May 14, 2009

What a week it has been. Rewind all the way back to last Thursday...the drama.

So a few weeks ago I get a call from Marcus telling me he will be home the Friday before - HIS, Breanna and Samuel's Birthday/Mother's Day weekend. I think to myself..great, all will be well with the world, and I will have my children home for a nice family weekend.

I go over to pick mom up as I had some errands to run, and she sometimes goes with me...gives me a chance to spend some time with her away from the general family grind, and without my grandmother being in the middle of our conversations. Anyway, she tells me Marcus called and will be home - "TODAY" about lunchtime. ...Umm today is errand day, and I didn't have plans to be back home until late in the afternoon...just before the bus runs. Apparently, my cell phone went dead and he couldn't reach me. Needless to say... I am thinking...UH OH.

So sure enough as I am checking out at the grocery store, I get a phone call..Mom, are you going to be home soon? Yeah, yeah, yeah....off I go.

We get home...get the car unpacked and he goes and lays down for a nap...this is where it starts to fall apart....LOL. Marcus gets up from his nap and decides there is about an hour and a half until the kids get home and he wants to go to my grandmother's house for a visit. No big deal she lives maybe two minutes from me up the hill. He has this general idea that he will take his car over there, walk back and hide the fact that he come home a day early from the kids....then surprise them.

So I get a call literally two minutes before the bus rolls up saying, I am going to be a few minutes late..I am helping Granny mow the grass....ok...no big deal...I run into Samuel's room as the bus pulls off and stash Marcus' bag in an area that isn't readily seen. A few minutes later I get another panic call...Umm mom, "we" have a problem. Not so sure how this is my problem....I hear "I got my car stuck in Granny's yard." Thankfully my mom, Nanna is here and we skirt our way out the door to go over and see if we can be of assistance in getting his Jetta OUT of the yard.

Yep, it's stuck! And he has spun in the mud until his car's front bumper is maybe 6 inches off the ground...Fortunately my grandmother's neighbor has a tractor, and pulls him out...we make it back home and manage to surprise the kids when Marcus finally show's up. He then says: " Mom my car seems to be running hot, the temp gauge jumped up when I came over here." Common sense would tell you to let the car sit a bit and then check the fluids....all is well doesn't get hot while idling...seems fine. Little bit of drama with borrowing dad's car, carrying all the boys to the store...while Bre was at scouts (making her angry, and feeling left out)...and kids not being home in time to go to bed...next day is a school day...boys have a field trip...makes for an upset mom.

He gets up and decides he wants to run here and there, after we already told him we were going birthday shopping. He decides to go with us...get back home and once again he's going to grandma's house...ok,no biggie. Get another phone call, "mom my car overheated again."...Call the tow service and take it to Millington and have it checked out." . "mom..how do I do that? Umm, don't you have it on your cell phone...example: Road Side Assistance....I don't think so...Umm hand me your phone.......Marcus...what does TOW stand for?" Makes me want to smack him on the back of the head and call him a "PROBIE" (its an NCIS thing). Finally gets the car out to Millington, and of course Dad has to go get him. I swear from then until bedtime he makes five trips to Millington for some unknown reason.

Car is in the shop. Norm gets home from work, I didn't sleep well...so I go lay back down with him..kids are playing with friends..all is good..party is 4:00, countdown has begun. I get back up about 10:30, Bre has already called my grandmother to ask her again if she's coming to her birthday party (She has memory issues since her stroke several years ago)...to get a I don't think so...hence she was at the boys birthday back in December, and now Breanna is all upset. So I tell her to call her Nanna, who drops what she's doing to come over and spend the remainder of the day with us...soothes Breanna, and then my grandmother calls...and out the door Marcus goes to go to Millington with her.

Apparently, Marcus had her drop him off on the way back home at the "shop" where his car is..and they tell him it's an engine problem..take the car to the local dealership, as it's under warranty. Off he goes into the edge of Memphis to the dealership...No problem....I am icing cupcakes, Norm is still sleeping, and my phone starts ringing...at least half a dozen times...every time it's Marcus. Mom I can't find....How do i....is dad up yet....and I can't remember the rest of the conversations....I am getting annoyed as he should be able to follow simple directions...I am prepping for the birthday party, and have a houseful of kids due at our house in 1 HOUR! Finally, I have enough of a break to jump in the shower...he must have called a few more times, however no one heard the phone ring.

