I’ll think about it tomorrow

I started packing last night for my trip to the lake.  I am going up to my family’s summer property on Lake Champlain.  Every year my extended family gathers for the 4th of July.  I haven’t been for the 4th in years, I am really looking forward to seeing my family.  I will only have Caroline, so I will actually be able to talk to people and have fun without worrying where the kids are.

There will be campfires on the rocks, swimming on the beach, water skiing and fishing.  There will be lots of beer and lots of fun.   I’m looking forward to letting my hair down and enjoying the ecclectic group that is my family.  And the bathing suit I just bought is 3 sizes smaller than the one I wore last year!

When I was a kid and we would go to the lake with my family it was a time we completely unplugged from the world.  Don’t get me wrong there is electricity but there are no TVs.  We spent the week unplugged from the outside world.  When I was packing last night it struck me how many power cords I was gathering.  The cords for my laptop, cell phone and camera.  Why the laptop and cell phone?  I will basically be out of range the entire time.  Force of habit?  My inability to unplug?

So I promised myself I would leave my laptop in my bag and my cell phone turned off while I’m at the lake.  I considered leaving them at home.  But it will just be me and Caroline on the trip and I can’t be unplugged while I travel.  How did we do it when we were kids? 

On Monday Lee asked me, “Who is DeAnna going to marry?”  It took me a moment before I realised that DeAnna is the Bachlorette looking for love.  She started with 25 guys and she is down to 3.  Jesse, Jeremy and Jason.  Jason, the single dad, is my favorite.  All three of the guys seem genuine and I think she may find her happily ever after.  I know, Jackson is snickering by now, that’s okay, I still believe she can find love like this.

So how is my search for happily ever after going?  Actually really well.  I’m learning to be happy with my single life.  I’m getting better at flirting and having fun perfecting the skill.  A service tech came by the office last week for the second time since we started with his company.  When I asked him a question he stepped into my personal space to answer it and stayed there longer than necessary.  I stayed there close to him, talked to him and somehow came up with witty things to say.

In another social situation I was talking to a guy and he reached up and pushed my purse strap back up onto my shoulder.  Recently i got an invitation on facebook from an old boyfriend, it said “we used to date.”  It made me laugh because we “dated” in high school as much as we held hands in the hallway and I watched him play basketball out behind the school in the morning.  But the memory was comforting and I was glad for the reminder.  Oh, and of course there is dancing with and kissing a boy I have only just met.  (Although I don’t think I’ll be doing that again anytime soon.)

So why am I telling you all this?  To show you I am enjoying the little things life has to offer.  My happily ever after may not include a new relationship right now and I’m happy with that.  I’m enjoying everything I have right now.  The baseball games with Chandler, swimming with the kids, jumping on the trampoline with Caroline.  To be cliche…. Life is good.

It was fun. 

I guess I am the kind to kiss and tell…..

Last night the Orioles clinched the 2008 PYAA Major’s Championship!

After two weeks of playoff baseball and not knowing from one day to the next if we would have a game the next night we have won the championship.  This team lost their first 6 games this season but in the end they were so much improved the won it all.  I think this speaks to the quality of the coaches and the dedication of the boys to the game.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I live in a baseball town.  On any given night their will be several games going on, long into the summer.  I can’t wait to see what fall ball brings.

Chandler kissed me good-bye this morning when I left for work.  This is a really big deal and when I got to the end of the road I was almost crying.  He doesn’t even let me kiss him good night anymore, he’s “too old for it.”  When he was a toddler he was a kisser, kissed me all the time, I miss those days.  So what changed overnight?

I’ve been thinking about it.  His baseball team won last night, they play the final game of the championship tonight!  He is really excited, I’m really excited, the girls are really excited, it should be great.

But last night, we had a family conversation in the car, on the way home.  Grace heard me talking to a friend at the game about a guy I have been talking to.  The guy is 42 and I was talking to my friend about whether or not that is too old for me.  I don’t think so, neither does my friend, but my kids wanted to weigh in.  Basically the kids have decided my age range should be a guy in his 30s, they have some other ideas about him, but they are definately in favor of a stepdad, the sooner the better.  Their reasons for this would break your heart, but that’s for another post.  Again I went over the fact that it will take a special guy for me to get re-married and not to count on that happening any time soon.

I discovered the kids believe that I’m dating “behind their backs.”  I have intentionally left the kids out of any interest I have had in men, because I will not be one of those women who introduces her kids to every guy she dates.  But maybe I shouldn’t keep them completely in the dark either?  As the conversation was drawing to a close I told Chandler, “you are the only man in my life right now but if that changes I promise to talk to you about it.”  That seemed to break through a wall he has had up for awhile now.

And oh, to get a kiss from my son, my first born, even now it brings tears to my eyes.

Last night the Orioles suffered a disappointing loss to the Cubs.  Basically we were up by 1, they scored 2 on an error and we lost by 1.  Disappointing.  But tonight is a new game.  We win tonight and it’s an even playing field again. 

