What's Up?

Geeze...just geeze.  It's been a doozy of a summer, and here I am on the brink of it being over.  And what better way to jump back into this than with a list!  I'm beginning to rekindle my fondness for lists.

1.  The transition to sending my firstborn out of the nest is finally underway.  So much anticipation.  Where he is, what he is pursuing, how it all came about...beyond our wildest dreams for him.  Saying goodbye and leaving him across the country knowing I won't see him until Christmas...beyond my imagination in many ways.  My heart hurts.  Physically hurts.  I'm joyful for him, proud of him, excited for all that awaits.  And yet I hurt because I miss him.  

2.  My girls saying goodbye to their brother?  Heartbreaking.  There were tears, lots of tears.  The whole week leading into it.  The night before we left was brutal.  Mothering them through their pain was an angle of this I wasn't prepared for.  I love that they are so close and they love him so much.  With loving deeply comes painful goodbyes.

3.  I now am a full-time bi-focal wearing 40-something year old.  I fought this for a year.  I denied how much I needed them.  I dreaded making this leap.  From the moment I put them on?  LOVE them.  I'm amazed at all I can see.  I'm amazed how poorly I was seeing.  It explains so much.  And I don't care that I look a bit dorky.  Just don't care anymore.  It's so worth it to see clearly.  (Not that everyone who wears glasses looks dorky.  I'm just not use to them on my face.)

4.  My youngest, who is deeply stressed about her brother leaving and starting a new school year, put together a multi-page power point style report on why we should allow her to get a hamster.  A hamster is a rodent.  My daughter wants a rodent to live in her room.  She wants a little creature to nurture and take care of.  She wants something all her own.  I have sworn forever that once we were done having frogs, we would never go lower on the food chain that a cat.  And now...a rodent?!  And the kicker...it looks like we are going to say yes.  Brad is 100% in.  I'm still rocking back and forth and scratching my head and breathing deeply.  Geeze.

5.  My oldest daughter made cookies yesterday that are fantabulous!  A one-pot, sauce pan chocolate chip cookie.  With mini M&M's.  SO.  GOOD.  The only problem is the flack she gives me when I eat one.  I mean, please.  I'm grieving the shifting of a season of mothering.  If I need a cookie to soothe my soul, so be it.  CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE!

6.  I detest bra shopping.  I avoid it for too long.  I research everything on line before I go into the store, hoping I can speed the process along and get me in and out of there.  I innocently announced I was going shopping on Saturday, and before the 'sh' had left my lips, Brenna was at attention and eager to go along.  I told her I was only going for bras and that was it.  "Perfect!" she said.  Apparently she was needing the same thing.  After Saturday's experience, I detest bra shopping all the more, only now it costs me a lot more money.  Three girls needing garments for the girls??  Cha-ching!  Oh, I could say so. much. more.  But I won't.  Resist.

7.  We are a third of the way through our cheer season and it is going splendidly.  My group of 16 is just amazing me.  They are making my job easy this year!

8.  Tomorrow is the last day of no school/no work.  I have very conflicted emotion about Wednesday.  Very enthusiastically looking forward to some things, not looking forward to some things.  Praying for a peaceful year.

And that's it for now.  One of my goals for this year is good sleep.  Solid, consistent, restful sleep.  I think I'll start right now.