Calgon...Take me AWAY!!!

The other 5 members of my family are in my living room right now playing tackle football. it is so LOUD!! But, I love it. I love that they are all playing together and enjoying one another.

Just a reminder that tomorrow is the Fiesta Bowl Parade and SB will be marching! Mark and his dad are going down tonight to set up chairs and then getting there early tomorrow so hopefully we'll have awesome seats. Very exciting.

The teenager asked me out on a date! We went to have lunch, just the two of us, at his request. Very nice.

We're still here, still holding on. One moment I'm doing okay and the next moment I'm a mess. The same with the teenager. it's unfortunate, in my opinion, that our society has become so rigid in judgement of people. There was a time, not so long ago, when children (and if you have any understanding of child development at all, you know that a 16 year old's brain is not fully formed and that they do not have constant ability to predict the outcome of their actions) were allowed to make mistakes and have them be learning lessons, life lessons. Now, it seems to me, the life lesson is: you screwed up, your life is over. I'm not saying that is the truth, just the perception when you don't allow children the ability to fail and then pick up the pieces. Absolutely children should be responsible for their actions, but they should also be given some sense of hope, a light at the end of the dark tunnel, if you will. I know it's early and there will be a light, but the light at times seems so far away.