No Nightmares here

I took James to see the new "Nightmare on Elm Street" last night. Note to parents of tweens-there's no nudity, a few scenes with the "F" word, and a few scenes of extreme gore. It was okay. Well, no it wasn't because I am not much of a blood and gore horror movie fan. Give me old Dracula movies with Bella Lugosi any day. That said, what never ceases to amaze me is how often people talk, OUT LOUD, during a movie. I rarely make a comment but it is frustrating to sit next to someone who is chatting with their friends and TEXTING on their little brightened screen that keeps pulling my attention from the movie. Yes, I am one of "those people" who wishes you would talk with your friends before/after the movie and not make me an unwitting participant in what "Joe told Kelly yesterday..." That's not to say that I mind someone saying,"Don't give her the shot! Then she'll fall asleep and be dead!" I don't mind that at all. It's someone talking to the movie, about the movie...and it's actually pretty funny, most of the time.

James swore he wasn't going to fall asleep, then fell promptly to sleep on the car ride home. Those of you who know James well know how much fun I had dragging my little sleep walkin', sleep talkin' (er yelling) man into the house.

Today, I am being rather lazy. We are down to staples for groceries and I think we'll stay that way til at least Monday. I am trying to get a bit of ChaCha guiding in. Except one can only handle the word "Wat" (should have been what) so many times.

It is hot here in Texas World, which could mean a dip in the pool later on. If I remember where I put my swimsuit.

It's...um...April, that's right April!

And that has been the toughest adjustment, in some ways, to life in Texas. Being smack dab in the middle of April and thinking it is June. I took James to a Houston Astros game on Friday night (they do fireworks and we love them!) and, sitting there in the warm breeze, it felt so much like a balmy, perfect June evening...in Michigan. I am not complaining. It just messes with one's sense of time, when one has had issues with that her whole life anyway.

James and I played football in the yard tonight. Well, we played catch and he ran routes that he made up and gave to me. Yes, my young son has been sucked into the massive machine that is the Texas youth football program. It is daunting, and yet seeing the sparkle in his eyes is a good thing. When I'm not obsessing over the types of injuries that can be had on the field. I love, LOVE watching football. I am not so sure that I will love, LOVE watching my son play. We'll see. For now, it's fun to toss the football back and forth and, every once in a while, get a "Hey, that was an awesome throw, Mom!" in return for my efforts. He is fun. He makes things fun.

My mom and grandma are coming down for a few weeks in the middle of May. I am really happy they are coming down, and yet sad because my dad was planning on coming down at the end of May. I cannot have everything and dealing will have to be done I guess. I am hoping Grandma is cheerful and a good time is had. I have been stressing myself with worry-financial what ifs and the like. Living in the moment is not a strong point of mine and some days I just wish for either A. do the things you planned on getting done or B. don't get them done but don't beat yourself up over it. I'll let you know how that goes.

A mushy post about my son

I am sitting here, at the breakfast bar, looking at my son's to do list. No, I didn't assign him chores. He assigned them himself.

In lopsided printing it goes something like this (words in parenthesis are my additions):

My Chores

1. Straighten ("Mom, how do you spell straighten?) room every day.
2. Clean/scrub my bathroom once a week.
3. Mow lawn and do outside work once a week.

Both Things (meaning both of us)

Go through boxes (hey, don't judge...it's only been a year and 4 months!)

Mom's things

Everything else there is to do.

---------------------------------------

I am honored to have this child in my life. While it is a struggle to (almost have to) force him to be a little boy, the things he does around the house to help out are amazing. I never have to worry about what a guest might find in that bathroom. I know where all of his laundry is on laundry day. These are the best parts of his daddy that I am watching come through in his son. Leonard would be so proud. Now if I could only get him to let go of the uber responsibility streak (the worst part of his daddy) I would be a happy girl.

Nicole (it is so difficult to speak of her without missing her) is going back for a second year at "the Point" as a ride host. "The Point" is Cedar Point for those who do not live in or near the Great Lakes area. While I wish she would go back to school...she is happy.

I wind this up with a shout out to my friend Rach, who is a new mommy, again, to a beautiful baby girl. Welcome to the world Eleanor. You could not have been born into a more wonderful family.

Patty

Patty just came down for a visit. She is my best friend, almost sister, and Jimminy Cricket. We met when our daughters were both involved in Destination Imagination and she was their coach. I met her once, picking up Nicole, and then noticed that we kept running into each other at the same stores...buying the same things. Our daughters became fast friends, and so too did we. It took many months, but I finally was able to convince Leonard to meet them. He and Luke, her husband, were soon inseparable Star Trek/Computer/Card Geeks. We liked to call them the Moron twins. He is the one who found my husband. Because I asked him to.

Our daughters have grown and their friendship has waned. Patty is still the sister I always wanted but my parents never agreed to. She is the peas to my carrots...even though I hate peas. We think alike on most things, and disagree on a few. We can argue and still hug each other when the leaving time comes.

I still have her cup on the counter where she left it on the morning they departed.
It is hard to say goodbye again, and yet, in some ways, it is hard to see them too. When they are here there are the 3 of us adults. And someone is always missing. But I would not trade visits from them for the world. I am lucky that they will make the trek down here when so many in my own family find it too much, too long... too sad... too. They are the neutral ground that I chose to stay at when I go up to Michigan. This way, no feelings are hurt with family for I am staying with framily instead. I can't wait for July.

Sometimes

Sometimes you have to call an old friend even if you're still mad at her.
Sometimes you have to do the same with your mother.
Sometimes you are going to be the only person on earth who really understands your daughter.
Sometimes it is the same with your son.
Sometimes you have to cry, and rant, and then scream, with the shower running so as not to scare your son.
Sometimes you have to laugh, and laugh, and then cry from laughter with that son.
Sometimes you will think that life isn't fair.
Sometimes you will realize that you were really lucky.
Sometimes tomorrow seems insurmountable, while today seems like it didn't get here yet.
Sometimes you will hate the mere act of throwing back a blanket on the couch and declaring nap over, and
Sometimes you won't know what to do once that blanket's gone.
Sometimes you will.
Sometimes.

Dancing with the Stars...and Feeling like a Fatty.

Is it just me or does everyone want to get up and swirl around the room while watching this show? Is it just me or is everyone hoping that Kate G (is for however you spell her last name, and I don't want to add to Google hits anyway) will not advance very far? And Buzz Aldren...can we please let him win because...well, just because.

Anyway, I love this show. Even though it always makes me feel fat and inadequate and incapable of swirling around a dance floor.

Which brings me to a memory/story. Leonard had a boss who loved to dance to big band music. This man was 75, had emphysema, and still would foxtrot around the dance floor with his wife like a kid. He was more of a mentor/father he never had to my husband. When Leonard and I got married, he told him that he would foot the bill because more young people needed to learn how to dance properly. After a few years, we did. Sign up that is. And we were the only couple who signed up because dancing wasn't "in" at the adult ed center. We were told that couples were taking cooking classes, not dancing, and would we like to switch. Who wants to go learn how to cook, after cooking dinner for a family of four?

We set it aside. Enter "Dancing With the Stars" Leonard and I only watched the first season, but, midway through, we decided that maybe this would jump start the dance classes in Adult Ed. We were on a wait list for 2.5 years and never did take those classes.

So I didn't send out the Christmas Cards...

...I basically breathed myself through the holidays and the weeks that came after. I think it has been so horrid of late because Texas is a bit more cold and miserable than it normally is at this time of year. I don't do well with clouds and doom.
My dad's been here for 3 weeks. We send him off back to Michigan tomorrow but I'm going to make like Katie Scarlett and think about that tomorrow.