Stings Like A Bee

I am in a book club.  My friend L, the sister of my high school chum that died in a car accident a year ago, enticed me to join this past winter.  I adore reading and while I was a bit hesitant at first...cue the stupid adoption-brain (will they like me or will I be an outsider?)...I actually am forming bonds with these women. 

On a side note, it might just be me but I'm always surprised when people remember my name when I've only seen them a few times.  I pride myself on remembering names very easily but again, it makes me happy when others do the same with me.  And the women in the book club know my name.

So, back to book club.  L knows most of my history now.  We've had long, indepth conversations about my life and hers.  I've made my opinions pretty clear on where I stand on the adoption issue. 

During our "meeting"  (really, we talk about the book for about fifteen minutes and then drink wine and eat the rest of the time..lol), L was talking about her friend's son.  He's apparently a terror...and L doesn't like to have him play with her daughter because he's so rough.  He slammed Em's hand in a door on their last playdate, on purpose, and L said "If that was my kid, I'd give him up for adoption!"

I couldn't help myself...

"That's not funny L", I blurted out angrily.

**crickets**

Then she said, "I'm sorry Christina...I really didn't mean it the way that sounded."

The rest of the women stared at me until I explained, "I'm adopted". 

I know for a fact that L didn't mean it to come out the way she said it...she's the kindest person I know and is now one of my closest friends.  But it still stings. 

Whirlwind Of A Few Weeks

Have had a difficult few days with my ex…thus the silence on my end.  I should just learn to keep my fat yaptrap shut and not let him get to me but it’s really hard.  Bringing up things that he thinks happened over nine years ago is counterproductive and he even threw in some digs about my parenting skills.  Lol..at least my kids are all seatbelted in when we go on long journeys…just saying. ;)

I really do try to maintain low contact with him and his wife.  Ever since the blog comment/email debacle with the wife, I’ve kept things to myself.  

Guess I need to brush up on those low contact skills though and let things roll off my back more.

Sigh.

On a better note, had a great vacation last week with the family.  We did our normal “staycation” routine.  The Zoo, Museum of Science, Ecotarium (did a tree canopy walkthrough and ziplined down to the ground from 40 feet up…OMG), birthday pool party for my best friend’s son, a little golfing, and the annual natural family reunion at my great aunt and uncle’s house on the lake.  As much as I enjoyed myself at the fun places we went, that was definitely the highlight.  My natural mother even got my brother, sister and me to pose for the obligatory sibling photo.  While we all protested that it was cheesy, secretly, I was ecstatic.  When my brother and his girlfriend showed up, he came right over and gave me a hug saying, “Hi Sis, I’ve missed you”.  *sob*

Here is a picture of all of us…from left to right…my brother’s girlfriend, my sister, Maddie, my brother, Chase and me on the end.  Sigh.  I’d like to blame the fact that my 12 year old daughter is taller than me on the fact that she was wearing five inch platform shoes but she was barefoot.

And one more picture to make you smile…it’s of Chase on the party barge out on the lake.  He’s wearing my Aunt Janet’s sunglasses (she’s on the left) and is sitting next to my mom on the right.

Is It Necessary?

I'm on vacation this week.  Wheeeeeeee!  We've just been doing day trips with the kids...the zoo, the local corn mega maze (3 hours of my life I'll never get back) and today, the Museum of Science. 

While we were walking through, I stopped at a scientific timeline on the wall.  It had interesting facts about the start of science and small snippets about famous people who helped progress along.

I reached Leonardo Da Vinci's snippet and did a double take. 

Was it necessary to mention the fact that Da Vinci was a bastard right away?  I mean, even Wikipedia doesn't say it until the second paragraph of the write up and even then it just says, "born out of wedlock". 

Not that I'm ashamed myself of being a bastard.  I own that title...I earned that title.  But Jeez Louise, really?