they're finally back to work/school!

     Life around here has been hectic.  Little Man and B were both home sick Monday and Tuesday.  B had an ear infection with it in his throat too and he was starting with the bronchitis cough.  LM had an absolutely horrid case of bronchitis. They were both seriously ill.   Thankfully, after 5 hours spent Monday at the Dr. and pharmacy and a couple of days of antibiotics they're back to their normal jerky bratty healthy selves.  LM back at work today.  He's got to go to one town (1 1/2 hrs away) then drive to another town (over an hr away from the first one), pick up a truck and then deliver it to the metroplex (over 2 1/2 hrs from town 2).  He's going to spend the whole day riding in a truck and getting paid $10/hour for it.  B went back to school today.  Toni's mom and step-dad are divorcing and in typical small town fashion, everyone knows about it and everyone wants to talk to her about it.  She's upset.  Understandably so as she and mom had to move (closer to us and still in the same school district but still...).  So, Toni has been spending a lot of time here with B while mom is at work.  This is all fine with me.  They are very sweet together and they have a vow of no .... well, none of that stuff.  


     In other news, LM and Jo ended their very short relationship.  I think it was less than 2 weeks that they actually "dated" or were "in a relationship".  Jo spent a lot of time here both before they were actually "dating" and then while they were.  Now, Jo is a nice girl.  She was respectful.  She is not however - clean.  We found things like dirty diapers (from her 1 year old) under LM's bed.  I also spent too much time cleaning up after her child when the baby was here.  She doesn't feed the baby - she just puts it all on the baby's tray and puts too much food down at once.  It's too many things for the baby to choose from and she ends up throwing a bunch of food.  This was irritating - in a large way.  So, were the 1/2 empty Dr. Pepper cans in the fridge (going flat) and the glasses left lying around my house.  Yes, I am anal.  I don't have a lot of nice stuff.  Most of what  I have I have been given.  But, I do have a few antiques that came from either bio-mom or my parents.  A rocking chair that my grandparents rocked my dad in that my dad rocked me in and we have rocked my children in. A dry sink that stores the china that my bio-mom gave me.  China that we've never used but was her mothers.  An old roll top desk that was my bio-mom's dads.  And an original ethan allen that came to me from my parents.  I get really irritated when people put drinks on any of these things. 


   In other news, I was asked to write a couple of articles about youth sports and parental involvement.  Will these articles ever see the light of day as in actually being published?  I don't know.  I know it was an honor to be asked!  I spent 7 years volunteering for the baseball board for a very large baseball association in the metroplex.  We enrolled about 700 kids in spring and about 500 in the fall ages 3-18.  I had 4 boys playing and they sponsored the boys in return for my time.  I met a lot of people and have seen everything from overly involved parents trying to relive their childhoods thru their kids, to great parents who were supportive and donated time and money to the kids, to parents who thought that sports were merely an unpaid babysitter.  I've seen parents who were nothing but supportive and parents who were horrid to the kids.  I've seen parents corner an umpire (15 year old kid umpiring a game of 7-8 year olds) and threaten the umpire over a call.  I stepped in on that one and had some dad's (and a mom) most unhappy with me.  I had some great experiences with my boys with them in sports.  I miss it and sure hope that B gets to play ball this year with the high school.  


     Well, Jim is bringing his truck over today.  Ice Cube is off work.  We're going to get some firewood together and stacked so that I have wood for the fireplace for this winter.  Y'all have a great day!