2 Weeks

 Our parent's are on their 30th Wedding Anniversary honeymoon!

I have written before about how much I adore my siblings, or at least I think I have. I've been given the opportunity to house-sit and "watch" them for about 2 weeks.

I definitely use that term loosely because they can be pretty self sufficient. I'm more of just an authority/accountability person. I make sure they don't break the rules & stay alive. Yup.

 

So we've been going to friend's houses, going to parks, exploring local businesses, grocery shopping, cleaning, and cooking a lot. Watching movies, playing basketball, swimming; all the fun things you do on a budget. Driving to Hobbly Lobby to craft special flower halo headbands that she (marybeth) and her friends are going to model for my shop.

The siblings have been so helpful. It's not so hard coming here and helping keep them in line, but it is difficult uprooting 3 children from their routine and putting them in a different environment for 2 weeks, just to go back... They have watched my kids while I have napped (happened once), watched some here and there so I could take another sibling to a friend's house, watched them in the car so I could run in somewhere, etc. 

Daniel fixed the headlights on my van (apparently I have to turn the lights off before I turn the car off or it won't cooperate, even then you have to do a series of knob turning and then this girl has to take a nap because it's just too much).

Michael didn't complain when I put a playpen in his room for Carson to take his naps and sleep at night or when I sent Sehara to bed early and she got scared and made a makeshift bed on his floor.  

Marybeth wrangles the kids together pretty quickly and Tyler has been my right hand man, ready to go at a moments notice. He calculates the grocery bill and tracks things like that. 

They have all pitched in to help me help them. 

We've been able to spend much needed quality time together, where they get to learn about this real/new me, the girl who has calmed down, and learned some patience and life lessons. They are starting to shed this drill sergeant view of me and I like that.

I get to see how they have grown up, too. You can't hide much when you spend just about 24/7 with someone. Areas they need to work on (so I can see how they do in the future), listen to their woes, see their brilliance and laugh with them at their mistakes.

Anyway, this is where I have been!  I haven't been hiding or skipping out on things but I have definitely needed a break from some people in Ohio. #home