My hands are empty again...

As we were loading up the rented SUV for my daughter and kids to go home after a week with Grandma, someone commented "You certainly have your hands full" as I carted the baby in one arm and Mom's stuff to the car in the other. "Yes", I replied, "but only for a short while longer, then they will be empty again."

And so they are on their way home. This time taking two days rather than the marathon one day trip we drove on the way up to my house. Baby isn't cutting a tooth, so with luck he won't scream the entire trip. The house is so quiet now. I have vacuumed, picked up, did dishes and laundry and soon will be going through my bills...but it is so quiet, so empty.

The kids are all so different and I love them all. The baby is just about to take his first steps (he's in a "clingy" stage now where Mom can't leave his field of vision) and the six-year old is the big sister, about to start school in a couple of weeks. She is so aware of everything that we have to monitor our conversations carefully. So, we shopped for school supplies and clothes. My daughter scanned Craigslist for my area before we drove up and found a free hutch, kidsized, with three little chairs. The woman who listed them said that she had hoped to paint them as a project but never did it. We drove 30 minutes to get the furniture. I want to paint them now, but they are in the car with everything else, going home. Perhaps next time I visit...

I don't like saying goodbye to my family. I want them near. I love hearing their laughs, not so much the howler monkey-like screeching from the toddler, but even that is somehow endearing (only not 24/7 and not after a long, long day).

Big sis, age 6, is so comfortable in the water. She swims underwater with her goggles, all the way across the pool. I started to teach her how to dive. She has no fear and did it over and over and over, mostly belly flopping, but determined to succeed. Then she taught herself how to flip over backwards in the water. The toddler, ever the cautious one, wouldn't even go in the water until I suggested that he hop on my back and race his sister. Then he began to get comfortable. As the days went by, he ventured into the pool, little by little, but always staying near the steps. He won't be pushed into anything rash, that one.

Baby looks to be another curious one, exploring every cabinet and room, but always keeping Mom in sight. I called it the Mom GPS. As I moved him away from Mom, the scream would increase in volume.

The eldest loved watching the Beijing Olympics, which ended yesterday, rooting for the USA to win and critiquing the diving!

My family, see you soon!