Similarities and Differences

Blessed

Sunday, August 27

Fall is in the air. I just feel it.

I'm not ready to be a teacher for the next nine months. I miss my summer. It was so simple. Now, all of a sudden, I have the responsibility of planning lessons, grading homework, and playing bad cop. It's a lot of work.

Sundays are depressing because you have this dread of Monday. It's awful. I also have a ton of work to do in order to prepare for this week, and I had to get most of it done today or it wouldn't have gotten done.

We've only had three days of school, and I'm dying of stress. If I randomly stop writing this blog, it's because I've come to my senses and know I need to prioritize things over writing this.

Speaking of writing this, thank you to everyone who had taken the time to read this month's blog. I have never gotten this many views in one month, and it means a lot that people are willing to take the time to read what I have to say, even though this month has been absolutely crazy. It's just been a weird month.

Anyway, we went to church today at the elementary school. I explained to Uncle Mike, a pastor, that the church at this elementary school reminded me of my town in Alabama, and that I wanted to become a member at this smaller church. He seemed to understand. Also, Ava's new friend, Kaylen, goes there.

Ava was very upset with Kaylen on Friday night when she came home from school because apparently, Kaylen and Mackenzie, Kaylen's best friend, were going to have a sleepover without Ava.

Because of this, I told Ava that she could at least try to invite Kaylen over after church today, and it worked.

Kaylen's parents, Adrian and Jess, are great people. Last week, Adrian's sister, was in town, and she is looking for jobs up here. My cousin owns a bar, and needed a manager for the evening. Adrian's sister, Morgan, applied for the job, and Ronda hired her, but Morgan came to the conclusion that it just wasn't the right job for her. Morgan is looking for a job up here. We text daily.

Adrian and Jess suggested that we go out to lunch after church again. I don't like eating out a whole lot, besides on Friday nights because that's tradition, so this has been an expensive week. We went to a Mexican restaurant here in town.

After that, I invited all of them to our house. I guess I just feel weird not having the parents around if I still don't know them very well because if Ava wanted to go hang out at her friend's uncle's house, I wouldn't want her to just be alone with him. It sounds creepy. It's a price I have to pay for being a single male who is raising a girl. I hate it, but it is what it is.

Kaylen and Ava got along great today. Ava told me after they went home that she forgives Kaylen and Mackenzie because Kaylen wants to have her over for a sleepover soon, too.

Adrian and Jess are good people. I have enjoyed getting to know them a little over the last couple of weeks, too. They literally remind me of the kind of people you read about in books who are those best friends to everyone.

We're so blessed to have been able to meet these people.