7 Quick Takes: mama-bear grieving! margaritas! trying to catch up on this blog and more!

--- 1 ---

Someday I hope to be able to process all the feelings of this past week (and, really, this past year) so I can articulate it here.  All I know is that the happy/sad cycle of saying hello & good-bye over the past year is exhausting, draining, faith-producing, gratitude-inducing. The past two weeks with both our sons moving out for college (one to a dorm in Houston, one to a house with roommates in Austin) the happy/sad emotions almost did me in.  

moving Drew into his new house; if you look closely you can see my puffy eyes 

--- 2 ---

I've known since taking Andrew to his first year in school and walking out the door, leaving him in the care of a complete stranger, that the beginning of school feels something like shock.  When we left Alex in Washington D.C. in 2011 I was surprised how much grief and anger felt the same to me.  When we left Alex at Rice on Sunday, I made it to the shuttle bus and hot, angry tears came.  For awhile I feel angry at Brian and the rest of the world.  I think some primal thing rises up in response wanting to hold on and protect my offspring.  It's the weirdest feeling because when they were toddlers, I couldn't hand them to help fast enough.

saying good-bye to Alex in front of his dorm; both guys were pretty much a mess

--- 3 ---

My sister-in-law (who takes her youngest son to college in a week...yikes!) suggested Brian and I get away for the night after taking Alex to school.  I have no idea why when she first mentioned it to me I assumed that would be helpful only to true empty-nesters.  Two weeks ago I woke up one morning and said to Brian, "I don't care how much it costs.  Take me somewhere after we drop him off."

--- 4 ---

We took marathon naps, walked the beach and drank margaritas.  And it was good.

sitting on the pier, avoiding piles of dead fish on the sand, at Galveston Beach

--- 5 ---

The rest of the week we've been getting our two daughters registered for classes at their new high school and helping our oldest son finish all his paperwork for fall semester.  My new motto is that in parenting kids it's not the money, but the paperwork that'll kill you.

Drew and Brian completing college paperwork

--- 6 ---

In the meantime, I'm not keeping up too well with writing.  I've got some projects in the works and will (finally!) begin the parenting unrehearsed series this Wednesday.  I'm guessing you've been pretty busy yourselves and won't be holding any grudges or anything.

"Parenting Unrehearsed" blog series on Wednesdays

--- 7 ---

Our weekend will be full of more box unpacking/room rearranging and 2 -- TWO! -- church dinners.  We're hosting twenty-seven -- 27!-- people at hour house for dinner tomorrow night.  I should not even be on this computer.

Enjoy a beauty-filled weekend!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!