hard days night

I have online friends whose husbands are military... and they go overseas for months or a year at a time, and these superwomen just go right ahead with 3 kids.... proving to me that I am, in fact, a wuss.

I mean, look at the prairie women! (You can't actually look at them, they have long since died from children. I just mean, reflect on them) These babes would ride across the country in wagons, and walking and such, burning pianos and burying people (usually husbands, if Janette Oke is on to something) and then they'd finally make it to the Promise Land, where they would live in houses made out of dirt. And they would have baby after baby after baby and get out there and milk the cow and churn the butter and slap grizzly bears on the nose and just truck on until they kicked the bucket at 35 from exhaustion, or loco-weed. Point is, I am a wuss.

It was a tough weekend. I had planned some out-of-the-house activities so R2 wouldn't get stressed... (he hates staying home) We can't actually play in our yard, since the chiggers have taken completely over and want to destroy us. So we went to Wal-Mart. My kids like Wal-Mart, and it's a good thing. We're mostly broke, and anyway we don't need many groceries... so we just wandered 'round, looking at shoes and various items. 

After WM, we hit "Old McDonalds have a farm" for about 4 dollars worth of cheeseburgers. Fun was had by Toby and Brynn, and occasionally by R2. 

Then it was home for naps and screaming and hitting and driving over each other with the car and finding any basket or box of items (shoes, blankets, towels, toys) and emptying them and then smashing each other some more. All of which I can totally handle. I ignore a lot. I deal with direct acts of violence or bone-threatening activities. 

Sunday was a lot harder. For some reason, I got hit very hard with loneliness and homesick-ness. Then R2 woke up on the wrong side of the bed and screamed all day long. Toby and Bean just did what they always do, but with the other elements, it was a little overwhelming. Hard, hard day. 

Today I woke up and R2 and I were both very excited about the schoolbus. He was very happy as we sat on the porch and waited, and then he rode away... and man! these babies are easy by themself.  I never want to sound ungrateful for R2. He's just going through a difficult phase and it's nice to have a break from that.

 7 days to go, unless it becomes 14 days...

and a little cuteness from the "new" car they found in the garage...