It's late on a Friday afternoon, and I've got lots of things swirling around in my head. Stories about A.'s new things, prayer requests that have been passed on, my new take on caffeine, the fog that doesn't seem to be lifting about my denomination. You know, normal everyday things people think about late on a Friday afternoon. So, here are some snapshots...

* I find that by doubling (or really tripling) my usual intake of caffeine in the morning like I have done a couple of times this week guarantees that I will fall asleep in my office about 3 pm OR will need chocolate about that time to get me through the rest of the day.

* Anne Lamott's new article on binging in the new O magazine made tears come to my eyes.

* I somehow seem to be getting said O magazine about a week later than the grocery store gets it. So much for relishing getting it early before the general public to begin my obsessive flipping through it! I guess that is what I get for living in the middle of nowhere.

* We have entered time-out hell with A. Good thing is that he responds well to it and seems to be well-acquainted with it from school. Now, isn't that something you think we would have known? Nope...every day they say he's been great! However, last weekend when I asked him if he has time outs at school, he said, "Yeah."

* We had six time outs Saturday and Sunday last week.

* I needed a time out on Sunday night after his bath. Not my shining moment to be holding a screaming child ON FATHER'S DAY next to W.'s chair as W. is talking to his mother. I just stood there with A. dripping and screaming in a towel. Well, until W. said, "Mom, I think I may need to go." and got off the phone.

* A. now says lots of multiple word sentences. Most of them we can even understand!

* A. now says, "I don't like it," when we put something down in front of him to eat. Even if he does like it. Usually, he'll eat it at some point.

* The phrase he now says with great enthusiasm that may actually drive me to enroll myself in a mental hospital sometime soon is, "Mommy/Daddy, what are you doing?" "What are you doing? What are you doing?" You get the idea...over and over and over again. Reminds me of RM's C. saying, "Mommy, I love you."

* A. has hit yet another freaking growth spurt. Has woken up the last two nights screaming b/c of cramps in his shins/knees. Thank God for meltaway Tylenol.

* I think the kitty has begun stalking all of us, and waits until 2 a.m. before going into A.'s room and jumping on his bed and waking him up just to piss us off.

* Freshmen orientation is this weekend. I admit I'm a bit nervous about meeting all these new people. Yep, me Ms. Ultra-Extrovert. I won't tell you how absolutely petrified I am of meeting the students in August.

* I'll get over the above in about 36 minutes when I go to a reception for the parents. At least I'll fake I have.

* On today's prayer list, we are praying for a family whose 1 year old (a little over 18 months I think) died today. Just thinking about it makes me want to go eat everything in sight to make the thought of losing a child go away (which is why Anne Lamott's article at the beginning was so timely.) Why, oh why, do I use food to comfort myself?

* We are also praying for a co-worker whose father's cancer has spread, and they are having to make very hard decisions about further treatment, and if it is even worth it. The sorrow I feel in my heart for them is almost overwhelming.

* The Presbyterian Church? Why do I sense that we have not even begun to weather the hardest part yet?

* On a brighter note, I think W. and I may actually go away for a couple of days BY OURSELVES! Now, if only we can get aunties or grandparents to say they'll watch A. (If any of you are reading... :-)

* I also talked to my student J. who said he didn't think he got anything out of Taize (while we were in Taize...but the Spirit continues to move and groove for him!) and last night he gave me hope for all that is good about God, campus ministry and beginning a new year.

Off to a dessert reception to meet and greet. Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!