Mourning and Nesting

Mourning
This is the only word I can think of to describe the sadness I feel right before school starts. I start to miss my children, and I start mentally saying goodbye to seeing them all day everyday. I prepare myself for not having the time to just observe and appreciate them. I feel sorry for myself because of the split. The split is where I no longer can devote my abilities solely to serving my family, and have to split myself between work and family.

Nesting
No, I'm not having another baby! This is a word that describes when I start preparing for my new little ones by writing students' names on their nametags and folders. I start to think about who they are, and what they might be like, and it all becomes real...in a good way.

Snips, and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails

So I've been babysitting my nephews this weekend while my brother-in-law takes his wife to a U2 Concert. They have four boys ages 9, 7, 4, and 2. I have three girls. Here are some things I have learned about boys:

• They are stinkier than girls.


• It is perfectly acceptable to climb all over each other, and even sit on top of one another(this would induce screaming at my house).


• There is an unsettling and absolute absence of pink.


• Boy underwear is ugly. There are no ruffles, or flowers, or princesses.


• There is an unsettling absence of conversation, but the chattering void is filled with movement.


• You've got to steal your hugs, and they will pretend they are miserable.

Sound of Silence

It is strange to be woken up by silence, or rather, the amplification of sounds you don't normally hear over the humming and buzzing of all your electric appliances, and your heater.

I was first awoken by the phone ringing. A strange automated voice delivering good news: school is canceled! I was ready to thoroughly enjoy sleeping in when the silence woke me up. I heard a creak, then a strange popping sound, then the smacking sound of my pug licking his own face. What are all these noises!?

It has given me a little understanding why people who live in bustling cities have a hard time sleeping when they go to the peaceful countryside. The silence can be unsettling. Why is it so quiet?! Kind of like when your two-year-old is out of sight and quiet....something is wrong, and when you find that little one, nine times outta ten you are going to have a situation.

So back to this morning (6:30). Why was it so quiet? Why was I awoken by silence? Our power went out. So we did what any good parent would do, started packing and bundling our tots to rush over to Grandmas, seeing as though it was 6 degrees outside. And as soon as every child was triple-layered with accompanying hats and gloves, shoes tied--click, hummmm. The power came back on. And for this I am extremely grateful.

Simplicity

I miss the simplicity of childhood friendship. I think the following dialogue may have been how my friendship with my childood bestfriend began:

"Do you want to be my best friend?"

"Yes. Do you want to be my best friend?"

"Yes!"

Followed by a secret handshake and WAMMO! You've got your best friend. The person you call when you want to do something, or when your brother ticked you off and you need someone to talk to, or when your family is going camping and they said you can invite just one friend. I miss her.