Stuff Going On

The weather has been cold and everybody's talking about it.

Where are the gardeners we hired back in the fall who said they'd be here in early April? 

Dylan is now 2.5 and is really talking.  He can identify all the letters in the alphabet.  He is completely potty trained except at night when he still wears a diaper.  He is so much more advanced than any of my kids were!

S has started working part time at J's sailing marina.  While he's still in school he works Tuesdays and Thursdays.  Once the semester is finished, he'll be a full time summer dockhand.  He is really maturing.  All that working out with the physical trainer is suddenly paying off.  He is slimmer and he's starting to look muscular.  He even walks better, with better posture.  He has grown a beard and he looks very manly now.  He had a recital with his jazz ensemble on Saturday and he's got another one as part of a trio on 4/29. 

J has his 23rd birthday.  No one could think of anything to get him.  R got him a smart phone.  He still had his own flip phone from years ago.  I started to clean his room for him.  He is an embarrassing slob!  OMG, it is gross!  I told him I was going to clean his room and that he was too old now to ever, ever, ever let it get that bad again.  I am going to work on it some today.

V is only taking one class this semester.  Hopefully though she'll be able to take 2 this summer.  We had a really bad set back.  She needs to validate her degree from Cote D' ivoire.  This, apparently involves paying people to get it to you.  Not like a fee but you have to grease their palms or it just won't happen.  So somehow a friend's family got it for her and sent it to her.  However, R ripped it open to see what is was and then looking at the requirements from the school, saw that the envelope was supposed to remain sealed!!!!  That means we have to start all over again, bribing and waiting months.   We don't realize in the USA how the expectation of no corruption and rule of law is so important to maintaining order.  In other countries where chaos and oppression have been the name of the game, everybody really does just look out for number one, to the detriment of everyone.

B is in a new musical, Bye, Bye, Birdie at a brand new community theatre which is located about 40 minutes from here in good traffic.  It has been a BEAR to get her to rehearsals.  Most of the time I have to get her to a place 30 minutes from here to carpool.  Other times I drive her directly.  It's been a pain.  However, it is will be over by the end of this month and I am glad she's doing it.  She is feeling better.  Her thyroid numbers are finally normal, her iron level is normal and she's finally starting to feel a bit better, though slowly.  But I can tell her mood has lifted considerably and she's got more energy.  She spent two days of her own accord thoroughly cleaning her room.  Then she pitched in, again without being asked, and helped clean the house for Easter.  She also is excited about the show, because she's not only one of the featured dancers but she is helping to choreograph some of the dances.  She is so into this. She regularly is recording herself dancing around the living room and then sending off the recordings to her co-choreographer.  And she's taking over make up for the show.  So she's been studying 50's make up and hair styles, which is so much fun.  I am so happy to see her having fun again.  She hasn't in so long.  I don't think people know how much of a disheartening slog this whole year has been.  It has been rough.  So I think it's been a really good opportunity to get in on the ground level for this new community theater.  And the people all seem super nice.

My birthday is this Friday (the 13th!) and R will be out of town, so I think it is not going to be much of a birthday. 

I can't wait til I stop teaching at the co-op.  I am so over teaching right now!  We've had a long break, two weeks for Easter and then an additional week off because of snow (that barely happened).  It is painful to have to get back into the saddle again for that.  I've got to lesson plan and finish up the Latin curriculum for year one.  And finish up the history and prepare for the final showcase.  Yikes.  I had better work on this today.  Probably this evening.