Barbecues, Family and Finding a Routine

When the boy gets up, he's not a happy boy.  In fact he has explained to me that the boy that gets up really is not him, it is another person.  Cybil?  Having to wake up this morning at 6am for this all day practice for football (of which I am still not doing a good job of refraining from commentary) was a joy.  We have gotten into the habit of just sending the dogs in while we peer around the door for our own safety.  He ensured us that he is now in school mode and ready for the early wake up calls.  I know it is going to be a challenge for him, cuz he settled in pretty quickly and after day 3, he was making it until almost 11am everyday.  Oh, to be a teenager again.  I want to make it to daylight, or past 6am at least........

He got to meet da Hubs family yesterday and aside from being a blond 6'4" Russian, you would never know he is not blood family.  He found out that he loves real grilled hamburgers and yellow mustard of all things.  My nieces and nephews took to him immediately, they are happy to have a new cousin in their lives.  It actually warmed my heart to see their little eyes crane back to see up to their very, very tall cousin.

I am having a bit of a hard time dealing with school starting tomorrow. I have grown so accustomed to having him around, and I know it will be fleeting glimpses at feeding, or when I am down the basement running.  I know why his mom misses him so much, he really is such a good kid.  We had our breakfast tea and pancakes this morning, sitting at the breakfast bar, looking up words to translate, and he even pulled up and played the Soviet Union National Anthem for me.  Nothing like a little Stalin to start your day off right.