Norm gets up...I shower....he's off to get the pizza for the kids. I get out of the shower, and dressed, my grandmother shows up >HURRRRRAY!!, kids start trickling in....birthday party is underway. Marcus: Mom I am going to need dad to come pick me up. Umm You are going to have to wait awhile: Dad is gone to get the pizza, I have a house full of kids, that means he has to drive over there after he gets back.
Eventually he gets a clue and before I know it...he's pulling up in a rental car...

He comes in enjoys some pizza, cake/ice cream, then starts "I don't know what I am going to do...I have class on Monday, and the dealership is closed until Monday. I am supposed to be back home and in class on Monday." "Marcus it's simple..you have leave on the books, there is a reason for "emergency leave/leave extensions"..call the OOD (Office of the day) at your command...run it by your chain of command and get your leave extended, tell them what is going on. Much to his relief within an hour he gets it cleared to be back Thursday instead of Monday. At some point as I am getting table cleared off..Marcus talks his dad into taking the rental car back...to the dealership (an hour trip)...and Norm has to be at work at 10PM.

OFF they go....They finally get back home and we watch some TV, kids are finally somewhat settled..and living on the sugar high. Marcus gets on my laptop, and I happen to glance over his shoulder to see him emailing his "foster mom" that he will be down there to spend his birthday with him....he informs me he plans on leaving just after church on Sunday going back "home". He honestly thinks his car is going to be ready and they don't even OPEN back up until Monday morning. So much for spending a nice mother's day with "my kids" muchless birthday's.

....the trips to Millington ensue, for who know's what. All day long I listen to "not how he is glad to be home with me for mother's day"...but all the little nit pick things...he's needling me on little things that pluck my last frazzled nerve. He pushes, knowing I know of his plans, he has made. I have finally had enough....last trip to Millington he picks me up flowers....Happy Mother's Day! I finally cuddle up with my daughter in my bed..Norm goes off to work...and I just need some peace and quiet.

....I get the kids off to school, Norm comes home/goes to bed. Marcus, kidnaps Norm's car and takes off without a word...Noon, he comes back home asking for my dad's phone number. Any one that knows me...knows how my family sometimes put "FUN" in dysFUNctional. (You can't mention my MIL to my grandmother, my mom to my dad, and the drama goes on.)....I let him call my dad, and they plan on meeting for lunch.

He leaves and I get a call from my mom...apparently he's been at my grandmother's all morning. Marcus is studying to be a preacher, and wants to treat everyone as religious illerates, and has the need to shove all his newly "Hell, Fire, and Brimstone." skills down other people's throats...everytime he gets a chance. (He knows better than to pull it around us...we have told him numerous times - you have to use love, kindness..and fruits of the spirit to lure people to God, rarely will the "Hell, Fire and Brimstone" work....live by example.)Yet occasionally he will try.

I never heard any what happen with that, as the children were getting home from school..my cell phone rings yet again..."mom, my car is fixed, I need dad to take me over to get it." My question: WHY could he have not called instead of going over there to see if his car was ready and saved an hour trip?" Norm gets up about the time the kids get home from school...just in time to be picked up, go back an hour across town to pick his car up...I am out the door to scouts with Jadan before they get back. I get home from scouts...all are ready for school, and I am exhausted...mentally exhausted anyway. Marcus says his goodbye's, as he plans on getting up early to go back to MS. I specifically tell him do your best not to wake the kids up they have school in the morning; to which I am told no problem, my car is already packed. WHEW!!

...3:30AM...Harley is persistant that I get up. Half awake I get up and go check on the kids, to find Jadan and Jordan transplanted out of their room on the living room couch and love seat. Jadan is sitting on the couch watching TV, and crying. "Jadan what's wrong honey?" ..."Mom, Marcus woke me up and made me lock the door behind him, when he left." "How long ago was that?" "just after 1:00"...I AM NOT HAPPY! Apparently he woke both of the boys up, as Jordan was in the living room as well...luckily asleep. I wisk Jadan off to my bed, and go lay down with him. Breanna is already asleep, as she fell asleep about the time Norm went to work in my bed. So now it's Breanna, Jadan, and Me in my bed. I am just reeling...and get back up...before my alarm goes off Samuel is up. SO now there are three in my bed...NO way I am going back to bed. They all get up and off to school...all well, and getting back into schedule...they all took a nap yesterday afternoon...I had to drag them out of bed to eat dinner..

HOW was my Mother's Day....I survived!

If you made it this far...blessings to you!