Letters from Jr.

My stepson, Jr., wrote me from Afghanistan (February 2, 2011)

Our letters follow:

Jr:   "One of my good friends was killed and 4 others injured on the 31st... Soltero should not have died. I was using HIS sniper rifle watching over the patrol when it should have been him using HIS weapon."

Me:   "No Roy - you don't hold that weight - God doesn't give anyone the power to decide the ultimate fate - you know that - there's a higher Power and you've got to trust that.

I know it's still hard dealing with the loss though, especially when you can't justify it. Him holding his weapon wouldn't have shielded him from a bullet.

There are lessons to learn in everything. Obviously, Soltero touched your life in a special way - you think about that. You think about what he would want you to take away from that brotherhood. You get angry about it if you need to - but you still keep your wits about you too. There are alot of others counting on you. There are alot of others feeling the same pain as you about his death - be the example that they can turn to.

I'm so so sorry you have to deal with that.

I know I can't truly relate to the situation becauase of the circumstances I have never been in before - I have dealt with the death of someone close to me - many times.

You get angry.
You get even.
But you remain smart about it.
You be a leader to the others around you. Someone they can lean on.

I wish things were different. I wish Soltero were still here and okay. I didn't get the pleasure of knowing him, but whenever you need to talk about anything - you can talk to me.

Grieving is a process - let it run it's course."

Jr:   "It's just so hard to believe. I still expect to see him in the gym, walking around, eating, or at his room but he is not there. Every time I go somewhere I keep thinking he is going to be there with his usual big smile and "sup bro." I can't even sleep. During the last two nights I have had dreams of all the times we spent back at Fort Polk and out here but then I start dreaming about the 31st.

Even in his death he saved lives. It was an Improvised Explosive Device that killed him but his body took most of the blast which saved the lives of everyone around him. I wish you did know him so you would know how much of a good guy he was. I don't know how to go on right now. Is it alright to laugh? smile?

I don't know if you guys are at home or what but my buddies mom just told me that on the national geographic channel there is an awesome show that should be watched by our families. Apparently it is on life in the infantry and I don't know if it is all about the Tangi Valley or just some of it but she said it is a definite eye opener on the situation we are in."

Me:   "I do understand how surreal it feels - harder for you though because you are used to seeing Soltero on a daily basis.

What you are experiencing right now is you processing his passing; very slowly. And it could easily take a year or two or even more. Allow yourself plenty of time. One day you will have spent soooo much time thinking about it and reliving it, that it will be easier to handle, easier to talk about. But when you think of him, you will likely always grieve for his presence - and that's ok.

Today, I went to a funeral. Papaw's older brother passed away, and well - death is always going to be difficult to deal with. You have the added trauma of seeing people die around you, and in such a traumatic way, and these people are your brothers. I imagine some people pass so that they can be "there" to greet other loved ones when they pass over. Papaw was there to greet his brother; likely Soltero was greeted by someone close to him and he will be there to greet those that come after him. He is not alone, he is not in pain. He is in complete happiness, small things do not bother him anymore. Just think how minor our problems are here, when we will eventually leave all this behind anyhow.

Right now, you just let your mind do its thing. It's normal to feel all the pain and confusion and disbelief. You may catch yourself laughing one day, and then feeling guilty for it - the guilt is a normal part of processing too - acknowledge the guilt and then process it out.

You are not alone - provide an open ear and comfort words to the other guys that are trying to process this too (it will likely help you to process it too)."

there's a mosquito in my bedroom

2011 GOALS

1. quality time with kids
2. stay on top of homeschooling
3. carpet house
4. new furniture
5. keep house and yard clean
6. running (loose weight again)
7. bust ass at work
8. lots of photography (on my terms)

Health update

Today I had my second mammogram as well as a pelvic ultrasound. The first was pretty painful this time and I'm still holding a grudge against the nurse over it. The doctor had ordered this second mammo because of some lumps he'd seen on the first mammo. I guess he just wanted a better look, because the second mammo was supposed to be a little more specific to the area of interest. The pelvic ultrasound was ordered, I believe, just to reassure him that there was nothing worrisome there, considering my iron deficiency and problems with my "cycles". He suggested I could either get on birth control (I'm 42 and have all the children I desire to have), except that birth control increases the chances of cancer and considering my history, he prefers I not opt for this; rather, I undergo some sort of burn inside the uterus. With this procedure, I keep my uterus, and hormones are not effected, but I will not be able to have babies nor will I have my "cycle" either (yeah!); just don't know how much cost of this procedure my insurance would cover and how much out of pocket, so still wondering about if it will happen. On the other hand, the doc says the lumps in the leftie are probably not cancerous and, if not, we will simply monitor them every six months. mmmmm, not liking that response. The first lump I ever had (about 20 years ago) was not cancerous either, but because it could become cancerous and because of my mother's cancer, the doc opted to remove it so we wouldn't need to worry over it. That seems more rational to me. Why would we wait until we have cancer to remove the lump? Why would we not do a preventative procedure? If I had my way, I would have both "the girls" removed and have small A-cup implants. No worries then. I suppose I will wait to see the outcome of these tests. I really think he's just getting a better look at the lump and trying to identify them. If it is concerning enough, I would suppose they would do a procedure to identify whether it is cancerous or not. And, I suppose, I might entertain the idea of getting a second opinion too. I seriously want them removed so I have no worries, but I'd like there to be enough cause that insurance would help with the payments.

Additionally, it turns out I am anemic. I've had plenty of people suggest that I was because of my "ice fetish", and I suppose I put the possibility back in my assumptions somewhere. So, I wasn't surprised to find out. Consequently, the doc is putting me on an iron supplement. Actually, I've got perscriptions for several meds now. I also have Inderal (stress), something else for blood pressure, prenatal vitamins, and something for constipations - just in case the iron supplements cause a problem here. *rolling eyes*

My head has been hurting. I know this is because of the blood pressure, but I just haven't had time to get it filled. Hopefully, by the weekend. It's just that there are so many drugs, I'm worried about the cost too.

