Life Experience 101

This past week, we have all been in a brain fog, from pain or pollen or the time change.  I took my joint supplements, which require Vitamin C to work properly, while eating an orange and trying to get Matt to go get me more Vitamin C because we don't have any.  Never mind the 24 pack of vitamin drink mixes or, you know, the huge bowl of oranges in the kitchen.  Things like that all week, just dumb oversights.  Looking for things I am holding, calling the wrong kid, going into a panic because I forgot to pay a bill-that is on autopay and has been for 4 years-that isn't due until the 28th.

I spent Tuesday and Wednesday with my foot up.

Then Thursday came and between beginner and advance dance classes, Rho and Jake broke up.  It was a really mature decision-he is staying here because she's here and she does not want that and when she is ready to head off to school, he does not want her to stay here for him.  They are not headed in the same direction.  But he is MISERABLE. To the point that I hosted 4 extra boys for 2 days and they played cards and on the Wii and Magic and D&D.  There were hugs and back pats and huge gusty sighs.  I am ever thankful for friends.

We got a message from Erin that Catwalk had been moved up some 5 weeks to TODAY with only a couple days notice. She had a costume for one person (last year she made 15 just for our homeschool group to be in the show).  She said to get the girls down there with a few things they could use for costumes and they could work something out.  Matt ended up taking them on his own this morning, I was looking for my camera last night and moved a book and that made a whole stack shift (library run Friday) and that knocked the 3 pound jellyfish in glass paper weight I love(d) onto my everlovin' foot.  I did not even pick it up just slid back in the bed and I am still there.  My foot looks like a plum.

I have been in an interesting role today, at home while Matt is off with the girls, getting ready for a fashion show.  I am getting regular updates and lots of photos from behind the scenes.  My favorite is Chan smiling her pleased cat smile in the background and in the foreground, her 'angry gods who sank Atlantis' costume, complete with terrifying boots.  

Some people get their sibling's kid a toy that makes obnoxious sounds.
Some dress them up like a god of wrathful vengeance.
With hair horns.

I did go for a mile and a half walk yesterday, before I bashed my foot. If it's going to hurt anyway, I might as well be up and moving. Was my theory anyway.  This creepy guy kept running past while I tottered around the track:

Also, I took this one single shot of the yard, it's one of the paths the dogs have made.
It's actually THE path, it just goes all the way around the house with shoots to the gates on both sides and along the fence in the front.  I keep planting more bushes, they have to wander around to see down the road now.

Finally, a couple of amusing pics I swiped from backpacking chats:

This coming week, we have a canoe trip and dance and Chan is going off for the weekend to 'AtChanta' with several friends.  We are going in the next few weeks to check out a few colleges, she is back around to SCAD as her top pick.  I guess if I HAVE to go to Savannah, I can force myself to suffer through it...I hope they get a chance to see the Atlanta campus while they are so close.  It is just 3 hours from here instead of 9.  I would prefer that for the first year anyway.
She's also looking at Asheville and Jake is thinking about a work study program in Vermont and he has applied for a 10-month volunteer position that covers expenses and would be excellent on an application or resume.  HUGE changes, for all of us.   I just want them to pursue things they are passionate about, though a degree would be awesome.  Jake still wants to be a cop, but needs to be 21 and some experience and education in the meantime would not be amiss.