7 Quick Takes (Volume 33)

1) It's official. My thirteen-year-old is turning into a ladies man. The other day he came home from school and proudly told me he was hugged by at least six girls "without asking!" He got this goofy grin on his face and said, "It was cool." Oh my. We could be in trouble.

2) Though I'm not so sure I'm ready to keep my kids busy all summer, I am definitely ready to take a break from being the Homework Nazi. Man, is that getting old! Of course I'll probably turn into the Get-out-of-bed Nazi, but they'd be shocked if the nagging ended cold turkey, right?

3) I told you already I'm not crazy about summer, but one bright spot is I tend to get more sleep in the summer. Our schedule is SO much more flexible and spontaneous. I have a little more time to focus on writing projects. I enjoy talks on the back porch with anybody and everybody. We take impromptu walks for ice cream (and sometimes meet up with our favorite people!) Hey, maybe summer isn't so bad.

4) I'm having one of those weeks it's hard to get out of my head. I can think on anything forever, like, why does life have to be full of loss, what's the best way to get my work done, when can I get a break, why did my son spray paint his bike, is there a better way to do summer, what would be a good topic for my next blog post, when is the best time to call, what will I be when I grow up, when will I feel accomplished, what do people need, when will I ever find the time to clean my closets, how can I produce something that is truly beautiful, what is the best way to touch people, how can I create a masterpiece, what does my daughter need from me, how could I lose fifteen pounds. . .Yep, I'm a dork. Or maybe just lazy. Or worse yet, a lazy dork.

5) We've got a sick gecko (pronounced geck-o as in heck, not gike-o like the insurance company in the television commercials which have confused my mother-in-law). We haven't seen him smile for weeks. (Seriously, my kids swear he does.) The poor thing just doesn't quit shedding. I would liken it to a never ending period, but the little thing is a GUY gecko. He doesn't have his normal zip or veracity when attacking his meal worms. He just rests his head near the dish and watches them. I miss seeing his little tail quiver right before he pounces.

If you can't tell, I'm fond of the lizard. I hope the vet will fix him up today.

6) It's graduation time in our corner of the world and I must admit it's making me sad even though I don't have a graduate. It's bringing back all those feelings of last year when our oldest hit the milestone. Hopefully I'll be done grieving by the time our daughter finishes high school in two years. I have a feeling it doesn't get any easier with each kid. I'm dreading it already.

7) I'm spending the day with my husband. Can't wait. We're leaving as soon as the kids are in the respective places. I better get off here now and gussy myself up a bit, you think?


Have a terrific weekend, my friends. You can digest more Quick Takes at Conversion Diary.