Sweetie

Since the teenagers left we've been very busy! We've done a LOT in the yard. We've started lots of household projects and I am so excited to have them all almost done. We signed Lauren up for preschool today. This is a big weight off my shoulders!! She is so excited to go to school. She wants to ride a big yellow school bus and has already been working on homework every night! She is just so anxious. It's really sweet.

Speaking of sweet. Lauren has a new "friend". Her name is Sweetie. Sweetie came around the time that the kids left. (We just realized this a few days ago.) She loves to play with her. She was really worried when we "left Sweetie at the zoo" in Boise. She cried the other day when Sweetie went to work with Daddy and wasn't home playing with her. She fights with her a lot too. It's hilarious to hear them fight. At first Sweetie was really funny, now I'm starting to get worried. I think she's lonely. I think she's really missing the teenagers. She's asking about them a lot now and cried today when I couldn't take her to Norway to see Elisabeth. She kept saying "mommy, you're making me so sad. Please take me". It was really hard to swallow. We've been watching their song together on the computer though and it seems to make things better. She also said that Sweetie was her sister. I immediately called Brian and told him that we're in a lot of trouble if Lauren is already fighting with her sister and she isn't even here yet. We laughed a lot about that one. I called Aaron (my brother, the licensed family therapist) and he said that Sweetie is really sweet and that we shouldn't worry about her until we wake up in the night with Lauren over us holding a knife telling us that Sweetie told her to do it. Lots of laughter over that. So, for now, Sweetie is welcome at the house anytime. She's not encouraged and she's not discouraged. I'm sure you'll hear plenty of Sweetie stories in the future. Stay tuned.