We have a...little problem with our engine sequence, so we may experience some slight turbulence and then...explode.

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Some belated Sea World weekend pics

My big girl, pleased as punch with the hotel and all the flowers!



Bean and Miss O, exploring the Hyatt grounds



Bean and her friends, swinging



Love for the Clydesdale statue



Mommy, looking like a spaz, and kiddos



Bean!



Bean plays Guitar Hero

Thanks so much for the empathy, feedback and well-wishes here and elsewhere. This situation with Bean is so hard; I don't think her dad really "gets" it, as I've asked him to grab lunch Monday so we can talk and got the "I'm busy, can't we just talk on the phone?" response. To me, this isn't an 'on the phone' thing - this is her dad and her mom sitting down and really dealing with what's going on with no distractions. No sitting on the Crackberry or doing anything else. And frankly, after all the parenting-by-committee and forwarding all my emails that went on with the lovely Voldemort, I don't trust him to just be talking to *me* unless we're face-to-face. Does that make me sound bitchy? I don't mean it that way, I just want to be sure it's Dave I'm talking to, not a joint email.

This feels like one of those crossroads, where I'm being given a clear sign that Bean needs both her parents to make some changes, get her into the therapies she needs and have a 'come to Jesus' meeting of the minds where we brainstorm and fix this. Not just bandage it - really understand what is going on and what we need to do to help her. It may be something that takes her a while to really get through, but as parents, we should be working our asses off to understand what is going on and start helping her work through it.
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I'm not soothing? I can be soothing. I could soothe your ass off, pal.

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I have some thoughts that will be shared *privately*, but let me just say that sometimes, I feel like kicking people in the shin. Hard.

Two days from now I'll be chilling, poolside, in the balmy Sarasota and enjoying a beer with my BFF. I cannot wait. I haven't seen her in almost 10 years, and it's a long overdue visit. I'll be down there for my 20th high school reunion - oddly enough, from the school I left after 10th grade. But Pine View is a kind of special case, where most of us were there from 4th-10th, so my leaving my junior year isn't the same as if I had only known them two years, yanno?

I'm really looking forward to seeing my old classmates; I'm looking forward, too, to time spent with Kelly and Kerri, to being in my old stomping grounds, to seeing my sister, to the sunsets and sand and emotional recharge of Siesta Beach ... And hopefully to not burning to a crisp when I go to the beach on Friday. I think it's been just shy of a gazillion years since I've been to a beach. Actually, it's only been since I was on a cruise about 5-6 years ago, but still. I'm fairly certain there are vast tracts of skin that have forgotten, entirely, what the sun is.

I'm also looking forward to getting my iPhone at work tomorrow. My poor boss - it was supposed to be for when I was there 90 days, but I'm going on vacation after being there two months :) So my punishment is an iPhone; that way I can do work when I have some free time. Because I'll have sooo much of that. I figure it'll be great for airport time.

And I'll have a QWERTY keyboard!! Yay!! Do you have any idea how hard it is to text on the old Razr I have? It's so sad.

Actually, I'm a little stressed about taking the time while I have so damn many balls in the air, but it is what it is. I'll bring my laptop and the new phone and maybe be able to stay on top of a few things. Sort of.

And, since it's way overdue, a couple pics of the girls.

And yes, she is out cold


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