Heading back to normal

Chadwick headed home today. I take Alex back to school tomorrow. Overall, we had a good week with them. There was some drama, but that's to be expected with teens and young adults. The downside is that I haven't written anything in about a week and a half, and it's getting to me. I'm going back through How To Think Sideways lessons to make sure I'm on track with 'Still Gracie Mac' and might get some words in tonight. I might look at the parts I have to rewrite. I need to flesh out my goals for the book so I can get back to work Monday morning. Tomorrow is already shot; I'll be on the road all day. Half of the trip I'll be alone, though, so if I can refresh the story in my head, I can use the drive home to ruminate. I'm SO ready to get back to work.

Eric and I indulged in a little retail therapy this afternoon. Alex needed two flat queen sheets to take back to school for his fraternity initiation. The guy he talked to didn't say why he needed them, and I'm not sure I really want to know, but I suspect togas will be involved. We also went to the bookstore, where I picked up some history books for research. I'd intended to use my e-reader for that, but I couldn't get all the books I wanted. I found some good stuff anyway, and I got a little fix.

Now for another fix--back to Think Sideways and a little plot doctoring.

Not quiet, but that's OK

I stayed up way past my bedtime Friday night, waiting for Chadwick and Alex to get here. By 7:00 in the evening, I had people converging on my house that I hadn't seen in months. They all live nearby, but evidently I'm chopped liver. That's OK, they were almost as excited about seeing Alex and Chadwick as I was.



They got here about 11:30, and Alex's very first priority was food. He didn't miss me, per se; he missed my cooking.



He was, however, more than happy to interrupt his midnight snack for a surprise visit from The Girlfriend.


Needless to say, we haven't seen much of Alex this weekend, which is more or less what I expected. When he was little, I didn't think this time of his life would actually come, and when he was an adolescent, I was pretty sure he wouldn't live this long. Now he's moving into having his own life and surprisingly, I'm good with that. Of course, I'm steadfastly not thinking about the first Thanksgiving we'll have without him. For now, I'm thankful to have loved ones safely under my roof, and I plan to feed them for all they're worth!

Happy Thanksgiving, y'all.

Almost ready

It's been an interesting week. Vicky started her junior year yesterday, and Alex got up early to take pictures of her. She was a good sport and even smiled in the first ones, but a girl only has so much patience at 7:00 in the morning. Luckily for us all, he didn't follow her the half block to the bus stop!

She thought she was getting a shot at revenge last night when Alex started packing for college. Too bad he wanted pictures to send to his girlfriend. ;-)

There wasn't a whole lot I could do to help, but I did what I could--me and my friend, Mr. Pinot Grigio.


Today is more packing and cleaning, saying goodbye to friends. Bright and early tomorrow morning, the Adventure really begins.

19 years ago right now...

I was walking in the mall because it was the coolest place I could think of, breathing through occasional contractions, not knowing that they would become regular in about three hours, and that the next morning my life would change forever. Even in the early stages of labor I didn't fully realize the enormity of the responsibility I was about to undertake. I didn't know that between one heartbeat and the next I would learn that I'd never really known what all-consuming love was before. I didn't know that I would be surprised by the ferocity and tenderness of it. I knew that I would have sleepless nights and that the first few months would be difficult, but I had no idea how difficult they would be. My biggest fear was the pain I was facing. I didn't know that fear would hang around, lurking in the shadows, for years to come, and that I would have to face down the fear and replace it with faith.

The sweet boy I was getting ready to birth will be heading off to college in less than a month. In the last year I've had frequent glimpses of the man he's becoming, and I'm pleased with how he's turning out in spite of my mistakes. I know I'm going to miss him when he goes, and there will be a certain amount of worry involved. I was 19 once, too, and I know what kids can get into once they don't have parents to go home to. Based on what I've seen this summer, though, I think it's going to be all right.

Happy birthday, Alex! Fly! Be free!!!!

One down

One down, one to go. I love how the tassel is pointing to his mouth. :-)

Yes, I am one proud mama.

The games are beginning

Now that we know where Alex will be going to school we've begun to think more seriously about how to pay for it. Tomorrow we'll make the trek back to Western so he can interview for an ROTC scholarship. If he gets it, about half of his expenses will be paid all four years and he'll have an Army service commitment when he graduates. He's fine with that. I'm steadfastly not thinking that far ahead. It's better for all of us if I stick my fingers in my ears and sing, "La la la!"

