Good Girlfriends

I had a quick date with hubbie this afternoon - a few hours, ok, two, and during that time he was asking about how a few of my friends were doing. Steph had just called (who is suffering horribly with a case of the flu, quite possibly the swine variety - oink oink), and Jeff made the comment, "you have really good girlfriends."

The comment made me smile and feel again all-over blessed, because I do, indeed, have good girlfriends.

Girls can be rough to be friends with. We are a jealous, possessive group by human nature, so when you find a few that truly love you, and are happy for you when you are happy - and sad with you when you are sad, then you are blessed. So, I won't dare mention you by name, but here is what I love about my girlfriends.

You are all low maintenance. Some of you I talk to once a year - chat with one in a while on FB, etc, but we still love each other, and would be there in a second if the need arose. You don't need me to call you everyday to know that you are loved. Thank you for that.

I love that it is ok to NOT be ok all the time. We don't play the "I'm great - and why aren't you?" game. If I am great, you are happy for me. If I am having a rough time, you don't make me feel like a dork because of that.

You are all beautiful. One of my friend's little girl was discussing the beauty of another little girl. They got to have a great talk about the fact that just because another girl is beautiful does not mean that her beauty is less. This is hard for most girls (of any age)to understand. Just because you are pretty does not make another girl less pretty. We are each beautful and unique. Our size and shape really don't matter. We celebrate each other's beauty.

You are there. I often joke about the dark days of life - the ones that send you into the closet - to lie on the floor in the dark - maybe in the fetal position! Those are the days that you discover your true friends. We need friends that will let us lie there because that is where we need to be. We need friends that will lie outside the door and pray for us. We need friends who will grab us by the ankles and drag us out because we have been in there too long.

I have girlfriends who are younger than me, older than me, are related to me, not related to me, and are my same age. You make my life richer. You make me a better wife, mother, and friend. I am grateful for each of you. I do have good girlfriends.

WOW

So tomorrow, officially, for the first time in over ten years, I will not have a child in the house during the day. Even with pre-school, someone always seemed to be home. Jeffrey was home last year for home-schooling. I guess we did have a short run when Andrew first started public school, but I spent the time driving to three schools and the B's got done at noon, but I digress.

Tomorrow. I drop them off. All of them. All day. It will be quiet. I have to work, but there will be no nanny in the house. No noise. No chaos. Will I miss it? Will I love it? Will I hate it? (doubt it). I'll let you know.

I went to back to school night for Andrew tonight. He is in the ELP class at Schwartzkopf. There are only 6 kids in his class - plus an aid - plus his speech therapist who comes and gets him for therapy - plus a reading coach (his teacher from last year who loves him). I think it will be a good year. He like his new room. After sitting in my lap for a bit, he wandered over and settled in with the other kids - playing cars and animals with them.

As we walked into school, it was like going to school with a rock star. All the kids know him. Some of the parents too. One dad told me, "you don't know me, but you have a great kid. He gives ME a hug when I drop my kids off at schoool and hug my kids." We chatted for a moment because, dare he admit, the hug from Andrew meant a lot to him. He was being loved for who he is - not for being dad - and that is different. It is a great gift of Andrew's - one he gives freely. He likes most people (but not all of them). He is willing to give of himself. We could all use a bigger dose of that.

Remind me to tell you about the twins going forward in church to be "bath-tized." Classic stuff.

Big milestones at the Voth house this week. First day of school pictures to come soon.

Blazing Hot & Fast Summer

Most of you know that I work with my brother (and husband) and that our busy season (for Movex) is the summertime. To all of my friends who have not seen me since May, Labor Day is coming and I will return to my previously normal social life again. As much as a mom of four, wife, and working woman can have! It has been hectic and loud. Jeff and I both work from home, so we hire in a nanny and babysitters to help with the kids. We lock ourselves in our rooms (me in our room - Jeff in his office) and hand the kids over to capable teenagers for the afternoons. The long hours do give me a good year's worth of funny customer serivce stories, though, and the kids love that!

So, today was a sad day, because it was our Ashley's last day of being our summer nanny. The boys adore her and she DRIVES so she has been able to "air them out" with dates to the mall and Chuck E Cheese. We are thrilled for her to be going off to college, but sad for ourselves. Andrew told her "NO" when she told him the gig. He is not going to be pleased at all. The boys asked me if she could come back next summer. She will have to come visit often! Luckily, Andrew loves his Gracie (my niece and nanny-in-training) and will happily cuddle with her too.

But, between the six of us and a gaggle of sitters coming in and out of the house (did I mention Allie, Luke and Scott also help out?), it is just constantly busy and noisy around her. I am craving SILENCE. I seriously think I might come home and sit in silence for a few hours on the first day of school. My brain is FRIED and I sometimes wonder if my speech is even coherent on most days.

So, while I am sad that the time to sleep till 8 is about over (noon for Jeffrey!), I am in desperate need of a schedule and routine that is more, well, quiet and sane. I am in despearate need of a good work-out and some time to myself. I don't mean that to sound self-centered or selfish. It is just necessary. Necessary indeed.

I did take the day off work today to uniform and shoe shop. That was a violating experience (for the sheer cost of it), but it is done and over and all that is left is labeling all those clothes with VOTH in them somewhere so WHEN (not if) they leave them somewhere, there is a hope of them being returned. Maybe I should put a reward sticker in them instead.

So we worked. We swam. We camped. We saw some movies. We ate junk food. We watched TV. We even did some crafts. Andrew got to be in a wedding. Jeff and I had our birthdays. It has been a good summer. Blazing hot and fast. But a good summer.

God is good. I am blessed. My boys are great. And that is the latest update with us!

oh, and we are STILL working on Andrew learning to swim and being potty trained. sigh.