#rb this i need positive reinforcement

[sigskk]

him <3

[whitehartlane]

okay i missed the game so i would love to know what u thought of archie (have only heard good things!) and lucas and ALSO excruciating detail about the Deki Renaissance

hellooooo gormlaith!!! obviously disclaimer that this was a preseason friendly against hearts (and their bench in the second half) and in no way an indicator for how and where we’re going to use certain youth or younger players in the upcoming season but it was rly promising!

archie originally played more as a defensive midfielder for leeds before filling in at right back for them last season and today he was asked to play centreback (for the first time in his career i think!). i was super impressed by the way he slot right in like he’s been playing in this position at this level for years. he timed his tackles very well, had a couple of clearances, won all his ground and aerial duels. committed 0 fouls! and what i rly liked seeing is how he got himself involved in the attack, he had a couple of passes into the final third (interested to see how he profiles against biss here who favours a progressive carry) and wasn’t afraid to push up high on the pitch. looks very comfortable on the ball. i do think he’ll end up playing rb or the 6/8 in our system but i didn’t mind him playing at the back today to get used to the intense way of how we play. super encouraging!

lucas is a little more raw imo which is understandable considering he’s made the jump from the swedish league to a pl team at only 18. he was a bit sloppy the first 10-15 mins he played and i think that’s due to the role he played at his old club where he had the agency to play in a more free creative role. however he settled into the game rly well and made a lot of creative forward thinking passes (and of course bagged assists!). i liked seeing him with alfie devine who had a rly underrated game. something that impressed me with lucas is his read of the game and the urgency with which he plays it. there’s this moment where he dictated play from deep which reminded me of madders. another thing is that he made a few outside of the boot passes, i’m interested to see how that translates to the pl. he was also directing other players where to position themselves and assuming that responsibility!

as for this deki remontada … i mentioned this in a post i made but i rly like the idea of deki and madders playing together in midfield. i’ve always been a deki sympathiser since i think he brings a lot to the team that we don’t have in that forward line (retaining and recycling possession mostly) even if his performances can be inconsistent. we did try the deki/madders experiment last season towards the end but it didn’t come off the way i wanted it to; i suspect bc deki was knackered and low on confidence and madders was coming back from injury. i rly liked it yesterday though! if you remember the beginning of last season we’d see madders drop as low as biss to receive the ball from the centrebacks and dictate play from deep. i have to rewatch the game in order to give any proper insight but going off memory alone we had madders dropping a little deeper and deki playing in a more advanced role (his fav role also) and pushing up onto the wing as well when necessary. i thought it worked quite well even if his cutbacks into the final third didn’t come off as well as he wanted to, but it’s preseason and the idea is there. it allows a bit more dynamism in midfield and a lot more attacking options as we saw for the first half goal (which was a pass from madders to deki at the edge of the box, backheel from deki back into madders and short cross into bren who scored). it’s not something i think we can equip against all pl teams especially if we have less possession of the ball but it’s a good option to have if we shore up defensively and are potentially chasing a goal or something. we def need reinforcements in the front line tho, a winger wouldn’t be bad 😭

you didn’t ask this but i thought i’d mention that the academy lads put in a proper shift! rly nice seeing them all gelling so quick (huge credit to wayne burnett and the rest of the academy coaches!). pretty much all of the kids had a good performance yesterday. ones for you to keep an eye on are tyrese hall, mikey moore, jamie donley, and will lankshear. there’s a few more but these are some of the ones i’ve been repping for a bit 🥰

[thommi-tomate]

Holger Badstuber column

Hello football fans!

The first title of the new season has already been awarded - and the winner is not FC Bayern München. In the 3-0 Super Cup defeat against RB Leipzig, everyone saw that FCB are still missing elements. It was not only a setback before the start of the Bundesliga next Friday, but an alarming setback.

When you concede such a clear defeat in your own stadium, you must - as bitter as this realization is for coach Thomas Tuchel - go back to the basics first. And that means: defend, defend, defend and all together! For a long time now, Bayern's defensive work has looked increasingly sloppy, not carried out with the utmost consistency, and even sloppy at times. That includes the whole team, everyone has to do their part! After a rather disappointing season, FC Bayern are under even more pressure.

That's why I would advise them not to set the treble as their goal for the season. Winning the Champions League would be free skating, the focus should be on domestic titles.

Harry Kane as FC Bayern's ace?

With Harry Kane, FC Bayern has a real asset. He is an asset for the Bundesliga, which has to fight against the reputation of becoming a training league for England and Spain - and of course for the club itself. An undisputed number nine like Kane has been missing since the departure of Robert Lewandowski.

There is no doubt about his quality. He knows how to set up, score goals, of course, and he will fit in well because he is world class. When I think that Bayern are going to pay Tottenham over €100 million for a 30-year-old, I can only shake my head, it's crazy, but when I look at the current transfer market, the sums have shot up all over the place.

Kane is now the big hit, the king of signings, and I am also convinced that it will pay off. However, I also raise my finger in warning, remind them of the vacuum after Lewy and call on those in charge not to let the opportunity slip this time to find a suitable successor in time. It must be ready in three to four years: preparatory work must begin now.

Defensive midfield needs strengthening

Kane is important, but the biggest construction site in the Bayern squad still exists. The width is definitely high quality. But: The six-man position in the defensive midfield is not defined clearly enough.

A true six-man is physically strong, tall, plays simply, wins duels, wins balls and is there when things are on fire. He takes "dirty" runs that others would be too shy for. I don't see Kimmich, Laimer, Goretzka or Gravenberch in this role. I'm thinking more of a player type like Casemiro, Rodri or a Busquets in top form. Or even someone like Javi Martinez in 2012/13 at Bayern. If this building site is not closed, there could be further problems. Even if Benjamin Pavard leaves or if there really is uncertainty at the goalkeeper position, reinforcements will be needed.

What I would also like to see in terms of commitment is that ALL the values that FC Bayern have always stood for with their irrepressible winning mentality are also lived with conviction, that they embody them outwardly.

That would not only increase the chances of winning titles, but would also have the nice side effect of making the whole club a little more united again.

With this in mind: See you soon!

