So yes, we are moments away from going to find some Indian Food. We are initiating Charlie into the world of pakoras, tikka masalas and the most stellar waitstaff known to man. My tummy is growling just thinking about naan bread. mmmm....

This afternoon was a bit..um..well, not good. A little bit of a huff from Emma regarding playing independently in her room. Lately she's taken to just laying in her bed and looking at her pony chapter books the whole time she's supposed to be playing on her own. Her SE workers say "no no no - independent imaginary eye-hand play is what we're after.."

So today when it was time for her to go play, she went in search of her books. We told her we put them up for now in a safe place, and that she could have them later. She looked at me like I had grown two heads. She didnt say a word but just stood there at the top of the stairs looking at me like she was going to faint.

But now she's been in there for a while happily singing and talking and make-believing all sorts of things.

Then the afternoon went to hell in a handbasket. Daniel had not come home from school yet and it was already 4:10. School gets out at 2:45. I drove around for a bit, saw a few of his friends, but they didn't know anything. I came home to get Katie and she level-headedly talked to said friends again, knocking on doors, and trying to see when the last time anyone had seen him.

Finally at 4:45 he calls and says he's at so-and-so's house, and is just completely non-chalant about it. This has happened a couple of times before and he knows I start freaking out. All the panic I had when Katie ran away comes flooding back and there is just no stopping it.

We drove to where he was and picked him up and umm...we talked. Suffice to say the tone was firm and boundaries were made crystal clear---again. He'll not be going anywhere other than school anytime soon, thankyouverymuch.

What is it about children that they just don't get it until it is forced down their throat with a shoehorn? I hate making his life miserable and coming down hard on him...but you all know I am the queen of "they won't change till you make them". If there is no motivation for someone to change, they won't. Period. I'm just such a softy when it comes to Daniel. Feh.

Mark was off all day today but is suffering with a sinus headache, so he's been either in bed or on the couch for a large part of the day. I was looking forward to studying a bit in silent alone-ness, but obviously that couldn't occur, as I'm on parental-stand-in duty. Well, tomorrow everyone will be gone all day at work and school. I plan to revise revise revise till my eyes bleed. (hey, if I revise enough I'll know exactly what to do if someone's eyes bleed).

Off to the Taj. Hope you all are eating something equally as yummy.