I feel like I have been away so long that I won't be able to catch up on everything. Actually, it's exhausting to think of everything I should tell you.
We moved- we're in, we're trying to get settled. I have a lot of unpacking and organizing to do, but not really any time to do it! I wrote myself a schedule for the next several days and so far I am behind. It's not terrible and I'll be able to do it all, but in addition to school work I am flying to Virginia next week for Shannon's wedding. I need to catch up from moving and get ahead at the same time. I need to spend some brain power on that too, since I don't know what to wear. I think I will request someone else make that decision for me. Shannon said she's registered, but would rather see what I come up with. She has also asked me to speak. No pressure, right? :D
I have two midterm exams the day I leave and a photography project and an essay due the day after I get back.
Okay, but the house is worth it. It's beautiful. Chris wants to buy it. It has already become normal- we adjust so fast- but I still find myself marveling at what we have. I am very happy. Busy and exhausted, but happy. The bathrooms and kitchen have been redone and they are so nice. All of the places we saw had kitchens with frighteningly old appliances (when they had appliances) and cracked countertops. The bathrooms were "clean" and I didn't want to touch them. Here I could pick up something behind the toilet and not want to boil my fingers. It is nice.
The listing said we'd get a washer and dryer, which of course was the priority. That and a fenced yard. The house originally came with neither until I made a fuss. The listing said W/D and the fence almost enclosed the yard. They fixed the fence, installed both W and D and blinds. Now I don't have to immediately worry about curtains. The interesting update is about the school.
Chris and I took Ant across the street to enroll him and were informed that the school was so crowded that Ant would be attending the middle school. In VA, we are all used to middle school being 6, 7, and 8, but out here it's only 7 & 8. Except for this particular school. This middle school is 5, 6, 7 and 8. Suddenly Ant would have a locker and change classes. He was so excited!
It's also insane out here the way the schools' days are staggered: elementary starts latest, middle school goes in earlier, and the poor teenagers in high school are all standing around in the dark at 6 o'clock in the morning. I imagine they must use the same buses or something. It seems cruel and unusual, as teenagers need the most sleep after babies. This sudden transition means that Ant is having to go to bed earlier, not only because school starts an hour earlier, but because school is no longer across the street. He hasn't taken the bus since we left the old apartment about 2 1/2 years ago, so it's taking him some adjustment. He didn't actually make it to the bus stop on time at all this week. Monday we were moving, Tuesday Chris enrolled him, Wednesday he couldn't find him ID (Wait until you hear about THAT.), Thursday he woke up on time and went right back to bed, and today one alarm didn't go off and he slept through the other. We keep bumping back his bedtime which might seem too little too late, but we started with bedtime being an hour earlier. Sheesh.
So the IDs... This school has uniforms too, but shirts must be tucked in, pants cannot be pulled more than two inches away from the body, etc., etc. They cannot get on the bus, go to class, or get lunch without their IDs. Chris said they have to be scanned everywhere they go, which might be his imagination talking. I can't imagine they have to scan into class. That would be scary.
See? This is long.
So I've been having this problem with Ant. At first I thought it was like his birthday when he changes ages and he immediately becomes more obnoxious. But it's not his birthday, so where is all this crazy obnoxious behavior coming from? He's hyper and annoying, sings mean songs, makes terrible comments, walks around repeating god-awful noises as loud as possible... and that reminds me:
Mom, thank you for not killing me.
The questions have been marinating and today I verbalized them for Chris. I think this has to do with his sudden jolt into middle school. On one hand, he went from being at the top of elementary school to being low in middle school, but on the other hand he's suddenly got all this responsibility and is surrounded by older kids that are trying to look as much like hoodlums as possible. He has to act older, even if the other kids are just putting on a show too. Then he comes home and we no longer have neighbors below us- pandemonium. I bet he feels pretty conflicted. This is the point where you want to act like a kid but not if your friends can see you.
Tonight he came in here with two kids and asked Chris if they could spend the night. He had to work and warned Ant that it was likely a no since I had all this school work. Ant, of course, came to plead his case anyway. I have told him 85 times not to ask me in front of people but here he was again. And what did I do? Cave, of course. We've been here less than a week and he's lonely- what can I do? Heres again I am the Nazi Stepmother if I follow through, but when I cave it seems like it's just the status quo and I'd be an asshole if I said no. He has not one but TWO friends over! Where is my medal? How about a ribbon? Do I get a ribbon?
But wait, there's more. When they came in to ask he told us that these kids knew the kids who used to live here, and one of them was gay. Pure immature boy fascination, I know, but it still made me want to sit all three of them down to watch The Matthew Shepard Story.
"Why did you say that?" I asked.
"I thought it was funny," he said. "A gay person lived here."
"So?" Chris asked.
I ought to remind him about the gay couple that come stay at Topaz. Maybe if he connects those perfectly nice, normal friends with his gay-cooties thoughts he might realize that he is being an idiot.
They are up to something. I do not want to host sleepovers.
