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Hey all. I started to respond to your post, Polly, and realized that I would just have to re-write everything if I was going to post today. I'm feeling frustrated and have trouble posting when I know it will be just another whiney post. Sorry.

There is a fun note. Josiah's birthday party on Sunday was a blast. We had 21 family members here for cake and present opening and general mahem. There were nine kids here and 6 of them are 6 or under...mostly under 4. As I said, mahem, but in a fun and happy way. Todd's sister taught the little ones how to poke people in the rear with toothpicks. Todd taught his brother-in-law to smoke a pipe. My Dad taught us all how to pick the most fantastic cake in the grocery store. Even Josiah's great aunt Rita got to be here since she's homeless for now until Lake Charles gets power back.

On the frustrating side, we still don't know if Todd has a job and he's itching to find something. I feel for him. He's torn between supporting us well financially and finding something he'll be good at. I know he'd make a great police officer but that wouldn't really utilize his creativity in a way that would satisify him. He could make a wad of money selling cars, but we'd never ever see him. He's even talked about starting a coffee house/gallery here in Keller but that would involve massive loans. I ache for him. I know there's a perfect job out there. One that uses his talents and still lets him feel like he's providing adequately for us. Any ideas?

Here's the mood-kicker. Hunter called me yesterday from school to inform me that he's failing Math. His teacher made him call me because she had a sneaking suspicion that he wasnt' telling us about the papers he was supposed to re-do and turn in. Of course, she was right. She said he's always very polite and compliant, he just doesn't turn in his work. We know he does his homework here, but sometimes he even doesn't turn that in! It's last year all over again, accept this time the teacher is bending over backwards to help him. She even stayed an hour after school to let him do some catching up. Grades have to be turned in this Friday for report cards. THEN he "didn't bring home" the note she told me on the phone to be looking for that would lay out all that he need to do to pass math (by today). I don't even know what to do anymore. We're laying out $100 a month for ADD medication and it's apparently not helping....just having side effects like headache and insomnia. We removed the computer from his room and are keeping him in there most of the time for the next week (which is a week of vacation from school for "Fall Break"). We don't have cable so it's not like he's watching too much TV.

I feel like I 'm missing something. What should I be doing that I've forgotten to do? I just don't believe that "beating him" is the answer, what's left? I can't afford to home school, I've got to find a job soon. I could just scream.

OH! and we missed the bus this morning for the first time. I woke up, looked at the clock and said, "Todd, what day is it?" He said, "Tuesday." (which is wrong but I was just checking if it was the weekend) Then I asked, "What time is it?" He said, "6:50." Then a second later he said, "oh man." I had five minutes to put on some clothes and meet the bus to let him know Josiah wouldn't be riding this morning. Todd took him to school. Josiah was a little confused and kept wanting to go over the schedule for this afternoon and tomorrow and the next day just to make sure this wasn't a new glitch in the schedule. Other than that, he was cool with it. He was the only cool thing.

It's still horribly hot around here. Todd said it's supposed to cool down tomorrow and I can't wait. Our air conditioner went out Monday night (not surprising since it was 110 on Sunday when we had guests going in and out). Our wonderful landlord had it fixed by Tuesday morning. Worth the extra money!!!

We're going for a walk today. There are gobs of little shops on the streets around us (we live in the "Old Town Keller" part of town) and we're going to check them out...finally. Since we don't have any money, we don't have to worry about buying stuff we don't need. It will be fun.

I'll post pictures of the party when I get back.