I'd really like to loose my weight again. It really felt good to run and I loved the results. Problem: time. As it is, I finish my day about 12:00a, so how in the world am I supposed to fit something else in... maybe during lunch or right after work and before I drive home... ? 

barrage of exams

So, I've had my doctor's appointment. It seemed they ran every test they could possibly think of. I hated it, but do feel relieved that they were so thorough. They took blood and urine samples. They took x-rays. They did the "woman" exams and Monday I go for my first mammogram. And they put me on a heart monitor for 24 hours. Plus, testing me for anemia. Considering my crazy "fetish" for ice, I can likely guess those results. I've scheduled a follow-up on the Monday after Thanksgiving, and he wrote me a new prescription for Inderal.

I ordered a couple of books: The Tao of Pooh, and The Te of Piglet. I received The Tao of Pooh the day before yesterday. I can't wait to start reading. Haven't opened it yet because I haven't been feeling well at all. I've taken my blood pressure for the past three days and the readings are running close to 150/107 (pulse 85). Today was worse, suffering from a terrible headache and some nausea. I'll take some Inderal tonite, and tomorrow will be back to "normal".

doodies & duties

So I've been in a funk lately. My husband has (once again) "checked-out" of participating as a family. According to him, he has SO much stress he simply cannot function any further. I understand his stresses. Jr, his eldest, left for Afghanistan last Tuesday. Then there is Corey and all of his drama, plus, he too will be leaving for Afghanistan come May. Then there is the stresses of work (the real love of his life), and now, his lovely wife is not having s-e-x with him.

Well?! What do you expect!?!? Like I really want to do all of my "duties" when he is not following through with his promises and responsibilities, and has all the same excuses (again). Duh!

He no longer helps me with the kids homeschooling either, so I get to handle the education of our children alone (honestly, probably better that way).  But! I have all of those same worries that he does; plus! I get to worry about the threats on my life by his ex-wife (who has promised that if one of her sons dies over in Afghanistan, she will have me "taken care of" as well! I know that this makes no sense at all, but who said she makes any sense at all! Then, let us take into account that should one of the boys come home paralyzed or seriously injured - it will be I who is the lucky one to get to spoon feed him, bathe him, and wipe the poo from his butt for the rest of my life. And, I too, will be the hard ass who insists that he still be as independent as possible (if possible); the hard ass that pushes him to continue to search for his passion, and go for it. Because we all know Roy won't do any of that! He'll be too stressed to function. And Grandma! She is too old and frail! She would never be able to lift either of the boys, nor would she ever push them to strive for independence. Then there's Raquel - I mean their "real mom". Uhhhh, yeah, like she'd finally step up to the plate under those circumstances.

So rather than stepping up and being the husband I need, he simply sleeps the days away, waking only to feed, poop, shower, and go to work. But we've been here before - many times.

The kids notice too, of course; all of them have.  All of them point out how much he sleeps, and Roy has gotten to the point where he practically calls the kids liars about it.  I think he is convincing himself that I have brainwashed the kids into believing he sleeps all the time. 

Seriously, I'd rather be alone, but I can't bring myself to leave him yet. The kids and I have some security from the income he brings. I don't want the kids lifestyle to change. We would need to give up the television, the internet, the cellphones; even then, I'm not sure it would be enough. Then there is my family. They are very unsupportive when it comes to divorce, which only complicates the issue for me.

Letters to/from Corey

So the hub tells me that Corey has told him that no one ever writes him... this is immediately followed with a Facebook post by Corey stating that no one ever writes him...

Consequently, I decided to write him. 

The idea was to reach out to him and let him know he's cared for, blah, blah, blah. But I also wanted to see what his response would be, to see if he's matured and/or accepted any responsibility for his actions.

and in case you can't read the above insert very well, I've typed it below:

"Just wanted to take a moment to let you know I'm thinking of you and hoping you have a good day even though you're freezing your butt off.

We haven't (really) talked in a while (probably because of all the drama, I guess) but I have always felt like it's kind of good in a way because it helps the son get out on his own. And that's what you've done and I'm proud of you, okay.

I probably won't approach you to talk about stuff like we used to because you are an adult now but I just wanted you to know that any time you want to talk, you can still talk to me. I just require honesty when we talk... otherwise, it's a waste of time (right). I sit and wait for Jr and Aaron to talk to me too. I don't approach them much either. Ya'll are starting your own lives and doing your own thing. And that's a good thing.

You'll be going off to Afghanistan eventually (hopefully not though) and I will be one of the people thinking and worrying about you while you're over there. I want you to be reaaaaal careful okay. You'll probably have to deal with a lot of stuff that may be surprisingly hard to deal with and you can always talk to me if you need to. (Jr talks to me about it and I worry about him too.)

You boys may be (just) my step-sons but I've been a part of your life for a long time and I love and care about ya'll even when you think I don't. It just happens that way (lol. ;o)

I've had ups and downs with all my boys. Aaron's time was all those years when he was younger, it just seemed to keep going and going. Now things have sort of leveled out for him thankfully. While you and Jr. were always so easy when you were younger and then we had are drama when ya'll were in your teens (seems, from what other people say, that's the normal way it supposed to happen.) But my boys are grown up now and our relationship is on a whole new level now.

I'm looking forward to this new phase with ya'll too.

With l♥ve,
your "other" mother ;O)"

* 

and Corey's response:

Corey's response typed out:

"nahh bad days and they only get worse, but o well when it comes time to deploy i dont think itll matter.. and yea it gets COLD here..!

yea havent really talk to u, my dad, wolfie, drew, or aaron much over the years but yea your right, i was the most mature one in school since i pretty much had to do thing on my own starting at 15 instead of 18.

yea now that im out and about living my own life i pretty much blow off any of the bull that everyone tries to pull, its unnecessary and i can live without it. im all about honesty, (truth hurts) sometimes, but lies and false info can hurt much more, i dont like it so im sure know one wants dishonesty. appreciate it i really dont have much people to talk to, danielle was the only person but things changed for the worst, i had a buddy in training that i could talk to but he is stationed in texas now.. everyone is everywhere and now its like i have no one.

yeah i know, i mean come on i saw my mom 1 to 2 times a year and my dad was a work/sleepoholic..

you know now that i think about it, thats wierd.. how aarons opposite from the way me and roys life turned out drama wise lol.. i dont know if its because of the lack of parenting me and him grew up more independent and did things on our own or wut it is but idk, i think i can manage, ready or not life here i come?"

