I'm coming up for air

Hey! Its me. Popping in to say to hello to anyone who may be reading my blog (although from the looks of it, my audience is teeny tiny). Anyway, along with the cooler weather has come an onslaught of countless activities my children; i.e. piano lessons for 3, ballet/tap for 1, soccer for 1, some type of computer thing for 1, marching band for 1, Greek classes for 1 etc. You know what I'm talking about because you're probably doing it too. Comes with the territory and I will miss it when they're gone I'm sure.
I do have to share something unusual about myself...I have taken up the cello!! I LOVE the deep, rich tone of a beautiful cello and its one of the things I wanted to do when my children got older. Well, they're older and so am I. After Mom and Dad died, it dawned on me that I will too and there are some interests I have that have gone unattended to and I don't want to live a life of regrets so here I am... a cellist.
I'm so excited AND I can play Jingle Bells so I'm all ready for the holiday season.

Time flies by....

Guess what this little guy did today??

He got his first round of senior pictures taken!!
I simply cannot believe this. I'm speechless. Its unreal to think he will be starting his senior year next month. I've already told my boss I will take the next year off for mental health reasons. Yes, I will be one of those moms who will cry for the next 12-18 months and it will have nothing to do with hormones. It will be because my baby will be growing up and leaving my watch. Am I overreacting? Maybe, but this is new territory for me and I am not looking forward to it.

Summertime

Does it seem to anyone else that this summer is whizzing by? I took 3 solid weeks off work this year. I did it last year and it was wonderful. I thought it would be the same this year. Actually, since the middle of May, I have only been to the office about 5 times due to some scheduled vacation, my dad's death and to flooding that forced my office to close. I return to work on Monday and I can't say I feel well rested. The vacation we took was fabulous but not extremely relaxing.
On Saturday we took our 3 youngest children to my in-laws where they will stay until tomorrow evening. We drove to MPS after dropping them off and stayed at my brother's place where we were finally able to slow down and unwind. It was a wonderful visit.
Tomorrow my kids return and on Saturday daughter #1 leaves for camp until the 13th. On July 12th, my husband's birthday, both my sons leave for different camps, one to work and the other to play. It won't be until August 3rd that all my ducks are back in the nest. I just love it when we can all be together. Its kind of unsettling for me to go to bed without everyone being close by. I guess its a mom thing.
For those of you who have never seen or met my ducks or husband, here you go.