Rediscovering the Heathens

It will be two weeks tomorrow that my world was completely altered. On one hand, losing my job is nothing horrible. It happens to people everyday, everywhere. But on the other hand, that job was a big part of how I defined myself.

In the two weeks that I've been home with the Heathens full time, I have:
reseeded the yard
watered the grass seed a zillion times
made two WalMart trips
made one Giant Eagle trip
several bank runs
one trip for ice cream
planted two flower beds
made stepping stones
picked up the living room a zillion times
gone to the laundromat
purchased a dryer

AND...

I've actually woken up in the mornings and felt like I truly slept. No waking up and feeling like I've been up all night. No lying in bed and running through "to do" list for tomorrow. Just blissful sleep.

Needless to say, I've spent A LOT of time with my Heathens. The last two weeks is the most solid time that I've spent with them in the past four years when I left teaching and started at JAHA.

On one hand, it's been agonizing. The fighting. The bickering. The whining. The complaining. I'm constantly refereeing arguments and stopping one of them from doing something they KNOW they are not to do. By the time the Asst. Zookeeper leaves for work at 9pm, I'm just as tired as I was after working a full day at the office.

But, I've also just gotten to watch the kids play and interact with each other. I've gotten a million kisses and hugs that I would have otherwise missed. I've gotten to watch them enjoy making the stepping stones for the yard today. I've watched them be regular, old "boys" and dig in the dirt and slop in the mud and laugh while they were doing it.

I was really worried when I let the Asst. Zookeeper talk me into staying home with the Heathens this summer. I wasn't sure if I would maintain my sanity. And I don't know that I necessarily will. But I do know that this will always be a summer that I will remember. It's the last summer before Heathen #1 goes to the middle school. It's the last summer before Heathen #2 goes to school all day long. And it's the last summer of Heathen #3 being a "little" kid. They are all on the verge of making big steps in their lives - and I get to take the time to watch and enjoy.

Thanks to the Asst. Zookeeper.