What did you do...

...for Easter?  I have to keep it real with y'all...I thought I was TOO cute!!!  I have an affinity for linen & lace so I feel EXTRA diva-ish when I'm wearing either!!!  I happened to have a linen dress and jacket that I bought last year for Kea's christening.  But when everyone else couldn't find outfits to coordinate...I wore something else.  And I had THESE SHOES

 'cause ya KNOW how I feel about the animal print.  So, I'm prancin' all up in da chu'ch house with ma cute self and I look down and see these BLACK CHUNKS all around my feet...what the HIZZIE????  At first I thought Kea dropped a few crayons on the floor...until I saw the chunks FALLING FROM MY SHOES!!!  HAMMERCY!!!!  I'm not by ANY MEANS shallow but my nerves were TAUT thinking about parts of my shoes under the pew!!!  I really had to admonish myself to concentrate on the word and the meaning of the day...but I kept imagining my shoes just IMPLODING when the entire congregation walked out!!!  Kea had diarrhea the day before so when he asked during service to use the bathroom I had to take him HOME!!!!  I have a thing about other people's toilets!!!  While he was occupied, I ran around like a headless chicken looking for another pair of khaki sandals.  I found ONE shoe to at LEAST three pairs...the DEVIL!!!  And I KNEW I couldn't put THESE 

 

back on!!!  Yeah those ROCKS melding with my soles...NOT SEXY!!!  I finally got it together and just threw some casual sandals on and returned to chu'ch...'cause it was about the Lord not me!!!  Seriously though, I was glad I got back in time to take pix with my in-laws who THOROUGHLY enjoyed their visit to our worship place

 

and because my mother-in-law and I share a love for plants they gave me a beautiful Easter present:

God, please give me the strength to NOT KILL THIS PLANT.  In Jesus' name...Amen.

 

 

 

 I got a shot of the two littlest grands

 and my parents got a shot of all the kids and most of their grandsons (my two oldest boys were off on their own adventures!)  

 My Mom had three girls and FINALLY a boy so MAYBE she'll finally get a granddaughter one day! Do you know my Daddy and I took a picture by this SAME pole in front of our church on Easter Sunday in NINETEEN SEVENTY EIGHT???

and I HAD TO take a picture of him alone...no really... he MADE ME!

my Daddy will be SIXTY NINE in September and he's still gangsta sooo...he GOT THAT!!!!

John and I decided to take the littlest to see

 before visiting my Granny's for dinner.  We were the only ones in the theatre until the previews started so Kea had the BEST TIME running around

 

and

 around!!!  I must admit...I love children's movies but this was one I thought I would just tolerate so that Kea would have a good time but I REALLY enjoyed it!  Like I'd buy it on DVD enjoyed it!  And the theatre was remodeled after Katrina so we stopped for a few shots

 And I ALWAYS have fun talking, laughing...eating with my extended family!!!  I got to see my cousin

 who's moving home for the first time since Katrina.  And my big baby and his little brother

 came over because Jamani was looking for his Easter basket fix!  WHAT?  You thought because he turns TWENTY in a few months that he no longer wants a basket?  LIES AND GARBAGE!!!!  My Mom made a basket for me until I was WELL into my thirties!!!  I REALLY need to get with her to find out WHAT MADE HER STOP!!!  My siblings got baskets from me until about TWO YEARS AGO...and they're STILL mad about that!!!  I think you're NEVER too old for an Easter basket!!!

Speaking of which:  I pulled the older two boys' baskets out of the closet 

and they made me smile.  I was SOO anal when Jamani and Ahmad were little that whatever I did for one I did for the other.  So we often had a problem with them knowing what was for whom.  Munchkin's favorite color is blue and Mahd's is red so the little ribbons tied around the handle were so I didn't have to referee if one ate every piece of chocolate in two hours and then claimed the other basket was his!!!  AHHH...sweet memories!!!

I love holidays and celebrations but sometimes they can be SOO stressful!!!  The next extravaganza will be for my husband's birthday in June when he turns 45.  I'm working on everything right now so that I'm not pulling my hair out!!!  What are you looking forward to?

I always try to warn you...

...when the post may be long or have no pictures.  Consider yourselves warned because this is both!

