Ch-ch-ch-changes

Changes are in the air, along with Spring - FINALLY! We're seeing warmer weather, so I can pull out my cute, summery shoes for work. Which reminds me, I need to schedule my first-ever pedicure. Gotta get some smoother feets and painted tootsies.

Anyway, changes.... We're looking at lots of things being different in the future at the Snark household. SB is leaving elementary school and going on to middle school. Concerns have been expressed about his ability to cope there and lots of meetings have ensued with psychologists, counselors, teachers, principals and parents. We're trying to come up with a game plan to get him started on the right foot, and we'll adjust it as needs be after that. I'm just hoping that the staff at the middle school is as wonderful as the elementary school staff we're working with now, because, just.... WOW. These are some caring individuals, who want the best for SB, and are working with us to see that that happens for him.

SG is finishing up her first year at a local community college. She had a wake-up call with her first semester, and thankfully learned and turned it around for the better with her second semester. She's taken a staff position with a church-based summer project and will be leaving us for two months this summer. It will be strange in our household, especially for me, as she's often my cohort in running around accomplishing my varied and sundry trips, shopping and such. Before she leaves, however, she's going to be watching my oldest's two children as she starts a new job herself! Of course, there'll be lots of shopping to gather the things she'll need for her summer job. And maybe she can get her fall semester of college planned and scheduled before she leaves. It'll be here before we all know it!

I mentioned my oldest above. She's amazing, as are all my kids (yes, I'm kinda prejudiced that way - aren't all moms??). She went straight from high school to motherhood and marriage, with 2 children almost back to back. And her husband has been deployed twice, already. So she's done a LOT of it on her own, too. Now, she's looking forward to doing something for her - getting out into the big, bad world of working - and trying it in a field that not a lot of women get into - the automotive world. It's a toe-hold, but it's a start, and I'm excited for her.

And me, I'm looking at the end of my career at my current job (after close to 25 years!), and trying to find something similar, possibly closer to home. I don't think I handle interviews well, unfortunately, which will make the searching for a new job even more troublesome for me. Even though I believe know I have skills, I have a hard time being a braggart about them, which is what interviewing and creating your resume feels like to me. That's an attitude I have to get over, though, as I need to "sell" myself in order to get hired! I've submitted my resume for a slot close to home, and now I'm playing the waiting game.

And the mister? He's been really busy taking lots of courses for certification, and tending to his parents as they deal with their own set of changes - which I may talk about later, or I may not.

Suffice it to say - there's a lot going on around here!

It's All About the Comfort Today

Today, the weather is supposed to be cool and there's a chance of rain. Great. Why does the weather always know when I've bought new, cute clothes and shoes - then give me weather that makes it impossible to wear them?

Oh well. They're really more work-appropriate or church-appropriate clothes anyway. Today, it's all about the comfortable. So, I'm sporting a tank top with an old hand-me-down shirt (from my middle daughter!) over top of it, a pair of knee socks for warmth, and my favorite style of jeans (from Wal-Mart - can't beat $20 jeans that fit and look wonderful!). But, sad to say, my feet are covered in a baby blue pair of - gasp! - Crocs.

Like I said, it's all about the comfort.

Neighborhood Watch

In an effort to avoid the traffic congestion on the Beltway, I use a series of major side roads and neighborhood streets to kinda/sorta run parallel to the Beltway for a portion of my trip in to work. I still have to deal with a stretch of the Beltway, because let's face it, back roads get congested, too!

Anyway, one of the neighborhoods that I have driven through for several years has put up a series of road "humps" in an effort to slow traffic down (they weren't always there, and I respect the fact that they're trying to keep the neighborhood safe from speeders). There are also 3(?) stop signs along the main road to keep the cut-through commuters on their toes and driving at a safe speed. There is one spot where lots of people try to stop where NO stop sign exists, which dances on my last nerve, and has also caused some close calls due to these drivers' idiocy. But that's another story; I shall step away from this, and breathe deeply.....

A little farther in my commute is another neighborhood that is trying to deal with cut-through commuters by installing a 4-way stop, a 3-way stop (at a "T"), and lately, a speed bump/hump. What I find funny about this particular location is that here recently I've observed a lady in her car, located on the other side of the road, just before the bump, slumped down in the driver's seat, facing the direction I'm coming from, - doing what? She's not there every day, but enough that she stands out. I also think she's local because the same car she sits in on the side of the road can be seen in a driveway. Is she talking on her cell phone, and doesn't want to disturb people in her home? Or is she sitting there, taking down license plates and vehicle descriptions? For what purpose? Will she turn them in to the police, who will do what with them? Am I in for a nasty letter telling me to cease and desist driving through this neighborhood? Or am I just worrying for nothing?

Strange musings from my daily drive.

How DO You Know?

How do you know when it's time to give up? Give up on a relationship, a job you've held for over 2 dozen years (which is in its final stages, anyway), or on the current blogs you read?