The other game is that we're getting ready for a rendezvous in Georgia in a couple of weeks. I'm sewing like crazy to make sure Eric has warm clothing (thus ensuring that it will be 85* the whole week) and sorting the gear we need to pack. I'm cautiously looking forward to it. Yes, cautiously. I've had enough plans fall through over the years that I'll believe we're actually going when we hit the road!

final decision?

Sorry about the dead air. It's been busy around here, what with getting ready for our annual Valentines dinner at work and visiting the remaining college. Yesterday we went to Western IL University, and it looks like that's the pick. Now we get to figure out how to pay for it. That'll be fun. I thought I'd be more excited that he's finally made a decision, but I'm not sure it's hit me yet. I am relieved to have the visits over with for now.

Seems like there was something else I was going to mention but it's slipped my mind. I'm pretty brain fried today. Yesterday was exhausting and I slept a good part of today away. Of course, that upset my eating schedule and everything else. It's raining and dreary here, which isn't helping. If I didn't know better I'd say I have a bear somewhere in my ancestry. I always want to sleep February away. Honestly, I could hibernate from the end of Christmas until spring without too many regrets. Too bad it doesn't work that way.

OK, so I guess it's time to get a snack and maybe get something accomplished today.

Happy Birthday and other stuff

My baby is Sweet 16 today. She'll appreciate my calling her that in front of the whole world, but she knows it could be much, much worse! It will be, too, because Grandpa is coming this weekend and his favorite hobby is picking on Vicky. He only picks on those he loves, but there's a reason his nickname is Spoon (always stirring the pot).

I think I'm all ready for Christmas except for figuring out where I put the stockings last year. They're in a safe place. Somewhere. I know they're not in the van with the 54 lbs. of stuff going to Goodwill on my way to work, so that's something at least.

The weather here has been particularly bizarre. It's starting to remind me of Michigan. On Monday schools were closed because the roads were iced over. Tuesday it thawed just enough that the icy patches had a little water on top, making them even more slippery. Wednesday the roads finally thawed and dried. Yesterday evening it rained and I almost took a header in the parking lot leaving work at 9:30 because the puddles were slushy. Today it's 50* and we have a wind advisory this morning. Of course it's trash day, so my neighbor's beer cans are blowing into my yard. Why they can't put them in bags is beyond me.

So that's pretty much it here. I need to vacuum and straighten the downstairs a little more before I go to work but I'm in better shape than I thought I was.

500

This is my 500th blog post! Woo hoo! It hardly seems possible. We were getting ready to leave Italy when I started this, which seems like a lifetime ago.

In honor of the occasion, please feel free to leave me a comment with any new features you'd like to see or to tell me what I'm doing that you want me to quit right now.

The Boys will be here soon. They arrive tonight and tomorrow, and will be here all week, so I may be scarce. Actually, I may be scarce for the better part of the next month. Five days after the boys leave, I'll be heading east to the rendezvous. I'm actually going to help set up this year; usually I get there too late to set up. I'm pretty sure Dad will be glad for the extra hands, but he might also be thinking it's easier to do it himself! No matter--I'll be there because I need to learn how to put the tent up. I'm pretty sure it's a little more involved than taking it down, only backwards.

I hope to have some pictures to post soon. The kids decided it would be fun to push the limits in personal grooming. Vicky has dyed her hair blue, and Alex has a mohawk with a bleached stripe. Now you really want to see pictures, right? I'll be taking some to tuck away to show their children someday. I had a nosy little punk young man ask me yesterday why I allowed my daughter to dye her hair blue, and I told him it was a battle I chose not to fight. Thinking about it now, I'm wondering why I felt like a kid who was 12 or 13 and couldn't put a ball cap on straight deserved an answer. I guess I'm just nice that way.

I finished the Rogue Pawn read-through the other day, fixed some stuff, and hope to send some manuscripts home with the Boys this week. I still haven't gotten any of the Sword and Scabbard manuscripts back from beta readers. Hopefully soon.

That's about all the news that's fit to print.

One down, one to go

Alex got his drivers license today. I'm free of driving hours until next year when Vicky starts drivers ed.

How did he get old enough to drive?

TSO!

If I was a trust fund baby with no responsibility, I would be a TSO groupie! I waited six weeks for yesterday. It was like being ten and anticipating Christmas again, and Trans-Siberian Orchestra was worth the wait. After seeing them last year, Eric and I knew we had to take the kids this year. They didn't open with Wizards In Winter this time; they didn't play that one until the second half. The show was fantastic, though, and Alex spent two and a half hours alternating between laughing and saying things like, "No way!" and "How????" and taking his jaw out of his lap. Part-way through the first song, I pointed out key members to him. Al Pitrelli was center stage, Angus Clark at the far end, and Jane Mangini, Al's wife, on the keyboard with her back to us, and he nodded politely and added, "And Al Pitrelli is playing a Les Paul." I thought he would come out of his seat when Angus left the stage briefly and reappeared with a King V, which he obligingly came to play on the platform nearest us. I think his reactions made the show more fun for me! Of course, he identified every guitar on the stage; to me they're all guitars. Then again, to me, a Lamborghini is just a car! What do I know? (At least I can identify a dangling participle.)

