Happy

So, we're sitting at dinner and Ron says, "You look really good.  Your skin looks nice, your hair looks nice." and the girls agree...."Have you done something different?"  I decide to take the high road.... no, I'm not going to be offended (what, I don't usually look good?) and reply "Happy.  This is what happy looks like." No one was arguing or crying or pouting or being nasty....I was actually enjoying dinner with my family.  Of course, if that's what it takes to make me look good, I really must look like a hag most of the time.

We actually had company for dinner.  No, not FOR dinner, AT dinner.  Isabella, who's more family than company, and Chowder.  Chowder is the puppy Aubrey is training at camp this week and next.  She also is supposed to help find him his forever home.  He is the cutest tiny little puppy.  So sweet.  No, we're not keeping him.  No one ever told me that they encourage the kids to take the puppies home with them nights and over the weekend.  It makes sense.  That way the puppy gets more attention and doesn't have to stay in a crate as much.  I wonder how many campers wind up actually adopting their puppies?

Aubrey, after a tough first day at camp (we're not sure why it was a bad day but it was a doozy) now l-o-v-e-s it.  Just as we fully expected she would.  Devon says she wants to go there next year.  It would be nice for the girls to go to the same camp at the same time. Right now, one of us drives 20 minutes northeast to camp and the other drives 45 minutes southwest to camp.  Ron assumed it would always be him doing the long drive, but I'm trying to alternate.  Partly to be nice (I know, it doesn't come naturally) and partly because whoever does the longer drive actually gets to work earlier.  Go figure!  The far camp starts at 8 am.  Ugh!  I haven't had to consistently get up this early since I worked in Manhattan.  And we all know how much I loved that!

Anyhow, I'm all done being annoyed with Ron. Oh, did I forget to mention that I was really annoyed with him last night?  Not sure he knows, but the point's moot, I'm good now.  He's going to go to NC to visit his brother. That's a good thing, he doesn't see him enough.  The part I was annoyed about is that we discussed what weekend would be good for him to go (provided it had decent airfare, of course).  When Ron went to book his flight, that weekend (the last weekend of June) didn't work, so he bought tickets for the following weekend.  Fourth of July weekend.  A 3-day weekend for all of us.  It works out well for Ron and Garrett, neither of them needs to take Friday off for Ron's visit. But, I was annoyed.  It's a 3 day weekend for all of us, an extra day to do something  fun, as a family.  So I spent part of today venting to a couple of co-workers, partly to see if I was being petty and wrong to be annoyed about this.  Got a 50/50 response, so what the hell, I just planned a fun weekend for the girls and me.   Now it's win-win.  See?  Happy.

So it's time for everyone to take showers and go to bed.  Aubrey is ready - she's exhausted.  She gets up so early and has trouble getting to sleep, not a good combination.  Can I put her to bed, maybe read a little?  I'd love to, but Devon and Isabella need to also take showers and get ready for bed and Ron has already taken himself off and put himself to bed.  After threatening to take Isabella home, the twins finally agree to be quiet in Devon's room and I get to spend a little time getting Aubrey (and Chowder) settled in. When I finally think everyone is asleep, who should make their way downstairs but Devon and Isabella.  It's too hot in Devon's room, they claim, and plant themselves on the loveseat.  So much for my quiet time in front of the tv.  I offer the couch to Isabella since Devon is on the loveseat, at which point they decide the couch needs to be shared.  Okay, I shift to the loveseat, the girls lie down, cover themselves with a blanket and almost immediately are asleep. Got to love that.  I fully expected them to conk out earlier - they work hard at "horse camp" as we call it. Finally, a quiet house, with all 9 of the other inhabitants sleeping peacefully.

Not a bad day overall, especially considering that it's a Wednesday, not a Friday.  Oh, and did I mention we're all done pet sitting?  Yea!  So, I think I'll sign off while things are still good - including, apparently, my looks (for one day at least) - and I'll get to bed, you guessed it, happy.