Spa Day in Arkansas

Well, the girls are gone and life is getting back to normal here, or what has become normal for me. Having them here was everything I expected it would be, wonderful, stressful, expensive, hectic, frustrating, and fun. Most of all, it was a chance for my girls to get to know me, the real me. The person that I used to be before I got married, the person that I am becoming again. It was an experience for all of us, and not always easy but we got through it and I think they're beginning to see their Mother as a real person instead of just the person who yelled at them and did the cooking and laundry... They may not always like it that I have a life of my own and my own agenda but they're getting used to it, I think, and I hope that they can love me anyway.

Jessie and Cameron (her boyfriend from Alaska) were here for five weeks and left on June 26, Katie wasn't quite ready to go home and we extended her ticket and she got to stay for an extra 14 days flying back with Becca who went up to visit her Dad for a while. The extra time with Katie was terrific, very relaxed and fun for both of us. She doesn't have any girlfriends in Alaska, and although she loves it there she really missed her group of friends her in Ark and had lots of fun hanging out with them. She has a wonderful group of friends here, really great girls, and while they have the usual amount of "teen drama" they are really sweet beautiful girls and I love having them hang around the house. Seems I've missed them too.

Anyway, the moral of the story is that while they were here we did a lot of fun stuff. Just hanging out at the pool with some teen aged girls was fun for me, but I am not at all particular so I think it was all fun...We went to a really cool cave, (I might blog about that later), spent time with Momo in Bartlesville, and Dad and Ellen in Tulsa. It got really hot and humid here and they were DYING of heat stroke, especially Cameron who had only been out of Alaska once before but they bucked up and did the yard work for me and sweated it out... One of the more interesting things we did was have a "spa day".

Now in most places that means a massage, facial, maybe a mani-pedi. Perhaps a visit to the hair salon etc.. But we're in Arkansas so going to the spa has a slightly different meaning. We spent a day hanging out with my tattoo and piercing specialist, Burg. Burg hasn't done all of my tattoos but he has done or touched up all of the ink that I have on my body so I would have to say that he is responsible for all of my tattoos. Seeing as how my kids are older now, Kyle is almost 19 and Jess will be 17 at the end of the month, I can give advice and help to keep them safe but they get to make most of their own choices in life at this point. One of Kyles "big decisions" was to get a tattoo. I made him wait until he was 18 to do so and legally able to get one without my permission. I was 21 when I got my first and have now had 8. Kyles dad has a similar amount so It's hard to come up with a convincing reason why he can't get one. I'm not really into piercing but Jess is and her Dad already let her get one on her lip so I couldn't come up with a ason why she couldn't get one more on her ear. Kelly has one in the same spot so who was I to pass judgement? Anyway, I trust Burg and he always does a good job for me so I knew he'd take care of my kids, he even did one for Mom several months ago..


Tattoo Artist Steven Burg. He has the most beautiful long white hair (plus he has a small crush on me so I trust him to take good care of my loved ones...)

Jessie getting ready to have her ear pierced. This was her 17th birthday present from me.

Burg was gentle with her, this piercing requires a very large gauge curved needle...

When put the needle went through her ear she let out a few expletives, but she is such a tough chick, she tends to laugh at pain, sort of like her mother....The cork keeps the business end of the needle covered until the earring can be attached from the other side.

As per Usual, Jessie was back to her normal self seconds after the piercing and now has a purple ring in her ear to match the streak in her hair...

Kyle wanted a fishing hook on his upper left arm. It took some searching to find the right tattoo for him but he did his due diligence and ended up with a design that he was happy with even though it had to be altered some to suit him.

He looked so bored through the whole process...I think he was expecting some pain but it doesn't hurt that much and the place on his arm where it was done doesn't hurt at all. I've had two there and I fell asleep during both of them..

This pic is a little blurry but that's Kyle's new tattoo, and his graduation gift from his mother.

I got a new tattoo as well but I don't have pics of it yet so you will all have to come see me and see it in person. I have sent so much business his way that Burg did mine for free. It's part of a really large piece that I have envisioned as the final product.

So that was our Arkansas "Spa Day". Anyone who can't make it to NYC to have Michael Bellamy do their work can always some here and have Burg take care of them. It was a fun, sort of adult activity that I got to share with my kids. Just a part of our first summer as divorced people....And how you have a Spa day in Arkansas....