Dateline: Gravois Creek Chronicles

This past week brought the culmination of some month's preparation. On one side, I finished the very long "work blitz" that I had been preparing for since the beginning of the summer. It was hard, but I did like seeing the paycheck last week. That was nice. Another was the 25-year reunion of my classmates from grade school. This would ordinarily sound strange to the general public school person, but this grade school went from K-8, and though I went only for 5-8, it was those formative middle school years, which are generally quite memorable as the beginning of coming of age. (Read: developing friendships, personalities, and of course, bodies.) More on the reunion later--but suffice to say that it was fun and memorable as well. Following the reunion, was the school fair, which I had been planning for for about the last month. My personal role was small, but it was another "thing on the list." The final thing was my 40th birthday, which I hadn't been preparing for, but knew it was coming, nonetheless.
Turning 40, I've decided, is a lot like vanilla: You realize that after all this time, you kind of like it. And now that I'm here, it's kind of a big sigh of relief--I don't have to look at that as a milestone to dread, I've crossed it, and it's all good.
The best part of my 40th was the gifts: books and a bottle of wine from my sweetie, a book and card from the kids, and David, who brought tears to my eyes with this one:
David: I have a gift for you mom, it's here (pointing to his chest)
Me: Oh yea? What is that?
David: It's my heart.
Oh! How sweet--he really is a sweetheart, and I love him, and all my good boys a lot.

Now with the bad news: The day after my birthday, I read about another friend who may not see her birthday. But for her, it's simply the next step she must take. I wish I could be fearless like her, and I'm praying for her and her family.

How Do They Know?

How do they know it's time to act up
when I'm on the phone?
Why don't they know I cannot get up
when I'm on the "throne?"
How do they know it's time to go crazy
when we're trying to leave the house?
Why don't they know how I want them to act-
to be quiet as a mouse?


Why haven't they figured out
when it's time to behave?
Why haven't they figured out
it's peacefulness I crave?
How difficult can it really be
to "go put on your shoes?"
These "geniuses" have me all figured out--
it's my mind they're trying to lose.