Day 1

Ian left for India yesterday afternoon. We left to the airport at 2:30 and I was home at 4:45 so it went smoothly on my end. His, not so much. His flight left nearly 2 hours late, missed the connecting flight in Newark (direct to Delhi), and is currently waiting in London to catch an Air India flight to Delhi, arriving at 3:30 a.m. and heading to meetings that morning. I feel for him. Traveling to India is a pain on a good day.

The rest of us are going to muddle along these 2 weeks.
When I left you last I was just pulling out of the flu. Little did I know that afternoon would start a two week craziness of trying to delouse the kids, myself and the house. It took me longer to really get over the flu thanks to jumping straight into hours and hours of laundry, spraying the house, nit-picking, and all the other gross stuff that comes with finding living creatures on your scalp. I don't wish that on anyone. Rebecca escaped unscathed thanks to being particular about everything. She keeps her brushes separate, her clothing separate, everything. Katherine was no doubt our source as she regularly comes home wearing other people's items. Warnings beforehand clearly didn't sink in, and even this nasty experience hasn't really set in... she's since come home wearing someone else's hat and jacket. I don't get it, I really don't. The boys were easy to treat, they have nice short hair now. Very short. I don't know that I'll ever feel secure that we're truly clear, so I'll continue checking heads, changing pillowcases, washing hoodies. I guess I should count my lucky stars that it's taken us 15 years to have lice.
Katherine turned 15 on the 5th. She started a fitness training class at the rec center that morning, celebrated with my mom that afternoon (Katherine and my mom share a birthday), and went to a Caps/Kings hockey game with Ian on the 12th. One of her big birthday gifts from my parents is weekly flute lessons at the local Music&Arts for the next four months. She figured out that the teacher is the mom of the girl who sits next to her band class.
All in all the past couple weeks have been filled with mundane household activities, basketball games, and parenting. I did take Nicholas to a Youth Orchestras of Prince William concert. It's something I'd like for him to do next year with cello in the Preparatory group, and perhaps even Katherine as with the Wind Ensemble group or an orchestra. She's never played with an orchestra, it would be good experience. Even better, all the rehearsals and most of the performances are at Gar-Field HS. Score.
So here we go. Day 1 of solo-parenting. Doing laundry, cleaning bathrooms, getting groceries. Looking ahead to Jonathon's basketball practice tonight and RE for the girls, volunteering for 4 1/2 hours in schools tomorrow, flute lesson on Thursday followed by a band concert Thursday night, and next week full with more of the same but tossing in a few doctor's appointments just to mix it up. Fun times, fun times.
My sweetheart left on Valentine's Day and I returned home to find roses with chocolate and bubbles waiting for me at the door. I didn't expect anything, but gifts aside I really am loved. And I miss him.