Something New

I've come to this place many times in the past few weeks. I click "new post" and then I stare at the blank space for a few seconds, become anxious about what to fill it with and just decide to close it and play spider solitaire.

I've become obsessed with Spider Solitaire, by the way. I'd never tried it until my friend Karen suggested it. Now it consumes my existence. So, thanks Karen. Thank alot.

So, there's something new in my life. Spider Solitaire. Let's see....what else....

Oh! I know! Our privacy fence. Handiman finally got that little project underway over Memorial Day weekend. And, for the record, we're not trying to be un-neighborly. Even though I'm pretty sure our neighbors don't really care for us anyway. But, should they ever decide to be friendly, they are more than welcome to walk around our privacy fence and come to the front door for a visit. The fence is actually the result of trying to sell our house for....let's see.....the last, what has it been? Oh yeah. 5 STINKIN' YEARS. Everybody who ever came to look at the house said the same thing. "Needs a fence." So a fence it shall have. We're not trying to sell right now, but next spring maybe we'll give it another shot. And when we do, I'm sure they'll find something new to complain about. Speaking of something new, did I mention I'm only working part-time next year?

Yeah, I'm pretty sure I did. But what I didn't mention is the completely unexpected opportunity that presented itself in the last 2 weeks of the school year. I've been given the chance to teach music classes to our preschool and kindergarten classes on Wednesdays which will also allow me to continue leading chapel music. It's been a total God thing. So to recap, I will be teaching computer Tuesday & Thursday, music on Wednesday, off on Monday & Friday and most importantly.....I will not spend every morning in the car line. Hallelujah and Amen.

Speaking of teaching, this Sunday will bring something new. Handiman and I will be, for the first time in the history of our relationship, teaching a children's Sunday School class. 4th grade Sunday School to be exact. And yes, this is the Ocho's class. She is over the moon that her Daddy is going to her teacher. Me, not so much. Been there. Done that. But him? So. Happy.

I can't bring myself to break it to her that he's probably going to go out of his way to embarrass her. It may be by breakdancing. Or by using a story about her potty training as a lesson illustration. Or by using words like "dispensationalism" while teaching. She's so looking forward to it that now's not the time to burst her balloon.

She's made it clear what my job needs to be. This past year she has loved her Sunday School teachers and more than once proclaimed it the "Best! Class! Ever!" So, I asked for some ideas of things they had done that we might continue. "Donuts Mommy. Just bring donuts."

Got it.

While we're on the subject of The Ocho, let me just say that she's bringing the "something new" to our life in accelerated fashion. I won't go into details, but suffice it to say she's growing up. She's changing, maturing and forcing me to have uncomfortable conversations. And I don't like it. Not one bit. I hate the word puberty. Just the sound of it is awful. The reality of it is even awfuler.

So, here I am. I have a new game to waste my time, a new fence to keep out the riff-raff, a new job to prepare for and a new set of parenting problems. And I didn't even get into the void that losing "Lost" has given me. I guess now I have to find a new TV show too.

Hey look! I rambled so much random nonsense that I managed to write a new post. Now I feel completely justified in treating myself to a little Spider Solitaire.