don't forget me...

Jonathan was SO excited to be leaving for his trip to Norway. I made a triple batch of chocolate chip cookies, and baked enough of them in time for the boys to have plenty for their drive to New York City, five hours in the car, ugh. Jon mentioned, "Oh sure, make cookies when I'm leaving..." I told him we had to celebrate. They ended up having a late start, and those cookies were out of the oven in time for them to have some, which was my hope, but I didn't tell him that.

Now, you know me, a drama queen to the bone, but this is drama-y even for me. I walked by Jon's open bedroom door, glanced in at that empty room, and was just overwhelmed, overcome, drenched...in sadness. Not because the kid is on a two week trip to Norway. No, it was more the foreshadowing of the future. It WILL happen, they will all grow up and move out. Somehow, I thought the process would be slower, and part of me thought it would never really happen. But it's happening.

Last night, those girls went to a friend's place, and Paul and I were here all by our lonesomes! I don't mind. What I mind is that one of these days, it's going to be just us all the time! Sometimes it feels echo-y in here, and I can hear the clock ticking. I know they're supposed to grow up and start their own lives. That's a good thing. But I decided when I walked by Jon's empty room that I'm not going to let them forget me. I'm not going to sit here all lonely and wait for them to remember to ask me to go somewhere with them, nor am I going to hint for a visit. No sir. I am going to bug the heck right out of them, which is the right thing to do. Did they not do that to MOI when they were small? Some days I thought I was being MOMMY-ed to death! Mom, mom, mom.

This week, school break, April vacation, will be a quieter one here. Anne won't be coming over, because her mama is a teacher and is also on break. Lydia is going to Florida. Long story almost short, Paul and I will have only FOUR kids here. That's only a fourth of them, ha. Just girls, Suzanne and Sonja K., Charlotte Claire, and Camille.

I don't mind a bit, we'll have a nice time, and maybe some fun day trips. Shh, it's kind of peaceful, kind of like a break. If you only have four children, please don't take offense, but honestly, parenting just four kids is like...a vacation, at the ages they are now, anyway. But it's all relative.

Today is painting day at Emily's house, and it's going to be a nice day. 65 and sunny. Mmmm-hmmm, a good one.