Must. Post. More. Often.

I really need to get back in the blogging habit. I'm just pulled in so many different directions these days that it's hard to find the time and equally hard to find anything interesting to talk about.

Right after I posted my "school is going great" post, it temporarily returned to hell in the proverbial handbasket, at least as far as Annabelle was concerned. Earlier this week, she was begging not to go again. I stuck her butt on the bus and went inside to place a call to the guidance counselor, who was able to nab Annabelle in the hallway when she got there and perform a little cheerleader routine for her benefit. Each day since then has been steadily better, and today was downright good.

Annabelle got to choose a pencil out of the prize box for her stellar performance in class today and was very excited about that. Get me drunk sometime and ask me to elaborate on my feelings regarding the use of rewards to motivate kids. To heck with principles right now though--I would have happily paid cold hard cash to see her come off the bus with such spring in her step.

Meanwhile, Mike continues his easy adjustment to middle school. Gym class was showing the potential to be a problem--not because of "Coach Cheney" (Mike actually decided that he was OK) but because of some misbehaved cretins in the locker room. I went to the guidance counselor with that problem and with a possible solution, never really expecting the school to go for it, but they did. As of yesterday, Mike is doing his distance-learning German I class in the library each day instead of taking PE. Gotta love that flexibility!

Both kids are also making friends in the neighborhood as well. There are lots of girls Annabelle's age, and she has been twice now to their weekly sewing circle (I call it "Stitch and Bitch" but only in my head).

There are also a lot of girls Mike's age in the neighborhood, which I suspect might have something to do with his enthusiasm for school. The scene below was on my neighbor's front porch the other day. It's not a very good picture, but there are limits to how artistic one can be when one is shooting from between window blinds, without flash, and while laughing one's ass off. Just call me Spy Mom:



Please fasten your seatbelts. We are approaching the teen years and expect some mild turbulence. (Please, God, let it be mild.)