It seems like a lifetime since my last post but in reality it is only about a week or so. But what a week it has been. Last Wednesday, Sarah and Joe turned 6 AND started first grade at our interparocial school. The uniforms are so sweet, their favorite subject so far is "Recess" (but they have Gym for the first time tomorrow, so that may change!). The weekend was a great one. We spent the weekend (Thursday evening through Sunday) with my sister and her three little ones all aged 4 and under. My brother in law is in the midst of starting a new job out of state and is able to be home only on certain weekends. This weekend he was away and their house went on the market with an open house on Sunday, so clearing out was a necessity for my sister O and the kids.
So we three adults, took nine children {7 boys and 2 girls} all aged 6 and under to a cabin in the Adirondacks owned by my husband's family and prayed for the best. Sometimes the weather cooperated, sometimes it didn't and you resigned yourselves to wet shoes and socks and a great time apply picking, cider donut eating, petting zoo. OK in a spirit of full disclosure the adults did like the cider wine tasting. But having an orchard at your disposal to just plain running around to burn off energy can't be beat. So the morning was spent crunching on MacIntosh straight from the trees- all the while praying that the sun will come out and warm the day enough for them to swim. Which thankfully it did on Saturday - and while I am certain that the water temp wasn't nearly as warm as they all claimed - they stuck with it in spite of the brisk breeze!
It was the kind of weekend where you, as a parent, arrive home exhausted but the kids are wired. But as we emptied the van, sorted the piles of dirty laundry, and put PJ's on the kids you were somehow happy for what you shared. For me it was a bittersweet end to a bittersweet week of transitions.
My eldest are now school aged. My sister and my brother in law are readying to move - about an 11 hour drive - and as I watched the herd of cousins singing along with Old McDonald on a DVD and galloping around in their pajamas, I was proud that refrained from tearing up. But the thought was there..... this is a fleeting moment that we will never have again.
Tara, it sounds like a wonderful time, despite the fact that it is also bittersweet. It will be a wonderful memory to share over and over again - and I'm sure the experience made just as great an impression on you as it did your children. The whole process you've shared about and written is truly beautiful. Thanks for sharing.
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