*

My (silent) reaction:  

"Huh???"

and, lol

soooo, I was, initially, somewhat floored by his response, 
so, I could not bring myself to write him back.  

You see, Corey has always been the favoured child by his family: his grandparents, his mother, his father, aunts, uncles, and even his cousins favoured him!

Quick story example:
We're in the car and Roy is driving.  I think we were coming back from a quinceanera.  It was dark out, and Jr and Corey were in the backseat together (just the two of them) entertaining themselves.  And I would glance back now and then to check on them.  They sat close to each other and Jr.'s arm was lying across Corey's lap while Corey picked and played with it.  I dunno, easily entertained at that age I suppose (lol).  But at one point, Corey began to huff and fuss (he was only 4 years and Jr was 8); but here's the point: without knowing what was going on or any details, their dad responds to Corey's fussing with, "Jr!! Give whatever it was back to him!!"  And I glance back at the boys again, and Jr, without a word, plops his arm back in Corey's lap so that Corey can pick and play with it again.  It's funny!  I know it is.  But it also struck me strange, that dad would respond without all the information, as if the information didn't matter.  And! it struck me strange that Jr was so trained to keep Corey happy, no matter the cost - I mean, it's HIS arm! So, Jr must give up his own arm for Corey's entertainment.

And another example (oh, I've got a bunch of these, but we'll try to keep it short):
We (Roy, me, Jr, Aaron, and Corey - in that order) entered into the grandparents living room on a Thanksgiving afternoon.  The room was filled with aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents.  But I noted, that Roy, myself, Jr, and Aaron each receive a rather mellow "hey" or "whats up" as we enter the room, and then Corey enters the room; and its such a drastic change in atmosphere that I couldn't help but notice the favoritism. Suddenly the room breaks out into something closely resembling cheers.  Everyone wanting a piece of him (Corey), and they are literally getting out of there seats to pinch his cheeks, hug and kiss, "ooooh" and "awww" at him, and laughing and exclaiming "you're just so cuuuuute!!" Uhhhh, okaaaay.  All I could think at the time was, how crappy did this ridiculously obvious difference in treatment make Jr and Aaron feel? I just didn't get it - and I didn't like it either.

So,
really?
Poor Corey??
But then, maybe once a babe is used to, or trained to, receive special treatment and attention like he has, then he is set-up for feeling rejected when he no longer receives that same attention?

In his letter,

he states: "i saw my mom 1 to 2 times a year and my dad was a work/sleepoholic"

my response:  okay, he may not have seen his mother as much as he would have liked, probably once every 3-4 months when the boys were older.  Although, when they were younger and we all lived in the same town, there were times when she would pick-up Corey for a visit but leave Jr home with us.  And then, there were many times when she picked up both Corey and Jr, and she would send Jr to school BUT kept Corey at home with her.  (I even received a notice in the mail from the ISD which threatened to take us to court because he had missed so many days. They listed the days, and they all corresponded with days that she had the boys with her.)  And then, she would buy stuff for Corey, but never for Jr. Jr would come home saying "she said, 'next time', but next time never comes."  It was so obvious she favoured Corey - and although the visits became fewer and further between, she has continued to favor Corey.  And, while she has continued to disappoint both of the boys when she can't seem to make them a priority, she has always maintained communications with Corey, more so than Jr. So, I hardly feel sorry for him over his relationship with his mother because, for whatever he got - Jr got less. 

Corey states: "my dad was a work/sleepoholic"

my response: (hangs head low in disappointment)  Reeeeeally?  Ah, Corey, albeit your father slept a lot but he worked his ass off (sometimes 2 and 3 jobs) but he was providing for you - and with no help from your mom who was also supposed to be responsible for you and your brother. Your dad wanted to be sure you and Jr had the best lifestyle he could possibly provide. And he was there! In the house every f-in day of your life.  And when you needed anything at all - he made sure you got it! So (lots of applause) kudos Corey! Way to show some appreciation and respect for your dad, or me, when we worked our asses off for you! 


Corey states: "i pretty much had to do thing on my own starting at 15 instead of 18"

my response:  uhmmm, dear... sweetie, uhhh living with your momo and popo for a year (because you lied to your mother about me and she threatened to have her Mexican Mafia family kill me) while you continue going to high school, and you are not working, and you do not have any bills to pay (like rent, electricity, insurance, water, etc, etc) yea, that is not quite "being on your own" hun... jus' sayin (hopefully you'll realize this when you ARE actually on your own).

Corey states: "im all about honesty, (truth hurts) sometimes, but lies and false info can hurt much more, i dont like it so im sure know one wants dishonesty."

my response: oh my gosh Corey, what world are you in? Have you literally lost your mind? After all of the lies you've told about me, bringing on all of the threats against me and your dad's lives by your mom and her Mexican Mafia family... I suppose I shouldn't be so stunned. Anytime you were busted doing something, anything, wrong - you never accepted responsibility. For instance when you decided to keep the lunch money I sent with you to school to pay the lunch bill. Hmmm? You decided it was your money and you could keep it - even though you knew I sent it for the lunch bill. That money was not an allowance and you knew it. And that money was so I would have piece of mind, knowing that you were eating at school and could concentrate on your work and not on an empty stomach. After you were busted stashing the lunch money - I began paying for your lunches online because I couldn't trust you to pay the bill for me.  And this is just one example.

