Day with Diva

Yesterday I had an afternoon alone with Diva while Sissy was with D*bag Daddy. Ok, here is why. It was his weekend, but he asked if I could take the kids Saturday night since he had a bike ride Sunday morning. Ok. Of course. I had plans for Saturday night, but I broke them to spend time with the kids. Then when I pick the kids up Saturday afternoon he says that he will call me when he gets off work on Sunday to let me know when he will get the kids.

WHAA???

He cancelled his bike ride and decided to work overtime. (Don't get me started on that. Overtime is essentially what caused the demise of our relationship....no, don't get me started.) So, here I am thinking, uhhhhh..... Yeah, that was it, "uhhhhhh." I manage to finally explain that I had plans to go to church then take them to see Shrek 3D. He said thats ok but he wanted to see them if there was time. Well, it IS his weekend and I can't really say no. We decide to work it out the next morning.

So, it's Sunday morning. Now, church starts at 10:45. He calls at 10. He will be home in an hour and wanted to know what we wanted to do. He explained he had some paperwork he had to do and wanted to do a few errands so he didn't think the girls would want to come over. Sissy got on the phone. She wanted to see Daddy. She explained that since she KNOWS we will buy Shrek 3D she wants to be surprised when she watches it. Uh, ok then. Diva, however, wanted to stay home and be "Mommy's buddy." Cool. Of course that meant no church with this schedule. And no movie because I felt bad that Lily didn't want to go.

When he finally go there it was 1. Yeah. I should have gone to church. Did I ever mention how irritating this man is????? So, Sissy is off with Dad. Alyssa and I are still in PJs hanging out. We listen and sing along to some Dolly Parton. We watch some Taylor Swift videos on youtube. And we watch a DVD (can't remember which one, it was one I have seen no less than 372 times). Then suddenly she turns to me and asks, "Can we go get my ears pierced today?"

Now, more backstory is required. I had the kids' ears pierced when they were babies. They are half Colombian. If they do not get their ears pierced before they turn 1 that side of the family would have held them down and done it themselves. And really, it was fine. They don't even remember. Well, at age 3 both of them learned now to get the safety backs off their earrings!!! This resulted in a few lost earrings. In Sissy's case the bus driver for preschool was AMAZING and usually found both earrings in her seat and put them in a ziplock baggie for me. By age 4 I gave up. They only wore earrings for special occassions. Sissy is like me. She can go years without an earring in and the next time we try it goes in no problems. Diva, unfortunately, is not like me. This has not posed a problem until this year.

Since Sissy is not in 2nd grade she is more into earrings and that kind of thing. I also helped that her two best friends (B and V) had their ears pierced this year. So, I bought a bunch of adorable dangley earrings and she has them in everyday. Diva now wants to wear them too. We managed to get some in a few times, but about a month ago I realized that we were not gonna get any in there again. It was completely closed. I explained that we needed to get them redone someday.

So, here we go. Yesterday she decided was the day. She had gotten dressed herself already. You moms may be cringing at the thought. Well don't. We are not talking about a normal 5 year old. This is DIVA. Here is what she picked out (completely on her own).

Yes, she is in a fancy dress with a fancy head band. Oh yeah. Beauty Queen.

So, we head out, me in jeans t-shirt and flip flops. On the way there I start thinking that maybe she doesn't realize what this entails. I decide to get mine done too. I have my ears pierced. I have since I was 8 (after two years of going and chickening out). I have wanted a second lobe piercing since I was 9. Mom said, "Next year, " every year. She said it was a fad. I wouldn't like it when I was grow. Well, I realized yesterday that now, 24 years later, it probably isn't so much a 'fad' anymore and that I really didn't need to ask permission. Yes, I will go first and show her it doesn't hurt.

When we get to the mall I really wish I had gotten a photo. She was asleep, hair in her face like Cousin It, headband around her neck, glasses crooked, and when she woke up and tried to get out of her chair I see a thick stream of drool coming out the corner of her mouth!!!! It was HILARIOUS!!! I pointed it out, laughing and got, "Mommy, its not funny!" My continued laughing soon caught on, though and she found it pretty funny herself.

Now its time. We get to the kiosk at the mall and start looking over the earrings. I think a little set of rhinestones will be fine. Oh no. No. No. No. She needs "pink diamonds." Well, of course they have them, but I am thinking that she doesn' wear pink EVERY day. But she was so excited and so brave that I gave in. I got the plain clear "diamonds." I offer to go first, but no way. She was ready.

