It's been over a month, and we are still all alive. It's been a really long time since I have lived with someone else. Living with your kids is one thing, but living with another unrelated adult and someone elses kids is completely different. Sometimes I look over and it feels so wonderful to have someone there next to me. Other times, I look over, and well, I just feel like puking. Ughhhhhhhhh, I need to hide!
The animal situation has been a little crazy, but things are settling down. Total count is one goldfish, (recently moved into a larger body of water), two border collies (with a LOT less running room who no longer like to go outdoors), and three cats (one - my princess) (two of his - one feral cat, one older cat). I rarely see his one cat. He hides upstairs and occasionally comes down stairs to take a peek and then makes a mad dash upstairs to the third floor. It's funny to see this cat, who lived most of his life outdoors fighting off whatever lays beyond the bushes and tall grasses, but yet is afraid of me, my son, the other cat who is one fourth his size, and the two dogs. He needs to understand both dogs are deathly afraid of him. They lived during the reign of Catherine the great. The great gray furrball who ruled our house for about six years. Her favorite past time was to lay across any doorway she knew the dogs wanted to cross, just so she could torment them. They wouldn't dare cross her path.
My cat, Jamocha Frappuchino Roe Boufeaux, aka "Mocha" tried to pretend that she didn't really like the dogs, but that didn't last long. She realized how much fun they were to have around and she loves playing tag way too much to do that hissing thing.
Living with someone elses children is "different." I learned a long time ago from my friends on the stepwives board what rights I have and what rights I don't have and what to do if I want a lot of friction and what not to do if I want peace and tranquility. So I have been trying really hard to comply with the "what not to do's". I don't ask them to do chores. I don't ask them to clean their rooms. I don't ask them to go to bed at a decent hour. I just wait for their father to ask them. On most days, I go to sleep "waiting."
Living again with another adult in the house is challenging. I can't just do what I feel like anymore. If I don't want to watch what he is watching on TV, I have a choice, watch what he wants, speak up and risk an argument, or go to bed. Lately, I have been catching up on many years of missed sleep.
I wanted to watch the finale of the Glee Project tonight and before it came on, I was talking to my son about the musical Wicked, and "the other adult" made some snide comment about talking through the show that was on or something to the effect that I was being "rude." arghhhhh. I was excited to talk to my son about what I had read about Wicked, because neither of us have ever seen it and we just listened to the CD for the first time and are learning the story. My first instinct was to say "screw you" and keep on talking. BUT, I chose to just go to my room and watch my TV show alone, while he sulked on the couch. I actually enjoyed watching it by myself. Maybe after all these years of being on my own (almost 14 years now), I have finally learned to enjoy doing some things on my own, and don't need "another adult" here with me like I thought I did.
Then again, I know there are times when I definitely want another adult around. Just not right now.
1 comment:
Laughing about Catherine the Great. :) She was a funny cat. Seems like you've found some balance.
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