Source

[primamchorus]

i was gonna add probably too much commentary in the tags on that last rb. just musings and stuff...

but that moment sticks with me a LOT from episode prompto. especially when the ova shows us that prompto does well with positive reinforcement. there are a lot of moments where prompto shies away from conflict and making things worse -- mostly because we learn that he wants to keep the people he cares about the most in his life.

i do think that moment with aranea is the equivalent of the double negative interaction indication in the sims. sdkjfsdf

but...i keep that moment in the game with me, especially as a point of juxtaposition between aranea's tough love shtick that prompto probably DOES need to hear! versus primam's tender concern and reassurance of him only ever needing to be who he was to have earned everyone's trust and friendship.

[staysuki]

Hello hi!! Your smaus are one of my favorites and I have a terrible habit of binging them and forgetting to react in a reblog BUT I did it this time with the latest hyunjin one so I’m v excited! I’m caught up and it’s all escalating as hyunjin gets deeper into his feelings but y/n is just kinda absorbing information…I saw that you’ve been feeling a bit down and unmotivated and I hope you’re taking any and all the rest you need!! It makes me so happy that writing makes you happy but also there’s no pressure to do something you don’t have any energy for. I’m with you when it comes to feeling down recently so rest up well and self indulge for your benefit. Thank you for writing as much as you do but also thanks for just creating fun original stories for us to read. Wishing you well!!

thank you sm for deciding to drop by! i always enjoy reading feedback so this is v v much appreciated ~ 🤍

hyunjin and y/n are def like magnets rn, except they're not opposites so they just deflect off of each other. i luv idiots to lovers 💓

and that's v v sweet! writing is def a way for me to destress, esp. when it gives me so much serotonin whenever i see asks and RBs so it's kinda like positive reinforcement u see. thank you again! 🫶 hope ur doing well too

[the-human-sharpie]

More ADHD Mondo headcanons from an ADHD person bc it’s fun

Anything lavender scented? Incredible

Part of the reason he doesn’t wear a helmet aside from the pompadour and the Tough Guy™️ act is that the texture on the inside of the helmet just Does Not Sit Right with him

Also the crunchy noises it makes against his hair (when it’s down ofc, I can’t fathom how you could fit the pompadour inside of the helmet) are Not It and can lead to him having a sensory overload (0/10, would not recommend having one)

He takes out some anger on chewelry bc sometimes you just need to bite something to relieve stress and emotions

He actually really likes the chewelry bc he thinks it looks kinda cool (I can’t find the image of that one diamond shaped pendant one— I’ll rb with it later if I happen to stumble across it— but yeah that’s the one)

May have briefly hyperfixated on pop culture from the 1950’s bc look at his hair it’s literally

Fun fact this particular style of pompadour was legitimately called an Elephant Trunk Pompadour

He listens to literally any music that plays

If he doesn’t like it, he’ll try to tune it out or just kinda scratch his head bc you know how it Makes A Good Noise yeah

So he doesn’t have to hear that music

If he likes the music he hears

It Is Going On Repeat

Poor guy probably represses stims in public or in general bc Tough Guy™️ act

Bc of emotional dysregulation, he got written up a lot as a little kid bc he had “violent outbursts” (@ hypothetical elementary school staff & teachers, literally that’s,, that’s a symptom of adhd maybe try positive reinforcement instead of You Are A Bad Child)

He!! Is!! So!! Smart!!

The school environment just isn’t providing the right stimuli and accommodations (yet👀)

Study buddies w Taka

His grades improved significantly bc he finally had a study partner who could explain the material in a manner that makes sense to his thought process

Feel free to add on if you’d like!! These were the only ones that I could put into words in a somewhat coherent manner:)

[heliianth]

i chose to comment on his golden retriever vibes instead of saying how his voice sounds in this one everyone thank me for being normal

what kind of energy did dream have in this vod like it was so ??? 

[holdmyhopeinyourhands]

If Messi Leaves Barca

There aren't many teams that will be able to afford him. If he does decide to go to the premier league for example, chelsea won't get him. They have already spent a lot on this transfer window. There is no way he goes to united (ronaldo's old club) it'll mess with his legacy. Arsenal can't afford him, same goes for Tottenham. Liverpool don't really need him, so City is his best option. With Pep there he might actually give it a shot.

For the Serie A I guess Inter would be the team to chose. But joining the team that is consistantly losing to juventus (even if Juventus has a bigger budget etc etc) will make fans underrate him and say Ronaldo kept beating him. Now you can say that Inter only lost to juve by one point this season, but this was both covid season and we all know that Juventus will reinforce their team this transfer window like they always do and since they are more well of than Inter.....

He could also come to psg (what a dream that would be) but again why would he. Sure we could use him, but currently Neymar is playing in that position and also we barely managed to escape ffp last time, getting messi would stop us from reinforcing the positions we desperately need. Like get an actual 6 for once! (Haven't REPLACED motta in 5 years) and find a great rb and a decent box to box midfield that can substitute and do the same work as Verratti. So I guess we are a no too.

So, City it is I guess. Unless Messi want to go to Bayern (don't need him) or Dortmund (can't afford him)

[thommi-tomate]

Holger Badstuber column

Hello, football fans!

It's time again for emotion, passion and enthusiasm. That is what I have always associated with the Bundesliga. As a professional with FC Bayern, FC Schalke 04 and VfB Stuttgart, it was a constant up and down for me, it never got boring.

Before the first matchday, the adrenaline was particularly high, with the hard weeks of preparation in my bones, the goals in my head and the will in my heart to show everyone. Even now, after ending my career as an active player, I can feel the tingle when it starts again, and I enjoy the speculation about the strength of the teams, the course of the season and the spectacle.

Will FC Bayern be champion again? The new Bundesliga season promises excitement in any case. Here are five theses:

Big showdown: championship decision only at the end

The thrill of the last matchday of last season showed that FC Bayern is no longer completely untouchable. Even the record champion will have to stretch to win the trophy again. This season, the title fight promises to be tough.

With Harry Kane, FC Bayern has brought a new goal machine into the team, but he alone will not be enough. The coordination within the team must first be found in order to use him properly. The competition could use this time to get used to the new player.

RB Leipzig is already pushing forward impatiently, showing itself tenacious and hungry for goals. The victory in the Supercup could be a harbinger of what awaits us: Bayern chasers on the march! Bayer Leverkusen, without the pressure of being favorites, enters with a strengthened squad (Granit Xhaka!) and the valuable input of coach Xabi Alonso. That has potential. Borussia Dortmund will also attack again, even though I tend to believe that they will neither finish first nor second.