When my husband and I first got together, he would tell me horror stories about being dragged to court for more child support on a woman's every whim:  OHHH...you've gotten a new girlfriend?  I need more money!  You bought a new tire for your car?  You must have too much spare money!  His comment to me was that the child support system is set up to ONLY benefit the mother and for years I've VEHEMENTLY opposed that statement.  Going to court for child support for ME was demeaning.  My son's father "mistakenly" left his W2 home so they just GUESSTIMATED what his contribution should be.  And when I took him back to court because the child support wasn't being paid on time, he was ordered to pay TWO DOLLARS more than he already HADN'T been paying.  Now, I think anyone who knows me can attest to the fact that I'm not a money hound.  I just want enough to give to God, pay some bills and enjoy time with my family...with a new pair of shoes sprinkled in here and there.  I pursued this child support case because I felt why should YOU get the BENEFITS of being a parent without taking the RESPONSIBILITY of being one???  But, if I knew then what I know now...I would have let him ride.  This is just TOO MUCH CONFUSION FOR NOTHING.

My teen is his father's first born.  He has two younger sisters with a third on the way.  Now I'm all for loving adults raising as many littles as their hearts desire...but don't have more if you can't care for the ones already here.  You can't IMAGINE how it's twisted my heart for my son to tell me, "Ma, my dad said that I may be cut short because there's another baby on the way."  Naw...I couldn't EVEN make something like that up.  Before my husband and I decided to have my littlest, we discussed whether it was feasible with all the other kids we had.  I can remember being pregnant and getting calls from my husband's daughter in South Carolina: "my friend's birthday is coming up and I need money to buy her a gift."  or "The dance is next week...can you send me money for shoes and pictures?"  I would go straight to the bank and deposit the money in her account because John and I are in this together.  


A couple of weeks ago, I got the following text:


Hey,I'm txting u 2 say that I checked out ur site & I think it's pretty cool & really shows ur creative side.  Even after I read ur blog from 09 that had

the not so flattering things n it about me :-) Lol.  But do u do personalized bday cards or things of that nature? Adia's 4th bday is April 27 & I may w

ant to patronize u for something unusual & unique.  Are u interested in having my business?  & that blog did sting a little but it's all good.  For real

Well, I finally went back and found the post he referred to...it's HERE if you haven't already seen it.  But, back to the text message...I really got upset so I decided to pray first and respond later.  I REALLY prayed hard on what to say to him.  I don't have that text because I've sent soo many since that day a few weeks ago but I do remember the gist of it: 

I normally pray on important situations in my life and then go to my husband for his advice.  This time, God revealed the answer to me and I didn't even need to bother John.  I can remember being a BEAST when I was younger...I wanted things to go my way.  Now that I'm trying to be better, I try to avoid situations where I'll be brought back to the person I used to be.  I got really angry thinking about you wanting me to do work for you because I can't even get the CHILD SUPPORT on time.  All I want to do now is encourage and see my son through his 18th birthday so that we can have as little contact as possible.

Because the child support, which I'm supposed to receive twice a month?  Well, I hadn't gotten it since JANUARY 24th!!!!  So here is HIS response...all ELEVEN TEXTS:

I've actually never thought of you as being as bad of a person as you seem to think you were.  I hope and I pray that the anger that you still harbor can

one day subside.  I want to understand it so that I can do or say the right thing or things to help you get over it.  Well maybe I do know what to say.  Kea

ndra, I apologize to you for hurting and disappointing you.  I mean it from the most inner part of me.  I'm sorry that I could not be the other half of 

the puzzle that you wanted us to put together.  If I ever mislead you, I'm sorry.  As far as what you or Ahmad think that I said regarding him, he is my f

irst born and only son.  You nor he, can quantify what that means to me.  But I guess I've failed miserably in getting him to begin to understand that.  As 

far as my Child Support goes; I have been in a legal battle with Lionel and Angie for almost a year.  According to the Temporary Restraining Order that wa

s granted to me, my Child Support should not be interrupted or late.  If it is, please let me know.  And I too, prayed to God.  And I asked that he forgive

you and me.  I asked that he give us peace and understanding.  I asked in earnest and he delivered me from the anger towards you a long time ago.  I know th

at I've tried to make peace with you sincerely and I've given you what I would want most.  Forgiveness and understanding.  So I'm at peace now with me and 

with you.  I wish you no harm as a person and the mother of my son.  I have love for you for those reasons as well.  I still think your site is very creati

ve.  Good luck with it.

