FromGranny'sHouse to the new Slaughterhouse...it wasn't an easy trip but our kids are in their hew home and getting settled in.

Now if Granny could just get settled. I've been doing straightening and reorganizing chores this morning, adding to the little stack of things that will soon find their way into a box to be mailed to Virginia. But I keep getting stopped in my tracks every time I walk past the collection of little books, socks, toy pieces, photos...the tears flow much too easily for me to get any real traction on all that needs to be done.

Today is our first day back on our school schedule after a much longer than intended Christmas (and Thanksgiving?) break. (Note to self: multiplication tables and subordinate clauses don't do well over a six-week hiatus.) Yes, the house is a lot quieter than last semester and that might mean the school day is a lot shorter, but it's also lost some of its cheer and spontaneity. Kristen might refer to Henry's morning challenges as something other than cheerful and spontaneous, but I miss them nonetheless.

Tim (9) has had a hard time with the readjustment from the world of Star Trek and Narnia to math and grammar. After an hour and a half on half a math lesson this morning, he turned around and said, "Mom, when I sit still I get a stomach ache and a headache, and when I get up and walk around my legs hurt." In a rare fit of indulgence (or was it escapism?) I said, "I'm sorry, I guess that is real dilemma. Want to go to bed?" The response was a slow nod. I told him that was fine--no computer, no TV, no games, no books. He could go to bed but if he is that sick he needs to just lie there and get well and gather strength for double math and grammar tomorrow. Up he went....for about thirty minutes. Next thing I knew he was on the living room couch with his math, covered almost completely with a quilt. Now maybe it's just me, but that doesn't seem like nearly enough recovery time for ailments this serious, but we'll see...last I heard he was mumbling from under a quilt, "Mom, I can't remember what 7 x 8 is." I bet he can't. Stomachacheheadachelegpain tends to do that to you, huh?

UPDATE: Never think that when you've been a mom for more than thirty years you'll have this stuff down. It's 4:00, and Tim's temperature is 104.2. That's hard to fake :-(