this is the week that never ends... it just goes on and on my friend...

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood.

Actually. It was a stressful day in that adrenaline-rush-of-a-engaged-in-life kind of way. It's like... I have a job that I love that sometimes includes aggravating responsibilities. We haven't been terribly busy but we've been short handed so I've been still working hard but not really making any cha-ching for the extra work. Job duties... filling in for co-workers... put on your big girl panties and deal with it kind of stuff. And I get flustered and slightly stressed but also sort of charged by the fact that I can do this stuff. It's my thing. Even the "juggling my job and someone else's" thing. And I have some pleasant co-workers too. I think this is the first time I've worked in what could be called a "mature environment". Meaning that we're all late thirties or older. Meaning the dramameter is dialed down.

Last night at church we had Awana commencement. Awana is sort of like Christian boy scouts and girl scouts. It's got a strong focus on scripture memory and that sort of thing. Sarabeth was a great big overachiever... she was like the most accomplished in her age group... and my Jamie-gurl was the top dog in her group too, I think, as much as a four year old can be a top dog. It was sweet to see them. I was drafted/delighted to be asked to help serve at the little ice cream social afterwards. It's surreal to reconcile the vast loneliness of Jacksonville with being part of a real church community here. I will never take that sort of interaction for granted.

I posted pictures on my facebook page from last night... it's really too much trouble to post them here.

Austin has yearbook signing tomorrow at the high school. The ninth graders are in a separate building some miles away from the high school so they will bus them to the high school, which thrills Austin to no end since he gets to potentially hang with his best cousin, Devin. Tomorrow is also Devin's birthday party so Austin has a full day ahead.

I thought we had dodged the behavior bullet with Austin this school year but Austin managed to get himself in a fight the other day. One of the young ladies at church last night told me her friend had pictures of it on his cellphone. Lovely. The good news is that Austin didn't get in trouble. The bad news is that he got his tail handed to him. That'll teach him to mess with these big ole country boys, won't it? Actually... the Austin version and the version that this young lady shared are (surprise) quite different. And knowing Austin... I can sort of guess what side the truth lies on. I didn't do anything to him in the way of punishment... I think the butt-kickin' was punishment enough.

I am a little worried about Austin at the high school tomorrow... but there's nothing I can do to protect him. He wants to do the whole yearbook thing and because the poor kid has attended six different schools between 5th grade and 9th grade, I really want him to feel the same sense of belonging that I feel here. Yearbooks are stupidly expensive but I dug up the money for him to get one. Heaven knows that if I didn't have my yearbook from high school I wouldn't be able to figure out how I know half of my facebook friends. So he's getting a yearbook and he's going to the yearbook signing at the high school and hopefully he'll conduct himself appropriately... and if he doesn't, he'll face consequences bigger than mine.

This was the talk I had with him after the fight... "I can't get you out of trouble". There are consequences to the things you do. The older you get, the bigger the consequences. If someone is treating you unkindly, you have to find a way to deal with it that doesn't involve breaking the law. Physical violence is against the law. Blah blah blah. Who knows if any of it sunk in. Sometimes kids have to figure things out for themselves. I guess if there's any benefit to the "been there done that" of him being the third child... it's knowing that there are some lessons that words don't teach.

I really want to see the season finale of Grey's Anatomy and I'm sooo sleepy! This week has kicked my butt! I'm hoping I can stay awake for it. That... and there's a news special with Evander Holyfield on the late night news. One of the teasers they've been giving is, "Do you think that some of those women you were with got pregnant on purpose?". Ok. Let me dissect that statement... 1. Yes. There are gold diggers in the world. Kanye West did not invent the concept. 2. Any man with a dozen kids by a half dozen women has most likely come across a gold digger or two. 3. Here's a clue Evander: marry one woman, stay faithful to her and you never have to worry about gold diggers.

(spoken like a woman scorned, right?)

I've been trying to eat healthy this week... but didn't do a great job today. I really need to go to the grocery store. The list that Austin and I made last Saturday morning is still on the kitchen table. Tomorrow. I promise. Or maybe Saturday. I am definitely not working this Saturday. I just can't. I need a nest day. Or... a grocery shopping day. I made a quick Walmart run today for the essentials: leave in conditioner and advil. We can run out of milk but running out of conditioner would be a crisis!

At any rate... I'm sure loving my new laptop! I've missed this soooo much! And to have a laptop without the crazy positional power cord is even better! I had been having computer issues since the week after Christmas. This is like cyber shangrila. Or something like that.

I'm watching the first season of Friends... going to turn my attention back to that. Have a great evening! Love and hugs, y'all!