When there is no one to talk to...I blog.

It has been quite the week here in the land of transition. And at the moment Henry is at preschool. Charley is at school. And Sydney is napping. How do you like them apples?

With first grade in full swing and a tooth fairy visit and don't forget football practice and playing with neighbors and attending the boyscout sign up event...Charley is burning the candle at both ends...and we parents are burning the candle at both ends and dripping wax all over the place.

Henry is working through a phase or a stage that has us all on edge. I am scouring the web for ideas and books to read. I am chatting my girlfriend's ears off and last night things finally felt right when he and I settled in for a few rounds of Hi Ho Cheerio and reading under a blanket with a flashlight...while we waited for Charley to get home. Perfect for the eve of his big preschool event. This morning, right now, he is there. And I am praying with every ounce of faith that I have in teachers and friends and classrooms and in Henry...that he is having a super time and that he will be smiling when I go get him. This could be good. It could be great. It will. It just might take some time.

Sydney has of course been her happy little self. But she is kind of in a predicament. She is getting bored with her little baby toys and wants the real stuff...the real phone, the real boy toys, mama's real coffee mug, or the Sonic slushy that Lynelle brought me yesterday (note to self: do not keep plates or cups or other items too close to Miss Syd or you will be sticking the the kitchen floor for days.) She isn't moving yet via crawling but she gets around with a roll or a scoot of some sort. She is now able to sit and put fingers in her mouth and throw her arm over her face like she does when she is tired without toppling over. I see so many of the babies that were born just a week or two before her and they are crawling or walking along furniture. I am so happy that my Miss Syd is taking the whole moving thing slow.

Our kitchen appliances are all in and working. I have cooked with convection. Water consumption has calmed down with the boys. The dishwasher is silent and doing it's thing on a daily basis. I only have to run it once because I can get every freakin' plate in there. Love that.

I am gearing up to start meal planning. I can tell that all five of us are really missing the family dinner hour. It has gotten away from us with the end of summer travels. Ed has worked hard to be able to take off for mini-vacations and first days of schools etc. So the family dinner hour has been hard to do here. I have been terrible about making meals and with the fall temps dipping it is time to start enjoying the crock pot or something baking in the oven. I know after this week things will start to slow down and we will all feel a little more routine.

I have blogged and emailed less this week than ever. And though it bothers me...it also feels good. Henry and I are enjoying our days with Sydney. There just doesn't seem to be as much time for me to sit down and the evenings have been so busy that I literally talk Ed's ear off and then hit the pillow. Hoping that a weekend at home with nothing but a haircut (that has been needed for over two weeks) and a football game will do us all some good. Maybe a family outing to an orchard or a festival. Or maybe not. All I know is that come Sunday morning - this mama is going to be calm, patient, sipping her latte, whipping up a yummy breakfast for this fabulous family of five that needs some family time at the kitchen table.

Ed and I are vowing to spend more time in the evening working on something or playing a game or watching a show together. Any fun ideas let me know...but we want to enjoy this fall season together and we need to remember that we need to be connected and strong in order for our family to groove.

Anyone ever have the water temperature in your house all of a sudden be off...like the showers are super hot and I can't get the kitchen sink water to get very cold and when I turn it to hot it gets TOO hot. We are wondering if it has anything to do with the gas stove hook up? hmmm...

Well it is almost time to wake Miss Syd up. I am so excited to go get Mr. Hank. We are going to go out for lunch with his little buddy and classmate.

Today:
Sipping a latte and blogging in silence.
Out to lunch to celebrate Henry's first flight from the nest.
I am feeling a rematch in Hi Ho Cheerio with my Henry.
Tonight is back to school night where I hear all the things that I have to stay organized with...homework...first grade mama responsibilities...can't wait. And then maybe a hot mug of spiked cider to celebrate with Ed.

Blogging will resume more regularly soon. Just taking in life and snapping lots of pictures!