FC Bayern: More than 25 goals conceded without new "six"

It's an old adage, but for me as a former defender it's like a mantra: defense wins titles. For a long time now, however, defensive work at FC Bayern has seemed neglected, even sloppy at times. That's where everyone in the team is called upon! There is also a major construction site in the squad with a missing "Holding Six". Someone is needed who is physically strong, tall, plays simply, wins duels and wins balls when things get dicey. Someone like Javí Martínez in 2013.

However, as it will be difficult to find a top-class player in this position, this weak point will continue to cause problems and thus goals conceded. The last time there were fewer than 25 goals conceded was in 2017 (22). However, the aspiration should go there, even if the championship title was always achieved in the end.

Union takes the next step

I've never made any secret of the fact that the "Eisernen"(Die eisernen/the iron ones/iron Union It is the nickname of the Union Berlin) fascinate me. Because the club combines many things for which I feel great sympathy: unity, humility, hard work and standing together for success. Everyone in the club supports the team - and they give it back on the pitch, whipped up by positive-minded fans who go all out. Union is a real unit.

Now they've made big moves in the transfer market, landing experienced players like Kevin Volland and Robin Gosens. These reinforcements could even help Union make a splash internationally. The club is on the upswing, which could carry it far up the Bundesliga as well. Establishing itself in the top third of the Bundesliga would be the next step in its development. The conditions for this could not be better.

Problem child "Effzeh" (Köln): relegation fight instead of midfield

Coach Steffen Baumgart is entering his third year at 1. FC Köln - so far, he has always managed to overcome periods of weakness with his intense style of play. However, high pressing, demanding duels and an extraordinary willingness to run take their toll. I see the danger of wear and tear, especially since the departure of Ellyes Skhiri to Frankfurt weighs heavily.

Thus, a year is shaping up in which power football may no longer be effectively implemented without the centerpiece. In addition, there are few new faces in the squad that could bring a breath of fresh air to the team. While the competition has upgraded in the transfer market, Cologne seems to have stagnated. If the Cologne coach does not consider a Plan B, the "Effzeh" will slip.

VfB Stuttgart remains a surprise package

What I experienced at VfB Stuttgart from 2017 to 2021 was like a roller coaster ride. It was wild, it went up and down. For me as a player, but above all for the club. Most recently, however, VfB Stuttgart finally looked solid again under Sebastian Hoeneß after turbulent years - with a stable axis and a clear concept. But now, with the departure of Wataru Endo, one of the mainstays of the team has been lost. If Dinos Mavropanos or Borna Sosa were to leave the club, that would be a fatal mistake.

With the transfer window about to close, it's hard for me to imagine that adequate replacements will be found quickly. With Endo, Mavropanos and Sosa, I would have predicted a stable season for VfB. So it will probably be rather tight again.

Source

[throughthewwods]

100 Days of Productivity

Day 29

✨Got my house functionally clean for the upcoming week.

Main victory was the kitchen, which was 😬

✍️ Added a bit to my drawing

📚 Wrote my biopsychosocial model reflection paper

🍪 Got my kid’s friend into Girl Scouts, so that’ll be fun for them to share

🐕 Bribed my dog with peanut butter to let me brush him

👩‍🔬 helped Kiddo with her dissolvable substances science experiment

Realized I need to work more with her on science lingo so it doesn’t become unintelligible, thus boring. You know, there’s this push to get girls into STEM, which feels like insincere social engineering when my daughter parrots she loves science like the public school nudges them to, but they kids aren’t being helped to truly understand ‘science’ as more than a catchphrase. My kid is lucky she has a parent who understands enough to fill in the gaps, but many don’t. I observe this weighing on her self esteem: to be conditioned to believe she likes a subject and have it integrated into her identity then one day feel like a deer in the headlights aware she doesn’t understand and if she likes science then why is she bad at it? I must be stupid compared to other girls” it’s frustrating because the truth is I don’t think my kid is destined to be a scientist. She’s a bubbly extrovert who I can only hope doesn’t become a cheerleader, but I don’t want her to integrate the false belief she’s ‘not smart enough’ to understand/enjoy scientific concepts all because she is unknowingly a part of a poorly executed social experiment.

Truly, my greatest accomplishment yesterday I was not eating my young heh.. 😬

so over this being sneaky/lying bs constantly stressing me out with new problems I have to solve.

Anyway....Saturday was mostly ok.

RB and I drew together for a bit while the kids gabbed giddily about Bob The Pig in their Mindcradt World they’d been diligently sculpting. Him beginning to sketch (his own inner work to sustain his creativity despite Covid malaise) inspired me to grab my own sketchbook. (An impulse to do the same for myself)  We’ve both been struggling with artists block all year, but the times we’ve drawn together make a subtle, dreamy quiet. I’m reminded of a course I took a few years ago that described the science behind ‘bringing the best out of each other’ via relationship congruence: how couples unconsciously influence each other, for better or worse; and that one reason studies find happy couples tend to be healthier and more successful than singles or unhappy couples is because their healthy habits/attitudes cue, enhance, and reinforce each other.

It was a positive afternoon for the kiddos also. I know RB gets anxious about his son’s autism string social challenges, but I think it’s good for the kids to learn how to navigate disagreements and if things went too far down a bad road there’s two reasonable adults to mediate in the room over. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Covid sucks for kids. I know my lil extrovert for sure misses peopling and I’m certain his son does also. If they have a good day, greet. If not, remember how important these social situations were for my little brother way back when he was cognitively learning socializing nuances. Coincidentally, my kiddo has had many differently abled people in her life, which has taught her to be pretty accepting, flexible, and compassionate. RB is still trying to work out that parenting balance of respecting and accommodating to your child’s special needs, but also letting them be a typical kid.I think over time RB is starting to relax though realizing we’re all a pretty good fit and everything will be just fine even if the kids bicker.

[melonishus]

What if..... Ruby and Blake swapped lives?

[Ruby sits in the library, reading “The Man with Two souls”, a strange feeling that something was wrong. She gets up and stumbles to  the bathroom to look at herself in the mirror, and see her Amber eyes]

Ruby - [sighs] My bows a little loose

[Ruby readjusts her bow, feeling her cat ears as she does]

[Ruby’s scroll rings. She looks down to see a message from her boyfriend Sun, her face growing warm even though she still had a concern that something was wrong]

................

