Outside Of The World Of Trauma

Today was a very long day!  Wednesdays are very hard days for this Momma.  The kids get out of school early and it makes for a long afternoon.  Don't get me wrong, I love having time with them but I'm not sure they enjoy the time at home.  My kids are about the most social people I have ever met (not sure where that learned that...lol)!  Even my two year old Naomi has started asking "I go to the next door neighbors??"  I am so sad that I have to say no but my amazing neighbors already happily entertain my older kids all of the time.  We are so blessed to have the neighbors we do.  There is almost always someone for the kids to play with and I love that!  Claire had made a new friend and they are constantly asking to play together and I love that too.  Her little friend lives about a mile away and so I find myself often driving her to pick up M and they play so well.  They have made Claire's room their apartment and I even found some old keys for her to use as her house keys :)
It is so funny to hear them play because I used to be just like that.  Claire is in such a hurry to grow up and it blows me away. I can't believe how grown up she has become.  For as much work as it is to load kids into the car and go pick up Claire's friends, I love that they play here so I can get to know them.  I like being the cool mom who does fun things with my daughter and her friends.  I like this so much because usually I am the disciplinarian  and the fun is left to Matt.  Ivan is constantly running the neighborhood with the group of boys that live here.  He did not have that in Arizona.  He is used to being with girls all of the time.  Poor kid is drowning in estrogen.  Now that life is slowing down for us I am discovering the back lash of not feeling well for 6 months.  The house is now closing in on me.  I am in a hurry to get organized before it drives me insane.  We are two families in one house and we are basically becoming one family.  It is working remarkably well.  I am thankful for the help that E and K give us daily.  I hope that we are giving them the same amount of help with their little K.  He has blossomed here with the other kids.  I have seen him smile so much since they came to live here and I love it!  I am so relieved that things have slowed down for our family.  It is nice to focus on the house and the kids without interrupting our days with several doctor appointments and therapy and trips to the emergency room.  I probably shouldn't say anything for fear of jinxing it, lol.  At any rate I am happy to be settling and focusing on taking care of our family outside of the world of trauma!