I'm back.

My family just left back to Kansas (via South Dakota and Colorado). The house is quiet. It is a mess. I am looking forward to getting it back to working condition. I'm looking forward to some quiet evenings, though it was nice to have the distractions. 6 extra people in your house is a lot. My need for order and space seems to win out eventually. I'm exhausted. My growing belly slows me down quite a bit. I just can't get it all done as I'd like. I have to sit and take breaks. That is annoying. Z finally has her room back and we can get that all decorated for her. She has her own bed now and won't be sleeping in ours. (Maybe sometimes) My table will go from having 9 chairs down to 3. My fridge won't be overflowing. I am ready to purge again--clothes, toys, anything that I can get rid of. The stuff is making me claustrophobic. I know Jason feels the same way. He and Z are napping on her bunk bed--top bunk. Cute.

Listening to how things are in my hometown in Kansas makes me feel fortunate that Z will grow up here. It just isn't the same. She has more advantages here that they just don't have. Bad attitudes and a decreasing population aren't making for a great place for kids to grow up. I was blessed with good people around me in high school and for a class that was mostly filled with bright people who were ambitious and adventurous. We were excited about things. That doesn't seem to be the case. The teachers seemed to be there for us. The coaches were about personal bests...not crazed winning freaks. We were nurtured for the most part, not yelled at and left feeling small.

I had times where I feel my little comments made my nephew and nieces feel a bit picked on. Making them do things for themselves instead of being waited on. Making them clean up after themselves, make sandwiches for themselves and putting their dishes in the dishwasher themselves!!! (I spent a lot of time putting dishes in the dishwasher.) I realize this is small, but it sure got on my nerves. How hard is it??? : )

Z can relax a bit now. Being around kids 24/7 was a lot for her. She's not used to it yet. Her sister's arrival will be good for her.

I ordered an dvd class about writing creative non fiction. It's through The Great Courses. I saw the ad in the NYTimes. I am ready to sit and feed my brain again for a bit. I'm feeling a little empty. There are 24 lectures of 30 mins each. I'll keep you posted on how it is. Maybe this blog will get better. :)