bye-bye to my boys...

Three of my boys are leaving bright and early in the morning for a trip to Norway. Joseph, 18, Aaron, 16, and Samuel, almost 14.....Joseph is probably staying for a year. Wah. He is out with Paul looking at laptops......not too last-minute....

And I am sitting here peacefully, while it pours and pours outside. It is dark and rainy and cozy and I love it. Especially after the busyness of the last few days and weeks. Yesterday's party...then today we went to the meeting, then afterward had a cookout and a swim in the pools....(Jon was so funny- he has this swim floatie suit that used to be like a one piece suit, but i cut the bottom part off so it would fit him for longer...and a piece of the foam fell out. I told Jon to try it out and see if he still floated...he said, "Well, I am drowning a little...")then home late in the afternoon....Camille is still napping, we should get her up soon...Charlotte Claire fell asleep on the couch....the little kids are watching "Ratatouille".....and the spaghetti sauce is simmering on the stove. Rosie the wet dog has more energy than all of us put together. She wants to play and run and we want to sit and rest.

The boys have to be at the airport by 8:30am, of course. So that means mommy has to get up extra early and bring them. It is less than an hour away, so it won't be too bad. I should get to bed early tonight. ha.

Tonight we are having the last dinner with Joseph here for a whole year. wah. I am glad he is going, glad for the opportunity, but man, I am going to miss him. One would think with so many kids it wouldn't matter so much if one goes off, after all, there are plenty left. But no, it is not like that at all. They are all my kids, I love each and every one of them. Individually.

So we are having spaghetti for dinner tonight. I would like to have had steaks or something, but who wants to cook on the grill in the rain? Not Mirielle, especially since she is out running. As long as there is no thunder or lightening, she is off.....

Well, I have things to do, and a Camille to wake up....which is not one of my favorite things, waking up a 19 month old. She will not appreciate it. But if I let her sleep too much longer, I am going to be up pretty late tonight with her...and I am already tired. I could doze right now, despite the coffee I just drank.