Reunion

The children arrived home from Tennessee sometime around 4:00 yesterday. Ryan clung to his mother, being happy to see her. Robin clung to her father for one last hug. (It has been ever thus. Robin is Daddy's girl, and Ryan is his mama's boy!) We had pizza for supper and got everyone to bed at a decent hour...peacefully. I think they were genuinely glad to be home! Nathan had given Ryan a conservation Mohawk haircut (which we will have "fixed" at Cookie Cutters tomorrow) and both children had been eaten alive by sand fleas on their Tennessee camping trip, but they seemed otherwise none the worse for wear.

This morning, I let the children sleep in. Can't do that every morning, but it seemed right today. When they were finally up, dressed, and breakfasted, they each got on a computer for awhile...then the neighbor boy appeared outside...and they played outside with him all day! I managed to get them to come in for lunch along about 2:30, and they ate well...then back outside to play.

To be honest, I like it if the kids can play outside (even if I do have to check on them every 10 minutes or so). As long as they are following The Rules, outside play is a great babysitter! At least they aren't watching television or mindlessly eating junk. They ate a good lunch and a decent supper, with nothing in between. They played well together. I didn't have to get after anyone for anything. No threats. No punishments. Just good kids. Don't know how long this "honeymoon" will last, but if we can have the rest of the summer like today, I'll be a happy camper!

What else got accomplished today? Several loads of laundry, the last of the Field Day preparation dishes, and...oh yes...loading Neighbor Fred's pickup truck with yet another load of MY yard trash to go to the yard trash place. I had the ash tree in the south yard trimmed, plus there was a stack of collected twigs/branches at the corner of the house that needed to go. Oh...and dear Fred tackled the volunteer mulberry trees that grow in the few inches between my other neighbor's fence and mine, so that trash went, too. (Those mulberries have been chopped down at least twice. I need to find some stout herbicide to get them gone for good.)

We are beginning to prepare for a long Fourth weekend in Gatlinburg. Apparently Gatlinburg has a midnight Fourth of July parade on the very day that we will have been on the road all day. I don't see how we can miss it. I mean, where else can you go for a parade at midnight on the Fourth of July??

Ciao. Bedtime for Grandma.