Quiet

Last night the boys unexpectantly slept over at their grandparents house. I went over there to meet a friend of ours to cut their hair and my father-in-law offered to keep them overnight. Aaaaaahhhhhh (sigh of relief). I have had the best time being alone. Aaron is in California for a week, so I'm really by myself. Normally I hate being by myself. I'm a huge people watcher, so I really hate going out to eat by myself because I have no one to talk to about what I'm seeing. It's like I have to tell myself and only myself laughs. Very sad. Aaron, on the other hand, loooooves being by himself. I don't get it.

So anyway, last night after youth, I was invited to go to Chili's with some of the college age kids. Normally I would have been so excited at the invite and the opportunity, but since leaving my in-laws, I couldn't stop thinking about how wonderful it was going to be after youth when I could go home to a quiet house. And that's what I did. I watched what I wanted (murder mysteries that Aaron doesn't like and I can't watch in front of the kids), I ate and drank what I wanted (coke and chocolate chip cookie dough) and I didn't have to share or worry that one of the boys would wake up and see what I had and want it. I was as loud as I wanted to be and stayed up until I wanted to (reading a book). There were no cries at mid-night because someone woke up or early morning potty accidents that I had to deal with. This morning I slept until 9am, which is really late for moms with young kids and came out into a quiet kitchen and actually cooked my own breakfast. A normal morning is like a whirlwind of me getting everybody's breakfast (sometimes 3 different things) and then when I finally think it's my turn to sit down, they want seconds (usually what their brother was eating)! Now I'm going to have a "quiet" quiet-time and catch up on my reading from the weekend. Usually my quiet-time is me trying to focus on what I'm reading in the mists of all kinds of craziness of yelling, fighting, squeeling, laughing, running, etc. Then I'll be off to get ready and pick them up and my day will be non-stop from there - pick up, run errands, lunch, naps, school, play, dinner, baths, bed, sleep (and saying "no," "stop that" many, many times in between). That's how it is with boys and for the most part I love it. Even writing this gives me a smile in my heart. I know one day these will be great memories and lots of laughs around a Christmas tree while their crazy little boys run around their feet. I will just sit back and remember these precious moments of life.