Accentuating the Positive

This week is so jam-packed that it's Wednesday and I'm already feeling that Friday exhaustion. BUT it's a good kind of tired. So, rather than complain about driving three kids to three different day camps while having to pay to keep the 4th one at pre-school so that I can keep working or how I ran out of cereal three days ago and have had to buy breakfast for my kids at every grocery store and gas station between here and any of my five morning destinations because I keep forgetting to buy more, or how my house can possibly be this messy when none of us are ever even here until almost bedtime; I'm going to focus on what has been good this week:

• Tristan at Cub Scout camp-My little sister-tormenting, DS/Wii addicted, pasty-white future tech geek son has spent each day this week in the great outdoors hiking, fishing, swimming, playing flag football, golfing, turning his Dad's lovely shade of tan (sure doesn't get that from me) and basically just being a boy. With three sisters and a self-confessed over-protective mother; it's been great to see how much he enjoys his time with the guys. I was even afraid to send him because camp is sponsored by some of the church moms who liked me least before we moved out of Norman and I feared that would trickle down to the way they treated my son. After the first ten minutes of the first day, I knew he would be fine, but was in no way prepared for how much he would thrive. I may never be BFF's with some of the women who run the show, but I love how happy they have made my son.
• Finding my groove again at work-I spent all last week's Day Camp feeling like "the old mean teacher." I was ready for last week to be over by Tuesday and dragged myself through the rest of the week. I dreaded teaching this week because I feared I had lost my touch. Apparently, spending Monday with my kids helped because midway through my first class on Tuesday, I felt my usual energy and enthusiasm come right back as if I had never lost it. Since I'll be teaching until August, that is a very good thing.
• Both my daughters are going to be on stage this week and next. Miss Caroline debuts tomorrow and Natalie makes a return next Wednesday and Thursday. As sick as I am of driving to practices here, there and everywhere right now; I know I will love the payoff in the end.
• Lauri is back from vacation!! She was gone all of one whole week, and we squealed like teenagers when I saw her this morning. She and I are both going to be in a world of hurt when Deborah moves in August.
• Elisa finally got a water-play day at school! Between me not taking her on Wednesdays and weather cancellations on the Wednesdays she is there, this was the first time she got to do one this summer. It's also the first day this summer she hasn't clung to my leg when I dropped her off in the morning. Coincidence? I think not.
• The big concert last Monday! It's getting a post of its own, but it was likely the coolest show I will see for the next few years.
• The fact that dinner was waiting for me when I got home tonight, and I've spent most of the evening in my pj's
• My new nephew who is slated to be born on Friday (scheduled induction-just like all four of my kids were)
• AND on that note, the fact that I am officially NOT pregnant! (my friend Wendy gave birth last week and I always seem to get pregnant just after she has a baby-and vice versa.) Woo Hoo! I'll try not to rejoice to much though because while the Wendy curse doesn't always work (I didn't get pregnant after her last baby either), God's sense of humor is endlessly vigilant and I'm one of His favorite targets when it comes to practical jokes.