When I read this, it just made me sad...sad that OBVIOUSLY God also delivered him from the responsibility of paying child support when He didn't deliver US from having to feed this 5'8" joker EVERY DAY!!!!  I asked my husband: why is it that whenever a woman comes REAL with a man he equates that with "I'm sorry I can't be with you"?  I thought for SURE he got the memo that any feelings I had for him were dead along with MY WEDDING INVITATION!!!!  I feel nothing for him for several reasons starting with what he did when my father was DYING.  

I had to drive from Jacksonville to New Orleans alone, which is about an 8 hour drive.  I explained to my son's father that my father had cancer and was not going to live (my daddy passed away two weeks later).  I explained that I didn't have a car charger for the phone and that I needed to stay off of it in case of emergencies.  I EXPLAINED that I wouldn't be answering his calls for that reason.  I BEGGED HIM to not call and upset my father who by that point was wearing TWO MORPHINE PATCHES to tolerate the pain.  I promised that when I got to Mobile (where I was more familiar with the area)  I would stop and buy a car charger.  I thought he understood...why then did my dad chew me out later?  He say that Ahmad's father had called him and said I was ignoring his calls.  All I could do was cry.  Something really died inside of me that day.  I really understood the depths of this person's selfishness.  How SELFISH are you to ask me to notify you EVERY TIME the payment is late???  When you're late with a mortgage payment, the company may give you a courtesy call; once you're late with so many...THEY LABEL YOU.  It's the same with ANY BILL YOU PAY.  Why should I continue telling you about YOUR RESPONSIBILITY???  I've told HIM before...I've told HIS MOM...I'm TIRED.  And understand that the payments didn't just START coming late for the past year like his text suggested...this has BEEN going on.  It's the reason we went back to court the second time.  Oh and by the way...the last child support payment is STILL JANUARY 24th...it STILL hasn't been paid!  You see, soft hearted ME thought: ok, I've mentioned not getting the support so I KNOW his pride won't let that go on much longer (because he does NOT like to be called out!)  Guess I was wrong!  So, I called yesterday to see what steps could be taken.  I was told that there is a lottery attachment in place.  HUH?  Did he hit the bigs????  No, but just in case he DOES happen to play and DOES happen to win a substantial amount, we'll collect the child support arrears then.  BAYBEE...that was the BEST LAUGH I have had in a MINUTE!!!  REALLY???  That's what you're going with?  The representative said, "He has a 30 day grace period"...ummm...30 days from WHEN???  'Cuz...I'm not SURE...but I think it's been OVER SIXTY!!!!  Then she said, "After NINETY days, the court will decide whether or not further action should be taken."  LAUGHABLE!!!!  I'm through with this, though.  I'm obviously dealing with a person whose understanding is limited.  You tell me that you just want peace between us...pay the child support and don't put my child behind your other responsibilities.  You think that I've harbored anger for you.  Let me tell you something about me, peeps:  I have to CARE about you in order for you to bring my temperature to boiling.  My husband...my kids...my girls...they all make me simmer every once in a while.  When I love you, you get the entire GAMUT of emotions.  But my feelings for Ahmad's father are stuck in neutral. My anger EMERGED a few weeks ago because you're affecting my child!  I WOULD put him out if he were on fire; I WOULD call 911 if he were in danger.  But, the only hurt I would feel if something DID happen would be the sadness for MY HURTING CHILD.  The ONE lesson that I've tried to instill in my two older boys and will drill into them and their baby brother until I'm no longer able is this: don't LISTEN to what a person says...look at his ACTIONS.  All the energy put into sending those text messages sounds like blah, blah, blah, blah because the child support office STILL has no payment and even when one DOES come...the next won't come on time.  If I'm wrong, I'll definitely let you know because I'm a STRONG proponent of people changing...or being so ticked off by what I said that they'll do whatever it takes to prove me wrong! ;P