Jan. 6 -day at the office

Sydney and Kate are home sick today (home sick, not homesick). Well, Kate's home every day, but..

I hate that babies can't tell you what is wrong with them!

I hear her crying so sadly in her crib when I put her down. It is raspy and still such a sweet cry. I can't stand it. She breaks my heart when she cries. I have pretty much handed her my heart and said, "Here. Do what you will with this." I saw a picture of her when she was 3 weeks old. I was at my mom's house while my family was in Lake Powell. I am holding her and she looks like a little bird with a skinny arm and little puffy eyes. It broke my heart as well, because I will never have a newborn again. She's already a huge almost 6-month

old. Stop this train!

Sydney, luckily, can tell me that her throat really hurts and is coughing. She is handling it all right. Oh well, I will have to get on slippers and go finish Julie and Julia while I sort my pictures into piles and eat clementines. I have decided after looking at these pictures I am sorting, that if you ask older parents, they will probably tell you that the happiest time in their family's life was when their kids were 10 and under? Maybe 12 and under? You are seeing things for the first time, going places for the first time. No one is old enough to stay home. No one would even WANT to stay home. They all want to be with you all of the time. The things they like and want are CHEAP. You have total control.

Having said that, I'm really really enjoying this stage as well. I think there is just more mental thought that goes into this stage. You realize your kids are almost gone and have they learned everything? Are they prepared? You're dealing with hormones and their choices have bigger consequences. (For instance, if you lie down on a car roof with a big belt buckle and then move around, it will scratch the paint, dent the hood and you will have to pay money to fix it, even if the owner is your friend....or....if you look down when you are driving, even for a second, you could crash into the curb really hard, pop two tires, and have to replace all four....or....if you don't have a teacher sign a homework packet that is due, even if you have a really cute smile, they don't care and you won't get credit.) These crazy teenagers. Love them!