Friday, March 30

Last night L was upset about something in a "break my heart" way.  Something she wouldn't tell me was making her sad.  She wasn't even crabby, just sad.  There was a lot of texting going on between her and her friends.

So of course, as any responsible mother would do, I waited until she wasn't looking this morning and read her texts. And I learned what she was so upset about.

It seems the boy she's had a crush on is exactly what T and I feared: a hormonally charged, unscrupulous flirt.  His sister read his text messages and learned that he had convinced another girl to send him pictures of herself.  Beyond that, the girl basically offered herself to him in some form, and it seems he accepted.  Ugh.

I am unhappy for the boy, who is not bad as much as normal and rejecting the parameters of the Christian faith he has been brought up in.  There is nothing to rejoice in in that.  However it is a very happy moment for me, a very relieving moment in that L's infatuation with this boy, who could have been a terribly dangerous influence, is over.


Then on the heels of this sobering revelation, a fun thing that happened -- hmmm, I don't know if this is good or bad, but it was fun -- another boy came onto the scene.  I know I shouldn't be wishing another boy into L's heart; she's way too young for any of that.  But he made eye contact with her from across the room, then made his way over to talk.  This new boy named TJ, L and her friend were standing together talking when I walked into Palaestra to pick her up.  I could tell immediately that 1) he liked L, and 2) he is a nice boy.

So as much as I don't want another boy occupying L's heart, this does two things for us right now.  First, it will keep L from talking herself back into the other boy, and second, it will prove to her what I've been telling her all along:  a lot of boys are going to be attracted to her over the next 10 years; she can definitely afford to be picky.

I am full of praise to God for His great and wondrous work on our behalf!!!!

Having said that, I am sad for the first boy and his family.  I know his parents are strong believers, and I can only imagine are soaking this kid in prayer just as I have been L.  For that reason I have every confidence he will turn himself around eventually and become a good man of strong moral character.

On a lighter note, two other happy moments stand out today.  T called me and announced that he intended to go buy me a brand new Jeep Liberty tomorrow.  Apparently there are some great incentives out there from Jeep, but they expire at the end of March so tomorrow is the last day. 

We need to do something about getting a vehicle for B for the summer, which for her is the end of April when her college term ends.  So we've been considering the possibility of giving her my Grand Caravan and buying a new Liberty for me.  It's an extravagant solution to the problem.  Really, the conservative course would be simply to buy her a good, used car.  But T likes the idea of getting me a new car and giving her the Caravan because it puts a lot more metal around our questionable little driver than if we just got her a used Fiesta or Geo.  Sooooo, why not get her a used something else with more metal?  I dunno.  T has just seemed stuck on this idea that I need a new car and we should give B the Caravan.  That's all I know.  Who am I to argue?

Then he called me from his dinner and said his friends (customers...and friends.) all thought we would be crazy to buy a Liberty when for $3000 more we could have a Grand Cherokee, which has won all these awards and has a "Mercedes suspension," whatever that means.  Just all in all, an amazing car. 

Okay.  I'm easy.  I think the Liberty is cute as a button, but I'm not going to argue with a new Grand Cherokee either! 

Really, if we end up with a new Grand Cherokee, as fun as that would be for me to drive, I'm going to argue that T drive it and I'll drive his Durango.  And before you go thinking I'm all that altruistic, I'll tell you that I'm just not a car buff by any means.  As long as the car can get me where I need to be with everyone I need to haul seat-belted, I'm happy.  I'm even happier if it never gets stuck in the snow.  The Durango is the most amazing snow car ever invented, and T's is a pretty deep red color.  Plus it would make me look tough.  =)   So I'd be happy as a clam driving it. 

And the last fun thing that happened is that my sister, Becky, texted me that she has decided to embark on a four-year program to study to become a registered homeopath.  Wow!  I am so happy for her!  She has spent her entire married life doing her own personal research in one form of alternative medicine or another.  It is truly her passion!  So I am thrilled for her that she is going "official!"