only a few more days

The past few days - well, life is just full.  Full in all sorts of good ways and with all sorts of good things.  Also full in "I don't spend a lot of time with my computer" sorts of ways!

I'm extra grateful for the love and support from my parents.  I cannot count how many times I have left the house with only a fraction of my children in tow.  When you have five children, well, when you have five, and take only three of them with you to run errands.... it feels "easy"!  I also love leaving the house during the early afternoons - when the little two are asleep the house takes on a whole new rhythm.  A slower one :)  It feels less burdensome to leave the littles at home when they're napping!

Only three more days until Matt starts his journey to the U.S.  That means only four more days until he arrives.  I didn't really start counting days until just this past week (I think the number seemed large and scary, and not at all helpful!), and now it seems almost surreal that he'll be here so soon.  I am so so ready to be a family of 7 again! 

As far as I can tell John Paul's ears are in great shape.  He did once tell me "ears hurt need pink medicine" - congrats little guy on attempting a sentence for Mommy, but no you cannot have Children's Tylenol on demand, on matter how yummy you think it tastes :)

[I know he got that idea because the first night I put his ear drops in and also gave him some Tylenol.... you know, just out of surgery, figured Tylenol couldn't hurt anything.  Well, the next night he was bummed to get just the ear drops, no Tylenol.  The third night was when he tried to convince me his ears were hurting and he needed that good 'ole pink medicine :)  Now that we're done with the ear drops he's dropped his Tylenol requests, at least for now!]

Other than that, we're cruising towards the big HOLIDAYS.  Julianna turns 8 on the 23rd.  She seems more "8" than ever these days, so it seems right on time.  It also seems way too fast - it puts 9 on the horizon (9 feels like a biggie - halfway to 18).  That's one that I'm not ready for.  

I've got a post coming called "cooking with 5 grandchildren", gotta get the pictures off my Dad's camera and you can see my Mom in action.  Get ready.  It's impressive.