Refresh

 It is so wonderful to feel the sunshine and to play in the yard again. After what felt like a month of rain, waking up to blue skies felt like a utopia. Yesterday we worked all morning and headed outside to play through the afternoon. It is amazing how our moods are so influenced by the weather!

The temperatures suddenly dropped in our area, essentially finishing summer overnight. The next few weeks the forecast doesn't anticipate temperatures above 80 degrees. Soon we will be decorating for Halloween and raking leaves.

Unfortunately, the impending cooling temperatures means that our pool days for the season are over. Sigh. I'm going to be so sad packing it up because we had so much fun in it this summer. I know that the time is nearing, but it is a chore I am dreading. 

Scott is home from work both today and on Monday. After a month back at work, he is in desperate need of a rest and refresh. (That is the excuse I am using to justify keeping the pool up for another week or two.) 

Have a great weekend!

Flood Damage

Yesterday my social feed was filled with heartbreaking photos of the storm damage. Many of my friends' homes suffered substantial flood and wind damage from the recent storms. I was miserable dealing with another rain filled day, but knowing that I wasn't contending with floods definitely kept everything in perspective. 

My hometown received upwards of 8" of rain in a short amount of time. Thankfully my Mom's house is situated on a hill, keeping her well above any flooding. Her local roads are under water, along with the businesses along the way. 

I spent the day inside, working and worrying about my friends. The weather has been miserable! It was difficult to remain upbeat, so I figured I'd settle for muddling through. Today the rain will stop and we are supposed to have bright skies. 

I can't wait to play outside again!

Rain

I was optimistic that yesterday would be better. I woke up deliberately cheerful, with a stupid smile plastered across my face. Nobody bought it, and the day soon spiraled into another tornado of frustration and anxiety. Thankfully I was able to check the situation before tears started to flow, so I am taking that as a victory. 

I am beginning to think that the issue is the weather and not me. It has been dreary and raining for what feels like weeks. We haven't been able to use the pool in so long that it is depressing. I miss playing outside, in the warm air and sunshine. Instead I am looking at rain, mud and mucky leaves. 

Today will be another day of heavy downpours. The remnants of Ida are blowing through our area, bringing several inches of precipitation to our area. I'm not sure our yard can handle more rain, but it is coming either way. 

Fingers crossed that nothing floods.

Failure

Despite my best efforts to stay organized and on track, yesterday my day went off the rails. I felt like I was chasing my tail from the moment I rolled out of bed. I managed to keep it together until early afternoon, but my day quickly dissolved. 

I don't know if Timmy sensed that I was out of sorts, or if he was feeling off as well. But seemingly without cause,Timmy completely melted down because of a relatively mundane issue with his computer. I tried to reason with him and calm him down for nearly an hour. Eventually, I hid in the bathroom and cried.

Seeing Timmy so frustrated broke my heart. I felt like a failure because I couldn't calm him down. Even though he eventually calmed and returned to "normal," I continued to tread water for the rest of the day. 

Sigh. I hope today is better. I don't like feeling like such a maternal failure.

 

Green Day

 This weekend was full of rock 'n roll fun. After nearly six months of practicing with his band, it was time for the big performance. Friday night he was a mixture of nervous energy and excitement as he readied himself for the big debut. I could tell by looking at him that he was leaning more towards excited, which is a wonderful improvement over the near vomiting he experienced before his first performance last year.

Even though he had a difficult time getting to sleep, he woke up quickly on Saturday.  Robby changed into his punk outfit and allowed me to do his hair and make-up. Since his band was themed on Green Day, he opted for green streaks and heavy black make-up. (I do have to admit that putting eyeliner on my 15 year old son felt a tad surreal and slightly comical.) By the time we were ready to head to the club, he looked awesome!

I wasn't surprised, but I was relieved, when Robby strutted onto stage with the confidence of a well-practiced musician. He did a great job on his songs (although I am obviously biased). I was so proud watching him play the familiar songs with his friends and band mates. 

It is hard to believe that the kid I was watching jam on stage was brought to tears 18 months ago during his first performance. He has grown so much since then, both physically and emotionally. Signing him up for guitar lessons is one of the best decisions we have made.