He states:  "but yea your right, i was the most mature one"

my response:  Huh?? Say whaaa?  Read my letter again, I never said Corey was "the most mature one".  ROFLMBO! And, by the way, out of you three boys - Jr was the more mature one - that doesn't mean he was mature! only that he was more mature than the other two.  But, that makes sense too - he was the oldest. LOL

And then he goes on to say something about the "lack of parenting"

my response:   Well, whatever.  I know that this is just meant as a stab at me.  He knows I was there more than anyone else, parenting him - more than he would have liked at times. So, *rolls eyes*


But if this is what he calls "honesty" - then,
I am worried

I love you Corey... I sure hope this is just a phase for you.  Maybe it's simply a temporary "wall" built to help get you through all this drama?  If you ever want to talk, I'll be happy to,

but first, you've gotta be honest with yourself.

We painted the study room a cream color like the base color shown on the book cover above, as well as painting the trim and doors black. Next step is to finish painting the rest of the house in the same color scheme, but I am shooting for a stencil job that mimics the tile pattern on the wall and floor on this cover as well. I think I'll add the stencil work to the family room, foyer, and a 3/4 of the way up the wall down the hallway. Yeah. That'll be awesome!

We have to lay carpet in the living and down the hallway and redo the tilework in the foyer and kitchen. Maybe a creamy colored carpet squares layed in a checkerboard fashion. I'm loving the carpet squares because of the easy of replace/relocating damaged squares and saving the rest of the carpet in the process. I've also seen some new large square vinyl tiles that replicate actual grouted terra cotta tiles that I like a lot. Hmmmm

THEN....
I'll set up a dog kennel for our pups, saving our yard some and allowing the kids to play out there without worry. Oh, don't worry, the pups will still get there time to use the yard too, but the kids haven't played in the backyard since we got our dogs because of the way they jump on them and all the poo laying about. So we need to get a little control back. I'll close in the back porch turning it into the sleeping porch. We'll add ceiling fans and a swinging bed like the one in the photo below.

Maybe we'll stick a treadmill out there too. I promise to use it! Cross my heart!

Home Decor in 2011, Part 1

I'm totally sitting around today and getting motivated about getting this house whipped into shape this year. It's just got to happen this year. The three oldest are doing their thing and I don't see any huge expenses coming up *crossing fingers*. My couches are so disgusting. We've had them now for 13 years and they've really fallen apart in the last 5 years. There are rips and large holes in them, there is an film on the sleeves from greasy hands and heads, and they just plain stink. We cover them with comforters to hide the grime, but I know what's there, lurking underneath. Ugh.

We have 7 in this family and a 3 bedroom home. Two of the oldest boys will only come home for visits now and my oldest will come home after college until he's ready to get out on his own. So he'll probably only be with me another 2-3 years at most (I'm guessing). That leaves the hub and me, and the two youngest, and visitors needing a place to rest their heads. Still, I'd like to fill the living area with daybeds that can serve as couches as well as a comfortable bed for visitors. I think the mattress can be covered with attractive and suitable slipcovers and pillows to make it a really nice family room. I'd like to go with a moroccan theme as well. I love that.


My idea would include three daybeds (maybe like this one pictured above) and put two of them end to end on one wall, and then the third against another, shorter wall. This daybed has camoflaged drawers which are absolutely perfect for extra storage like blankets and sleeping pillows for our guest.

Additionally, I'd like to add a couple of really comfy recliners to the room and finally some carpet. Getting our bookshelves straightened and the clutter put away would seel the deal for me. *squeeling*

hidden me

It really get's under my skin - no, it pisses me off! the way many of my family members and so-called friends spout off their opinions, judgments, and prejudices without consideration of another persons feelings - and then they adamently try to convince me they are not prejudice or judgmental.  I find myself holding back my tongue on many occassions simply because I know that these people would only lash out at me - they have before.  We must see eye-to-eye or never speak again. It make for lots of loneliness, grief, and disappointment.  I have been in that place before, where I was alienated, and only because they did not approve of my personal stance.

I am not allowed an independent opinion - and I am surrounded.

He did - she did

On Oct 18th, Danielle posted to her Facebook something to the effect of "hahaha he really screwed up his life now...", then sent me a private message stating "we're over forever now, I can't even be friends with him". 

I responded, fishing around for more information but she wouldn't say. 

I thought how else does one "really screw up his life" except to enter into marriage with someone too early or totally wrong for whatever reasons.

Then, yesterday (Oct 19th), I received a call from my husband. He told me that his parent's neighbor's had notice on the online newspaper that Corey and Miranda had purchased a marriage license.  These neighbors wasted no time running across the street to tell Roy's parents the news.  The grandparents called Roy in a hurry to ask him about it; then, Roy calls me to ask me if I knew anything about it (and I'm thinking (sarcastically), "uh yeah, I knew about your son's marriage and then decided NOT to tell you." - how does that make any sense?).

Regardless, how's that for finding out your kid got married?

So, I obtained a copy of the marriage certificate confirming the marriage did take place. It is real. It is final. Before the county court judge (nice job Weiser - she states sarcastically) and, 

on October 11, 2010, Corey and Miranda did join together in matrimony. *rolls eyes*

extended family drama

Okay, let's get this over with. As soon as I publish the circumstances surrounding the "Corey drama", I can, hopefully, move on to better things.

First, introductions. I have two stepsons, Corey (now 18) and Roy Jr (now 22). My husband has maintained custody of both of them since before we began our relationship together.  They lived with us and I raised them for the last 14 years. When I first met them, Corey was 4 and Roy Jr. was 8 years old. 

Then, we have their mom, Raquel, aka Electra, aka Raquel Raquel, aka the absent parent.  Raquel has not been involved much in the boys lives.  At first, she was fairly consistent about visitation, showing up most of the time, albeit late  (which would upset the boys).  I recall, as Jr and Corey waited hours for her to pick them up and finally, Jr would declare, "If she doesn't show up in the next five minutes - I'm not going."  I didn't know how to respond.  This was my first time parenting and my first time step-parenting.  On the one hand I could try to cajole them but would I only be setting them up for disappointment again, and a bigger fall? I believe in frank honesty with kids, I always have, but it was hard to know what to say and what not to say.  No sense in sweet talking them when it just misleads them as well.  On the other hand, I wanted to relieve their pain too.  What could I say?  So, most of the time, I said nothing, leaving her actions to form their relationship.  

