Saturday

At this very moment, I have 2 of my kiddos traveling. One should be leaving London and heading to Germany and the other is on his way to PA. They’ve both traveled quite a bit in the last few years of being away at school and they know what to expect and how to get through the airport easily, etc. But there’s ALWAYS some sort of travel drama surrounding their trips. This whole week has been filled with anxiety because Kateri knew that she had a flight on Friday morning, but that her visa might now make it in time. Long story and many phone calls later, she did, in fact, miss her flight, have to drive to pick up her visa and run to the airport hoping to catch the one  last flight that might just allow her to get back to Germany on schedule. With prayer, phone calls and good timing, she made it! I’m praying for no drama around her getting from Germany to Austria, next week for school.

JJ’s trip shouldn’t have any glitches in it. It’s 2 planes and should all go smoothly. I’m looking forward to hearing from him when he gets back to the school.

Having both of them here for the last 2 weeks was so nice. All the kids love to have everyone together. But the dynamics in the house change greatly when Kateri and JJ are added back into the daily mix. My parenting style has changed over the years and I’ve relaxed on some issues that I used to really be a stickler on. Kateri makes sure that the 3 little ones use their manners, eat all that’s on their plates and follow the rules. As mom to “my lil guys”, I sometimes let these things slide because they’re my “babies”. Neither Kateri or JJ were cut that kind of slack and they are both going to see to it that the whip gets cracked! For the older kids, it’s nice to have the 2 oldest back and be together to go places, watch movies, play card games and think of ways to drive mom crazy. I think that brainstorming ways to make me lose my cool is an official pass time of the 5 oldest.

Both Kateri and JJ left little things for me to find as a reminder of them being here. When I logged onto my computer yesterday morning, the first thing to pop up was a Word document from Kateri to me; a little, digital love note. She also left me MANY Photo Booth pics to enjoy and giggle at. And when I got back from the airport this morning, JJ had left Old One Eye, a teddy bear that Clay had passed onto him, on my computer desk with his missing eye beside him, waiting to be repaired.

~sigh~

The next time I see JJ will, likely be at his graduation. That may, very well, be the next time I see Kateri too. The year has only started and already I’m anticipating the months moving quickly. I know they will, because each year is flying past. In only 5 years, Tristan will be off to high school (the plan is for him to go to the same school that JJ’s now at) and I will have only 3 kiddos left in the house. 3! It’s been 15 years since I only had 3 kids in the house!

But now, it’s Saturday morning, I’m the only driver left and there’s a list of things to do and places that people need to be at, that started at 5 am and ends around 6 pm. I better get moving!

Here I go, Doing the Dance~