Moments...

Moments with my family (just the 4 of us) are now to treasure.  My oldest son is usually at college and my youngest is usually off with his friends.  So knowing that my birthday was coming (not until Tuesday) and my oldest son was coming home from college on Friday...I planned a dinner for all 4 of us to go out together last night.  My hubby asked me what I wanted for my birthday and I told him....dinner with the boys.  You have no idea how much that dinner satisfied me.  I love having those dinners with my kids.   I love watching the boys banter a bit with each other...and hearing them talk together...it's nice.

It made me realize that stolen moments like these are to treasure and as we age they become less and less because everyone is growing and involved in their own lives.  It makes me realize how excited my Mom (she's 88) must get every time she sees one of us because I now feel the same way.  I do not want to become one of those old people that always complains.....you never come to see me......I want to be one of those old people that says...come over for dinner or I am taking you out to dinner tonight.  I think as you age and your growing and maturing as a kid....nothing is more appreciated than that occasional dinner that Mom and Dad provide.....I want to be those kinds of parents.  And....if they live far away....look out cause I am coming to visit and maybe I'll take them to dinner!!!

My misery....

I've had a headache for the past couple of days, have been feeling generally shitty and have not been getting a good nights sleep, I can feel myself being short and crabby with people.  After the words spill out of my mouth I sometimes wince and say....why did you say that?  Then I regret it.  I say next time I am not going to do this.  I also feel myself doing this with my hubby and sons.  I feel myself being cold.  It is like there is an alien in my body and it is taking over.  If there were a pill invented to avoid this thing we call PMS....I would be first in line to take it.  I really hate who I become once a month and sometimes I think the people around me aren't liking me so much either.  It does not leave me feeling all that great about myself and I wish there was a way to change it.

Pepe De Pew....

We had a skunk making a nest under our front porch.  We called Animal Control and they set a have-a-heart trap.  First night as soon as we smelled him we checked the trap.  He was smart.  He ate the food and didn't trip the trap.  So we tried putting trickier food in there.  Decided apples & peanut butter would surely make an animal linger.  No....he ate some apple and all the peanut butter and got out.  The next night we decided we were going to try peanut butter with dog food in a small bowl.  Hubby increased the sensitivity on the trap.  Keep in mind....the smell is now reeking throughout my entire house.....my basement.....and my front porch is unusable.  The smell was so strong it made us feel physically sick.

Well dog food & pb caught us a nice possum.  Next day they took the possum and relocated him.  We set it again.  Next day my son found someone's house cat in there...it had a collar...he let it go.  We rebated the trap and we caught the skunk!!  Although much to our dismay....he sprayed.  My house now was horrendous in skunk odor!!  The next day we caught another possum.  I never realized there was so much wildlife in our neighborhood!!!

We went down the shore to our trailer in the woods this weekend.  Spending lots of time cleaning up and getting it ready to be closed up for the winter.  For the first time in 7 years there....we smelled a skunk was in the area.  We feel like we are being plagued with skunks.  We kept smelling it just like we smelled it at home.  We sprinkled moth flakes under our deck and we are hoping ....it does not make a home there.

Pepe De Pew has caused quite a stir in my house this week........I'll never look at those critters the same way ever again!

Decisions....

It has been my son's dream to go over to France for many many years.  He will be studying abroad for 1 semester and that begins in January and ends in May.  Of course as a Mom I have some serious worries about him going but I am truly happy for him and I want him to get as much out of this experience as possible.  I want him to see as much as he can.  He is going to college to be an interpreter and this semester abroad is important as he was told there is nothing better for you to be truly fluent than to immerse yourself in the language.  I fully support his decision to do this and I am very happy for him.

The other day my Mom called me....crying and begging me not to send him to France.  She was watching the news and the recent scares about people who are abroad are totally scaring the hell out of her.  I calmed her down, told her he was not going until January, and told her that we cannot do this.  I was going to be worried enough as it was.  I was not going to kill my son's hopes and dreams just to satisfy my own needs about worrying.  She calmed down and understood.

I understand everything they are saying about being vigilant and we plan on having a serious talk with him about this before he leaves.  We want him to be aware of his surroundings no matter where he is.....here or there...anywhere.  I feel like if we were to stop him from going we would be doing exactly what these beasts want us to do....stop living....I cannot do that.

I hope, I pray....I pray....I pray....that I am doing the right thing.