"So, you have an on-line blog..."

Last night, my husband, Don, says, "So, you have an on-line blog now. I can't even get you to check your e-mail daily." He leaves the rest unsaid, but the question is so obvious, there really is no need to voice it.

I smile with my back turned to him. Little does he know, I don't check my e-mails because it's only junk - nothing of interest to me. If friends wrote from time to time or I had opportunities to write creatively --- TA DA! The key!

We put the children to bed last night at 7:30, despite the groans and complaints. My daughter, Deanna, is leaving this Friday to spend a week with her grandparents. Unfortunately, the only week she could go was the week they are running the Vacation Bible School at their church. My mother-in-law wrote that she would love to have Deanna, but would this sweet little girl who turns into a tiger without enough sleep be able to get up at 7:00 in the morning so she can dress and have breakfast before they have to leave? So, Don decided this week is TRAINING WEEK - to bed at 7:30, up at 7:00.

Of course, the baby bounded out of bed around 6:00 a.m. He climbs into bed with me and pretends to snuggle when, in fact, it's a sly way of wiggling me off the edge of the bed and into a vertical position without too much complaining from Mom because, he claims, he's snuggling.

Got the dish drainer rack and the dishwasher unloaded and two loads of wash done, the baby fed (for those of you who don't know, the "baby" is 3 and well into toddlerhood, but will, even at 35, be fondly referred to as the baby), and untold other plans made before Dane (my 6 yr. old) came stumbling into the kitchen begging for breakfast. I quickly fed the boys and then nagged them into dressing and going outside to play. At 7:00, it's still cool enough to play outside without breaking into a sweat as the door opens. It took me until 7:30 to finally get them out the door. Then I made the mistake of leaving the kitchen to wake Deanna. I couldn't possibly have been gone longer than 5 minutes, but it was long enough for Dane to sneak back in the house and plant himself solidly in the middle of the den floor in front of an infomercial on T.V. Do other kids love infomercials? Mine seem to think they're as great as any cartoon. Of course, they also want to buy everything they see.

I shooed them back out again, which lasted a whole 15 minutes. Dane claims he's too hot, Deanna got bit by some kind of insect and is in excrutiating pain ("It hurts, Mommy, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts!!"), and the baby follows his siblings wherever they go. I don't understand children. They complain constantly that they want to play outside and it's too hot, but when they have an opportunity to do it in relative coolness - it's a no go. Maybe because I suggested it. I bet if they thought of it themselves, they'd be burning up the swingset now.

I just have to remember that it's summer. In just one more month, they'll be back in school and lying prone in front of the T.V. will be a vague memory. Mommy's heart will break a little every morning as I send them off to be trained by someone other than me.

Ah, motherhood.