Home

Funny, isn't it? You don't necessarily have to like home, but it still feels good to return when you've been gone for a while. There's just something about your own pillow, and your own recliner, and your own hairdryer. After a few days on the road, those things feel comfortable like an old friend.

Our trip went as well as could be expected. Bebo & Gabe went from giggling to fighting and back to giggling the entire trip. Katie spent a lot of time blowing raspberries, which left drool running down her chin and Braeden cackling like an old hen. Actually, when you consider that Gabe & Katie are not the road warriors that my child is, the journey went quite well. We arrived at my aunt's house Saturday morning to find Grandma already there. Bless her, she looks so tired now. The years have certainly caught up to her. She's lost weight and moves very, very slowly - and only with much assistance. Even so, she was glad to see the little ones. We only stayed a few hours. It was obvious that she was getting tired, and we had a long way back, anyhow.

More than a few comical moments occurred, so allow me to share a couple:

One night I had the kids in the room with me while Mom was getting ready. I was tweezing my brows in the mirror, and Gabe asked me what I was doing. When I told him, he said, "Cool! I want to do that when I'm a girl!"

I hadn't said much to Braeden about our trip, because I didn't want to listen to an endless barrage of "We go see Grandma Gates now?" Mom, however, told Gabe all about it, so he was very excited about seeing her. It didn't take long for his exuberance to rub off on Bebo, and before long I heard them singing "Grandma Gates, Grandma Gates, Grandma Grandma Grandma Gates" to the tune of the old 70s-version Spiderman cartoon. I had to laugh - Braeden has the remarkable ability to sing a tune perfectly.

I closed the weekend feeling quite proud of Bebo. He behaved very well, for an utterly exhausted 4-year-old who'd been tied to a carseat for four days straight.