Time to Catch Up

I have a few minutes before church this morning, and instead of delving into one of my many projects, I thought I'd take time to catch y'all up on how everyone is doing and what they are doing.

So, in age order:

Kyle is a college graduate as of May. He still doesn't have a teaching job so he is planning to continue his window washing job part time and sub for this school year. He is still dating a girl we really like and the two of them had dinner with Bart and Sadie on Friday night. He lives with some of his college buddies in a house close to the school he graduated from. He is determining the kind of person he wants to be.... and as with all kids his age, it isn't as easy as he thought it was going to be. He could easily be a poster child for older child adoption -- coming at 11 with Conduct Disorder... he has sure done well (thanks to my husband).

Rand finished one year of a two year culinary arts program but didn't do so well grade wise so he is taking a year off. He is working almost full time for a local grocery store deli and is required to help out around here which goes well some days and doesn't go well some other days.

Mike is still in jail and when he finishes serving that term then he will have a hearing in another county to determine further sentencing. Bart and he write occasionally and Bart is hoping to visit him soon.

John at this point is doing great. We transitioned him into a group home a few weeks before his 18th birthday in July By the beginning of August he finally had a job and was able to start football practice on August 11th. He is set to begin his senior year and so far is doing well.

Jimmy has spent the summer trying to get a job without success. He is heading for 10th grade and will be in special ed. He is at least starting the year saying he is going to do homework and not get in trouble at school any more.

Salinda has had a great week, as you know. She is undefeated, both singles and doubles, in her tennis season so far. She is done being grounded and nearly out of debt. She has a tough schedule coming up and we're hoping that she is ready to start making good decisions. Hope springs eternal.

Ricardo is already into soccer season -- playing high school JV as an 8th grader. They've won both games so far and as you know, he is a great player. Really needs to focus on academics though, so maybe this year things will start to click for him in that area. The English acquisition piece has been hard for him.

Mercedes has had an incredible summer. She earned lots of money to get her first cell phone (we require kids to pay their first six months in advance -- she earned a whole year) and has had minimal drama and hardly any arguing with me, which was dailiy last year. She has worked out with me at the Y many mornings this summer and had good alone time with both Bart and I on separate occasions. We think she's making very good choices and she is open to talking about them with us, which is a good thing.

Tony is doing better than he has in a while. His transition back home was difficult because I was being very tough with him, but he seems to be settling in. He is not quite as insistent on causing trouble as he has historically been and seems to be getting along better with others. He's starting football practice on Monday.

Leon has had a rather boring summer, but has been cooperative and pleasant. He also starts football tomorrow nd is excited about that. We need to find ways to motivate him in school as he is very bright, but at his own admission, lazy.

Dominyk remains a challenge, though there are days when I see some maturity and am encouraged. He struggles so badly with the simplest things in life that it is often hard just to watch him. He and Tony together is never a good combination.

And Wilson is just a sweet, cute, and very spoiled little guy who I am too tired to parent stridently and is too good to warrant that. He is seldom in bed on time, but seems to manage fine. His disposition is so pleasant and he is so cooperative most of the time that the little things slide. He's spoiled, I know it, he knows it, he loves it and at this point in time I don't even care.

So there you have it. Oh wait ... yeah...

Bart is doing pretty well too. He's been doing a lot of walking this summer and while he hasn't been on the scale I think he is losing weight. He's the best husband ever and I'm grateful for him every day.

And me?

Oh you know way more about how I'm doing than you ever wanted to know in the first place.