It's days like these that feel the longest to me.  It's Sunday, a beautiful day outside and I should be able to come up with a long list of things to do but for some reason I draw a blank.  My husband is away and the baby is napping so I am stuck at home for the moment.  So far we've gone to the pet store (or 'welfare zoo' as my husband likes to say), I've set up the aquarium (didn't know that you had to cycle the water for days before adding fish) and re-arranged the living room.  I guess what makes a day like this seem so long is that I can hear the sounds of family togetherness around my neighborhood but am missing my other half.  Even though my children fill me with love and joy (most of the time anyways) I feel like part of me is missing which seems to leave me feeling sluggish and irritable.  The worst is after they've all gone to bed and the sun is setting the house is quiet.  It can be a lonely feeling.  I am used to him being gone for work, but I still don't like it.  Oh well, life only gives you what you can manage, yes?

But moving on, I can not believe September is here already!  The leaves have started to turn and the days are getting shorter.  Soon our street will be filled with vehicles as parents drop off and pick up their kids.  The school yard will be a-buzz with the delightful squeals of kids playing.  As I prepare to send my oldest off to her first year of Kindergarten I am filled with emotion.  I can remember when I first laid eyes on her, a 9 pound 2 ounce bundle of sweet smelling baby softness!  It was instant love.  Then the nurse asked if I wanted to feed her, "Sure," I said, "But how do I do it?"  Mom fail #1, I didn't have a clue how to get the baby to eat!  Despite all the reading I'd done, despite all the questions I'd asked my mom and mommy mentor (one of my oldest friends) I had no idea what I was doing!  We got through it, and we've figured things out along the way too.  My girl is a caring and patient, one who is older than her years in many ways.  I have no doubt that she'll be fine on the first day, I just hope I can keep it together until I am safely back across the street behind closed doors.