I do recall, standing in the kitchen with Jr and Corey, and somehow Raquel was brought up and I stated, "Despite what you two think, I do not hate your mother."  They both laughed as if to mock me and said, "yeaaaah, riiiiight. (hahaha)"  I repeated, "No. I do not hate your mom, but I do think she dropped the ball with you two.... that's all."  I went on to explain (maybe trying to provide some sort of mental cushion for them), "...she's simply repeating what she knows. Your dad told me that Raquel's mother left her, her brother and sister when they were very young too.  She never had a very close relationship with her mom."  

About two or three years after the divorce, the boys' visits with Raquel grew further apart, and for shorter time frames (at most once every 2-3 months and those visits usually lasted only a few hours to a day). At this time she was concentrating mostly on her career in "modeling". She had moved to Austin and we were back in Victoria; she always seemed to have some good excuse now like the car broke, or she had to work, or whatever.  Usually these things conversations/excuses were between her and the kids.  She knew when I was home, and when I worked, and her calls came in usually while I was at work. It's funny to me now, that she's said recently, "since the boys are on their own now, maybe she'll get to see and talk to them more often." As if I had played a part in her lack of involvement, but I do take comfort knowing that the boys were there all along, and they were quite aware that I played no part in that.

My husband, having been common-law married to Raquel for 10 years, is my source for the information I have heard of her. He told me that because Raquel's mother had abandoned the family, Raquel's brother grew up a family with no blood relation to him. I'm not sure exactly about Raquel's sister's upbringing, but Raquel grew up transitioning from one friend's home to another to another. Eventually, she met Roy and moved in with him and his family. She was only 15 years old when she had her first baby, and Roy was 17. Further, Roy has said that much of Raquel's family are members of the Mexican Mafia. My husband has always displayed a quite serious fear of them. I, however, and my "it will never happen to me" attitude, have always belittled his fear of them. Then came the media coverage of the arrest and conviction of her cousin of murder charges. 

Roy and Raquel were together for a total of 10 years, evolving into a common law marriage. When I met Roy, he told me that he had suspected that she was cheating on him on and off throughout the years. Even so, he never caught her red-handed and because of the babies, he didn't want to leave her unless he had hard proof of her infidelity. Approximately 1995, Raquel left Roy for her then boyfriend, Felix, a local police officer. She had moved in with Felix and become pregnant with her third child (a girl). She left her eldest son, Jr, in Roy's care and kept Corey to live with her. It was just a short time later that she telephoned Roy to say that he should pick-up Corey as well; but by the time Roy arrived to take custody, Raquel had changed her mind. Roy was not going to back down this time as it was his desire for the boys to be raised together. Drama ensued and the police were called to the scene. Once the police arrived, they determined that Roy would take Corey with him, and Jr and Corey have remained in their dad's care and custody ever since.

It was during this time, Roy and I began seeing each other seriously. He had told me that they had already filed for divorce and was simply waiting on a court date. I found out several months later that this was a lie.  We were traveling to his parents home and we were just down the road from their house when I asked him about the status of his divorce as it had been so long and he should have received a court date by now.  He pulled the car to the side of the road and took a deep breath, followed with a confession and ridiculous explanation that, as he understood it, if he and Raquel remained separated for a period of time, then their marriage would be automatically be annulled. I assured him that was not the case, and that if he was not going to pursue a legal divorce, our relationship would end, but that either way, I did not want to force him into an unwanted divorce. He assured me that he wanted the divorce. 

As money was tight, and the divorce should be a fairly simple one, I drafted a Decree using my own divorce papers and a divorce manual which included forms. The Decree stated that Roy would maintain custody with Raquel having routine visitation (as stated in most custody papers) and that she would be relieved from the duty of paying child support. Raquel was served by a process server. However, as she was not familiar with routine legal language, she decided that the papers were a trick to get her to eventually pay child support; therefore, she refused to agree to the terms in the Decree and obtained a legal-aid attorney. In response, we sought out and retained an attorney (a top of the line and expensive attorney). Roy's attorney re-wrote the Decree, this time stating that Roy would not only maintain care and custody of the boys, but would also receive child support payments from Raquel!

In court Raquel asked for custody which, based on evidence, was declined. She then asked for half of Roy's 401K benefits, again she was declined.  She then asked for half of Roy's Profit Sharing benefits, again she was declined. Roy's Divorce Decree was granted (it was 2001).

Based on Raquel's lifestyle over the years, it's obvious (to me), that she never truly desired full custody of the boys; she simply wanted to ensure that she would receive some of his retirement benefits and be relieved from paying child support - but this is NOT to say she didn't love her children! She did. I just think she knew she wouldn't raise them in the environment they needed to be raised. She knew that she couldn't commit to the boys because it was her desire to pursue her dreams, dreams that did not involve taking care of a family.  I never faulted her for this - but I did fault her for not maintaining consistent visitation with her children, and for playing Corey as a favorite over Jr.

Raquel went on to have her baby with Felix. They lived together for a very short while, and then she left him and her baby daughter as well.  

I recall working at a lawfirm, my desk was on the second floor of an old, and very nicely remodeled courthouse.  I was busy doing my work and looked up to see a very promiscuously dressed Raquel standing in front of me.  My shock at seeing her was apparent and she giggled when my mouth dropped; all of the other secretaries just stared.  I escorted her into a private room to talk and she asked if I would help her draw up divorce papers.  Still stunned, I accepted and explained I would need a few details to incorporate into the Decree.  She said she knew how  awkward it was for her to approach me, given that we never really got along.  Against Roy's better judgment, I drew up the Decree but never heard from her again. So, they preceded with their divorce without my help. It came to my attention later, through the boys, that the papers were drawn up giving Felix full custody of their daughter and Raquel did not have to pay child support. I assume that, after she'd learned the hard way with her first divorce, she jumped on this offer in her second divorce. And note, that although she was ordered to pay support in Roy's divorce decree, she didn't pay past the first month.

