Thursday

Almost to the end of another week!...sun is shining today, soaking into my soul - or something like that. Actually, what it is doing is creating a big mud hole of a backyard, which the boys track in bit by bit every time they come in. This morning, at 8 am Will gleefully commented, "It's so warm I can go outside in a t-shirt, Mom!" It was about 33 degrees at that point.

I have a city council meeting tonight which means date night afterwards. We had thought about cancelling it since we are going on a BIG date in a couple of weeks but when I woke up today I knew I wasn't going to feel like cooking this afternoon - not that that is an unusual occurrence!

I got quite a bit of school done with the boys. It's amazing how much I can accomplish when I don't have to go anywhere during that day. Paul was home by 3:30 - hours are definitely getting tighter right now! But we have a little cushion in savings. I remember last year at this times some paychecks were only about $600 for two weeks, and yet we somehow managed. Paul's concern is the economy - that there will be less work because people will be reluctant to have things done on their furnaces and air conditioners because of uncertain times. God is in control...God is in control...God is in control...

Will was giving me grief earlier about my spending because I bought a new love seat cushion yesterday and spent $60 which he thought was ridiculous. Well, I do, too - how much can it cost to produce foam? But, as Paul said, it's got to be cheaper than replacing the whole love seat. And those existing cushions are so thin now you can practically feel the springs poking you. Also, I'm bidding on an ebay item for my hair (the bane of my existence and subject of a future blog). Will said, "Mom, you know we need to buy a new van and a house and you think you can spend this money?" Kid has a point. But I have it under control and I really don't need this from a 14 year old. It's all budgeted! I think I liked him better when he was ignorant about things.

I connected yesterday with a local, Christian mom who has a son with autism. Our pastor had called her pastor and that's how we got the name. Anyway, I'm hopeful we will be able to meet soon and I can pick her brain about a couple of different things in relation to this. She mentioned a local dr. that I am really, really interested in meeting. I never realize just how isolated I am with Ben - mentally, anyway - until I meet somebody who is dealing with the same thing. At this very moment Ben is bouncing from room to room, trying to watch a forbidden game show on tv, and pretending he's on an overhead store speaker (recording his voice making announcements into a tape recorder and then playing them back super-loud). He's also obsessing over the fact that Paul might go to the city council meeting with me which means he could then watch "Wheel of Fortune" tonight. Normally he only gets to do that on Tues. and Sat. nights, unless there is no adult in the house. Then, he can watch it in order to give Will a break, who is watching him. So, therefore, Ben connives to create situations that will get both Paul and I out of the house at 6:30! Sigh....

Oh, Sam fell down the steps last night at church - twice! It just cracked me up the second time. Paul has this thing about the kids falling - panics him, I think. He doesn't seem to mind them doing other dangerous things, like using shotguns or climbing on roofs, but steps get to him. It doesn't worry me quite as much. We were early to church because Will likes to get there for youth group games and we were sitting on the couch in the foyer and Sam toddled over to the steps and lost his balance and fell down to the first landing - about 4 steps. He got a goose - egg on his forehead. I picked him, we fussed over him, and then he scrambled down off of us - straight for the steps again. He turned around to look at us - and fell down the same flight of steps!

I just remembered that I made a cheesecake the other day and stuck it in the fridge. I hear it calling my name...