Blake - [whines] STOP YELLING AT ME 

[Blake hides behind Yang to protect her from a glaring Weiss]

Weiss- Yang Xiao Long, don’t you protect her. She needs to do better in school

Yang- Yelling at her isn’t going to help. Blake does better with positive reinforcement

Weiss- She’s not a dog Yang

[Yang leads Blake to the bed]

Yang- Blake, you are a loved and valued member of this team, and we need to take action to make sure you can continue coming to school here

Blake- The materials so hard Yang, and Weiss doesn’t understand how I learn  =(

Yang- [sisterly hug, nuzzling Blake affectionately] Well I do baby sis, and I’ll make sure you’re ready for the next test

Blake- [whines] YAAAANG , you’re treating me like a baby again

Yang - That’s because you are. my adorable baby sister

________

What if Scenarios ?

Writing Requests are OPEN

RB/BR AU 1

[itgirlgasly]

omg so pierre's engineer... first off it was his first year in f1 - and he gets the job as engineer for the new RB driver who had 2 big crashes preseason, isn't clicking with the car, and who is known to respond to positive reinforcement. if you watch drive to survive you see him take the piss out of pierre, roll his eyes at him when he radios, 'we can't keep doing this, push' on the radio when pierre is telling him about issues... while horner laughs with marko and says he could drive better ..

thank u sm!! but I have to laugh, I dont know shit about the career of a race engineer but.....why would u give such an important job to a new guy....and then not even match him up to a driver thats like..less dependent on his engineer.... Pierres season sure was damned from the start and Horner n Marko didn't even care LMAO. he really does need a positive environment to truly show his talent and im glad he found that in alpha tauri 

[jy4life]

Rocka My Soul

Rocka My Soul

“Rocka My Soul in the Bosom of Abraham” is a song about being close to and in the comfort of God.  It is primarily sung in African-American churches, but on the night of December 12th, 1981, the majority of the 76,000 plus fans at Rice Stadium, black and white, were standing, singing the song in unison. They were singing to inspire on the Jack Yates High School Lions, who were seeking to become the first all African-American football team to make it to the Texas state championship since high school sports were desegregated in 1969.  

If you were fortunate enough to be at Rice Stadium that night, you just knew that it was more than a football game – it was a celebration of a transformative journey. The energy in the stadium was powerful in the most beautiful of ways - it hit you in your heart and in your soul. It emanated love, passion, resilience, redemption, and the power of community

Background

John Henry “Jack” Yates, for whom Jack Yates High School was named, was a leader, educator, a community builder, and man of vision. Born into slavery on July 11th, 1828 in Gloucester County, Virginia, Jack Yates taught himself to read and write, and also mastered carpentry. When Texas became the last state to end slavery on June 19th, 1865, Jack Yates and his wife Harriet moved to Houston. He became the first minister of Antioch Missionary Baptist Church, the center of political, cultural, social and educational life for the flourishing community of free black men and women. Deeply committed to building community and to empowering that community through education, Reverend Yates founded the Baptist Academy (the forerunner to Texas Southern University), which focused on preparing students for careers in business and the ministry. Jack Yates Colored High School opened its doors in 1926. In the early 1980s, the school was at the center of a vibrant, engaged ecosystem of teachers, students, parents, alumni and the broader community. And the bonds that were the basis of the Jack Yates community in the 1980s are as strong now as they were back then. There is a frequently used expression “JY4Life” which captures the essence of what it meant and still means to be part of the Jack Yates community. It is hard to overstate the pride and deep sense of connection that Yates alumni still feel towards the school and towards one another.

Lori Dee Mack, a criminal defense attorney in Houston, was a cheerleader and editor of the yearbook at Jack Yates in 1981.  “Yates just had a special vibe to it, we were the cool school,” Ms. Mack said. “Part of what made it so special was the involvement of the community. We were expected to make something positive out of our lives, and those expectations were reinforced by our  community.” Jackie Clark was a senior and the majorette on the acclaimed Jack Yates marching band in 1981. “Our parents and our teachers knew one another, expected a lot from us, and they worked together to ensure that we performed in the classroom and were good representatives of our community,” Ms. Clark stated.

The Yates sports teams were the focal point for community engagement, football in particular. From the beginning, the school was successful in football, wining four Prairie View Interscholastic Negro League state titles. Since the end of segregation, however, only once had the Lions advanced past the first round in the playoffs.

In spite of the playoff history, expectations were high going into the 1981 season. Several starters at key positions returned from a team that went undefeated during the 1980 regular season  - quarterback Thomas LeDet, offensive linemen Rodney Henry and John Simmons, wide receivers Jeffrey Fields and Keith Burnett, middle linebacker Sebastian Harris (who made All-City his junior year), defensive linemen Stephen Baker and kicker/safety Lemuel Moton. That core group would be bolstered by several key additions, including defensive lineman Eddie Gilmore (who had to sit out his junior season after transferring from Sterling High School) and running back/wide receiver Randolph Wilburn, who transferred from Lincoln High School which closed in the spring of 1981. Preparation for the 1981 season began in May with spring training, and continued throughout the summer. LeDet, who came into his own at the end of the 1980 season, wanted to make sure that he and his teammates were fully prepared going into the 1981 season.  He organized practices with his receiving corps that summer. “I wanted for us to get comfortable working with one another and to get our timing down,” LeDet stated. High school teammates working out together during the summer is now routine in Texas, but in the early 1980s it was not common. Little did LeDet or his teammates know how prescient these self-organized summer sessions would turn out to be.

The Season

The season began as expected, with a win over Worthing High School. The following week the Lions suffered a stunning and crushing defeat at the hands of Smiley High School.  That loss, however, would prove to be the turning point of the season. “We needed that loss,” John Simmons stated. “It made us realize that we were not as good as we thought we were, and that we need to get focused if we were going to accomplish our goal, which was to win the state championship.” In that game, Smiley RB John Stewart ran roughshod over the Lions defense. To this day Sebastian Harris is livid about the loss to Smiley. Harris is a smart, thoughtful, proud man who still looks like he could level an NFL running back. “We were out hit that game,” he says, with both surprise and disappointment. John just ran all over us, we had never experienced a running back with such speed, power and determination. The gentlemen just set the tone and had his way the entire game.”

