Lori- really glad you are feeling better and seeing the light again. I know exactly what you mean when it seems like things will never improve. Getting out and being independent again surely helped that along!

Trig- Like everyone else has said, we have been there and done that. Honestly, I can go for days doing that, less so in amounts but over a longer period of time. In fact, I'm plum off the wagon at the moment, yet again, but I know I'll be up and on again. And so it goes. We pick up and carry on. Hugs to you!

Jaz- you are my polar opposite! I would totally go to a restaurant but I would be a table, with a book or magazine, and giving people the evil eye if they tried to talk to me! Glad you got to see the Grands- that pic of the little spitfire Ava was too cute! Hugs on your rough commute and the ups and downs of the new position. You got this!

Blue- Your social time sounds great and I know you are enjoying yourself immensely. Good for you. I tell you, I think this move has been nothing but good for you. Change is hard but I think you are smelling like a rose on the other end of it all!

•••••

Sorry I fell by the wayside, you guys. The beauty and downfall of my brain is the ability to hyper focus and once I go down that trail nothing else captures my attention until I come up for air a few days later.

Things have been good here- a bit of walking, a lot of reading, doing CASA stuff. I did get some bad news on Friday that was confirmed on Saturday.. my "old" CASA baby's (who is 3.5 years old now!) Dad died yesterday. He was on life support from a drug overdose. While not surprising, it is still sad.. sad that he was never able to shake the addiction and now will never be able to. Sad that this little one will grow up without a father. Sad that the healing and reconciliation will never happen. Fingers firmly crossed that her Mom will be able to stay clean (she is just coming out of a treatment program, having done well, just got a job etc) and won't relapse, either now or in the future.

That being said, this 'old' CASA baby is doing so well! Talking well, active, curious, sassy, opinionated and smart! She is very very blessed with her Great Grandparents and all they do for her. It was amazingly great to see her again- so completely gratifying to see how well she is doing.

"New" CASA babies are also doing pretty well- the two year old is adjusting well to her day care (which is a pretty sucky daycare, but what can you do, it is what it is) and there are no tears any more. She seems pretty happy there and the routine and socialization is good for her. The 8 month old is his calm, happy self but spit up on me big time when I was there on Thursday. From my neck to my pants! I had to go home and change bc I had a meeting to go to and I was STINKY!!

That's about it here. Coming up for air from my 'focus trail' where anything and everything goes by the wayside from food to everything else. It is just a fact of my life- if something captures my interest enough I just fall right down the hole. Back now though!

Winter weather expected again this week around Wednesday. Sigh. No school for DS17 tomorrow so we are doing a college visit in the afternoon.