A little too quiet

Photo: Free Digital Photos

During the school year, my family's schedule follows a pretty predictable routine:

• Rise and (somewhat) shine at 6 am
• Baby Girl gets dressed and eats breakfast while The Boy gets dressed and takes the dogs out
• 6:30 the bus comes for Baby Girl (middle school this year!)
• 6:50 the bus comes for The Boy (high school this year!)
• 7:30ish The Man Beast gets ready for work

By 8:30 am, it's just the dogs and me and a very quiet house. Too quiet, sometimes.

This new phase in our life - albeit for just a few more weeks - is very new to me. The last time I stayed at home while the kiddos went to school was back when The Boy was in Kindergarten/First Grade. The Man Beast was working a wicked schedule at big chain pizza place and our schedules were completely backward. In fact, the only reason I got up in the morning, was to get The Boy dressed, fed, and out the door to catch the bus. Then, it was back to bed for a couple of more hours before Baby Girl would wake up and then our day would start.

(Wow - typing that makes me a little melancholy. It's hard to believe that not too long ago, The Boy was starting his school journey and here he is gearing up to end it.)

Usually, I'm rushing around in the morning trying to get ready with the kids. Once upon a time, I would take both kids to the elementary school while I would head to the middle school. Then, when The Boy started going to the middle school, I would drop Baby Girl off at the elementary school and then The Boy and I would head to the middle school. It was around December of last year when I had surgery, that the kids started riding the bus. And this year, rather than start one routine and have to change it in a couple of weeks, both kids ride the bus to and from their perspective schools.

In 11 days, I'll start student teaching and I won't have to worry about the too quiet house. In 11 days, The Man Beast can get back to his regular schedule of seeing all three off to school while he has the whole house to himself as he gets dressed. In 11 days, our schedules will be in full-time full swing as Girl Scouts starts up again for the new school year.

In 11 days...

But today, I sit in a too quiet house with entirely too much time on my hands.

Until next time,