A Trip to the Past, A Kick in the Pants

So, now the truth is out there. Pretty much everyone knows now. I am a single mom. That's it, end of story. I'm fine, so let's move on.

I had a great time last week during my trip home to see my family. Even though I am so far, my trips have really helped me feel like a part of everything going on with my little sister's wedding. I try not to let my sad circumstances bring her down, because I really think she's found someone that will make her happy.

Let's just run through my busy week, shall we??

Saturday - We land late and don't get to my sister Melinda's place until almost 8PM. We hang out a bit before my mom hits the road with my brother Sal and Helena to take them back to Bula. I stay with my HSB and we get ready to go out downtown. Of course when we get all together, it's a sight to see. And we have so much fun and laugh a lot.







Even with all the fun, I let my mind get swept away with my ever-continuing drama and I end the night sitting in the parking lot, eating Panini's pizza, crying with my sister. She tries to help me understand the crazy turn in my life, and we go back to Melinda's and stay up until almost 4AM laughing and forgetting everything that made us sad.

Sunday - We head over to my grandma's in Timberlake for Adria's birthday/Dad's birthday/Father's Day celebration. Helena is cute as ever and lets everyone hold her and play with her. She is much more open the older she gets. We all walk down to the playground that I haven't been to in over a decade and explore all the new toys. She's developing this new fascination for dinosaurs! She also hunts for bunnies and squirrels with Grandpa Doodles.





Monday - I stayed the night at my sister Lauren's in Akron. We wake up early and hit the mall to find her shoes for the wedding day! (So glad I got to be there for that.) And try on Helena's flower girl dress. She looked so cute in it. And she said "Heyna so pretty, Mommy." After that, I got a facial and got my hair done at the salon. It was so nice. Lauren painted Helena's nails and she got her first haircut too! Just a trim, but she was so excited. Only pictures I have are on my phone... sorry!

Tuesday - What an awesome day! We went to Kennywood Amusement Park just outside of Pittsburgh. We didn't think the day would go that well, since it was pouring rain and so gray when we got there. Side note: Riding roller coasters in the rain is so much fun. Plus, there were no lines! So we pretty much rode everything. Eventually, the clouds broke and we got a few nice hours of heat and sunshine. Melinda took Helena on this haunted house ride where a spider jumps down from the ceiling. It was the ongoing joke the rest of the week with Helena. She wouldn't stop saying "Heyna see sider. Heyna sceem 'aaaahhhhhh!'" She's still talking about it to this day. She got to ride all the rides in Kiddie Land. And she loved the little roller coaster, so we got to ride twice in a row. Can't wait til she's big enough to go on the real ones with me! :) Everything was great until the hugest storm came and we got rained out. The entrance got flooded and we had to leave out an emergency exit. It was crazy!! The sisters all stayed at Adria's that night and we went to eat at Olive Garden. Where I accidentally squeezed Helena's cheeks and made her squirt milk all over the table. Another side note: Helena pooped in the toilet for the first time at a public place that night! She was so happy with herself.









Wednesday - The long (and extremely early) drive home from Pittsburgh. I took a quick nap and then met up with my dad for brunch since it was his birthday. He got to spend some good time by himself with Helena for the first time ever really. He took her outside and they played in the sprinkler. She picked flowers and tried to catch butterflies. We went back to Bula that night and my mom made tacos for dinner. I relaxed for the first time since I got there.

Thursday - I finally get a decent night's sleep. Helena and I both sleep a lot this day. That afternoon we head to Mentor to see my grandma (mom's side) and my aunts and cousins. It was the first time since I had Helena that we really got to spend some good time with Granny. Usually I'd been rushed. She had so many toys for Helena to play with and gave me a huge bag of clothes to take home for her. I also got to meet my new cousin, Kayla. Just one month old! My mom, Alex, Helena, and I stopped at Cold Stone on the way home. Then I picked up my brother Chris and we went to Geneva on the Lake to meet Matt and ate Eddie's Grill. I hadn't been there in about 8 years, so that was a treat! Matt, Chris, Alex, and some friends hung out on the front porch at my mom's until about 3AM. I got some good bonding time in with my brothers and was really grateful for that time. There's nobody quite like my bros! :)

Friday - We had a family picnic at Lakeshore Park. It was such a nice day. I got to see some friends that I hadn't seen in a while. We just ate, ran, and played for hours. My mom makes the best pasta salad. :) That night me, my sisters and my friend Maggie went back out to the strip. I had 3 beers and about 12 jello shots. haha It was fun watching my little sister almost fight someone who spilled beer on us. We agreed that next time I come home, there will be no more "going out" like that. I prefer much more G-Rated activity. We all crashed at my dad's.

Saturday - My sisters and I all woke up and watched a couple of movies together before we headed over to my aunt's house for Lauren's bridal shower. We had so much fun dressing her up in toilet paper. And much to my dismay, I did rather enjoy the chicken ball!! haha I sadly packed up our things that night with Helena hitting my hands saying "No don't wanna go. Heyna stay right here. Heyna sad." Then yelling for Uncle Alex. It was so sad. She really bonded with everyone while she was home and was so happy to be around them all. It made me so happy.

We left Sunday morning at 6AM to go to the airport. I only slept about 2 hours the night before, so luckily Helena ate breakfast on the plane and then passed out. I needed that sleep. We took another nap together that afternoon too. She still spent the day talking about everyone and everything she did. This morning she was still saying how sad she was. At least we know we'll be back in October! Can't wait!!!

Thanks for all of the memories and another great trip. I love you guys!!!