New stuff: I moved back to Talent (into a different apartment complex) on April 19th. Things had become unbearable and I had to get out as quickly as possible. My new place is a 2 bdrm, 2 bath upstairs apartment with a small balcony and vaulted ceilings. By signing a year lease, I managed to save $85/month. The complex has a clubhouse with a theater room, workout room (much bigger/better than my old apartment's!), a tennis court, a basketball court, and putting green. Pets are allowed with a $300 deposit, and we'll maybe look into getting a dog after we get settled & finances balance out again.

Seth was a huge help in the move & even let me stay with him & his fiance the weekend prior to my move so I wouldn't have to deal with my roommate. Unfortunately, this kindness was short-lived and he is back to feeling entitled to telling me how to parent because he helped me. Grrrr!!!

As far as Tyson goes, we have continued to work on our relationship & I'm seeing a lot of progress! We're focusing on getting his grades back up by turning in missing assignments in math & he's working on being more respectful toward me & not being so quick to roll his eyes in exasperation. More than anything, we are both communicating our needs more and spending more one-on-one time together. We are also planning on going to church more often, beginning this Sunday.

SOU is going great - up to this point, I've just barely stayed on top of all my assignments because I've been living in turmoil, but I'm feeling better about planning & studying now that I have fewer distractions. I've still been going in a million different directions & moving during midterms didn't help. I applied for a program SOU offers that will help prepare me for grad school & help me get it paid for (I have the Ford Scholarship, but it only pays 80% toward grad school, so if I can get 100%, why not?). I'm considering doing an interdisciplinary degree in Sociology/Psychology, with a focus on gerontology and either a double major or a minor in Journalism. I'm meeting with the Psych advisor on Monday to discuss this upon the suggestion of my Soc advisor. Planning my future is exhausting work, but I'm pretty confident the payoff will be well worth it.

Oh, before I end this post to get some much-needed rest, an update for Tyson's basketball fans: We are 1:1 so far this season. Tyson continues to be a self-motivated team leader but has had to share the spotlight with his friend, Eddy, who has joined his team. Eddy's a very talented player who has a big height advantage. The experience has been somewhat difficult for Tyson to adjust to, but he respects Eddy & knows that he is a huge asset for the team, which is what is important in the long run.

Well, life hasn't been easy lately, but it could be worse. The living situation with my roomie hasn't gotten any better. We haven't yelled at eachother in a while, but that's only because we don't talk at all. Needless to say, I spend more time looking for a new place online and driving between Ashland and Medford looking than I do anything else. I think I'm getting closer, though, and I'm trying to be out by May 1st.

Tyson and I both have been making an effort to bond more and spat less. I can't call it fighting because it's not like that; it's more us getting annoyed and frustrated with each other, mostly him with me. I should mention, if I haven't previously, that Seth has been a big help with the whole situation with Tyson and has been very supportive of me, by telling me what a great mom he thinks I am or trying to make Tyson see my side as well as offering to have Tyson come over whenever he wants. We've come a long way! Tyson and I went to the movies last night and saw "Date Night," which was great! He started his new season of basketball a couple weeks ago & games begin this weekend. I actually miss the games in between seasons...!

My niece, Mary, and I hung out last weekend & did a photo shoot in Ashland's Railroad District about a mile from where I live. After the photo shoot, we went to lunch at The Creek, a cool little reggae dive which we've been to a few times now. And, hey, HAPPY 21ST BIRTHDAY, MARY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here's our photo shoot, as well as some pics I entered into the SOU photo contest of the campus, so you can see where I go to school now:

Mary's 21st Photo Shoot

Happy 14th Birthday, Tyson!