The next week in practice 2nd year linebacker coach Coger Coverson, a former Washington Redskins offensive guard and Yates alum, declared that every position on defense was open. Practice started with the intense and savage bullring drill (this is the drill where one player is in the middle of a ring and takes on other players in rapid sequence). It was perhaps the most intense week of practice during our time at Yates.”  That week set the tone for the rest of the season, as the Harris, Stephen Baker and Eddie Gilmore led defense would pitch 5 shutouts on the way to allowing just over 10 points per game the rest of the season. Offensively, Smiley had stacked the line of scrimmage, daring the Lions to beat them with the passing game. Yates was historically a power running team, and Coach Luther Booker was loath to abandon the run. The Lions finally began passing in the 4th quarter, but by then it was too late. Yet Booker saw enough that game to convince him to let LeDet and the passing game become the focal point of the offense.  “We discovered that we had good quarterback that game,” John Simmons said. The investment LeDet and his receivers made that summer was about to pay-off in a profound way. Under LeDet’s leadership the offense exploded, averaging almost 30 points per game the remainder of the season. In an era where the running game was focal point of most offenses, the Lions wide-open and vertical passing game was novel and exciting. In addition to Fields, Burnett and Wilburn (who had moved from running back to wide receiver), LeDet had wide receiver Rayfield Gee and powerful tight ends in Sylvester Morgan and Leonard Moon. LeDet would go on to have the sixth most productive passing season in Houston high school football history. As the season progressed and the Lions advanced in the playoffs, the city of Houston began to take notice. The Lions explosive offense, dominating defense and high-flying marching band were a weekly show that was hard to beat. “As we started winning everyone wanted to be associated with us,” Harris said. “Radio stations, newspaper reports, television stations – they were around us all of the time.” From a purely entertainment perspective, the highlight of the season came when the Lions went head to head with the famous “Who Shot JR” episode of Dallas, which at the time was the highest viewed television show in US history.  “I remember Saturday November 21st - that was the night that the “Who Shot JR” episode aired, Mack said. “We were playing Booker T Washington in bi-district at the Astrodome and the stadium was packed. We went head to head with one of the most watched television shows of all time and won,” she said laughingly. Blacks and whites lived in separate worlds during those days in Houston. When their worlds intersected, it was often confrontational. There was a clear lack of trust and understanding between the two communities.  Yet somehow the Lions performance was able to transcend race and bring those two worlds together, at least for a period of time. “When I was a teenager, I did encounter some forms of subtle prejudice, Thomas LeDet said. “However, I learned to ignore it. But for many of my teammates and friends, racism was hard to ignore. The stares we encountered when we entered a sporting goods store, personnel following you around, etc. But that changed when we beat Aldine in the quarterfinals.” “ I remember walking into Foleys’ department store with my teammates Jeffrey Fields and Kenneth Wiley after we beat Aldine in the quarterfinals. We were wearing our letterman jackets. As we entered the store, we noticed a distinct change on the part of the personnel - instead of suspicious and concerned faces there were smiles accompanied by quick service and people asking us if they could help us. Shortly after entering the store, a middle age white woman hurried over to my side and pointed to a Volkswagen size photo on the upper banister right in the entrance of the store. It was a picture of the entire team and staff of the 1981/82 Jack Yates football team!  Needless to say, we stood speechless for a moment and then were elated. We knew at that moment that we were something special not just to the black community, but also to the entire city. “ “I remember during the playoffs a very popular white radio station (104 KRBE) was broadcasting live from the Jack Yates School of Communications.  Quite a few students told me as I walked towards the lunchroom that the DJ was looking for me. As I approached, he announced, "Here he comes the man of the hour.... Mr. Thomas LeDet, the quarterback for Jack Yates High School.  He began to ask me questions about our season and if I thought we were going to go all the way. It was exciting and fun, and at the end, the DJ asked me, what was my favorite radio station.  As we both chuckled.... I said, as of today, KRBE is one of my favorites.  And then the DJ playfully asked me if I had ever heard of 104 KRBE.  We both laughed and I said no.  At that point, he presented me with a trophy of a giant #1 symbol with the radio station call letters and “Congratulations on a Great Season” engraved. He went on to say that the radio station and the entire City of Houston were cheering for us in the upcoming regional championship.  I was left with a feeling of joy and the sense that our team meant more to the city than just football.”

The Breakthrough

The Lions marched through the playoffs, defeating Booker T. Washington in bi-district, Houston Madison in the regional finals and Aldine in the quarterfinals. Next up? Perennial power San Antonio Churchill in the state semi-finals

The Chargers, who were led by quarterback Cody Carlson (Carlson would go on to star at Baylor University and play seven years in the NFL) and had a glorious history of advancing deep in the state playoffs, including winning the championship in 1976.  They were heavily favored to defeat the Lions and advance to the state championship.

Fittingly, Rice Stadium was chosen as the site for the game. On September 12th, 1962, President Kennedy delivered his famous “We choose to go to the Moon” speech at Rice Stadium, a vision which was realized with the Apollo 11 mission in July 1969.  Now, 19 plus years later, the stadium was again the site for another potential pivotal moment – if Yates could defy the odds and beat Churchill, they would become the first all African-American team to make it to the state championship.

The week leading up to the game was frenetic. “The whole community rallied behind the guys,” said Nanette “Nettie” Simmons, a cheerleader in 1981. “And it continued to and throughout the game. It was a cold and wet night, but I remember the stadium overflowing and people sitting on the grassy hill outside the stadium to watch the game.”

Churchill jumped out to a 14-0 lead, thanks to some great running by Doug Hodo, pinpoint passing by Cody Carlson, good play calling, and a bit of luck – the headsets on the Yates side were not working until the second quarter so Yates was not able to make defensive adjustments to counter the Chargers. Sebastian Harris rallied the defense, the Lions made adjustments and held Churchill scoreless the second quarter. Thomas LeDet and the offense got untracked, with LeDet throwing touchdown passes to Rayfield Gee and Keith Burnett. Churchill scored a safety to make the game 16-14 at halftime.

The week before Yates had trailed Aldine 14-0 before exploding for 42 straight points in a 42-14 win. But this game had a much different feel to it. “We knew we were in a fight. Those guys – Churchill – were tough and would not quit,” said both running back Artie Mitchell and punter Ronald Davis.

The second half was like a classic heavyweight boxing match, a la Rocky Balboa vs. Apollo Creed, with Yates ironically playing the role of Rocky. Churchill scored to go up 23-14 and looked to be on the verge of blowing the game open, when Harris rallied the defense and LeDet the offense. LeDet hit Keith Burnett with a 69-yard touchdown pass, ran for a score, and Harris forced a fumble which led to a Moton field goal. Suddenly Yates was up 31-23 with under 5 minutes left and it looked like they had all of the momentum.

Carlson and Churchill responded by driving to mid-field. Harris and the defense forced a 4th and 10 and a time-out was called by the officials to confirm the game statistics. In those days there was no overtime, in the event of a tie the team with the most 20-yard line penetrations and first downs advanced. Churchill was ahead in both.

