Tidbits and Timing

So much going on of late I can hardly keep up - but here's a snippet of where we are at present.

Can you believe we've already ordered graduation announcements, cap and gown, etc., etc.????? And right as I'm trying to purchase a few very minimal Christmas gifts.

But that's another story.

Yes, scholarship application deadlines, graduation stuff and a whole slew of other tidbits are being thrown at us at such a rapid pace I'm hardly able to enjoy the fact that my son is a senior. But he's at least enjoying it, which is all that really matters anyway.

This past weekend was really weird too - I left him home while I went back to visit the family for Neewollah (which, if you didn't figure it out yet, is Halloween spelled backward). He had a Halloween party to go to Saturday night and made the decision to hang out with friends instead of go to Neewollah - after all, he's been to it nearly every year of his life. Therefore, I couldn't deny him that option. He'll be making alot more choices throughout this year and into the next, so I figured it was a good time to start making more of those difficult decisions.

With my guidance, none-the-less. :-)

Even so, it was odd and yet kinda nice to have time to myself, though his younger cousin missed him. Have a feeling that time to myself is going to increase substantially very soon.

So if those changes weren't enough to deal with lately, I've had another realization this past week or so. Can't really put my finger on exactly when it really began to solidify in my mind, but it has to do with my schooling and future plans. My brain has been chewing on this and then some things were said this past weekend while with the family that has me thinking even more about it this week. One of my instructors even brought up the subject today and we discussed it at length.

But that's going to have to wait for another entry.

After all, I've got enough going on at present to fill my time. This one is going to be a biggie.

Homecoming Happenings

Well tonight is the night of homecoming and all goes well thus far.

My son still is on tap with his date (they confirmed pick-up this afternoon) and has plans to meet with a group of friends and their dates for dinner before the dance. They're all looking forward to a fun, splendid time together.

Once again, we're having positive moments that continue to build on each other throughout his milestones of life. Senior year grades are holding up very well, he's connected deeply with guys in his youth group and made tons of new friends, his connection to the Lord is growing stronger every day, college is heavily in focus, and now an opportunity to take a lovely young lady to his high school dance.

This week we spent some time re-watching some of his Mark Gungor DVD's concerning Sex, Dating, and Relating. Then there's the Manly Man conference bonus DVD, but you don't want me to go there.

I've tried very hard to raise my son with a positive awareness of what it means to be a man of courage and character, to understand the differences in how men and women think, to be aware of pitfalls in dating and relationships, and to see realistically how physical intimacy in a relationship too often replaces true intimacy. These DVD's don't necessarily try to give a moral argument against sex and its equivalents before marriage (though they are from a Christian perspective) but a real-world argument about how physical intimacy before marriage too often destroys the foundation and trust needed for a marriage to succeed long-term.

I think we can see how that is daily played out in our culture.

I've made my own mistakes in this regard and wish very much to protect my son from the hurt, heartache, and disappointment that destruction leaves in its wake. I know in the end it will be his choice how to conduct himself in his relationships as he leaves the nest. But I never want him to come back and ask why no one ever told him. For me, I want to know that my son has a chance to live life and live it abundantly.

Maybe then he can be part of the solution instead of continuing to be a part of the problem. But for tonight, we'll just get past homecoming and his first real date.

Lord help me be able to sleep tonight. :-)

Bursting My Buttons

I am proud of my son.

As I wrote this past spring, my son asked a young lady to go to his junior prom with him. However, said young lady ended up accepting then canceling on him at the last minute, which fried my butt to no end.

But tonight I'm proud to write that that little fiasco, as painful as it was at that time, hasn't stopped him from getting up and trying again. This weekend is homecoming and he's invited a girl from school to go with him. They've been hanging out talking after their government class and choir, so he decided this past Monday to take a chance.

She accepted.

They've been planning where to eat beforehand, clothing coordination, etc. My son even asked when his next haircut was rescheduled for after having to move it from last weekend. He was relieved when I told him we were able to get him in for this Saturday morning.

Just in time.

He's also planned his wardrobe, coordinated directions with his date, and is going to clean his car - and all of this without my having to direct the efforts.

Wow! It sure is nice having a responsible young man in the house. :-)

So I'm looking forward to sitting back and watching him take care of it all. Of course, I hope I get a picture or two of them together before the night is through.

Knowing him, I'm sure he'll swing by after they go eat dinner. Kinda goes back to that responsible thing, you know? My buttons on my blouse are about to burst - with pride!

The Beginning of the End

Well tonight started the beginning of the end.

My son had his first choir performance of his last year of high school.

It's not a huge ordeal, just kinda a precursor to their opening choir concert at the school. This is an outside concert at our town's annual festival. Tonight was the kickoff of the opening weekend and all of the area schools participate in the live music throughout the evening. Plus there's carnival rides, games, food, festivities - what more could a young man and his mother ask for?

Sitting there at the park, it felt a bit surreal to realize that this is the last time he will be performing for the festival (unless he becomes a famous musician and is invited back to perform at one of the Friday or Saturday concerts - hey, it could happen). It still hasn't fully hit me that my baby boy is now a legal adult.

Oh help me, Lord!

But tonight it struck me for the first time that this is the beginning of a year that will disappear so rapidly, run off and leave if I don't pay attention. I don't plan to miss any of it.

Which made this evening all the more poignant, especially when he got up to sing his solo piece. It truly is the beginning of the end for this stage of his life.

And he can't wait to see what happens next.

Rumblings and Ramblings

My dear readers - it has been entirely too long!

Yes, I'm trying to get back into the writing saddle after a very tumultuous year. This post will be a brief update on where things stand in the rumblings and ramblings of 2010.

We just returned from spending a relaxing Labor Day weekend with Mom and Dad. Mom is enjoying retirement, getting her strength back, and also getting her hair back. The hair is coming in thick and is about a half-inch long. There also seems to be alot more pepper mixed in with the salt. :-)

Before leaving to come back home this afternoon, Mom and I also tried a jaunt around their town's walking paths. Shortly after getting some strength back after her last chemo treatment in June, Mom and I attempted a short walk around the block from their house. She barely made it back to the house before her legs gave out. Today we walked a mile or two with a few brief pauses along the way. It's really good to see her getting back to her old self. It reminded me of the walks she and I used to take together around town as I got older and before moving away.

My schooling is going well and I'm looking forward to finishing up in the spring and getting my feet back in the working saddle. Can hardly wait to open my own business someday after getting a couple of years under the belt.

Speaking of school, my son started his senior year of high school - oh my gosh! So far, it seems to be going very well. He had a physics test and only missed one, and his last chemistry test he scored a 100%. Even with his heavy schedule this year, he seems to be taking it in stride and getting his academic "feet" underneath him. None too soon!

So we're looking forward to the joys of senior year'itis. Thus far it is looking good.

Now if only I can get my life in order after getting everyone else's taken care of. :-)