She's leaving home, bye, bye...*

Sing it to the beatles song 'she's leaving home'- Sgt. Pepper Last night at the dinner table Elena announced that she was moving in with her boyfriend...not now, but whe she gets a better job. I'm sittng and just listening to this, not saying a word. I am thinking, boy she'll get a huge dose of reality just like her cousin Billy who just went out and bought, with his girlfriend a house over near Albertus Magnus

High School on Parrott road. Nastia on the other hand is sitting across from Elena saying, "Are you hearing this?" to both Teri and I.Elena adds that she wants to go to Boces and try automotive this fall.Teri does her usual, "You have to figure out how much money you are going to need to live on your own, with Matt." Nastia chimes in again with, "Move to Spring Valley." I speak up and say a racist, "White People don't move to Spring Valley." I also add that she may not qualify for school aid if she is living on her own. Nastia then bring up Elena's friend Jessica and how she had wanted to move with her into an apartment. The conversation then goes a little sideways as we all discuss Jessica's situation and how Covid has made her life a little worse. Nastia, the fountain of maturity and insight in this conversation says, "Maybe I'll move in with my friend Jessie into an apartment." Teri goes into how you don't move into an apartment

with someone who has a child with issues and all the things that can go wrong there. Quitely I agree. Nastia a little put off says, "What, you want me to move in with Brandon?" No one addresses that statement. Right now they barely know each other and financially both could'nt do it even if they were interested in doing it. I'm sorry Nastia, on this night you showed just how much you still have to grow up. I don't say that to hurt you, but you are still into having a good time with little to no responsibility. You're first step to growing up should be to get a full time job or go back to school and get a dergree. For that matter even Elena's ideas are a little on the idealized side, but at least she has a plan. I know they both will eventually move out. I know it will happen. I don't want it to, but it will and I will fully support them in their effort to do that, financally if I can afford it. If and when they move out the house will be quiet like it is most nights now when they are out working or with

their boyfriends, I don't like it this quiet. Sometimes I think what life would be for us if we had never adopted them and when I hear the quiet of the house with Teri asleep over on the couch as we watch TV sort of together I am thankful that Teri by force of her will even after the death of her mother, almost single handedly bought those two bright lights into our life. They have shown so bright and made everything in the last ten, twelve years worth it