Indulgent Moments

Kids and Good Friends

Tina and her brothers, step, and half

And then there was nine

The Original Five

Tina, John, Dan, John Sr., Suzie

Back to school celebrations? Nah, not here. Only tearful goodbyes. Back in the day, I used to celebrate with champagne, streamers, fireworks, couldn't wait for those little buggers to go back to school. Oh it was a happy day. But the euphoria didn't last for long, only about 20 minutes.

Today I look at faded pictures that I took with them all neatly packed on bus 13 off to Holland Hill School and get a little melancholy until I remember the crabbing, the grunting, the general mayhem of early morning wakeups and getting dressed after a summer of sleeping in. I remember that Mr. Leadem, the principal had me on autodial and homework always intruded upon our "quality family time" in the evenings. Nine months of hell were about to begin!!! The champagne stopped flowing and the balloons sputtered around the room until they lie like dead soldiers on a battleground. I was in hysterics.

Seems like ages ago - thank God. I always knew that if I could only the get the kids from there in time to here in time, all would be OK. And, all is OK! Thank God! In fact it's better than OK. It's wonderful, fabulous, more than I ever dreamed. Dare I use that stupid word...bliss.

What a week it has been here. Two days after I arrived home from the Bahama's my son Dan and his girlfriend arrived from Alameda, CA for a week long visit. Incredible, healing, fun, all the above. Here are some photos of the fam, I beg your indulgence. Aren't we handsome?

We had a family dinner, John Sr. (former hubbie), our three kids John, Dan and Tina, his wife Sue, her two sons Billy and Pat and John and Sue's son Scott were all gathered. It had been five years since all of us could be together. Dan and Brandi were in from CA and everyone else was able to converge here in Fairfield.

It was a bittersweet moment however when Billy made an announcement at dinner that he was going to be deployed to Iraq on October 3. We cried, we laughed, we toasted, I hiccuped to his well being. It was a sobering moment in the evening but it made us realize our love we each possessed for one another. No one was afraid to express it either.

Bahama's, family reunions....OK now I really have to pack for Israel. Leaving September 30.