I’m sitting here in my office at the computer after having watched …………. oh………… HOURS of youtube videos as part of some research I’m doing. I need to write a presentation based on the videos I’ve watched and the articles I’ve read in addition to the actual content I need to present. So, naturally, I’m posting here on Xanga instead of doing that work. I have only a few days to write, edit, polish and finally present this. This seems like a good use of my time.

On a totally unrelated topic, parenthood has been a challenge lately. Child number one had a friend at school go missing and then have his body found this week. She is coping but honestly struggling with the idea that a 17 year old boy could go missing and then be found dead. Too many details missing, so she is just having a hard time. Helping her learn how to grieve the loss of a friend, resist the urge to partake in the gossip that surrounds the lack of details and to continue to live each day as it comes is not as easy as you might think.

Child number two was sick and stayed home from school one day this week. While she was absent, someone at her school vandalized a high pressure water pipe in the boys bathroom thus resulting in a flood in the hallways and classrooms where she would have been. The damage was fairly significant. They are having to re-tile the floors and put in new walls up to about a foot high off the floor. Meanwhile all the classes in that hall have been displaced. Some meet in the library or computer lab and some have had to meet outside on the field till they can be in the rooms again. It has been good that the weather has been nice enough to meet outside. Hopefully it will be good enough to use the classrooms by Monday. Parenting against joining that gossip as well as teaching property values as well and no being a vandal has been what we are teaching this child. Yeah.. parenting! WOW!!!

Child number 3 (that I have never mention because he is newish to the family by way of moving in (with my in-laws) to escape a bad home life) has encountered discipline. He is not a fan and has let us know he doesn’t want to be disciplined. Um…. if we are going to act in every way as his parents, that WILL include discipline for poor behavior whether he likes it or not. Love is always kind, but not always pleasant. That is a foreign concept to him, so we are trying to teach and model that love is love even when it means you get in trouble for something.

Also, I got socks in the mail from a friend of mine. I was a happy camper. I now have holiday socks for all holidays (except Thanksgiving unless I count the generic pumpkin ones as Thanksgiving) and most every season. How fun is that? I might wear my 3 pairs of Halloween socks this week. Actually, I have on a pair right now. YAY for fun socks!!!

Have a super happy day!