On 4th and 10 Carlson completed a 47-yard pass to Harold Huggins. Three plays later Churchill scored to trail 31-29. Churchill then made a 2-point conversion on a tipped pass, and the score was 31-31. Less than 2 minutes remained.

LeDet led the offense to the 45-yard line, where three straight long passes to Burnett and Fields were incomplete. It was now 4th and 10, and arguably the most important play in the history of not only Yates football but perhaps for inner-city schools across the state of Texas was forthcoming.  Since segregation in Texas high school sports ended in 1969, a widely held perception was that an all African-American football team lacked the intellect, discipline, mental toughness and adaptability to advance far in the playoffs. The Lions had been shattering that myth all year, winning by playing smart, disciplined football and adapting at key points during the season. Fittingly, for them to advance to the championship, they would once again have to call on these traits to convert, score and then hold Churchill in check.

“I told Thomas and Coach Booker that I was open underneath all game long,” said Randolph Wilburn. “Thomas and I convinced Coach Booker that Churchill would double cover Keith (Burnett) and Jeffrey (Fields), and to pass to me on an underneath route. We were confident that we could get the 10 yards and convert.”

Everyone was on their feet as LeDet approached the line of scrimmage. LeDet dropped back, avoided the Churchill rush and made a perfect throw to Wilburn, who caught the ball at the Churchill 45-yard line. Wilburn then put his running back skill to use, and thanks to blocking from Jeffrey Fields advanced the ball to the Churchill 20-yard line.

The Lions were well within kicker Lemuel Moton’s range, but this game was about making history, and they were not going to let a field goal determine their fate. “We had momentum and believed we could run the ball to victory,” said John Simmons. Behind crushing blocks from Simmons, Rodney Henry, Byron Strain, Phillip James, James Jackson and Sylvester Morgan, the Lions ran the ball 4 straight times, with LeDet scoring to put the Lions up 38-31.

However, there were 40 seconds left on the clock. And Churchill & Carlson had countered Yates all night long with big plays of their own.

As Ronald Davis lined-up to kick-off, the energy in the stadium as frenetic. There was no way that these fans and the spirits of the African-American men and women who paved the way for this moment were going to let the Lions falter. Reserve linemen Tracy Sandles pinned Churchill inside their own 10-yard line on the kick-off. On the ensuing play, Carlson never had time to get off a pass –Gilmore, Baker, and the passion and energy of the city of Houston sacked him in the end zone for a safety. Yates 40 Churchill 31!

As LeDet ran out the clock, students, teachers, alumni, and fans – black and white - from across the city of Houston poured onto the field to celebrate with the team. Rice Stadium was again the setting for a historical moment. It was not just that Yates become the first all African-American team to advance to the championship, it was how they did it. They shattered long-held racist myths about African-American teams lacking the intellect, character and discipline to advance.

LeDet was also a terrific role model for a new generation of African-American quarterbacks. Historically, when African-Americans were allowed to play quarterback it was as an option quarterback, not a pro-style quarterback. Barry Switzer at Oklahoma and Bill Yeoman at Houston were pioneers in allowing African-Americans to play quarterback, but those were in running offenses where the quarterback was essentially a running back. It seems hard to believe but the perception that African-Americans could not lead a pro-style offense (where the quarterback was responsible for making all key decisions – passing and running) delayed Hall of Fame quarterback Warren Moon’s entry to the NFL by 6 years.

The Aftermath and the Present Day

The Lions would go on to lose the state championship 19-6 to Richardson Lake Highlands the following week. The Lions had 8 turnovers and offensively were in a funk all game long. The Harris-led defense dominated Lake Highlands, effectively hold them to 12 points on 4 field goals. But it was just not meant to be.

However, the victory of breaking through and making it to state in the way they did had a powerful impact, one that went beyond the football field.

The relationship between educational attainment and Texas high school football is more often than not negatively correlated. However, the 81 team, in the spirit of Reverend Yates, helped reversed this relationship by helping awaken their community to educational possibilities.

“At first colleges sent athletic recruiters to Yates because of the success of the football team,” Lori Dee Mack said. “They quickly followed by sending academic recruiters, and all of a sudden we started to hear about schools like TCU, which we did not know existed.  At the time we thought the only college options were local schools Texas Southern and the University of Houston. All of sudden were aware of all of these other schools – this just would not have been possible had the team not done so well and attracted the attention it did…” “I wound-up going to TCU with 3 of my girlfriends, and other friends went to the University of Texas, Texas A&M, etc. It was really incredible how the team’s success opened doors for us students, “Mack stated. “It was also very comforting knowing that people from our community (Thomas LeDet and Keith Burnett went to TCU with Mack and her friends) were going to these schools.”

And the football team also set an example for the students. “I remember Coach Booker saying that 90% of the players he coached went-on to college,” Randolph Wilburn noted. In 1985 the Lions would go undefeated and win the state championship, becoming the first all African-American football team to win a state championship in Texas post segregation. That team, which was led by running back Johnny Bailey, is widely considered to be the best team in the history of Texas high school football. The path for the 85 team had been paved 4 years earlier by a remarkable group of young men. “The players on the 81 team had a sense of humility about them,” Mack said. “They didn’t let the attention go to their heads, and you just knew that they were going to do something positive with their lives.”

The magic of the 81 team’s journey continues to resonate to this day.  Stella Hall, a cheerleader in 1981, currently works at MD Anderson Cancer Center. She was recently at a conference in Wisconsin and was speaking with a man who, when he found out she went to Jack Yates, asked her if she knew Thomas LeDet, Sebastian Harris and Jeffrey Fields. “He somehow knew about our school, the 81 team and the key guys on that team,” Stella said, shaking her head in disbelief.

Thomas LeDet was recently approached on two separate occasions – one by a former Yates student who graduated in the 1990s, the other by a former cafeteria worker from the University of Houston (LeDet worked at the University of Houston cafeteria while in school, serving the likes of Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler). Both individuals wanted to tell LeDet how much the 81-team inspired them. “At times it just seems incredible, he says, reflecting on the impact of the 81 team. We were just focused on winning on the field. It is really special to know that we inspired people.”

[yourwitchmama]

Hello! Could I please ask "what do I need to heal?" I'm a libra and my initials are RB :) thank you! Hope your day is well!