One of the things I noticed last year, and that Alex identified on his own this year, was that everyone on stage looked like they were having the best time. By yesterday, they were on their eighth show in five days, but they acted like there was no other place they would want to be. I can't even imagine that schedule!

We decided last night to add a TSO line item to our budget. Frankly, by the time you get tickets, T-shirts, and dinner, it's an expensive family outing, but they (the band and the kids) are worth every penny. We won't have too many family Christmases left. In five years, Alex could be on active duty and may not be able to be home. Making TSO concerts part of our family tradition is one way we can bridge the miles between us when we can't be together.

Yikes.

Last night was Vicky's first Homecoming Dance. She's been pretty low-maintenance about it; she only decided to go a little over a week ago when she discovered that her homeschooled boyfriend could go. It wasn't quite as simple as if she was going with someone from school; The Boyfriend had to provide a photocopy of a photo ID, and there was paperwork to be filled out. Welcome to school, post 9-11, I guess.

I think I've mentioned here that Vicky looks like me. She looks so much like me that when she was little she called herself my clone. People get our names mixed up. Every now and again, though, I look at her and it scares me how much she looks like me. I was drying her hair for her and looking at the back of her head slammed the realization into my chest; she's even got my cowlicks. There's no way I can deny that kid.

Anyway, I remembered to take pictures. Here's Vicky and The Boyfriend (pointedly NOT holding hands),
















And Alex, Vicky, and The Boyfriend. I know, Alex looks a little like a body guard.



They grow up way too fast.

“When I get a little money I buy books; and if any is left I buy food and clothes.”

If I believed in reincarnation, I'd say Erasmus is alive and well and living in my house.

Last year, we started giving our kids a chunk of change twice a month and turned over responsibility for buying clothing and other necessities. We showed them how to make a budget and suggested line items for clothing, saving, church, and fun, but we let them make their own. Alex's budget is fun heavy. That's one reason he gets Kohls and JC Penney gift cards for his birthday and Christmas. Putting money aside is sporadic unless he wants something big, like now. He's gone into tightwad mode to buy a new guitar.

We were in the car the other evening, and he asked me how I had two children who handled money so differently. He's a spender; Vicky's a saver. I told him that his parents were the same way--one spender and one saver--but we've rubbed off on each other over the years.

He did find *his* guitar on-line, and they offer a payment plan. He asked me if he could do it, and I said no. I was about to tell him he is not going into debt while he lives in my house, but he asked if it's because he's a minor, so I just said yes! It's a close enough answer!

Speaking of on-line, I found hiking boots, and L. L. Bean does 2 day shipping. They should be here (hopefully) Friday. No luck on summer dresses, but I'll take what I can get.

Next generation

I was making Chocolate Cinnamon Flan the other night when Vicky came into the kitchen, snagged a bar stool, and plunked down beside the coffee maker. "I'm stuck." I know, it invites all sorts of smart come-backs when your 14-year-old says that. I was nice.

As it turns out, she was at a plot cross-road: Kill the bad guys, or don't kill the bad guys? She's been working on and off for months on what I guess is urban science fiction. I don't know all the details, only that she's watched X-Men and read Palladium gaming books for reference. It's something about bio-engineered mutants with wings. It's been a good summer project for her, and she's now lobbying for a laptop. Boy, does that sound familiar!

I wrote short stories and the world's worst poetry in grade school. I got away from it in my teens and didn't rediscover my love for writing until I was 27 and a senior in college. I'm glad to see that my late-bloomer is taking an interest in writing, but it's not because I'm a writer. In writing her story, she has to know the mechanics of writing a proper sentence and paragraph, it will help with spelling and research skills, and most importantly, it will make her think through things. I talked her through her cross-road, offered suggestions, and reminded her that her job as a writer is to put her characters in the worst possible position and make them get out of it. I don't know what she decided to do, but yesterday I was preparing some tomatoes for the dehydrator, and she came in giggling about how she's "so evil"! Apparently her characters are just about at rock bottom.

As a parent, we learn things from our kids. The writing bug is contagious, and we seem to be infecting each other!