Alive

As in yes, we are still alive.  You thought this was done, no more enanos.  You thought no more silliness, no more poetry (I know that was your favorite part of this corner of cyberspace).  Think no longer!  We are back!  What began as a couple days off, turned into a couple weeks, turned into a month.  We just wanted to make you miss us.

Actually, I'm just tired.  We've been running a lot, having too much fun, and we've been thinking deep thoughts, and anyone who knows me knows that I find deep thoughts exhausting.  We are still thinking deep thoughts and we are still running like crazy, and I am definitely not rested, but we are back.  I hope you missed us.  I hope you are not rolling your eyes, wishing you knew how to remove us from your Google reader.  Oh, the excitement that is in store for you.

On that note, I am tired.  Deep, bone-weary tiredness.  I should not even be up this late (8:30), but I just couldn't stay away from you.  We started back to school this week and it has been good.  There is the usual stress of planning and getting us scheduled.  Somewhere in Mexico my mom just laughed - schedule?  What schedule?  We laugh in the face of a schedule!  Sort of.  This year I thought I would try waking the girls up at 6:30 so we could do math.  We find math to be our most difficult subject and if left to our own devices would skip it each and every day.  I thought that if we started our day with math, before the boys woke up, that we would get more done.  We've managed to do it for a whole week!  Can you believe it?  Frankly I can't.  I bribe the girls with tea, any kind they want, even black, and that seems to help.  Josie is pretty grumpy but she eventually warms up.  Elia is loving it.  She is like her father.  She loves having a task, a list to check off, and a clear set of instructions.  Josie is a bit more fly by the seat of her pants.  I don't know who she takes after.

So there is one reason for my tiredness.

We also started up with co-op this week, and that sucks a lot of energy from me.  I love seeing friends, the kids really love seeing friends, I feel like they learn quite a bit, but it is exhausting.

And then we just have life.  Life in general is kind of hard right now.  Contrary to what you've read so far, I'm not trying for a pity party, just things are tiring.  Those big existential questions that we all must go through at some point - What is the meaning of life?  What is our special purpose in life?  When will we find it?  Why is God so quiet?  Why can't anyone pick up after themselves I swear I am going to lose it if I have to pick up one more stinkin' ground up cracker.... - you know, that kind of stuff.

Otherwise life is good.  It seems a contradiction, staying up late worrying, being tired, but knowing that life is good.  We KNOW how many blessings we have.  We KNOW that from beginning to end we are in God's loving hands.  We KNOW that our teensy little life is good.

Good - Mikey is slooowly learning to read.  Deli is loving his preschool books.  The girls aren't as bored with my school plans as they thought they would be (insert a mama eye roll).  We went to the Museum of Science and Industry today and on our way home stopped and bought flowers for a dear friend's wedding tomorrow.  Speaking of the Museum, Del might be a genius.  As we walked up to the entrance he said, "Mami, that building looks like the Pantheneon (Parthenon).  ** Wait. Wha? **
I know, right?!!  We should send him off to boarding school now before we dumb him down.  More good - We get to see old friends (anyone want to send greetings to the Rev. Know-it-all?) tomorrow at the wedding.  We are surrounded by dear friends in Indiana who keep us going, even if they don't know it.

And the best part of good?  We are snuggled on a couch watching Peter Pan: the play.  Yes, the live action play.  Mikey chose it.  He is just the sweetest little boy that ever climbed a door frame.  He's been huddled on the couch, holding his teddy, eating popcorn and watching this show with rapt attention.  I've been telling the kids that we were in the Peter Pan play in highschool.  Their Papi was Smee!  Their Uncle Kenny was John!  And what were you, Mami?  Ummm, Indian girl?  But what was your name Mami?  Indian girl #3.  Tell us where you were in the play, Mami.  I was in the background...  supporting.  I was very supportive.  It was a very important part, you know.

On that note, I will leave you.  We will catch up tomorrow.  There is so much to catch up on!