Just Doing Some Emotional Processing Over Here

Charlie is starting school on Monday. Like, real school. It's the full-day, five-days-a-week pre-K program at Cubby's school. He asked to go. He wants to go (for the moment, at least). He's ready to go.

I . . . well, I'm kind of sad about the idea of my buddy Charlie getting on that bus and being gone all day long. To say nothing of a little worried about how I'm going to entertain Jack all day long when his exciting big brothers have both deserted him.

Seriously. What the hell am I going to do with that big-brother-worshipping little dude there?

New stages, new challenges, new tiny bits of melancholy for Mom.

These kids, man. They just keep growing up.

Health, Wealth, and Happiness Coming at You

Not that my children need any more wealth. Those kids are absolutely loaded down with Star Wars toys (thanks, Nana and Baca!), animal toys (thanks again, Nana and Baca!), building toys (thanks, sis and fam!), monster trucks and rad trucker wallets with chains* (thanks, Grandpa!).

Everyone is now peacefully playing with various gifts and there's a pork roast in the oven, black-eyed peas on the stove (I went with dried this year instead of canned, which I'm sure will please my mother), and beet greens thawing on the counter.

I knew I would be glad I harvested those beet greens when I had the chance.

And this year, no one is hunched over a vomit bowl or curled up in bed.

2017 is looking good so far.

* I was not aware of the existence of trucker wallets (kind of like this), but as soon as the kids opened theirs, A. grabbed them and was all, "Trucker wallets! Awesome! I wish I had one." So I guess this is a boy thing.