Sorry I haven't checked in, this week, but I've been sick since Sunday afternoon with some type of illness, so this will be brief. It's had the fever and malaise of the flu, but the aches and sore throat of only a cold........and, oddly, the raging appetite of a third trimester pregnancy. I guess if the flu and a cold had a baby, it would be what I've had. A flold. It's just been weird. I've never had anything like this before, where I've felt so awful but, at the same time, couldn't think of anything except how bad I wanted tacos, Cheetos, lasagna, and fudgecicles.

I'm feeling better today, which is good, because, well, I was starting to put on weight lying in bed with this unappeasable appetite but, mostly, because Friday is Carson's senior night for basketball and, aside from starting some type of deadly, sweeping epidemic of the flold virus, I wouldn't miss that for anything. Blair and John Samuel are coming and so it will be a good weekend.

I can't believe his senior year is more than half over and I'm trying so hard to document everything he's doing. It's becoming increasingly apparent how difficult it is to record a teenage boy's life through pictures. They'd rather have their molars pulled with no anesthetic than pose for a picture. As a matter of fact, even the suggestion of it to a group of teenage guys produces the similar agonizing sounds as molar removal. Come to think of it, it takes about as long, too, hampered by all the protests.

It was so different with Blair and her friends. Girls are all too eager to pose for pictures. You just told them where to stand and they'd run there with the speed of a gazelle. Then, they'd find mirrors to check the hair and apply fresh lipstick, shrieking with excitement as they'd line up. The only problem with them is that everyone in the group has to sign off on the picture as photos must be flattering of everyone in girl world. It's an unspoken pact. Because of this contract, unanimous agreement on a picture could take 5 or 6 takes. So, going from a daughter experience to a son is proving to be a challenge as I try to gather a respectable amount of pictorial memories for him.

This past weekend, Carson and a couple of guys went to Mississippi State on their own for a basketball game. Our sweet friends had given us tickets and I thought it would be something worth noting for my senior year record keeping. So, all I asked was that they take a quick picture of themselves while they were there. One picture. Very discreetly. Nothing posed. Nothing fancy.

After a gentle reminder text, I received what resembled a gang recruitment poster for Death's Angels............or possibly a resume photo for the casting of an overnight laxative commercial.  Either way, they looked pained with some homicidal undertones. I will have it printed and add it to the others in my modest but hard earned stack. I just wanted to share that the struggle is real for teen boy moms behind the camera.

Let's meet, next week, and talk more.

Y'all have a good weekend........and use that hand sanitizer!

Or just stay home.

It's awfully germy out there.