when strangers ask me if they are ALL mine. today, while shopping at williams sonoma, the gal at the counter who was being oh-so-helpful says completely incredulously (can i say that?! well if i can’t- it’s just to explain how totally dumbstruck she truly was!) “are those ALL your kids?!” and instantly she fell off my nice list. i am just totally amazed that people ask things like this.. or tell me that i look too young to have so many kids. i mean, 3 is not the brady bunch. and even if it was, why point out the total obvious to a complete stranger?! who cares?! get a clue! many people have told me that i should take it as a compliment. well, i don’t. AT ALL. i am so over it. so once again, my fake smile was plastered over my face and my dagger eyes appeared next to the fake twinkle in ’em as i entered a conversation that i have had over a 500 times with various strangers. ‘yes, they are. yes, i am young. yes, they keep me busy.’ crazy lady. no, didn’t you know? i like dragging around 3 squealing, racing children all over your fine store…it’s fun. NOT. 🙂
she’s good, folks.
i can’t believe how much this girl has grown up. she’s TEN now. entering her final year in elementary school——-eeeeeeeeeek!! this will be a great year for her. her school really does a good job at making the 5th graders enjoy this special year. her best friend has changed schools, but i think k will be alright with it. she will have to make a new best friend. and when we are ten, aren’t we making new best friends…weekly?
anyways, this girl has totally helped me out these last few weeks since i have been home. i mean, she always helps out… but i noticed something this time… while i was laying on the couch on one of my bad days…i was asking her for a favor for the 15th time that hour… and she just kept doing it. whatever i asked. no attitude. no heavy sighing. nothing. just an obedient little girl. helping her mommy. and i almost teared up. i am so thankful for her. this little girl who has shared my days for the last 10 years…i am so proud of her.
thank you
for an amazing time. for the memories. for taking the time. for your generosity and kind hospilitality. we felt truly loved. and we love you.
thank you so very much.
and thank you to all the grandparents who stayed home and watched our 3 babies. they had a wonderful time with you guys. we could not have left them in better hands. every minute we thought of them, we knew they were okay. better than okay. thanks you guys.
leaving
our loves. today we hung all day. doing just normal family things. last minute errands, eating out for lunch, driving around town. kira and i got pedicures, the guys got jambas. it was normal. the kids played gameboys in the backseat. they fought. they made up. they sang. it was normal… but it wasn’t. while they fought, or did these everyday things, chris and i would look at each other, and sorta make that parental lovey look… like, awwww….. and bat our eyelashes at each other. we both knew that normally the fighting would drive us insane, that we would be grumpy from the heat… but we weren’t. we looked at it all like it’s the last time we would see/hear this stuff for 17 days. 17 days. it seems so short, but so long. why is that? how do i know that we will replay this day of normal, everyday stuff in our head for the next 17 days? it will go by fast. we will have an amazing time. we will miss them. they will have fun. caleb may miss me at night. but we will be okay.
we know that.
so long– next time you read from us, we will be down under. 🙂
watersix 