Sure! This is such a beautiful question and I really do appreciate when people try to better themselves, even when they know the answers may be negative. I am actually feeling very magickal mystical vibes from you. I got a vision of nighttime in a Roman looking pool with mist around it... I believe this is symbolic for you, but I am not sure why. I got The Moon, The World reversed, The Ace of Swords, and The Three of Swords Reversed. This is a very sad reading, indeed. It does not carry a positive connotation, which is understandable since it seems as if you have been through a very hard time recently.  Let’s dive in, shall we? -Okay, so the Moon is all about illusions. The Moon represents your fears and illusions, and often comes out when you are projecting fear into your present and your future based on  negative past experiences. These feelings and memories may be repressed or you may not know what to do with them when the Moon appears. -The World reversed card suggests that you are seeking closure on a personal issue. Perhaps you are still emotionally attached to a past relationship and want to move on. Or you dream of a better body, more money, more friends, etc. You know, deep down, that to accept and embrace where you are now, you need to let go of the past and move on... Finding closure may be an intensely personal journey. Something can you manage through journaling, visualization, energy work, and therapy. -The Ace of Swords marks a wave of new energy from the intellectual realms. You may be on the verge of a significant breakthrough or a new way of thinking that allows you to view the world with clear eyes. Or, you may have a sudden realization or conscious understanding about an issue that has been troubling you and can finally see the path ahead of you. Meditate regularly to clear away the mental chatter and make the most of this intellectual potential. See this card as a sign of encouragement. It says your mind is in expansion mode, you are open to embracing new ideas, craving stimulation, and you’ll jump at the next opportunity to learn something new. You thrive on new ideas, inspiration, original thinking and vision, and you are excited to pursue new opportunities that draw upon your creative and intellectual abilities. The Three of Swords reversed encourages you to pay attention to your inner thoughts and self talk. Your words are powerful, especially those you repeat to yourself day after day. You may be prone to self-criticism, limiting beliefs and negative self talk. You may identify with an  inner mean girl (or boy) who is constantly telling you why you’re not good enough. When you hear these negative thoughts come up, ask yourself whether you would ever utter these words to a friend or loved one and if the answer is a hell no, then why are you speaking these words to yourself? Look at how you can shift your thoughts towards the positive to reinforce your confidence. You have what it takes to be the person you deserve to be.  This reading, overall, was actually not bad! I believe you may have gone through heartbreak or something that really damaged you emotionally, but you are unexpectedly on the path to recovery... You are already starting and succeeding. The first step is asking for help, and you are already doing that here! The takeaway is to do some serious positive self talk, because you deserve it. I hope this helps <3 Namaste~

tip jar

[tervacious]

I first spoke with Dianic Priestess Ruth Barrett about how to create a Samhain ritual, which you can check out HERE.   In part 2, we get into the roots of radical feminism.

AfterEllen: I wanted to talk to you about lesbian feminists embrace of Dianic spirituality. In the 1970s a lot of women turned away from the religions in which they grew up, because they identified them as patriarchal, and they turned instead to a new women-focused spirituality.

Ruth Barrett: I want to name one of our foremothers Mary Daly, feminist theologian, she languaged for many of us the realization that as long as god is male, the male is god. It was one of those took-your-breath-away paradigms that was hiding in plain sight. So for a lot of us in the 1970s-80s the notion of ‘how do we recognize spirituality, religion, politics? and how does patriarchy affect all of these things?’

There was this examination that continues to this day. As your readers know, our lives don’t take place in a vacuum, they are always in a context of history or herstory.

In the 1970s as women were working primarily for equal pay, reproductive rights, equity in the workplace, all of those things, the notion of a feminist spirituality did not enter the consciousness for some time. That had to do with the fact that Marxist politics was influential on the left. Religion was the opium of the people. Spirituality was a distraction from the work people needed to do to be free. It wasn’t until the latter half of the 1970s that women started to think about it differently.

Z Budapest is a Hungarian-born immigrant who came over after the communists had invaded Budapest, and she brought with her her mother’s folk traditions, folk religion. She also became a feminist, so she began to merge these two things.

Around 1976 or ’77 she was arrested for fortune telling in LA, it was against the law. It was the witch trial that occurred in LA in that year. That got the attention of the feminist movement of the time. They had struck out against that woman for tarot reading. The movement took notice and things really went well from there. It was a spiritual revolution. The idea of ‘where do we oppress ourselves from the inside?’

This is what I came up in in my teens and early 20s. Where are we complicit and colluding with the values of patriarchy that we have been indoctrinated into?

AE: You had mentioned the witch trial of Z Budapest

RB: The “Year of the Woman,” let me point out.

AE: Was Z a lesbian?

RB: Yes, and she still is (laughs).

AE: So the movement takes up the cause of women’s spirituality. There was a fair amount of denigration of women’s spirituality within the movement I imagine, in the same way there was the denigration of the “Lavender Menace.”

RB: Many women did not embrace the idea of a feminist spirituality. You have generational trauma over patriarchal religion and rather than seeing it as something that could be healing, there was an outright rejection. There was a lot of Eastern influence and New Age thinking that entered goddess spirituality as well. The Dianic tradition was based in radical feminism, but the larger goddess movement was not necessarily. It really depended on who feminists ran into, in terms of what they could relate to.

I founded a community in Los Angeles; I was ordained in 1980 and that community is still going. It’s the longest running Dianic community. The work that we do is not only personal, it’s political. We do work to counter the dominant power in the best ways we can. We work to heal from the effects. To model the way we want to see the world, through our activism.

It’s because we came out of Second Wave feminist politics. Those who identify in the Dianic tradition still have some form of political activism in terms of their magic and their rituals.

The Dianic tradition — in the beginning most of us were lesbian — but it grew and is now not specifically lesbian. A lot of people assume it’s a lesbian religion, but it’s not. It’s for any female who identifies with those values of radical feminism.

AE: Oftentimes patriarchal loyalists and people who want to denigrate older women make the claim that crusty, old, privileged, white women bought into Dianic traditions or goddess traditions because they buy into gender essentialism. Can you speak to that?

