Are we having fun yet?

Well, yes and no. Here's some reasons why:

Stephen's no answers: The end of Terabithia caught him off guard, even though he had been warned. Still, we think it will grow on him. Then last night at 3 a.m., he woke up and puked all over the bathroom. Ugh.

Stephen's yes answers: He got to go to a birthday party on Saturday at the local indoor pool. He had a GREAT time, loved the pool, made some more friends and couldn't stop talking about it. We also went to see The Bridge to Terabithia, which he mostly enjoyed. Today he is staying home from school (see below for an explanation).

Also, we met with school personnel re: whether or not he qualifies for assistance. The good news is, that he is truly doing well, with only a few rough spots: spelling, self esteem and interpersonal relationships. Since spelling is the only academic area of concern, we will be addressing his needs by continuing his involvement in a lunch group and expanding his opportunities for socializing. I will also work with him on phonics at home. We have signed him up for a play, Alice in Wonderland, through the park and rec system and he is the second person on the waiting list. We also got a great book from one of the school counselors called Pumsy the Dragon. It is about a dragon whose best friend is Stephen (!) and how they learn to take control of thoughts that get them feeling down. Excellent book.

Thomas would like to have more time to interact with his friends, so he is not having enough fun. Actually, this is a beautiful thing because it shows that he is healing from the grief and loss of the move. We are approaching our one year anniversary in April and only now is he beginning to be able to reach out.

Thomas' answers: Thomas is having more fun lately because he's finally gotten plugged into the Wednesday night youth group at our church. This enabled him to make some real connections and he reported that he made seven friends the first night. The material they are covering is perfect for middle school issues as well and offers some great discussion opportunities. He is also enjoying playing on the computer as a character in Gaia, an online interactive game/society. Very interesting to watch him interact there - kind of a dry run for real life. For those of you concerned re: online predators, we do keep an eye on this site and what goes on there. There were a couple of other sites that were just plain rude to newcomers and we pulled the plug on them immediately. This one has been good so far. Thomas and his friends answer anyone's question re: where they live with, "FREAK!" and then they run away.

William is not having fun because some kid at school wrote nasty comments and symbols on his sweatshirt during a movie in class. However, he handled it really well, reported it to the Dean, and didn't fall apart at home which is what I would have expected. Very cool.

He is having fun playing Zelda on the wii. Almost too much fun according to his mother. He also has fun helping me cook and he's really good at it.

Paul is traveling as we mentioned in our last entry. He says he's not having fun. I would like to not have fun like that sometimes.

I am not having fun because I am the one that gets to clean up after people who throw up all over the bathroom. Note: not just all over the bathroom floor, but all over everything. The walls, the toilet, the pajamas, the shower curtain, the heat vent. Every time I go in there I find a spot I missed. Ugh. I am also the one that gets to clean up after the dog when she has an accident in the house. She has done this twice over the weekend due to a change in our routine (I am trying to transition her into using the dog run so she doesn't go in the garden area but she doesn't understand.) So I called the trainer we went to when we first got her and we are back on track. Ugh again. Lastly, I am not having fun because Safe Haven's opening has been delayed yet again. I hate waiting.

I am having fun meeting the new people I will be working with when Safe Haven opens up. I'm also having fun seeing the daffodils and crocus bloom in February and dreaming of gardening ideas. I've sworn to myself that I won't actually plant anywhere that I don't have irrigation figured out, so that helps me keep it simple and do-able. And I'm in painting mode as well - Stephen's room and the dining room are done. Now I need to rent a tall ladder and get the living room painted. Very fun! Can you tell I've been taking my vitamins? :)

Random other notes: Anita, Paul's mom, is well enough to go to Florida and has tickets to leave this weekend! Holy moly Rocky, that is great news!!!

Also, as I mentioned above, our one year anniversary here is approaching. In some ways, it feels like five years, in other ways it is hard to believe a year has passed. Each of us is making the transition the best we can and I am truly happy to say that, while we still grieve the losses of friends, family and snow in Minnesota, we are finding our places here.