Alaska!!

Here we are with a handsome bear we flirted with in Canada.

We took a horse-drawn trolley tour of Victoria.

Grandma couldn't take her eyes off of the gorgeous view.

Making friends with a starfish.

Aren't my sisters gorgeous? We bonded.

This is in Juneau at the Salmon Bake.

My sis Linz

Beauty, eh?

Chillin' with Sarah Palin

I've neglected to blog about my cruise to Alaska because I haven't had the time or the energy to do it justice. I have finally decided to go for it, sacrificing perfection for just gettin' er done.

So, here it is in a nutshell: Eat, sleep, eat, laugh, eat, bond, eat, laugh, eat, relax, enjoy the most beautiful sights EVER, eat.

Here is some of the food I ate: anchovies, rack of lamb, mussels, scallops, Alaskan salmon, Alaskan king crab, calamari, duck, oysters, and the yummiest crab melt sandwich ever.

Thanks, Mom, for taking us on a memorable girl trip. Now if I could just get Worthy and my children to give me turn-down service with a chocolate every night. And a fancy towel animal.

Fun(?) on the First Day of School

Worthy was up and ready to go this morning. He calmly walked into his 2nd grade classroom and sat right down. I think my little man is growing up. And so handsome, don't you think?!!

Kate, not so calm. She kept saying, "Mom, I'm scared of the fourth grade. On the way to school, her little voice whispered from the back of the van (as if I hadn't heard her the first few hundred times), "MOM. I'm STILL scared of the fourth grade."

Morgan had her first college class yesterday (concurrent enrollment, Art History), and also started her first day at The Patio. So today was her second day of firsts. She always confides in me that she's nervous, but she's able to stand tall and confidently go for it.

I'm home right now, feeling stressed but grateful that my job is flexible enough to let me wear my mommy hat on important days. I can't imagine how our lives would be right now if I were still in the classroom. This morning, watching the elementary school kids bright eyed and excited, I had that little twinge of nostalgia and I wished for a minute I was back in the classroom, borrowing their joy and energy. But the perks of my current job are without number. For one, I took today off knowing it would be a difficult one for Kate. What a blessing to be able to focus on her and not worry about anything else this morning.

I spent almost an hour with Kate in her classroom this morning--her long little fingers were clawing into me, trying to keep me there forever. The little sweetie. I know this is so hard for her. She has been crying real tears all summer whenever school is mentioned. I've been so proud of her for the gradual way she has come to terms with having to go to school. Just getting up, getting dressed, and physically moving herself in the right direction this morning was a victory.

I finally left her, crying. Now I'm crying. I know this is best for her, and I know she will find the strength to face this and deal with it. She amazes me all the time. I just wish, this one time, I could trade her places and do it for her.

Feeling A Little Sheepish...

about my post yesterday. I'm fine, people. Really. This too shall pass. Thanks for loving me even when I'm showing glimpses of insanity!

HELP MEEEEEeeeeeeee. . .

I'm back to work. If anyone has a tip on how to duplicate myself, I'd appreciate it. I'm exhausted. . . I hurt. My kids are neglected . . . I am neglected . . . my husband is neglected . . . my home is neglected . . . my job is neglected . . . my garden is neglected . . . my pets are neglected . . . it would be nice if I could do one thing well instead of a thousand things not-well. Wah, wah, wah . . . thanks for letting me vent. I'll go now, I have some mediocre work to do.