AND SO IT BEGINS...

My much loved Rug Rats


And so....shared custody has begun.

The rug rats will be spending next week with their daddy and Mémère (My good buddy, Kilroy, showed me how to spell it right). Daddy is working days, and leaves the house around 5:30 AM, which is approximately the time that Bali, the 5 year old rug rat, hits the floor running.

After breakfast, Mémère and Nalou, the 7 year, will drive the 2 youngest to daycare for 8:30 AM, then return home where, hopefully, Mémère will work while we find something for Nalou to do other than spin out his constant ‘Why?’ questions. Central vac – don’t let me down!!

At 4:00 PM, Mémère and Nalou will pick his siblings up from daycare; we’ll play outside with the doggies until it’s time to make supper, and daddy will join us at 6:30 PM. Because it is summer, there will be no homework on the schedule; only play and baths and stories until the 8 PM bedtime. Rug rats will dream... and Mémère will pour herself an enormous glass of wine.

My son is at his ‘ex’ house with the boys tonight. We only corresponded by texting, and he said that he has told the boys they will be staying here next week, but did not go into detail about their reactions to the news. Children are not so different than adults after all. I expect they, like me and my son, are just waiting to see how things work out. There’s some apprehension, some excitement, some resignation, and ideally, mostly confidence that all will be fine.

Children are fascinating, comical, sweet and, at times, little hellions. It’s guaranteed that I’ll have many stories to tell!

I sat on my gallery swing tonight, the doggies calm at my feet, absorbing the peaceful silence of the bush while analysing the situation. It ‘s as if I’m going back in time to where my house rang with the laughter and squabbling of my own 3 young’uns (and many of their friends) on a daily basis. My body is older now, but I’m pretty sure the heart is still young enough to keep up to the lads. If not, well...maybe I’ll hunt down that roll of duct tape tomorrow.

There’s a thought that makes me SMILE! Sharing it with you – one of many to come!!

Luv from the Bush in Quebec.