathing suits to venture into the cold, clear, refreshing water to swim our lives away. It was the best of times- unbeknownst at that age to the worst of times yet to be experienced later on in my strange life. Here I am in the strange times, also known as the worst of times at least since last March when my husband locked me out of my house with a security system he would not tell me the code to to get back in. I guess it was even before that when things were bad, but the really worst started and sort of evolved until recently. Like I think I feel a calming since last week, only since last week, and I have actually been smiling for about a week now- Yeah, I am finally happy now.

I'll tell more later. You can count on it. any way enough for now. Gotta go