And they are out the front door with a final spritz of FOREVER RED (I didn't know, but walked across the room to examine the garnet colored bottle laying on its side on the side table where it was dropped on the way out ... yesterday the dermatologist asked me "which is easier to raise...?"  I might have told him that girls smell bunches better!) ... "Hurry up you're making me late" "Where's my phone?" "Good grief, you just dropped in in your bag, I love those shoes." "I know, right?! This cardigan works, doesn't it?  They have no idea (yet) how precious they will be to one another as they journey through life ... but I do.  I understand the gift of family woven close with love, the warp and weft of times shared will offer shelter during life's storms.  They see the sacrifices, well, they see some of them ... they're too busy being young to see to understand what it takes to keep a loom steady. "Where's the curling iron? Is that red wine on my brand new shirt, I haven't even worn that yet! I'm sick and tired of finding my boots hidden in the back of your closet!!  Moooommmm!!!!! I'm tellin'... MOMMA!"  (I might have told him that girls are bunches louder!)
L usually leaves early, breakfast meetings and all that ... I actually enjoy watching them ... and just now I'm thinking about how easily the boys worked around them.  Three "hogged" a bathroom (and all the hot water as I was often informed) smoothly snagging his backpack, equipment bag and a pack of crackers on his way out, stopping only to offer a hug for me and a smirk at the girls, he executed a well planned exit strategy. One, as I sit here reminiscing, never participated in the morning flurry either ... he was quietly ready, sipping morning coffee and maybe reading a book at the breakfast table. Sometimes drumming his fingers and plugging his ears with iPod induced relief.

I might have told him that the biggest treasure of my life has been the joy of participating in the lives of my babies ... all grown up now.

Well, it's Friday ... today I put a big pot of vegetable soup on early (smelling pretty great now) ... I still have some bulgar wheat to prepare and pack up for the Korean ladies.  I better get cracking.   All that thinking about the kids is really about seeing how Ms. Ruth wears "old lady" and thinking also about my mother-in -law fretting about losing her driving privileges, etc. ... my kids are staring to tease me around about how it might be for me when the tending shoe is on the other foot (or in our case ... feet, and lots of them!)