Thursday, August 12, 2010

Too Short Summer - An Update

I can't believe it's already the middle of August. I don't know where the time has gone. It's been a rather lazy summer for us. Allie and Jane left for Wisconsin just a couple days after school let out. They've been having a great time and are really enjoying the time they are getting to spend with their father. Because of our upcoming vacation they got to have a couple extra weeks there. I think it's been good for all of them. He's been dealing with some personal things and it's been therapeutic for him to have them there and to spend some extra time with them. His troubles have been a blessing in disguise for the girls and they seem to have had a better time this trip than they have had in the past. For me it's been an long time and I am ready to have my family back together. While a dozen or so days don't seem like that much, it really makes a difference. The house is too quiet, too big and too empty without them here.
Krysty is spending some time in California with my family. I know that she misses her friends but she's gotten to do a couple of really cool things. Plus I know that my mom has benefited from having her there. I know it's hard to have the girls so far away. Krysty and I have gotten much closer over the last few months and it's been tough for me to have her gone. She's usually pretty helpful at home. Most of all I just miss her presence.
The most exciting part of the summer has been Fiona breaking her leg. It wasn't any harrowing accident where we're just glad she came away with nothing worse. It was a random fall of 18 inches off a patio during a play-date. One of those things that's just ridiculous. Even now I think back on it and the one thought that is constant is "Seriously?". She's fallen down the stairs, off the couch, coffee table and my bed. She's slipped in the tub and run into a corner when not paying attention. All with nothing more than a bump or some wounded pride. I've had to go find where her scream of "I STUCK!" was coming from. Now she's sporting a hot pink cast up to her thigh. Thankfully (I think) this has not slowed her down at all. The number of times in a day I say "Fiona, get down!" has not lessened. I'm happy for her child's resilience. I'm glad it won't be putting a damper on her summer. We're still able to sit on the patio while she plays on her slide or in the grass. I feel fortunate that with four children this is the first time anything has actually broken. We've had stitches and trips to the ER, but this is my first child to walk around in a cast of any kind.
Doug is working his arse off. He's still covering two additional markets and is constantly up to his eyeballs in emails, phone calls and something that has to be handled Now. They have hired someone to take over some of it but relief is still some time off. I never thought I'd say I'd be happy when he goes back to "only" working 60 hours a week. He's handling it well. Of course he always does. We've been able to sneak in a few day trips and some "extra" time together, and that's been nice. I love the way he makes time for us and remembers why he's working so hard.
As for me, I miss my older girls. I miss the noise and the company. I miss the help. I miss everything that comes with having a house with four children in it. Ask me again in September and I will be longing for my quiet summer days when nap time means silence. I'm still dealing with the fertility/trying to conceive roller coaster. I can't wait for the day to be able to say "We did it! And it stuck!". Crazy is as crazy does, I suppose. There are some things that are just too hard to pull back the throttle on.
I hope everyone else is enjoying the summer in the way they most desire.

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