Little pinches

Here they are, at the beginning of their second week of school, and I haven't even written about their first day! Or got around to uploading the pictures.

I guess it's just now catching up with me, that among other things. I keep having to remind myself that all of this is real. This beautiful home, this land, the boys on their new adventures...

We dropped them off for the first day of school. Their hair was combed, their faces clean and bright, their backpacks full of potential. We got there early, both Mike and I trying desperately to remind them of all the things they needed to remember, until I finally just stopped talking, realizing that this was it - the last five years we've spent grooming them for life and here was their first big lesson. The bell rang and they sprung out of the car without looking back. We watched as they disappeared into the building, on their own and exploring life without our hovering umbrella parenting.

Mike and I went grocery shopping - silent, anxious grocery shopping. And then trundled off to our too-quiet home. I immersed myself in work, brainstorming on a game plan for my own new adventures. My boss is keeping me on, to work from here the majority of the time, with some day visits to the office (3 hours away) to keep up with things there. So far, things are running smoothly, maybe even more so than before.

Any spare time I have is spent working toward my side business, which will hopefully be unveiled in the upcoming weeks. The flow of everything is coming together in ways I never dreamed possible! I just keep on stopping to pinch myself.

And that first day, like every day since then, we waited at the school to see the boys and their excited smiles walking out of the school. We listen to them fight for attention, retelling stories and singing songs from the day.

It's been perfect - all of it - every day. I just keep pinching...

I wish I had pictures of my Dad's visit over the weekend, but my camera battery died and my charger hadn't made the journey down here yet. Bittersweet, as always...our time is always short. Because of them, all of this is possible - this house they built, this opportunity they've given us. I don't even have words for it. Except thank you. With a pinch.