So long 2008

Today is the last day of 2008. I just took the Christmas tree back down to the storage room. The rest of the Christmas decor comes down today, and I just put out our 2009 schedule calendar in the kitchen and 3 weekends in the first month of 2009 already have events on them. For the most part, 2008 has been a great year. The kids are doing well in school and in life. They are growing up fast, and are starting to spread their wings, so to speak. K is now a pre-teen. In all honesty, it scares me to death. She is wanting more independence and we feel she can handle some. Probably not as much as she thinks she can handle, but we will come up with a compromise we all can live with. We have been told by friends, teachers, so on that she is a very strong, mature young lady. She isn't a pushover, and can stand up for herself, her family, and friends. E is coming into his own. He amazes me sometimes with his 7 year old wisdom. He seems to have an old soul. He thinks about things, and tries to make sense of them, albeit, in his own way. S is dealing with things that are challenging for both him and us. He is watching with a sad heart as his father slips away into his Alzheimer's induced dementia. We are planning a trip, just the two of us, in a couple of weeks to go see him. Work has been challenging this year also. As he stepped down from his management position at his company to allow more time for us, he has found himself in a state of limbo as they try to define his new position. It has been frustrating, and the ups and downs an emotional rollercoaster. He is getting ready to step back on stage as he prepares for his biggest stage role to date as Judge Turpin in the musical "Sweeney Todd" at our theatre. This is going to be a good escape for him. He loves the theatre, and will be in rehearsals 5 nights a week. Not much really changes with me. I will continue to sustitute teach, and be the "chauffer" for ours and other kids to and from school, to and from volleyball, to and from dance, etc. This is my life. The ups, the downs, the fun, the disappointments. As for new years resolutions: Yea, I want to lose weight. S wants to lose weight. We are trying to do better with portions, and S said he wants to get back to the gym. We'll see how it goes. I am going to try to be more patient with the kids, especially K. I often lash out with her over little things. I have to keep telling myself she is only 11. I can't expect her to function like a young adult with her responsibilities. I'm also going to talk more "with" her, not "at" her. With these things in mind. I look forward to a terrific 2009.