make-you-want-to-barf jet lag

I finally got mostly a full night's sleep last night- first since wednesday. This weekend was a mess, one I'd gladly never repeat. Trying to prep for a hurricane and get a 4th grader ready for her first day of school after traveling for over 26 hours straight, dealing with make-you-want-to-barf jet lag and a very needy 11month old is mind-bending. But miraculously, it all got done, we had no water in our basement, and we survived. We do have a HUGE tree limb, the size of an actual tree down in our back yard that we have to deal with but it fell on nothing but grass. It could have wiped out our swingset or destroyed planted gardens that edge our yard. But fortunately it had the grace to fall smack in the middle of the yard onto an already ailing patch of grass. This is when you really do believe that the universe does give you what you can handle and I am pretty sure the universe was down with the fact that property damage was NOT something this very tired set of parents could handle!

And there is nothing like adding a baby to the mix to make your other children look, big-ass BIG. And then they go and start 4th grade at a completely new school and handle the transition and change and massive chaos like champs. I am so proud of my big girl. She had a whirlwind summer complete with 2 weeks away at summer camp HERE in Minnesota which as you may know is not next door to us and then was home for only 4 days before we left for 2 weeks in China. Between all the travel and 5 extra days of school in June due to snow days, this poor flower of mine didn't have much time at home enjoying our little beachy town. But I think no matter how disappointed she may be in some of the little things about starting school 1 week earlier than her brother and missing the 4th grade ice cream social cuz we were flying home on Friday, she is so elated to have a sister that nothing else matters. SweetPea is a smart, energetic, social, girl who is great at being a leader and taking charge. She can handle nearly any situation I throw at her. Watching her love and cherish her new sister with such care and tenderness has made my heart melt. The baby has brought to my FULL attention how fast my other two are growing up and I just want to yell STOP! Hang on a minute. Let me just catch up for a second. But I know there is no stopping time and instead I am just going to remind myself to be fully present all the time to absorb these growing-up years.

So SweetPea, I wish you a brilliant 4th grade year - I hope you enjoy your new school and you soak in all that it has to offer- and show everyone there ALL that you have to offer. Your smile lights up my world.

xoxo
Mom