RB: Well there’s a lot of goddess traditions, so there may be a seed of truth regarding some of those traditions. But let’s look specifically at Dianic tradition. Gender essentialism is a misunderstanding coming from the fact that Dianics focus on the sexed body as a metaphor for life. Gender is arbitrary designations of behaviors or characteristics ascribed to the body, whether you are female or male. The women that come to Circle are very diverse in their presentation. It was not just women in flowing robes that were participating, then or now. There were women who were not conforming to gender roles. Essentialism is put on goddess traditions, but Dianics don’t focus on a [gendered] duality. When you don’t focus on a duality, you don’t have the issue of genderism [the gender binary]. In the Dianic tradition, we are whole unto our selves. We model wholeness, so it’s not like females have this one set of characteristics and males have the other. It means we have it all. I can wield the sword and I can cook a meal. Whatever would be gendered behaviors or skill sets — it’s not like, because I have this body I’m more this or more that “naturally.”

That’s what’s happening now because of trans/gender ideology. At the same time people think we’re getting away from the binary, we’re actually reinforcing it. Essentialism means I’m a sexed female, therefore I’m more prone to these attributes and of course these characteristics are gendered. And Dianics just out and out reject that. Who made this up and whose cause does it serve? Where did we get this notion that we have a male side and a female side? What they’re saying with the duality of [masculine or feminine] behaviors or attributes is a crock, we are all whole.

Women can be and behave and aspire to whatever we want and the only thing stopping us is cultural conditioning. That’s the opposite of essentialism.

AE: So Dianism puts forth that there is no single way to be a female.

RB: The maiden/mother/crone metaphor is just a way to talk about our lives. The maiden is youth, mother includes warrior, amazon, creatrix, and crone is the woman who is elderly. Phases of life like the inhale of woman’s breath, you sustain that breath for a moment, then you exhale. It’s a way of talking about cycles. Creation, sustenance and death. So there’s many ways we use language to talk about it and the women-centered symbols is another way to talk about that.

AE: There has been an explosion of women returning to personal practice, a mainstreaming of witchcraft. To the point that there was a witch starter pack that was going to be sold at Sephora.

RB: It may be an entry point for women. You can’t see me rolling my eyes right now, but I also want to think, “what could be positive about this?” The backlash reveals the idea that power in the hands of women is inherently evil. In a sense to normalize it, to do divination or turning inward for guidance, the idea that we could assist one another in our healing — that’s not a new idea, that’s an old idea. Becoming commercialized may trivialize it, but it also means that this idea is no longer terrifying to women to consider their own power or their own authority.

AE: But this might be the first spark for a woman to turn inward for guidance. There is a wide commodification of witchcraft and ethnic and folk traditions going on right now, certainly Sephora is the worst example of trivializing and feminizing since it is part of the multi-billion dollar makeup industry. It is also happening on Etsy and Instagram from boutique sellers. But it’s so interesting that this came from a makeup store since this is one way that women participate in our own feminization and conformity to gendered stereotypes.

RB: It’s also interesting that there’s this thread in magic of “glamoring” and that has to do with influencing others to see you in a certain way. So I hate the stuff, but I’ve put on mascara or something knowing that if I do it with perfect application, I’ll be treated in a certain way.

AE: As a feminine-of-center lesbian, I don’t want to denigrate makeup-wearers, and I definitely wear makeup sometimes, but it’s so true that in liberal feminism the party line is that enacting gender stereotypes can be empowering.

RB: In liberal feminism, anything goes. There is no consistent analysis.

Glamoring, the definition is the quality of fascinating alluring or attracting. Glamoring, in magical terms, can be a charm, enchantment, or witchery. Glamoring is taken from the intentional creation of an illusion.

[throughthewwods]

100 Days of Productivity

24 Days

✔️ sink is repaired. Yay, we can brush our teeth in the bathroom again!

📚 more trauma readings.

📚 wrote professor for clarification

📚 answered more of my assignment

I really want to be done with this. It’s like a scavenger hunt at this point only you’re sifting through trauma stats rereading the same long, depressing articles over and over for some obscure percentile you keep overlooking 😬 Think I will work on something else today before burnout smacked me upside the cheek like a wet fish. Maybe start that essay on the history of happiness?

😭😅😬

💜 ParentingWin: Kiddo got to experience the positive reinforcement of her extra effort and time management paying off.

She was ecstatic to nail her Bessie Coleman presentation. Proud of her, not just for doing well, but more so for every instance she really applies herself to something

✔️ RB’s valentines gift arrived along with Kiddo’s book for her Girl Scout badge

🏃🏻‍♀️ Hula hooped for 30 and did the treadmill for another 30-sh

🍳  tried to cook something different. It was a failed experiment that I was able to salvage into edible. 

lesson for the evening? Balsamic vinaigrette is too strong for mild veggies like zucchini and yellow squash. No good.

👕 did not forget to hang clothes that were in the washer before bed 😅

———————————————

Mostly contemplating how reading an excess of trauma material has put me on edge and how I don’t like the way it negatively affected my ability to meet people where they’re at, which is an unusual for me.

Normally, I get a lot of compliments about my empathy and relevant feedback. I ended up inadvertently giving someone a hard time, which only makes people defensive and unreceptive to whatever valid feedback you may have. With another person I missed the cues that she was already overwhelmed so my suggestion, although ‘I believe’ would be useful, was adding to her anxiety, thus, not helpful. In both cases I found myself ‘wanting to get my point across’, to such an extent that it veered from being client centered. It was then I decided to take a step back because I realized the issue in both cases was me. 

Although I’m not thrilled about how those discussions flopped, this is really good lesson for me to be self-aware about.

within a few weeks I’ll be working the support line. That peer to peer group I volunteer with is pretty laid-back about approaching expectations, but I need to be top notch for the research study protocols, where I need to be entirely client centered and non-directive. I know the professor doesn’t expect perfection from us, but there’s a standard I expect of myself. I don’t feel good about the service I provided the other day. I don’t want to repeat that mistake.

Rest of the evening was pretty mellow. 

As the day went on I thought I’d be spending it alone, which would’ve been OK, but I was delighted when RB said he could still make it over.  as per usual, I underestimated how long it would take to cook dinner. Bless everyone’s patience with me. I botched the veggies. Poor RB and Kiddo. They had the most cringing yet polite grins as they took a bite. I was particularly impressed with my kiddo’s manners in that moment Who resisted the temptation to say what she really thought and simply declined having any in the nicest way possible.

As I am putting food away RB load the dishwasher. It’s the little things. It’s not just that I appreciate the help, which I do, but I appreciate all the ways we show we love each other. it’s also another one of those lol things that makes me feel good about the transition of living together someday.

We all lounged about before bed. Nothing terribly exciting. That’s OK though. Sometimes my brain struggles to be at ease with the merely copacetic where nothing extraordinary has happened: not eu-euphoric nor tragic.