Getting To Know Family

I am sad to say that up until recently, my children didn't know their cousins.  Which is a shame considering that the town we live in is right next to the town they live in.  It was just that my sister and I live seperate lives, and we don't even see each other that often. 

But my kids are now getting to know their cousins.  With summer vacation going on, my nephews were getting bored at home.  So I have went and picked them up a few times so far.  They come out here and go swimming with my kids, and they all jump on the trampoline together.  On Monday, they all even went blackberry picking together in the back field. 

I am so glad that the kids are getting a chance to get to know each other.  And I am glad they are getting along together.  It is so nice to see them all doing something together. 

Changes

Sometimes life likes to throw things your way and they are hard to deal with.  I had something thrown at me me earlier in the month that has changed my life in a big way.  I don't really want to talk about it right now, because I am still not exactly sure what I am going to do.  But things are a little difficult in my life right now.  My children are having a hard time with things that are going on and happening.  They think the things that are happening are their fault.  I keep explaining to them that they had nothing to do with any of it, that none of it is their fault, that they have done nothing wrong.  The kids are also acting up during this time.  I am trying to be patient with them.  I know they are just kids and don't really understand what all is going on.  And being kids, the way they handle some hard situations is to act out.  It does get annoying, but they are doing okay 

WTH

R is 10 now.  He spends every Saturday with the Young Marines.  Some of these days are long (8 hours), some are shorter (2 to 4 hrs).  It just depends on what they are doing.  A couple weeks ago, the Young Marines did a campout from Friday night til Sunday morning.  There are always adults present at the Young Marine things, whether they are Young Marine staff or parent volunteers.  The kids aren't left unsupervised at all. 

Other than the Young Marine activities, R is home most of the time.  He is either with me, my husband, or one of my parents.  Last night he did spend the night with a friend, then called today to ask if he could spend the night again.  The friend's mother told me it was okay with her, so I said it was okay with me.  I have met this friend's parents (both mother & father).  I know where they live, I know where they work.  My family knows this family...heck, our families have known each other for YEARS!  So it's not like I'm leaving my child for a couple days with people I don't know.

But I had someone tell me today I am a bad parent for sending R "away" all of the time!  That I should be with him ALL of the time.  That I apparently don't want to spend any time with him.  WTH!  He goes somewhere without me once, maybe twice, a week!  And he is 10 years old for crying out loud.  He needs some independence.  He needs to go out and do things without me, with kids his age.  And it's not like I am dropping him off somewhere alone, like the mall or park or whatever.  When he is at the Young Marines (an organization designed for kids to keep them off the streets and off drugs), there are adults present.  He is at a friend's house right now, with adults present.  He doesn't want, or need, me up his butt 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  He can't learn to be independent if he doesn't get some independence.  And I spend plenty of time with him the other 5-6 days a week that he is home...we go fishing together, play games together, play in the pool together, read together, etc. 

So if I am a bad parent because I let my son go somewhere without me once or twice a week, then I proudly wear that title.