Does it take the blogger no longer amusing you, or is it the fact that they haven't posted in a month of Sundays? Can you just not relate to what they say any longer? Have they become too commercial, too many sponsored posts for your tastes? Do you click on their site daily, just to see the same outdated post, day after day? If you do decide to remove them from your favorities list, do you feel guilty when you hit that delete key?

What about the job? What is the final straw that will make you say "I've had it, that's it, I can't take it any more. It's time to walk away from this, it's not worth it any more, no matter what"? What about if you can hold on for some, it-makes-sense-to-you length of time? Can you get your financial ducks in a row to see you through the coming job search, all the applying for jobs, and (hopefully!) the interviews that will lead to another job? How long can you survive without an income?

And the relationship..... That's totally personal, I understand. Only you understand your priorities, and what has to happen before you're comfortable walking away. I've discussed this, both physically and via texting, with both my girls. One is married with children of her own, the other is in a relationship - but I don't think they would say they're in a perfect situation, either. Do you wait until X happens? Do you wait until the last child is older?

I find myself thinking through all these situations, some with greater depth than others. And two of the three are way more major than one is, certainly! But my mind goes round and round, trying to weigh this against that, and see if there's a right decision out there.

Or maybe, it just has to be right for me?

Totally Stolen from BusyMom

Coffee of the Day: Folgers, w/ French Vanilla creamer.

Today's Mental Jukebox Selection: an Alto-fied version of "Baby, It's Cold Outside" - Mama Mia's, anyone?

Reading:: Stuck With You on my Kindle - I love free books! Especially when I go back and read the description and find that they're now asking $7.69 for it.

Thinking: I. Am. So. Tired.

Dreading: Slogging through the rest of this week. And the dinners I need to cook.

Looking: Out someone else's office window, as I'm a windowless bump-on-a-wall.

Wondering: How much longer til lunch? And when can I go home?

Needing: To find documents to help the Mister get our childcare reimbursements, and then do our taxes. ICK.

Also needing: To come up with a plan to get my backside in bed at a decent (and by that I mean MUCH better/earlier) time each evening. That, and to call the dentist to whine about the "flipper" I got after my tooth extraction that makes me want to gag every time I try to talk (which means that I don't wear it much).

You Sank My Battleship!

Wow. I did not mean to leave off posting for this long - again. Seems like when life gets busy, this little internet spot of mine suffers.

Due to worsening health conditions of my MIL, the mister has been spending most of his evenings at his parents' house, only coming home from work to eat quickly (if at all) and then run over there, and hopefully he'll return home in time to crawl in bed just to lather-rinse-repeat the next day, ad nauseum.

This has meant that it's been up to me to occupy SB's time - which would be vastly easier if I were one of those "meh, do whatever you want" parents. But I greatly prefer that he not live in front of the TV playing Wii, Playstation or nose-to-the-screen of his DSi, or just watching the mindless drivel that is on Disney channel or other stations. (Or at least, not ALL of the time! I am not perfect, not by a long shot!) Fortunately, SB likes to read; he just prefers TV and games over books. But if I can guide him away from the tube, he'll read, or I can get him to help me with household chores - in small doses. He does like to know what's in it for him - so it's often a matter of tit for tat - you do this, and I'll do that.

In one of our flurries of housecleaning, we straightened out the area of the family room behind the couch and sandwiched in by the kitchen half-wall. It's where almost all toys, games, puzzles, etc. are located. We re-found his Battleship game, and he's been pestering almost everyone to play with him. I finally caved this weekend - I'm the parent more often home with him, of course. Let me say, this is a trifle unusual for me - I am not usually a game player, preferring my books for entertainment. Unless you want to play Apples to Apples, then you're on!

We set up in the dining room, at opposite ends of the table. Laid out all our pins, plotted the best placement of our ships, etc. Even brought out the penny crayon so we could utilize pennies to mark spots where our opponent "missed" shots. Let the battle begin!

First game, I laid out my ships in a pattern I though would confuse SB. Was I ever right - but that was the last game I won. He showed me mercy in the next 3-4 games, letting me keep my last shot for many rounds while he called obviously empty locations, so I could, just maybe, locate the ships of his that I had been unable to find so far. I'm not sure if he was being chivalrous to his mom, or just prolonging my agony, but it's been fun playing with him. And yes, I'm actually looking forward to the next game(s).

I'll be certain to vocalize that commercialized cry - "You sank my battleship!" at the appropriate time.

The Smack Down

Wow. Just as I thought I was getting a handle on things, I get a reality smack down to tell me not to be so smug. Don't want to go into great detail, as it's personal, but both my girls are dealing with some recent life events that sadden my heart.

I thought I was doing a decent job of parenting, but I'm having to reassess. How do you know when you're hindering your children instead of helping them? Just as most parents do, I want good things for my brood, and try to clear the path for them to succeed. However, maybe I've been doing too much for them, and it's time to step back and let them take over the process. Rules need to be made and changed, and I anticipate that it's gonna get messy before it gets better.

In for a pinch, in for a pound. Tomorrow is another day.