Two Weeks is like 5 Minutes...

I was worried about what I would do with my "free" time when Wyatt started school.  I was worried that I would be lonely and bored.

< insert ridiculous eye roll and lip twist here >

Instead, the days are blending into the weeks and the month of September is almost over.
I am back and forth to school at least twice a day, I am up and down the driveway for the bus twice a day, I am babysitting for a 3-year old baby girl 2 days a week, 10 hours a day.

Abby goes straight from school to dance on Mondays.  I cannot take her because I have 2 extra kids, in addition to Wyatt, on Mondays and Wednesdays but I am so grateful that my good friend, her little friend's mom, takes both girls every week.  But it's a long day apart.  She gets home around 5:45, in time for dinner and bedtime.  We snuggle and talk about her day and make bedtime as late as we can because Mondays are long, and we miss each other.
Tuesday mornings we stay in our jammies, stay cozy and try to regroup from the busy weekend-into-Mondays.  But Tuesday morning ends quickly when reality hits and both kids are off to school and I am getting whatever I didn't finish on Monday done.

I am donating my "extra" time to PTA activities and volunteering in the kids' classrooms in addition to the old stand-bys of cooking, cleaning, shopping and maintaining the household.
My head is constantly spinning.  My to-do lists are piling up because while most of it is getting done, I don't have time to care and check it off the original list.
I cannot believe how wild and busy and crazy and exhausting and fun September is!

Abby asks Wyatt about every detail of his day in Pre-K and today, she wanted me to drive her in so that she could see him go to Drop-Off and get a quick hug from her precious Mrs. Monarca.  And tonight, she cried about how much she missed her Pre-K teacher, friends and school day.  She's working so hard, she misses her easier days.  Last week, Thursday I think, she cried "why do I have to go to school every day?!"  But when she was done crying she said "I guess when I'm in first grade, I'll cry about missing Kindergarten".

Seriously?
First grade?

School.

Tomorrow is the first day of school.  Tomorrow should have been the 6th day of school but, as you may have noticed, Irene had other plans.
So, tomorrow I will put Abby on the bus and send her off to Kindergarten.  She will be driven by Mrs. C, who she knows as Tyler's mom - not scary.  And being that she is going to Afternoon Kindergarten the bus will have only other afternoon kindergartners on board.  PM-K is good for so many reasons.  Many of which I never considered and am now so grateful for.  Not getting rushed in the morning and not having big kids on the morning bus are only 2 of those things that I never knew I would value so much.
Once I get Abby safely loaded onto the "D" I will then head up to Gilead with Wyatt loaded up in the Bu, ready for his first day of Pre-K.
He is very, very excited.  If you ask him, he will carry on about playing with toys, being with his friends and Mommy dropping him off and leaving him with Mrs. Aubrey - but coming back to pick him up - but not staying with him.
The very thing that has him the most excited - Mommy dropping him off and leaving - is the very thing that leaves me without breath and very sweaty.
I have never left my baby boy anywhere - to do anything - without me.
Yes, he goes to "daycare" at the gym.  It's never more than 2 hours and I am never more than a few feet away.  And if he cried or needed me, they could get me within 2 minutes.

Once I drop him off tomorrow I have to Drive. Away.  I won't see him or what he's doing.  I won't hear the funny things he'll tell his teacher or the conversations he'll have with his little friends.
He will be on his own, in a group of his tiny little peers, all by himself.  For the first time ever.

It's only 3 hours, 4 days a week.  And I couldn't have asked for a better school or teacher.  And Abby went to the same program for 2 years.  I have nothing to fear.  No legitimate concerns or issues.

I am just very, very attached to my baby boy.

I don't love him more than I loved his sister when I sent her off to Pre-K 2 years ago.  I cried that day, too.  But I didn't have this anxiety.  My heart was not racing and my stomach did not feel feathery.
He is not less excited than she was.  In fact, he might be more excited because he has been waiting and watching for 2 years and now it's his turn.

