The Party's Over

The Teen and I  have dueling laptops going on the bed. We are looking at the humane society adoption pages, trying to decide which dog and cat to adopt (Note: I am only stringing her along for a good time. No way am I getting either, but she doesn't have to know that because she doesn't read my blog. These are the devious tortures that parent devise when they have been with all their children for four days).

I have shopped with children
eaten with children
prepared food with children
made special dishes for children
laid in soy milk, cold cuts, fruit,
salads, and junk food for children,
cleaned up with children
(mainly me cleaning and children watching)
shopped more with children
stopped children from more shopping
goaded children into doing chores
argued with children about chores not done
that they still haven't done and
they're leaving in an hour or so.
Went to Mass with the children
the mother
and the husband
and watched the youngest
serve Mass without too many mistakes.
Got the youngest to blow the yard
in exchange for money to buy us Christmas gifts,
the middle to take out the air conditioners
and the oldest to smile.
Then the husband and I ran
to Pier I and
bought
many unnecessary Christmas baubles
with which we could have lived without
and paid a few bills but
it was worth it
to calm down from a weekend
with the children.

They're all gone now
(except the youngest who has
to live here, despite what she says),
our wallets are empty
their gas tanks are full
the kitchen is clean
the living room is picked up
no music is blasting
the many cells phones are silent
and it's quiet,  prderly, and calm.

Damn, I miss those kids!