Again, I'd like to express that I have no doubt of Raquel's love for her children, and in the process of pursuing her dreams (bare with me, I have a tendency to make excuses for people, even her) she had many ups and downs, which likely included moments of torment and regret for not being a more involved parent, moments of worry over them and their situations (were they being cared for the way she would want, and so on). Obviously, this is a surmise by me based on hints here and there - only she would know her actual situation, reasons for prioritizing the way she did, and making her decisions based on whatever.

*

As a little boy, Corey's personality had always been cheerful and funny, he loved to make people laugh, he loved to help others. I remember looking for my flip-flops, and I without even asking for his help, he jumped up and began looking for them. My little hero when he found my shoes and presented them to me with a big, proud grin. Being that he was only four when I began raising him, he was always comfortable enough around me to test me some. I remember telling Corey to do something and he instead he spouted off at me, refusing to do what I'd asked. I told him again, but again he refused. I remember looking at him in amazement as if to say, "uh, boy - are you really standing up to me??" because it was so unlike him but noticing his half-smirk and laughing eyes, I knew he was testing me.  I just stood there, and a wave of comfort took over me as I thought to myself, "cool... I'm glad he's comfortable enough with me to test me", and I just let it go.

The boys were both very easy to raise for the most part. We had ups and downs of course, but I could count on one hand how many times Jr was punished over those 14 years, and two hands for how many times Corey was punished. Though they were definitely manipulative on a whole different level than your average kid; honestly, it sometimes scared me.  They would manipulate my son, Aaron, into doing things that he shouldn't and I had no way of proving they were involved. It didn't help that Aaron was the protective and naive sort that would defend the boys out of a desire to be accepted. So, consequently, Aaron would receive the majority of the discipline over the years, after all, wrong is wrong (but I did get more selective over my battles).

When I first met Corey his teeth were falling apart, literally. At four years old, his teeth were discolored (a brown and dark grey), and broken into sharp points. You could see the decay and you could see the insides of his teeth and roots were exposed. Worse, Corey had a major "sweet tooth". I remember finding him crouched in a closet with our sugar container eating it up with his fingers, and he was not in the habit of brushing his teeth daily (I would have to stand over him to be sure he would brush them).  But I felt most of his dental problems stemmed from family genes and the over-use of Albuterol treatments (his dad and grandparents treated every sniffle Corey had with an Albuterol treatment - foregoing the usual over-the-counter remedies). Now, thousands of dollars later, his teeth have been removed, repaired, sealed, capped, and regrown. Whew!

In high school Corey was involved in an altercation with another boy. From Corey's perspective, this boy flung food at him and shoved him. Corey reciprocated inappropriately. The schools here have a zero-tolerance policy for this behavior, therefore landing Corey with a formal court hearing. Corey got a fine and short probationary period.

Puberity hit and Corey (15 years now) met a girl, Miranda, on the internet.  Initially, I believed his hem-hawed account of knowing this girl, but later I found out he'd lied to me. (I recall another girl he'd been talking with via the internet when he was only about 11.  I caught him proposing marriage to her which let me into my rant about internet safety and appropriate behavior. He blew me off. But it was then that I realized how "girl crazy" he was.)  More importantly, I had a very real fear that Corey would put our family in danger because of information he would put on the internet.)  Corey and Miranda arranged a personal meeting, and at this time having faith in Corey's promises, I obliged. It was all made easier for Corey, when the boys were given cellphones for Christmas (of course, Roy and I paid those monthly bills); and it came to my attention that Corey was staying up all night talking with Miranda on the phone. Miranda, by the way, had health problems that caused her to have extremely spontaneous seizures, and Corey liked being a "hero" to her. They would also playfully cut each other down calling each other "dork" and "nerd".  But as she was somewhat disrespectful to me and Roy, as well as Aaron and my two younger children (Jr was already in the military and missed out on this event), we all became quite disenchanted with her rather quickly. 

I recall Miranda demanding that I buy her specific foods when she was over, such as a burger and fries from a specific restaurant, and then a specific flavored ice cream from the grocery store. She would warn me that if she did not receive these specific foods she would have a seizure. I was not used to, nor did I understand, a young persons boldness and brashness. I remember her sending me to the store for Tylenol and when I returned with extra-strength, she sent me back for the "regular" Tylenol. Back and forth, back and forth, special trips to the store so she wouldn't have a seizure.  Finally, I explained that if she required special and specific foods to prevent her seizures, she would need to pack those things and bring them with her as I did not want that responsibility. 

I began confiscating the cellphone from Corey at night to ensure he would get some sleep for school the next day. By this time, I'd had plenty of "light bulb" moments that couldn't be ignored.  This was my "girl crazy" 15 year old son, and we did not want to see him getting a girl pregnant at 15  (as his father did). 

After viewing some of the texts and photos on his phone I had proof that not only were Corey and Miranda having sex, they were having unprotected sex, and there was a possibility she was pregnant. (Of note, we do have condoms in our home and I have talked to the boys about not having permission to have sex, but the condoms are there for them if they find they simply must have one.)

After talking to his father, I questioned Corey about a possible pregnancy. Corey admitted that they were intentionally trying to get pregnant. Corey explained that Miranda's rationale was that if they had a baby together, they would be connected forever. He knew it was true, and I could not argue with that logic either - it was true. We did, however, have a long talk about it, but it's hard to rationalize with a teen boy that is positive that he wants to be connected with this girl forever. All the what-ifs in the world weren't going to change his mind. Other "investigation" or "snooping" (whichever you prefer), proved that Miranda had attempted to talk Corey into lying to us and sneaking out. The deception was piling up and, eventually, Corey was grounded. This meant he was not allowed to go anywhere nor have Miranda over, he lost his cellphone privileges, and was given some additional chores. I printed out the conversations and texts between Miranda and Corey, and found pictures of Miranda on his cellphone that she had sent to him (pictures that a mother should never want taken of her daughter). Below is one of Miranda's promiscuous photos from her Myspace page - worrisome; and this is one of the more decent photos. Does her mother know? 

