Have I ever told you what great kids I have? We are privileged to have six of them still in our home, and they are a continual joy. As I just wrote to one of my readers in an email, they are so good to fend for themselves for a few days so that I can have a getaway now and then! At ages 20, 18, 16, 14, 12, and 10, none of them needs to be picked up, changed, or fed anymore, and though they all still need a mom, once in a while they can let go of my 24/7 physical presence and prove that they are growing into capable young people. Hey, maybe the house isn't perfect when I get home, and maybe they did eat too much junk food and leave some of their lessons until the last minute, but I do need SOME way to prove I'm still relevant! More importantly, they have a deep love for each other, even though it might not be evident when it's time to clean the bathrooms or unload the dishwasher, and they have loads of fun together even though that usually happens at times when they're supposed to be in bed (Hear that, MamaLion?).

They say that successful motherhood is a matter of working yourself out of a job, and though I can't completely subscribe to that description, it is nice to know that we've raised young people who can make their own sandwiches (and even bread pudding last week!) and keep the lessons and laundry going and show grace and care for one another. I'm so proud to be their mom...

Thanks CJ, Nathan, Beth, Shelley, Caleb, and Tim :-)

Labels: Family, Homeschooling, Kids, Vacations