After the game instead of going home the kids and I walked across the street to the church softball field.   I knew my friend’s husband was playing and thought it would be nice to watch some “big boys” play.  As I sat chatting with my friend she started talking about one of the guys on the team.  She went on about how much he has grown up, how mature he is now, and finally I looked at her like “why are you telling me this?”  We moved on to another topic.

Then he hit an over the fence home run and I started thinking about him a little differently.  Maybe he isn’t the obnoxious brat I’ve known since middle school.  Maybe he has grown up.  After the game he knelt with his team for a prayer.  Then he came over and talked to me and played with Caroline.   Has someone told him that this is the straightest way to a single mother’s heart?

This morning I discovered the Celtics closed out the Lakers last night.  Yay for Boston!  I know Jackson is happy.  And my friend posted this blog on hope.  Hope.  That’s it exactly.  That’s how I feel today. 

That’s right Chandler’s team the Orioles has made it to the PYAA Major’s World Series.  They will be playing the Cubs, who won in exciting fashion over the Braves last Thursday and again Friday night – double elimination tournament.  We were there Friday night, well because honestly I’ve said it before my social life tends to revolve around my kids.  And it’s fun to sit in the stands and talk to friends and there is a really cute single dad that I’ve been talking to, but I digress….

Tonight the stands will be packed at the War Memorial Field as we play the first game in a best of 3 series.  This is the first time there has been a series for the league championship title.  And this is the first time Chandler’s team has made it this far.  I am excited.  Chandler is excited. 

So if you are in town, stop by.  Because if you love the game this should be a good one.

If you read my old blog you know I love baseball.  This season Chandler has been playing baseball, Grace and Lee have been playing softball.  In Grace’s league there are 6 teams of 7 & 8 year olds.  In my town there are at least 13 baseball/ softball/ t-ball fields.  Baseball is big in our town.

Last week the double elimination mini-tournament began for Grace’s league.  They had an opening ceremony where each girl’s name was announced as they ran out onto the field.  Next they gave out some awards.  A local girl sang The Star Spangled Banner.  Then a local pastor stepped to homeplate to give the benediction.  As I bowed my head I thought, man I love this town.

There are times when I get frustrated when I find out people are burning up the gossip lines talking about me.  There are times I would like to be able to run into the kid’s school and get back out without running into 4 different people with whom I will stop a chat for just a moment.  There are times I wish I could drive and not worry about who I’m cutting off.  And then there is the time when the pastor asks us to bow our head, prays for the safety of the girls, the wisdom of their parents and the life lessons the girls will learn from playing this game.  And I remember why I love my small southern town, Amen.  Play Ball!

So how was it?

It was a lot of fun!  When you get married you want me in your wedding b/c I now know how to throw a great bachlorette party.  But enough about me, it should be about the bride.

We all met at the Omni hotel downtown and enjoyed good conversation, a fun game of tp wedding dress making and of course presents.  The good news is that Miss Lilac now has enough sexy panties to wear a new pair for the first two months of her marriage and a new nightgown for every night of the honeymoon.

And then we went out.  The bridesmaids all had matching hot pink shirts that said Team Rachel on the front and Bridesmaid on the back with the wedding date.  Just for a moment about me – my tshirt was a size Large!! – and it fit – okay maybe it was tight across the chest.  But hey it’s not like guys aren’t looking for an excuse to stare at my chest.

So here we are walking down the street all in hot pink shirts with our pale pink bride to be.  Our first stop was Sine.  As the night wore on it ended up being our only spot.  Because after Miss Lilac had done 3 shots we started dancing.  Now for the record after 3 shots and the blue motorcycle I would have been on the floor but but she did well.  It was funny to me how many guys wanted to dance with the bride.  And after having a drink myself I began to enjoy dancing with boys I had never met.

We didn’t make it to last call.  We headed back to the hotel were the other bridesmaids and I and our bride were soon fast asleep.  All in all it was a great night!! 

Last night I went out for girl’s night.  A new friend of mine invited me to go out for dinner with a bunch of her friends.  When I got there I knew several of the other girls, come on, it’s Powhatan!  So we had a great time flirting with the waiter and the floor manager who came over to make “sure everything was good.”  Lets just say I don’t think it was a hardship having 8 girls flirting with him.

Anyway, after wards we went to see Sex in the City.  It was really well done.  Warning! The sex scenes are way more graphic than I was expecting!  But a really good movie. I would talk about it but I don’t want to ruin it for you and anything I could say would give too much away.  Let me just say Chris Noth “Big” comfirms my notion that older men can be very sexy, he’s 53, you will never believe it!  And let me assure you, I got my happy ending.

The movie doesn’t get everything right but they do have the most important thing.  Surround yourself with friends who will be there for you through good times and bad. 

It is an all girl weekend for me.  Going out last night was just the beginning.  Tonight is the bachlorette party and it’s time for me to get back to my dessert making.  Just wanted to take a moment to thank my friends for all they do for me.  Thank you!  I wouldn’t have survived the last ten years without you!