After over a year of a non functioning blog by some mysterious force my blog one day worked as though it was reawakened and came alive with spring. For all the times that I've wanted to write something and couldn't now that I can, I have nothing to share. However being pressured a bit and knowing better than to think that this sanguinary nagging will cease unless I do. I caved and here I am. So in my attempt to not continue to carry on in Seinfeld fashion and write a blog about nothing, I'll give an anecdote in the continuing saga of the growing pains of the Mangano boys.

Marc who will be turning 17 in July apologized for reminding me that prior to my aneurysm when he was in 7^th grade in anticipation of high school, I told him if he never got in trouble in h.s. and kept up his grades for his 17^th birthday I'd buy him a car. As I mentioned he apologized because he said he knew even though I would no longer be able to keep up my end of the deal, he still kept up his by maintaining a 4.0 and never getting in trouble once.

Michael(14) on the other hand was going with the there was any need to bring this up other than so we could listen to how great Marc is at mom's expense. You know she'll feel bad. He then proceeded to tell Marc exactly what he should do with his 4.0 and offered to help him with future issues you don't have to be a "moron" to figure out. What he should have done was what Michael did.

Michael I came to find out went on line picked what car he set his sights on. He then proceeded to run 3miles to McDonald's, got a job application, and got himself a job. As I watched him iron his uniform on Thursday so he'd be sure he was pressed and perfect for orientation, I thought the one should really consider seriously taking him up on his offer. The kid has it all calculated so he knows exactly how much he'll have. He invited his little girlfriend over for dinner and told her you know you're out of the house and having dinner. Consider this out to dinner I don't want to be like that loser on 2 wheels forever. Marc worked for 3 summers at Six Flags, he spent it all because and I quote, "he's got no game so has to wine 'em and dine 'em."

Another instance of something I'm grateful I lived to see. Had I not I would have with no inkling of what kind of people they would grow up to be. Whether or not they would have game was never a concern or even a thought, of course I wanted them to do well in school but that not my first priority. My first top priority has always been character development. Marc was always exceptionally bright and gifted so I talked to him a lot more assuming he'd get it that way. Mike on the other hand was always a piece of work-I'd had to literally sit on him to get him to stay in time out, I'd forget Marc was there. I never thought I stood half a chance of breaking through that strong willed little hard head so he'd hear anything I said. I just made sure I kept him in the lane constantly battling that will hoping someday he'd get it. The week before my stroke I spent swapping emails with his teacher trying to convince her that she couldn't keep letting him charm her into cutting him breaks.

He'll sit and talk to me now and I can see he was taking it all in all along. I know he'd give his life for me in a second and that's a part of character you can't teach with words. It is far greater than I'd ever hoped to accomplish and am thankful every day that I lived to see the benefits of the battles.

Started off as nothing to say