I meant to update with the back-to-school stuff for Alex and Amanda, but the pics will have to wait. It's been such a busy week....Alex and Amanda are back into their routine and both of them seem to be settling in fine. I already notice the attitude creeping back in with Amanda....sigh....it's going to be another loooooong year!

Alex is growing up so much. Every day when he comes home from school now he takes Molly out for a long walk around the block several times...and Aidan usually tags along. It is just so cute...and I'm so happy that he has been developing this special relationship with Molly!

Andrew's finger injury really set us back. It happened the night before our UK visitor's left. For those of you that didn't read about it .... he cut the finger through the bone, fracturing it and requiring nail removal and tons of stitches...and...antibiotics. He missed a day of school and has been absolutely miserable! We were going to take the kids on a surprise trip to Jellystone for the weekend, but we canceled it because he won't be able to swim or participate in any fun activities if we go. Bummer. I'm glad we had left it as a surprise so they don't know.

I take him to school and pick him up each day, but today Thomas picked him up...In contrast to the last several years of school, every day when I pick him up he has a bounce in his step and a smile on his face. Today, he couldn't even wait to get home to talk to me. He called me on Thomas' cell phone to tell me what a wonderful day he had.

"Mom, all of my teachers and all of the other kids were so understanding and compassionate. They all wanted to help me. The girls in Italian class helped me with my books and everyone was just so kind to me. A ninth grader helped me get my back outside...a NINTH grader, Mom...an upperclassman helped me. This would have never happened at my old school. People would have laughed at me. They would have teased me and no one would have helped me. I think I love my new school".

Hallllllelujah....Hallllelujah...halleluha,hallelu jah, hallllellluuuujah!

Aidan made it to school today without remembering that he didn't want to go....phew....I hope it stays that way!

Our guests finally took off yesterday afternoon. DH and I were so exhausted that as soon as they were down the driveway we grabbed Aidan and Zoe and took them upstairs and slept for over an hour...The house is a mess and the laundry is piled up all throughout the laundry room.

Amidst the chaos, I cracked open my organic chemistry book.

Thank God for organic chemistry.

Carbon is tetradhedral. Functional groups determine chemical behavior. The chemical behavior is predictable. Yeah! Something….something in my life is predictable. I was nervous to get started thinking that it has been so many years since I’ve touched anything chemistry related that I wouldn’t be able to be successful….but…within a half an hour of reading and note-taking I could feel things line up in my head…It was like playing spider solitaire on the computer. When the computer deals the hand, the cards click and snap onto the pile. I could almost hear the clicking and snapping of the information settling back in where it belongs…alkanes, alkenes, alkynes, aromatic compounds…click, click, click.

phew!

I suppose there are worse things I could do to scratch that compulsive itch [/quote]