To My Children #2

Dear Johnny and Lily,

Today, you're at your Grammy and Grandpa's house. You've been there for a few days so that I can work. There have been three weeks at the end of this summer break where one or both of you were without childcare, and graciously your grandparents have handled a large chunk of it. 

Lily, you spent several days at work with me and while you were a champ, playing games on the iPad, messing with Shopkins (what *are* they anyway?) and charming people into giving you candy, I really didn't accomplish much in the name of my actual job that week between the moments when you needed a hug, wanted to sing a song, required an escort to the bathroom, or wanted some more gatorade to spill on my carpet.

So it's good you have this time at your grandparents and I have some time to do the things they pay me for.

Johnny, you are ramping up for school which I am aware of due to your incessant counting of days and the daily asks regarding if your new backpack has arrived from Amazon yet. I call you at your Grammy's house to say hi and tell you how much you miss me and all you want to know is if that damn backpack is here yet. YOU AREN'T EVEN HERE TO SEE IT. But you can't rest until you know it's safely in the house. Well, kid, IT'S HERE. Your life can resume its normal focus on Legos and cookies now.

It's been a fun summer and we have done All The Things. We tripped all over Kansas and saw such amazing sights as a fake castle at Coronado Heights, a large public bathroom fashioned to look like a toilet from the outside, a fake gunfight, and The World's Largest Hand Dug Pool.

We've had friends over, been to sleepovers, enjoyed Grammy and Granpa's 20 year anniversary, and both of you tried salsa.

We've stayed up late and slept in a little and stayed in jammies for whole days and sometimes gone without baths for a number of days I choose not to put on The Internet.

Anyway, this is just to say it's been downright fun and I'm pretty sad to see it come to an end, though I'll be delighted to slap a cover on that GD pool that has cost me 10 thousand smackers this summer. THINK OF ALL THE LEGOS I COULD HAVE BOUGHT.

You're both the very best and I love you so much it's embarrassing.

-Mama