Let's Roll!!

She was perfectlly fine. Said she would be brave. And she was. They double teamed her so there was no saying no to the second hole. And click, boom.......oooooooOOOOOWWWWWW!!!!!!!

The exact moment she realized that his was not so easy after all.

But, she only cried for about a minute. She got a lollipop. And best of all, it was Mommy's turn.

It stung more than I remembered and I still hurts today, by the way. My nose ring was not nearly as painful actually. And you know how when your ears are really really cold and it gives you a headache. Well, that is what my earlobes felt like all evening.

Pink "Diamonds"

The best part of the adventure was how when I was about to pay I realized that my debit card was on the kitchen counter at home. Thank goodness I had my checkbook. Of course this left us not having money for dinner out that I had promised, but I DID have enough cash for an ice cream for her before dinner. She deserved it. What a good girl. She is over the moon about it.

And my plain ol' clear "diamonds"

Overall it was a great afternoon. Sissy had a good time with Dad and was fine that she didn't go with us. I got something done I had waited far too long to do. And Diva was so proud of herself. These are the days that make me so glad to be a mommy and am really thrilled I have girls. It's so fun!

As you know, I am going back to school this Fall. The road there has been very bumpy lately and I will not bore you with the details of this trip. However, I will tell you that my initial plans have been blown to bits. Have you heard about all that money out there for single mothers to go back to school? LIES! So, instead of going to Quinnipiac full time and taking 20 credits in the Fall I am going to Gateway Community College, taking 4 credits this summer and 14 in the Fall. AND I will be working while I do it.

This last part is what scares me most. I had hoped I wouldn't have to and now that I do I wonder how to make enough money to support the kids and myself when I can really only work part time. Of course I CAN work full-time, at some really lousy paying job and never see my kids. I can't do that. No way. So I have come up with two plans.

First of all I have asked my boss about maybe, just maybe letting me stay on at 27 hours a week instead of 40. I would still lose money, but its really good pay and I could scrape by, maybe. I do not know what the outcome of this will be. I am not setting any hopes on it. Although it would be lovely to stay at a job I know and love the commute will be an hour. And it might be inconvenient for my boss and if it is I understand.

So, that brings me to plan B. I am wishy washy at best about plan B. It is something I had vowed I would never do again. It is something I am really good at, not that its anything to brag about.

That's right, waitressing. I have not done it in almost 10 years, but its like yesterday that I was schlepping around drink orders, refilling condiments, and rolling silverware. Oh, the silverware, that was the worst part. 

I know I can do it. I know the money is good. I know that the hours are flexible. 

But what I worry about is the energy it takes. Can I still do this? I am basically a waitress at home as it is. Do I really need to be one outside of the house too? And will I make enough money for it to really be worth my while? Plus, will it fit my schedule enough so that I still get to see the kids?

Well, this last part I have figured out. I hope. My school schedule combined with custody schedule and the kids' school schedule should allow me to work 3 lunch shifts and 2 dinner shifts during the week. That's not bad, even though dinner shifts pay better. The problem I have is that I am only willing to work every other weekend so that I can see the kids when they are staying with me and I wonder if that will deter people from hiring me. 

But, I guess all of this is pointless to analyse, right?  I mean, why do I torture myself. I should wait and see what my boss says and then worry about it.  

Who am I kidding? You know I can't do that!!! I worry. I plan. That's just me. So for now I am checking out New Haven area restaurants online and seeing where they have the more expensive menus. If I am going to do this then I am going to make some dough. Am I right? 

And I have it narrowed down to 4 places that I think are a good fit. Two are hiring and I sent an application in to one, Goodfellas Cafe. It looks really nice and they even get celebrities in once in a while. 

So, I will not be the cheery waitress serving a sundae. And I hope I won't be balancing plates on my head for heaven's sake. I will be this woman. I will just be doing my job the best I can and trying to make ends meet. But, in my mind I will be this woman:

Oh yes, I will be Flo. I might even keep my tips in my cleavage.

Ok, maybe not.

Go tweet yourself

Yeah, baby! I have a twitter account now. Two actually. My personal one is @GoddessLauri and the other is @DivaAndSissy. It will be filled with all the craziness that is my girls.