Just one

Life around here has been exhausting. It feels like we always are on the go, to one softball game or another, or a tball game, or the park, or the store, library or other summertime place. It's a good exhaustion, don't get me wrong. But still, when the kids are down, there's just no energy left to clean, to write, to move. And sometimes, more and more often lately, the kids are up later than me. I try to stay up until at least Ava is down and Max has crashed, but those bigs. I think they could stay up all night. They have an 8:30 bedtime we try to stick to during the week, but oftentimes we're out until later than that, so I can't hardly make them sleep at the softball field!

Today there was just Ava and me. Dave had to work in Chicago today, so he took the big 3 down to his parent's house to swim in the pool. I would have loved to go with, but I needed to get some work today, so it was just Ava and me hanging out. She stayed up until 9:00 last night, and we just played. She finally has the crawling thing down pretty well, so she loves to crawl all over me when I'm laying on the ground. Then she heads to the entertainment center and pulls all the DVDs out. And then the toy basket and pulls all the toys out. She was much, much neater, not nearly as messy, when she couldn't crawl. (And Max was much happier, too. Now all I hear is, "No AVA! That's MY toy!") But I'm realizing I forgot what just one is like. It's certainly quieter, not everyone yelling Mommy! all at once. But it's also more difficult in that it's all me all the time. When the big kids are around, they entertain and distract her with just their being around, playing around her. And Abby will take care of her for hours for me (I can even get the lawn mowed!). But when it's just her, she expects me to entertain. I almost forgot how!

Tomorrow Abby has her last softball game. They won two playoff games and tomorrow is the final... against the only team we lost to all season. If the girls play like they did last night, they'll win no problem. Either way, I'm excited to watch them play. It's been a fun season and they've done so well. I wonder who will be more nervous, me or her? Oh, who am I kidding?? It will definitely be me!