I'm back!

It's been a week since my last post, so here are some updates.

Trip to Nevada: We left last Thursday early in the morning. The drive was LONG from NorCal to Henderson but DS did great. He had no interest of video games or movies on the drive and he mostly slept. It was very nice to be with my family and bond. We did errands, I did laundry (yes I actually brought laundry to my parents house from California LOL. I have a coin op laundry on the premises, so why not save a little. They didn't mind) I spent a lot of time in the back (in the shade) with a glass of white wine and catching up on magazines while DS played--briefly played I might add, it was too hot. I did go to the M casino twice, lost 15 dollars the first time and gained 20 the second time, so it was a wash...lol. When it was time to go Sunday, I hugged my boo boo bear and kissed him up. I kept reminding him about my trip back and how he was going to stay with his grandparents. At shove off, everyone came outside, including DS and waved good bye. It was hard kissing them all good bye and I wanted to tear up, but I stayed strong.

The social story really helped DS understand what was going on and he knows I'll be back. He says, "Mommy is in California, she'll be back soon. Mommy has to work".

I have a subtle dullness in my heart without DS here, that I know will not go away until we are united. Honestly it's a bit weird without him and I think it's going to take me sometime to adjust. He's there for a good cause--so that I can work and save up money for all his needs. I'm able to work, get some projects done and I guess I never realized it, but I guess I need a break. And he is with family and they get to spend time, while they are still capable and able. He's doing good and happy which makes my heartache a little less. He did say he missed me and that HURT but when my mother said, that's normal and there would be something wrong if he didn't. I told myself, that is true and that is okay, he misses me and he'll be fine. I think by the end of the week, we'll both be better.

Work: So now without DS here the plan is to work and work and work. I didn't feel so well today but I am going to start my job search. I did register with a few temp agencies and I have a few leads will see if they pan out. If not, I may work with kids over the summer. Originally I wanted to take a break from teaching to replenish myself, but we will see.

Divorce amendment: Not sure I blogged much about this, but we finally updated the court's order and changed child support, so it's nice to have official amounts and that is one less project I have to worry about this summer.

IEP: I did hear back from the school district and we reached an agreement. They will allow DS to be mainstreamed for a few courses in the fall and see how he does. I'm still disappointed that this school isn't set up for mainstreaming/inclusion in general. It seems so antiquated for such a progressive state. Meanwhile there are plenty of schools in New York that have a mainstreaming/inclusion model in place for children who can make that work. Anyway... at least they agreed and I don't have to get legal counsel. Then I also asked for behavior support over the summer in his IEP when my son gets back and goes to camp. Originally they said no because it wasn't on school premises. I came back with a plea and they had to go back and discuss and then they came back and said yes, so that was great! I wanted a certain amount of hours and they came back with a little less, but that's fine. It really pays to stand up for something you believe in and you don't always have to take no for an answer if it's something worthwhile.

Dating: Been online for 2 weeks now. I had lots of emails, numerous phone calls and 2 dates! Woo hoo! The first guy I went out with didn't work out. He wanted me to remove my personal ad after our first meeting, which I thought was strange. I felt like I didn't even know this guy or his true intentions so why would I remove my ad after 1 hour of tea... get a life! He also talked about his dramatic ex-girlfriends and he really showed a lot of signs of possessiveness and violence. He asked for a second date but I politely decline. NEXT! The 2nd guy I went out with was nice and the date was decent, we started with coffee (my suggestion and preference) but he insisted on dinner after. I thought he was cool so we had dinner. Our date was like 3 hours long and it was nice, we had a lot of things in common. He walked me to my car and I hugged him, he asked for a kiss, but I declined. Nothing personal and I'm not a prude, but I just can't see swirling tongues around yet. He told me he had a great time and that I looked so much better than my picture (really? I though my picture was super cute LOL!) He asked for a second date for this coming Friday and I agreed. So we will see.

The other men, I spoke to on the phone had some sort of psycho trait that I just couldn't see giving any benefit of the doubt to meet.

I do feel like I'm ready for adult male companionship and I turned "my cablight on". A phrase I read somewhere, which means, just be available. It actually works, I got hit up in the car rental, the grocery store twice and the gym! LOL. But seriously, I have a 6 year old son and like I told the second guy I went on a date with, before I get close, I need to make sure of a man's intentions and what he wants. I feel I can only see that by his actions and that takes time, not just sweet nothings whispered in my ear.

Fitness: I'm back on track with working out. I went to the gym yesterday and did a few machines before hitting the weights. My weight routine combines lower and upper. I'll have to post my workout another time, but it's killer. I like to really work on core, legs and butt. I also will start running again, I pretty much stopped for a couple of weeks due to my schedule. I am registering for a 5K at the end of July and hopefully will not chicken out!

On other news, I'm a big foodie and I love to cook and I'm watching Master Chef. I decided to create my own signature burgers! The first is a poultry burger (chicken and turkey with turkey bacon and avocado). Since my stomach is super sensitive to dairy, I'm trying a mild sheep's cheese on top and since I have a gluten intolerance I found a flourless sprouted wheat english muffin, that I will use as the bun. The second is a buffalo burger (not buffalo meet, but buffalo seasoning) and this is still in development. So depending on how it goes, I will share the recipe.

Phew... this was long, sorry.

Now I need to spend some time catching up on blogs! It's been a while. Happy Tuesday!