Miranda and her parents have exhibited violent tendencies. Theirs appears to be a very unstable and unhealthy environment. I feel her mother would flip-flop with punishments and then being too lax because of Miranda's seizures. I suppose I can understand how easily this could happen, it would likely torment me too in that situation, but I still feel it was to Miranda's detriment.

Later, we discovered Corey had snuck in another cellphone. I never found out where he got it, but his mother or his cousin are suspect. He was now facing punishment for this deception as well. We asked for the cellphone (many times and he refused to turn it over) behaving as if it were in his pocket, so Roy and I would not realize that he'd hidden it in the bathroom. He darted around as if to protect his pocket contents. At one point, I straddled over him while Roy held his hands away from me. Because Corey was hyperventilating from crying as his world seemed to be falling apart, his dad worried that I might be constricting his breathing, but I pointed out that I was not actually sitting on him (there was air space between me and Corey) and pointed out that if I had  actually been sitting on Corey then he would not be able to twist around so much - and I would not be so out of breath struggling to reach into his pocket. I confirmed that he did not have the cellphone, and exhausted with the drama - I left for work. Corey stayed home with his dad. Roy tried to talk to him, but got nowhere. Shortly after I got to work, Roy called to say that he'd found the cellphone hidden in the bathroom, and that Corey had darted out of the house and through the carport. Roy said that he had grabbed for Corey's arm, missed, and Corey slipped and fell, hitting his elbow on the concrete. We had just had a garage sale and the carport was cluttered with boxes of junk. Corey's failed attempt to flee only added to his tears, and he must have put on quite a display for his dad, as he refused to move his entire arm. Of course, Roy fell for it (he always did). Shortly thereafter, Roy called to request that I return home to take Corey to the hospital to get checked. I tried to convince Roy (to no avail) that Corey's antics were only an attempt for sympathy and that he was likely not seriously injured. I told Roy to just sit at home for 30 minutes, and if Corey was still unable to move his arm and continued his crying, then we would go to the hospital.  Less than two minutes later, Roy called again, frantic and insisting that Corey needed to go to the hospital.  Exhausted, I obliged.  In the ER waiting room, I informed Corey that he would be responsible for paying the hospital bill (as I was convinced he was faking the injury) and it was then that Corey began rolling his arm around in large circles as if to work it the kinks. Roy groaned realizing that he'd been had. Regardless, the doctor checked him out and it was determined that nothing was injured beyond a bruise. He was given "comfort" sling to make him feel better and we returned home.

That afternoon, Raquel, along with Corey's cousin, Amanda, showed up at the door. Due to the drama earlier in the day, I asked her to wait and talk to Roy before taking off with Corey. But she became upset and demanded to see Corey. I repeated that she should speak with Roy, but she began yelling at me. Roy was on the phone with his parents explaining the events, and they too became upset as well. They immediately came to our home too. Roy tried to talk to Raquel but by now, she was beyond rational communication. Raquel called the police, and tried to have us charged with injury to a child. Child Welfare arrived and assured her that we did not do anything that wasn't within our rights as parents. Roy's parent's also began yelling at me (and I wasn't even at the house when Corey received his fake injury!). Finally, Corey left with Raquel and the drama subsided. I talked to Roy about how Raquel was simply responding to Corey's lies and sensationalism and, consequently, I did not want Corey in our home - it wasn't safe for the rest of the family. Roy agreed, and I packed Corey's things. The plan was that after Corey returned home, he would be toted off to grandma's house.

Sunday evening, Raquel returned Corey. Roy and Raquel spoke outside. When Roy came in he took Corey to his grandmother's and left him. Roy returned home and informed me that Raquel stated she had "put her family (the Mexican Mafia) on notice" and all she had to do was "make a call and they would take care of us". We didn't report the threat - after all, there was no way to prove it. Roy then decided it would be safer for us if he packed and left, but as he packed he crumpled into tears; he couldn't follow through. We covered the windows in foil and Roy put in a request to transfer out of state, then we just prayed that having Corey out of the house would keep Raquel at bay. The request for transfer fell through but the foil remains.  No, I don't think foil protected us, but I did get a sense of relief that anyone outside would not be able to tell where we were in the home and would have a blind target - maybe not chance it.  I know - it's a naive sense of security.  I spent months watching the people around me very carefully - suspiciously. Picking up the babies from school, and worrying about the people around us and what ifs.  It probably seems as if this is all very melodramatic and normally I do try to rationalize this stuff away - but base on the following facts, I remain cautiously reserved:

1) Fact! Raquel loves her children with all her heart;
2) Fact! Raquel has hated me with a passion since we first met;
3) Fact! Mother's can turn vicious when they feel their child is in danger;
4) Fact! Based on the information she received from Corey, she felt her child was in danger - and that I caused that danger;
5) Fact! Raquel's family is in the Mexican Mafia;
6) Fact! Raquel has family currently in prison for murder;
7) Fact! Raquel feels like she needs to prove her love for her children and will do anything to do so, including (by her own admission) arranging a murder;
8) Fact! Raquel made a very real and vocal threat against my life (and even Roy, who had lived along side her for 10 years, and has known her family more so than the children have, was afraid because of her threat); and
9) Fact! I am not prepared to gamble in the even slightest  way with my children's lives.

I know Jr and Corey belittle her threat; they feel it's bogus. But these boys don't know her and her family as well as their dad knows them. He lived with her day in and day out for 10 years. The boys only saw her for a few hours a day, once every few months, at the most. Roy said her family doesn't need to wait for her to call, "all they have to do is be drinking...."  

Later, Raquel revised her threat to be directed at me only, not my kids. But my kids and I are extremely close, and they would totally be effected if something were to happen to me. Their emotional state would be detrimentally effected if anything happened to me. They would be a complete mess and Roy would not be able to handle the situation in a healthy manner. He would even let his fear of angering Raquel, and his desire to smooth things over, put the kids in another jeapardizing situation (he's done it before). Raquel put in a written message to me on Myspace that her problem was that I injured Corey's arm and then later stated that she'd taken him to a chiropractor who stated his back was strained.  Again, I wasn't even present when he'd "hurt" his arm. Further, he "hurt" his own arm by running and falling. Further, if his back was injured (and I don't believe it was as Corey never mentioned it) then it was from Corey twisting about so much - not from me sitting on him - I did not ever put any weight on him at all (if I had, he would not have been able to twist so much). Corey has never admitted to anyone the truth about what had happened that day.

