A long day

These pictures are from Easter 1995 (I think).  The boys loved target shooting with Jim (I, of course, was less thrilled with this past-time after Thanksgiving 2001).  The first picture is Son #1, then Son #2 and then back to Son #1 and the target.

Son #2 asked me on this last trip to Oklahoma if they could go out and shoot.  I said no.  Then I told him to ask his uncles, but I think he forgot.  I told them that was probably an activity that was now in the "before".  They seemed OK with that.  I'm not sure how many more times we'll be there now.  My mother-in-law has stopped making any progress.  In fact, she's gone backwards a bit.  I'm sure she's tired and frustrated and depressed.  She doesn't feel like she's going to come out of this.  I think she's ready to go be with Jim.  And I certainly can't blame her.

     Today was a long day.  I went to my first funeral in the "after".  I wasn't as stoic as I thought I would be, but I wasn't a basket case, either.  It was sad.  Very sad.  I was sad for his wife and my friends.  And I was sad for me.  It's weird, but that 10:00 funeral seems like it was days ago. 

     I bought plane tickets today for Son #2 and me for Registration Day in August.  We sent all of the paperwork and the deposit in this weekend.  It's a huge weight off of me.  And, crazy as it sounds, Son #2 seems to actually be looking forward to going.  I signed him up for Jr. Officers Training and he liked that.

  Now if we can just get him to pass 9th grade so that he doesn't have to re-do that grade there. He claims that doesn't bother him but I can't believe that.  There's no way he wants to be known as "Jethro" ---- ummm, I mean, a 16 year old freshman.  All he has to do is turn in his homework and there's no way he can fail.  But that would mean he'd have to do his homework. Sigh.

     Son #1 is killing me with his "college project" for economics.  He has a notebook with pictures and everything.  He's planning on spending lots and lots of money (this is supposedly all make-believe) on clothes (a cashmere topcoat??!! and argyle sweaters).  At least he gave up on the $400 Italian blazer, though that seemed to be a hard decision.  

He came up with a list of decorations for his dorm room (a bonsai tree?).  He also wants 400 thread Egyptian cotton sheets.  He added a 32 inch LCD flat screen TV.  He has an infra-red oven, a Magic Bullet and a fridge.  Oh, and a down comforter (and, a Harry Potter blanket?).

He had to come up with a hypothetical "gift list" for Christmas.  Daughter #3 gets a $90 leather coat.  I, the woman who went through 16 hours of labor, gets an automatic pet feeder.  Yep, you read that right.  A. Pet. Feeder.  I am more underwhelmed than I can say. 

I guess I shouldn't complain too much -- Daughter #2 got a $20 clock. 

At least the pet feeder is $50. 

Sigh --- again.