Swamped

It has been a busy couple of weeks.  I was laid low by the first cold of the season.  It has taken me a while to get my groove back, so to speak.  I still have kids that are sick for a day or two, here and there.  Illnesses are so random and inconvenient, like so many things in life.

Mads is in her final week before The Sound of Music opens at school.  Practices are long, and the kids are wearing a bit thin.  I am sure it will be lovely and I am very excited to see the fruit of all of their labor.  My Mom is hoping to come and see it which will be wonderful as well.

The two B girls are headed for the inter-school speech meet this Friday.  They both advanced with their duet acting pieces.  I have only seen one of them practice, so I guess I have been missing quite a show.  The elementary kids got through their speech meet pieces, but none advanced.  Honestly speech meet is not my favorite activity.  I am always pleasantly surprised when the kids do well.  It is the result of a lot of hard work on their part with very little help from me.

Thankfully God has blessed my kids with sharp minds and the ability to work pretty independently.  I told Madie early on that with all I had going on at home she was going to have to be happy with the work she could produce on her own.  They have all done amazingly well.  It takes every ounce of energy I can muster to keep the house reasonably clean, and three meals everyday.  I was pondering "deep cleaning" this morning, while I was flying through my shallow cleaning.  My hat is off to those ladies that have a deep cleaning schedule.  I am hopeful that I might actually find out what deep cleaning means someday and give it a try.  Until then, I'm going with my shallow cleaning schedule.  Teaching my kids to clean really should get on the to do list as well.  Maybe next year.

Every year I think "Next year will be easier."  I don't know why I keep thinking that.  Some things get easier, but then some things get harder.  I spend a lot less time at home these days than I used to.  I remember wishing I could get out more.  Now I wish I could be home for more than a couple of hours at a time.  I feel like most of my life is spent in my van.  Thank God for my iPhone or I would never be able to keep track of my schedule or communicate with anyone.  What did Moms do in the old days of rotary phones?  I am getting to know the kids at school better, which is delightful.  I hope this is a season in life.  I see a lot of grandmas at school though, and it makes me wonder.  I may seriously start lobbying for housing on the school campus.  Next year might not be easier, but it will be challenging in a new way.