The best part of this mess - the drama continued, only this time, it was at grandma's house! The grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins became so sick and tired of Corey's drama and lies as well.  They witnessed it firsthand! Miranda would have temper tantrums and damaged Corey's grandparents' vehicle, stole their phone from the house, and tore their door from it's hinges. All hell broke loose when Miranda's family attacked Corey in the hospital parking lot because he still refused to stay away from their daughter. Finally, tired of the drama as well, Corey's uncle tried to physically remove Corey from grandma's house. And Raquel called me! asking me to have Roy call her right back about the drama. He and I were at the theatre, and she called requesting/begging for us to go to grandma's house and calm things down. She sent me texts stating that she "seriously doubted Corey could do anything to warrant Randy behaving the way he did." (Really? It's all of the adults causing the drama? ......really?)

Eventually, Corey became extremely unhappy at Grandma's. He would complain to his father about their bitching, and Roy would empathize, having been there himself. Roy was very easy to "play" and Corey tried to use that to his advantage. Corey began disappearing for days without telling anyone, evidently staying with friends. Corey likes to portray himself a victim and manages to gain a lot of sympathy from others before it blows up in his face.

Corey stayed with his grandparents until his graduation constantly saying how miserable he was there. At one point I explained that he could come home on certain terms: (1) there was no drama, (2) he had to confess to his mother the truth, and (3) his mother had to make amends with me (this was important because it was her behavior/threat that caused his removal in the first place.  He decided he did not want to talk to his mother about the truth and would stay where he was.  Playing the victim was still too sweet a deal for him.

*

We always knew Jr and Corey dreamed of joining the military. So, when Corey disappeared for over a week and quit answering Roy's calls, we kind of knew that was where he went. We asked Roy's parents about his whereabouts - but they never kept up with him. You see, this is how they raise the children in their home - don't ask, don't tell.  They turn a blind eye to the child's behavior.  I explained to Roy that he really needed to call the recruiting office to inquire about it (I mean, helloooo, how long are you going to wait after your son's disappearance to call the cops?), but he refused saying that he didn't want to "snoop". Finally, I called the recruiting office myself and they confirmed Corey's enlistment. Roy was relieved but didn't tell the grandparents because he felt we obtained the information dishonestly (What?! what does that mean? How does that make sense, pleeeease? Your son is MISSING!). Eventually, I convinced him to tell his parents as they were becoming increasingly worried (but! not worried enough to contact the police, of course.)  Maybe, I shouldn't have called the recruiter; maybe I should never have talked Roy into telling his parents where Corey was; maybe I should have just let them all worry - but I did what I would have done had it been my own biological son. So, whatever...


UPDATED: Corey graduated from military bootcamp a few weeks ago and while we planned to attend his graduation, he asked if we would bring his "girlfriend" Danielle. We did. She was a very nice girl, very pretty. He stayed for two weeks with us in our home until last Monday, when he left for Alaska (where he was based). At some point he will be leaving for Afghanistan. Everything was fairly uneventful (as I stated in my previous posting). Today, on the way home from work, my husband Roy calls to say that his parent's neighbors noticed in our local newspaper that a marriage license was purchased for Corey and Miranda. It crossed my mind that he might pull something like this. Additionally, he and Danielle had appeared to be arguing. Roy asked if I knew anything, I didn't know anything (what does he think!? That I would know his son got married and not tell him!). I only had a slight suspicion because Danielle had expressed some extreme emotions regarding Corey on her Facebook. So, he's married. I suspect he is waiting to get settled up there and then he will have her fly up to be with him. We haven't heard from her family, which I don't look forward to. They probably don't know either. They too are all extremely violent, and so I have told Roy that I don't want any of them, including Miranda, at my home. I'm sure that sounds awful to say about a daughter-in-law, but she has done a lot of damage to Corey's grandparent's home, I don't need that at my home. I have two small children to protect and we work hard to pay for what we have.

Breaking the Rules

I have a secret of sorts. I started this blog and then deleted everything and re-wrote it. I suppose I felt like I had breached some sort of "blogger code" in the process. The problem was that in my initial blogs I was venting, and venting a lot! I didn't want to be defined by the angry portrayal I was putting out there with those posts. I simply hadn't felt like writing anything until I was feeling passionate enough which, consequently, was in those moments of complete frustration. I wanted to be defined as I was years ago, in my teens, a happy, bubbly, silly, giggly, cheerful, positive person. The truth is though, I've changed so much since then. I'm not so naive these days, a little more reserved, and angry too.

*

Recently, my youngest step-son returned home. He had been away at bootcamp for Army infantry. 

Our family has been through some kind of drama with each of our sons, and lately it's just been Corey's turn.  He'd caused drama followed with some lies to his mother (the absent parent who has family in the Mexican Mafia as well as in prison for murder). Reacting to what he'd said to her, my/our lives were threatened. I know it all sounds very melodramatic and I'm  the sort with the "it will never happen to me" frame of mind, but this time, I truly felt worried. (I'll get into more detail in a  later post, as I really don't have the time right now.) Needless to say, I still feel some animosity about the entire situation; probably because I don't feel like there was ever any real and proper resolution, nor did I get to voice everything I would have liked (not that it would have made much difference).

So, Corey returns home and as soon as he hits town, he is calling the girl, Miranda, that had helped with creating all the drama leading up to this "grand finale" (although, this time, it was easier to stay out of his drama because he is considered a legal adult now - note here what was not said is implied). I was disappointed again, but happy that he did manage to keep the drama from blowing up in our faces this time.

He's gone now. He's left for his military base. He'll be stationed there until May, at which time he is supposed to leave for Afghanistan. I pray that plans change and he does not end up in the war zone, and that if he does go to Afghanistan, he returns safely.