And So It Continues...

Back in September, as some of you may remember, Joseph began "going out" with a girl.

Well, I thought I'd take a few moments and (finally) bring you all up to date on that situation...

One afternoon, the week before Halloween, Joseph climbed into the backseat of our car, buckled his seatbelt and said:

"Mom, it's over. 'A' broke up with me."

"Oh... are you upset?"

"Are you kidding?!" he said, as if I were insane for asking.

"I was pumpin' my fist in the air. Mom, she wanted me to spend all of my time with her. She didn't even want me to play four square at recess."

Needless to say, I was very glad to hear this.

You see, not only was the young lady making unreasonable demands of my eleven-year-old, but she'd also given him Axe "smell like a hunk of man candy" Body Spray for his birthday.

Hmmm...

Further, the girl was calling the house constantly.

In fact, one evening she called several times during dinner (we never answer the phone while we're eating), without leaving a message. When we'd finished our meal, she called yet again.

This time, Ryan picked up the phone, asked her if she'd been calling, and then very firmly requested that if no one answers, "please leave a message rather than calling back repeatedly."

The next day at school she was very upset-- telling Joseph that his dad had "yelled" at her.

Joseph's response: "He didn't yell at you; he just asked you to leave a message. It was kind of annoying that you didn't... "

Sooooo, I suspect Ryan's little rebuke may have played a role in the break up.

Anyhow, my boy -- once again, a free agent -- felt it was time to approach the girl he really liked-- 'N'.

But when I picked him up after school the next day, Joseph informed me that it wasn't going to work.

"Mom, " he said, in a pained voice, "'J' told me that A told N not to go out with me."

"Well, they are good friends."

"I'm just really, really mad at A. She's tryin' to control my whole life!"

And so for nearly a month my son pined away for the lovely N.

Until he stopped.

Sure, he continued talking with her at school, making her laugh whenever he could. But for the most part, he just enjoyed hangin' with his buds, playing four square, "dueling" his friends with his Yugioh cards.

Basically, just being a kid.

Which brings us to yesterday-- when everything changed.

Moments before the school's winter concert, N walked up to my son, flanked by several girlfriends, and with a shy smile said:

"I just want you to know that I like you."

This photo about sums it up:


Shortly after the concert, Joseph told me of this new development.

"Does this mean you two are 'going out'?" I asked.

"No... I'm just gonna flirt with her and stuff," Joseph said, sounding very, very pleased.

So now-- it really begins.