I am not worried or anxious for Abby to start Kindergarten.  There are 14 kids in her class and her teacher is seasoned, kind and confident.  I can't say more than what my first impression told me but I already like her.  Abby would do well either way, though - that's her personality.  I don't worry about the situation she is heading into, I know Abby will adapt and be awesome.

I will just have to wait and see what tomorrow brings.  My friends tell me that by the end of the month I will be thanking the heavens that they leave me (almost) every day for a few hours.  They tell me I won't know what to do with them over Christmas vacation or *sigh* summer vacation next year. 
But I know I will know what to do.  Enjoy,  Every.  Moment.

I will be in their classrooms.  I will be on their field trips.  I will be here when they get home and hear all about whatever they want to share with me.
My house will be decorated with artwork and projects.
And when they want to watch tv, I will happily turn it on because I will know that they have had full, productive days and deserve a little downtime.
I will make hot soups and crockpot dinners. 
It's almost holiday season - ghosts, witches, pumpkins, mums and corn...  followed by Santa and Angels and Christmas trees...  followed by the lingering snowflakes and snowmen..  all homemade and full of glue and sparkles!

Hurrican Irene - in pictures

 Day One
More wind than rain...  these pictures don't really do it justice. 
It's hard to capture that with the camera but it was awesome to watch.

The fact that we hadn't lost power for what seemed like "the worst" of it helped my awe.

This tree snapped and fell across the street.  The town had already moved it back off of the road when we (and the rest of the neighborhood) took our walk.  It was the photo-op of the day...  I should have charged $5 a shot!

I arrogantly began baking this pineapple bread pudding while the storm was still raging.  I finished baking it in the grill.
It was delicious.

Cook 'em if you got 'em.
They were talking about 5-7 days of power-free living before Irene even reached Connecticut so we were prepared.

Abby & Wyatt camped out on our floor...  it was very, very dark.

  

Day Two

After the lights went out on Sunday the wind continued to whip through the afternoon and night. 
It was very unsettling.  

The next morning, however, the sun was shining and the sky was a beautiful blue. 
Jay made us coffee with the camping coffee pot and we made breakfast on the grill. 
It was still pretty fun.  Our food was still cold and our adventurous spirits were high,

Gorgeous morning for hot coffee!  (Really, really hot!)

Juice boxes in the morning!!?  Aw, Yeah!

Helping Daddy pick up sticks.  Obviously.

Dinner by candlelight...

Goodnight!

A few things I did not get shots of Monday:

• Driving out to Nel's to grab showers & dinner and stopping to find Q broken & bleeding in the middle of Charles Lane.  Jumping into action for my girl only to find that I cried harder than she did while Jay called 911 and her parents.  I'm no good in an emergency.  (At least not when Jay is there and I don't have to be.)
• Watching Q get wrapped and strapped and zipped away in an ambulance.
• Seeing her on the couch 2 days later, smiling through the pain and flinching/crying as she tries to get comfortable while telling me the full story of what led to our finding her on Charles, bleeding.  (And my rage at all things teenage and stupid.)
• Her broken tib/fib, surgery with 2 rods, skinned and bruised legs, feet, toes and arms.
• Jody wrestling with frustration, sadness, anger and stress while maintaining patience, kindness and warmth.  Being a good mommy is so hard sometimes.

Day Three
Sitting around by candlelight was starting to feel a little icky.  We didn't want to be "quitters" but we were getting antsy sitting in the warm, dirty dark.  We missed running water.  A lot. 
So we decided that if there was no progress on Tuesday we would go stay at a hotel for a night or two.  We needed a break.  Or so we thought.

Dunkin' for breakfast with Hershey's Strawberry Milkshakes?!?!?

The fridge.  After.

The fridge, Before.

Come on, Ride the Train!!

Hello, Sanctuary!!

This room was as big as our first apartment.  That door on the left lead to our bedroom with 2 Queen beds. 
You also can't see the sectional.

Indoor pool...

...takes the sting out.

Day Four

Waking up in the hotel was nice...  air conditioning, comfy beds and warm showers are hard to beat.  Add free breakfast and coffee to that and well, I miss it right now.

