High School

This past weekend, I celebrated my 10 year high school reunion. Not only is Westminster Christian Academy's mascot the same as the school in High School Musical (Go Wildcats!), but the environment was much the same. During our spirit week 10-14 years ago, kids were literally dancing and singing through the halls (just like the opening scene in HSM2!) At our reunion, the "kids" who put it together were right-on! They had old videos playing, yearbooks sprawled out on tables, our who's who list, and tons of old pictures... oh, and a lot of alcohol. I never thought I would celebrate my high school days with such excitement. I thought the only way to re live those days was via Disney's phenomenon. But after my high school reunion, I realized I had it even better than Troy, Gabriella, Sharpay, Ryan, Chad, and the whole gang... my high school was real.

Working Girls

Friday was the last day of my official 1st week in my new position at CTA,inc. (Christian Tools of Affirmation) It was a great week and the company did a wonderful job of making me feel welcomed and immediately at home. The HR department scheduled lunch for me every day with a different department within the comany, so I got to know a lot of people really fast. I'm a COMPLETE extrovert, so taking my lunch hour to be with a lot of people would seem to energize me. However, I think I met my match. After being home all summer, I think my mind has slowed down a little bit (Really, it's a good thing!) I found myself missing my life of laundry and dirty fingerprints. God has provided a WONDERFUL position within a WONDERFUL company, so I'm not complaining... but there was a twinge of longing to be with my little buzz-haired angel. He was busy at friends homes all week. Since school has not officially started, Jonny was able to bop around and live with various family friends -- he had a BLAST! I think the transition didn't feel too harsh for him, although he did wake up a couple of nights with nightmares of being all alone, not being able to find Jon nor me. ENTER: Guilty Mom Syndrome. I've had it ever since Jonny was born. But I feel that God has stretched and kneaded my heart a lot this summer regarding this very topic. I'd like to think Jonny's dreams mean he's having a hard time letting go of me, but I have a feeling my intrepretation of Jonny's words and actions are more indicative of me having a tough time letting go of him. What makes me think this? Oh, maybe the dry-run carpool I had us run yesterday in the school's parking lot, or the obsession with choosing and ordering his backpack, or the numerous emails I've sent to his new school requesting different bits of information they've assured me is "on it's way, Mrs. Bowman..."

Speaking of working women, a friend of mine, Diane Reeves is launching her career. Diane will be repping the wonderful world of Mary Kay... I purchased a few lip glosses and have been VERY impressed with the quality of the product (and of course the wonderufl service I've received from Diane!!) Shoot her an email if you need anything or would like to request a catalog... Mary Kay has evolved into a full skin-care line, one that I really like for its convenience: dianereeves@charter.net

Check out the CTA website as well and step into my cubical at work... since I've only been there a week, I'll go into more details about my CTA charge in subsequent blogs. Blessings, readers!

Good Bye, Preschool

Jonny and I leaving his wonderful Pre school at St. Charles Community College.  He will be heading to Central Christian School for junior kindergarten this fall!

 

Sharks and Alligators

The other two B's and I are getting ready to head down to Florida. Jonny and I get down to visit my parents (in Baldwin Park, Orlando) and the beach I grew up loving (New Symrna) about every 3 months.

I know we'll end up living in Florida at some point, but the timing has just not been right (although Jon fielded an interesting offer from a small university in Daytona Beach just last month...)



I have a few things I'd like to do while we're there:
Get a haircut, Draw up plans for a backyard tree house with my Dad and Jon Sr, Take Jonny out on the tennis court with a child-size racket, Shop at the outlet malls with Mom, and do all the other typical stuff: Beach, Bike, Swim, Sun, etc.

The funny thing about "my Florida" is the number of questionable animals that lurk around our retreat. I grew up visiting my grandparents on Lake Berry. My brother and I learned to water ski, sail, and canoe in one of central Florida's typical alligator lakes. (I even took some of my first swimming lessons in Lake Berry!) Alligators lived and raised their families on the lakes just as human beings. There is even a spot on the lake we called "Alligator Alley" and we'd cry if someone would fall off their water skies near that stretch of the lake. The strangest thing? It never phased us!! When Jonny was an infant, I told my grandmother that I would never take him out on that lake... and yet I take him out every chance I get! I want him to experience sailing, canoeing, and swimming with an over sized life jacket swallowing his little head. I want him to catch minnows and avoid fire ants on the beach. The authorities say that Central Florida's alligator problem is well under control... and I'd rather encourage Jonny to experience life than make him sit on Grandma's back porch while the alligators get to have all the fun!

My Neighborhood

This past Tuesday, my friend Val, my son Jonny, and I were driving in our neighborhood. One of my neighbors (who lives a couple of blocks away) was out with his pet Albino Bermese Python. Apparently these snakes need to be "walked" once a week in order to not become cranky. I'm glad they were fulfilling their ritual because I would not want a cranky python in our neighborhood? You?