Lesson at Lunch

The other day, Juliana left her lunch at home.  Normally, I let it sit on the kitchen table or the counter.  This day, I brought it to her because she had tutoring after school, and well, my mommy-feel-bad meter was off the charts.  So I park the car, walk into the courtyard with about 150 other kids, and look for Juliana.  I see her sitting on a set of three stairs with two girls.

She runs up to me and thanks me for bringing her lunch.

I followed her back to the stairs, and it hit me who she was sitting with.  One is a girl she's been friends with since Kindergarten.  Never super close, but a girl who has always 'had her back'.  The other one........ a girl who has called Juliana a b**** numerous times, blamed Juliana for her fathers death, harasses her at every opportunity since 2nd grade, and more.  At first I was so frustrated that the millions of tears I've seen, and the multitude of conversations about, "STAY AWAY FROM HER" were ignored.

Then I realized, this girl is so lonely.  She's burned every bridge, and there's Juliana, filling a void for her.

When Juliana got home that day, I talked to her about allowing this girl to enter her life again.  She did not really have an answer for me as to why they're "hanging out" again.  It was then that I realized that the (excuse the language, but I'm saying it anyway for a lack of words right now) Bullsh** Meter I installed in Juliana is fully functioning.  She can occasionally detect crap being slung at her and move forward without a full on meltdown at home afterward.

Juliana is giving this girl another opportunity to feel welcome at school.  She's doing it with caution, yet allowing this girl to screw up, and make things better.  Nobody else has given this girl that chance.  Frankly, Juliana knows how it feels.  She's been the one this school year to screw up, and those she once called friends were sitting nowhere near those three stairs at lunch that day, or any day.

Whirlwind

Handsome little guy about to receive his First Communion.

Either catcher or second base during the games.  

Grampy, J, and Nana at Kev's b'ball game.

This past weekend defined "whirlwind".  Every grandparent was here, Grand (my mom) with her other half (aka Papa D), Grandpa (my dad), my stepmom, Nana & Grampy.  Plus we were able to see our fant-abulous friends from NY who were here for a wedding.  Add in First Communion, a baseball game, visiting time, Daddy's birthday, and more, and there's our whirlwind weekend.  It's almost the weekend again.  Juliana will be gone again, ALLLLL weekend.  I'll wake up on Mother's Day with one child, which I'm not overly excited about.  She'll be having fun, so I can't complain I suppose.  Looking forward to another spring weekend filled with a baseball game, Mother's Day, and Lord knows what else we'll do with only one kid in the house.  I'll let ya know.