Considering that we were staying for free with Points earned by Jay because he stays at Hyatts every week for work - he was not having a good time staying at a Hyatt "for fun".
And considering that our dogs were still at 131, we couldn't exactly go far...  we had to take care of them which meant driving back and forth two or three times a day.  It sounds cool, but it just wasn't relaxing, it was annoying.

By mid-day we were already planning our trip home.  We felt helpless and like we deserted our post.  One more night and we planned to head back, lights or no.

The final straw:  these 2 kids arrive for another day of fun in the indoor pool to find it locked.  "Maintenance" closed the pool.  We were already ready to go home but this sealed it for the kids.

 Day Five

It was really nice to get home.  

Jay got the fire pit going and we bribed the kids to pick up sticks by allowing them to toss them in.

It was a gorgeous day, the fire smelled great and I put a good dent in my book while relaxing on the deck.  Reading in the quiet, in the middle of the day, outside is one of the most relaxing, loveliest activities in the world.  One I intend to participate in far more often.  

(Especially once the kids start school!!  Did I mention school was supposed to have started on Monday of this week?  Not even Winter yet and already 5 snow days deep!)

We also decided on this day that without power we could not hold a proper Jaybor Day Celebration.  We pulled the plug on the 35th Annual Celebration.  I can only hope to make the 36th unforgettable.

The branch that snapped and wedged itself into the "Tri-Tree" is huge.  It's basically a "Quad-Tree" now.

Widow-Maker.  Gotta find a tree guy.

It was nice to be back.

Day Six

We decided to take a break in a different way on Friday.  We headed to the gym - earlier than I have ever headed to the gym in my life because really, what else was there to do - exercised, showered and headed down to the shore.

We ate lunch at Flanders Fish Market.  

 Flanders offers the most delectable, amazingly delicious, creamiest, tastiest Lobster Bisque I have ever tasted, smelled or seen.  I highly recommend it.

This girl was...

telling me something...

very serious.

After lunch we took a drive and stopped to look at the drawbridge, some boats and just the water in general.  I had hoped to find a strip of beach to walk on...  fantasized about it, dreamt of it...  but we did not.  We weren't willing to pay or trespass so we just kept on driving.

Always making our day a little bit more interesting, Wyatt managed to get his head stuck on this little walkway.
He was released unharmed.

 After our shore excursion we headed to Nana & Papa's for dinner.  Nana baked something she called "macaroni".  We were so starved for home-cooking we ate it, but when enough time passes that we can make fun of her without it being too sensitive, we have every intention of doing that. 

She's a great Nana, but she's no Betty Crocker.

Wyatt steering the ship.

Our little mermaid.

CL&P had already promised us our electricity so when they promised again neither of us took it to heart.  Candlelit cards and a bottle of red wine, in bed by nine.  I was getting used to it.  Truly, I did not miss tv or internet or noise.  I missed water and clean laundry and showers but the peaceful darkness was becoming comforting.

That night, at 2am - give or take - the house lit up like a Christmas tree.  Bright and noisy with beeps and bloops and bops...  Jay and I jumped out of bed like we heard gun shots.  

LET THERE BE LIGHT!!  

It was comforting and a relief to know it was over.  But I have to admit, I will never forget that little sliver of sadness I felt when the tv lit up and the phone glowed.  

Irene, thank you for the cleanse.  We all needed it.

Things I will no longer take for granted:

Flushing.

Using soap and water together.

My dishwasher.

My pool.

Bright light.

Things I will find the time to stop and do:
 Play outside.

Read on the deck.

Take a walk.

Enjoy the silence.

As I wrap this blog entry, I have to say that I know I missed things.  I missed memories that I will never forget.  This week was not one that will be easily forgotten.
Moments of tension and stress you could cut with a knife.
Moments of laughter and peace and joy that couldn't be properly described.

Pride.  Happiness.  Fear.  Responsibility.  Community.  Love.
It's not something you can understand if you've never lived it.  
It is something that I am grateful I was able to experience.