Mirrors

I avoid mirrors as much as I can. Today as I was waiting for Harlen in the car, I looked in my rear view mirror. I was noticing all the wrinkles on my face. I thought of the years I have lived, but then I caught a glimpse of the scar below my lower lip, then the one above my right eye. The scars I have from running into the truck 11 years ago. Then as quick as I glanced in the mirror I was back in the suburban and Loughlin was dead on the bench behind me. The air left the van. I was left to my guilt and loneliness. Wrinkles to scars to I killed my son in less than 1 minute. PTSD? probably, but it is my life. This is not the life I chose. This is not a life I would choose even for my worst enemies. My family is everything to me.

Lea had a varsity game that we were on our way to. I was already in a mood. Lea didn't get to play. She was heartbroken. She cried. Lea never cries. She cried all the way home. She cried when we got home. She wrapped up in her comforter on her bed and cried. I went in and laid by her and cried with her. I hope it isn't how this year goes. I hope it gets better. Lea is a fantastic baller. She earned a spot on that team. I lived through 4 years of this with True. I am getting too old for the politics of this shit. I am tired. I love my baby girl. How do I sit back and watch another coach break my baby?

I got my new 10mm out and shot it for a while. I need the practice. True's going to come teach me how to be a better shot. I love that gun. Best Birthday present ever.

So many kinds of floods

Yesterday a pipe broke in our basement and we ended up with about 8 inches of water throughout. Water in a basement engulfs everything, every corner, every crevice. If there are dead little creatures lurking behind the water heater or in a bag you haven't opened in 8 years the emerge. It is very revealing.
This flood showed me so many things. It showed me that I haven't been in the basement physically, mentally, but most of all emotionally. A Brachiosaurus was floating in the middle of Giles's room. Who knows where he came from. He once was Loughlin's, then Cyrus's, then True's. Where has he been? Where has all these left over clothes been? 8 years, My God, Where have I been? Where has my life been? Where has Loughlin been? Where are my kids? Where did they go, not physically, but where did my other 5 kids go?

Maya came home from school so upset. The baseball coach is not going to let her take stats this year. I learned she is a girl, and a boy would be better. WTF I guess everything I taught her about having the same rights her whole life was bullshit. I am pissed. Can you tell? She has very few things in her life she loves, baseball is one of them. She can't play it anymore because of her TBI, but at least she could be a part of this team. Did I say I am pissed? Give her a break. She deserves it, for once.

Now the floodgates are open. The tears are falling once again. I am so exhausted. Surgery to the Sale to the Funeral to the Delivering Bulls to a Flooded Basement.

Is this a normal life? I don't remember having chose this life. The sadness is here again. Relief is what I want.

Giles in the Lion's Den, wait throw Maya too.

I am struggling with a decision that Giles, and Harlen, and me unwillingly have made. Giles wants to play football, not because he loves the game, but because it is the thing to do if you are cool in high school. I hate my kids playing football for Nyssa High School. There is no way in hell that the benefits out weigh the drawbacks. 1st and foremost the likelihood of a head injury is great. After dealing with 8 years of the negative results of a head injury with Maya and even Cyrus, I do not want there to even be a chance of this happening to Giles. I worry constantly about this.
The 2nd and most convincing reason is that I have lost my collective mind. The coach is an ass. There is no other way to put it. He berates these young boys. I believe he actually enjoys hurting some of these kids lives, not all, if you are an under privileged boy whom he thinks he can change your life and get credit for it. He is all in, but I guess losing your brother in a horrible car wreck and your family going to hell and back doesn't quite pass the test. He was bad to Loughlin, horrible to Cyrus, and the things he said to True were Nasty and could be criminal.
 I had to go to blue & white night yesterday. I sat in the hot sun listening to this man tell everyone how much he cares for the kids. OMG I can't breath.  I can feel the bile erupt in my throat. I am sick, physically sick. I want to run, throw Maya in the wheelchair, grab Giles and get the hell out of there. I want to get him far away from this self-righteous predator. But that isn't enough for this mom. Maya is asking if she can take stats for the football team. She can't play sports anymore so this is her alternative, not one but two kids will be in the grasp of this POS.  Is this how the parents of ancient times felt when they were asked to sacrifice their kids to the Gods? (I know a little over dramatic, and he is far from a God) but just another mountain to climb, another lesson learned, another parenting skill failed. Jail might be worth it.

Bullying/Abuse 10/28/2015

How do I start this post? I am disheartened. I have had problems with teachers and coaches in the past, my past and my kids' past, but this is WOW!

Last week on the anniversary of Loughlin's death the football coach( I use that word lightly) called True out of weights class to ask him, how many kids on the team liked True. True answered a lot, there my friends. He got in his face and said really how many? True answered, they like me. Then the coach told True not a single kid on the team liked True(not that nice). True is a big kid, 6ft. 3in. but he was crushed. He gave 4 years of his life to this man. He thought there was a mutual respect, even though when now pressed he knows he was an asshole for the whole 4 years.He always treated True poorly.

This the same man who took Loughlin's position away from him because he couldn't go to football camp for a week because we were haying. Loughlin quit soon afterwards, very smart.

This the same man who gave Cyrus a "C" in PE because he said Cyrus forgot his clothes, even though I had packed his bag the entire time and knew it wasn't true. I asked to see the records that he bragged he had and he told me to come by later, but I received a phone call from him saying he had conveniently threw the ledger away. Cyrus was a 4.0 student before this.

So much anger is pinned up inside me. I am not going to publish this until after the State game on Friday. I don't want to bring further angst down on my son. 

As a mom who has lost 2 children it is so hard for me not to hate this man, not to wish something horrible would happen to him, even hire someone to make him feel the way he has made my kids feel. It is sad. True loved football before him, loved! He excelled on every team.

This man also pulled True out of class many times in the last 2 years to push an LDS mission on him, during school hours, on school property. Clearly a violation of the Separation of Church & State.