So much!

I had to ignore the blog, put it on the back burner, to get through those last crazy weeks of school. So, no post about Lainie's 5th birthday. No post about the Katie's and Maggie's music programs and activities. No post about Natalie's move to the big girl bed. And no post about graduation... except to say all those things happened and were good. Very good.

Now, it's transition time. We have to transition back to a two-person parenting style, where we both parent at the same time instead of tag-teaming it. We have to transition to me taking over the household duties that we had been sharing. I will transition into my summer job, working on the garden, knowing Jay is still the decision-maker in that avenue. But probably the toughest transition will be getting used to all six of us home, every day, together, for two wonderful months.

That's a lot of family time for us, and it's sad to say that's not the norm. Obviously that isn't our norm, since we all head our separate ways, to school and work and daycare. Already the girls have had more sister-time than usual, and there have been plenty of arguments because of it. So far, I've been letting them just work it out on their own, no matter how loud it gets, as long as it doesn't turn physical. I'm not sure that's the best approach, but it's my approach. Natalie can definitely hold her own, so the baby doesn't need babying. It's good practice for Lainie and Maggie, making them work on their speech. If anyone needs defending, it's Katie, because she'll concede defeat, give up what was rightfully hers, just to keep the peace. So, even she can use the practice of standing up for herself.

Jay jokes that he has six high tunnels because there are six people in our family: everyone gets a high tunnel. I will bet that by the end of the summer, we will have used that our advantage. "Katie, go to building A. Maggie, go to building B. Weed it and pick it and don't come out until you lose your attitude."

Speaking of attitude, we have a new favorite break-the-mood saying: "Lose your atti-toot-ee. It's stinks."