Miss Me?

Oh, it's SO GOOD to be back! Well, I've been here, but talk about being GROUNDED!!!! We've been having some major storms, so when our internet went out in the beginning of the week, I thought for sure that was the problem...

But it wasn't...

It had something to do with a splitter and too many ports and other techie things I don't understand. Our new large screen t.v. downstairs figured into the mix, too. Anyhow, it threw a wrench into everything I had to do on-line (most importantly, check up on you all!!!) and needless to say - you were all missed dearly! I thought of you a LOT!!!!! For Marianne - I thought of you ALOT...all one word - ha ha! (She hates that - when people spell "a lot" like "alot" it REALLY irritates her, so ...)

I've had all this mischief pent up for a whole week...what do you expect???

In the past week, without the internet...so I couldn't even really do the writing I needed to do, because I use the internet for research...I DID accomplish way too much around here. But, I needed to!

I honestly used up almost a whole can of Pledge. We have a ton of oak in this house, between the woodwork and the furniture. We returned Saturday from the Amish store with more oak furniture, so it was a "polish and shine" kind of week for me. All the ceiling fans and bedroom sets got a good rub down.

And, we played musical mattresses. Aaron's bed and mattress went to his new room downstairs last week. So, we set up the new bed in his old room, our new guest room. Our mattress went into the new guest room - and we bought a new mattress and box spring set that was delivered yesterday!

So, that meant all the bedding in the house - plus new bedding - was washed and hung out on the line. *love it!* And it was windy enough yesterday and sunny to dry everything and made it smell fresh and sunshiney. BEFORE our massive tornado storms that blew through in the evening, that is. Whew!

Oh - and yesterday we woke up at 3:15am (after the ding-dong-ditchers hit our house at 10:45...grrr...) to get Aaron and his luggage to the Middle School by 4am. He took his 8th grade class trip to Washington D.C. *sniff! sniff!* He's never been on a plane before...or to the East Coast. It was a WEIRD feeling. We pick him up Sunday evening at 10:35pm at the Middle School. Now, if I swing one way or the other on the spectrum of being an over-involved hands-on or disengaged hands-off mother, I swing toward the over-involved way. This was WAY DIFFICULT for me. I don't think it was a big deal for Aaron at all. And, I know it's a great experience for him - he's seeing the Arlington Cemetery, Smithsonian Museum, Spy Museum, Holocaust Museum, certain government buildings - and other things. They keep those kids BUSY. And, he's a history buff, so this is all good. But...I admit, I silently cried (not bawled, just tears running down face) all the way back home (we only live 2 miles away from the school...so it's not like I cried for hours...). It was difficult. And I pray for him all the time. But, I try not to think about it too much.

What will college be like? Gulp.

Well, I feel like I could write to you for hours! Just to catch up! I'll spare you, though...I'll go check out some of your blogs now...some later. Mike will be home in an hour or so, so I have to get a few things done! I've been gone to a retreat meeting in Eau Claire all day that I'd love to tell you all about, but I can't! No time to say, hello, good-bye (as a late rabbit once said...) ;)...

Did you ever feel like you're always running a little behind?