The house is quiet

Mark and the boys are camping this weekend, so it's just been me, Ella and Addie.

This is us last night:

We've had a fun girls weekend. Yesterday morning we went to a few garage sales with my mom, and Ella found a stack of books and an envelope of paper dolls. Then we headed out of town to an outlet mall to do some "school" clothes shopping. When we got home, we made some dinner, and after I put Adelia down Ella and I popped some popcorn and watched the first part of Anne of Green Gables together. (Ella's choice. She's never seen it, but asked, "Mommy, isn't that your favorite movie? That's the one I want to watch.") So we cuddled up on the couch and watched Anne squirm her way into the hearts of Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert while munching on popcorn and gummy bears. Then we crawled into my bed for a "slumber party", whereupon Ella settled her face mere inches from mine and held onto my hands with her own, and we chatted and giggled until she told me she was going to sleep.

It's been delightful to be with my girls.

And let me just say, it is quiet around here without my boys. I mean, Ella can be chatty and all, but here's the difference: she's not chatting while jumping, climbing, leaping off of the furniture, or embodied in the character of Knight, Sports Player, Cowboy or Soldier. When she has played, she's played with Addie or with her new paper dolls, in a sitting position. She has spent several minutes, head bent over a book, quietly reading. And she doesn't push or hit anyone. When we sat in church this morning, Adelia on my lap, Ella next to me, I couldn't get over the fact that our little clan was so still this morning. No wiggling, squirming or reprimands needed.

But, oh my. I am missing my boys something fierce.



Especially this one, here on the right:


And I can't help but glance out the window about every five (okay, three) minutes to see if just maybe they're home.

19 comments:

  1. Hi Stacy :) What a sweet post! I love that you and your girls had some special time. And I laughed out loud at that "quiet" section! I remember the days with just Miss M - so, so very different - we had four years together before Mr S came.

    Praying that your precious boys are home and that they had a great time, too. Love you so, Q

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  2. What a fun "girls weekend"!!

    And I love the new pic of your kids in your sidebar!!

    :)
    Michelle

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  3. What an absolutely beautiful sentiment... and I know just how you feel.

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  4. It's the same way at our house when my boys are gone. There's a Blue's Clues cartoon that describes it perfectly. Dad comes home from work, Zoe is quietly reading "Hi Dad" and (would you believe I can't remember the boys name right now?) any way, he's on top of the refrigerator and says something like, "hey dad, watch me, I can jump from here to there" Better in the cartoon, but you get the picture...

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  7. Awwww Stacey - what a SWEET post! I loved the description of your girls weekend. What precious times! And Lena and I are just beginning a girls day as Daddy won't be getting home until we are both in bed.

    And the quiet is something to be cherished even as you are missing your little noisemakers (and your big boy too!) :-) Isn't it amazing just how much we miss our family members when they are away from us?

    love from here to there ...

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  8. Hi! I wanted to delurk today to tell you that I enjoy your blog quite a bit. Someone sent it to me while we were praying to start foster to adopt. God has closed those doors for now, but I enjoy reading your heartfelt posts all the same. God bless.
    Pam

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  9. Ooo-- girls weekend IN! How fun! Are you feeling better? Those colds when you're pregnant are miserable.
    Blessings,
    Annie

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  10. sounds like a great weekend! sweet pictures!

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  11. Quiet is a fun treat when the boys are away, isn't it? My difference is, when the boys are gone, I am ALONE!!

    Hope your boys get home soon :-)

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  12. You are so fun, Stacy! I can't wait to watch and read about Anne and Marilla and Matthew with Mercy when she's older! Hooray for daughters!

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  13. Aw, what fun! Anne of Green Gables is my favorite movie too. Good choice, Ella. :)

    Jack spent two nights out of town at my mom and dad's a couple weeks ago, and I can so relate to your thoughts on quietness. It blew my mind how still my house was. And how clean it stayed!

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  14. Glad you ladies had a nice time. Hope the boys had a blast too.
    Sweet picture. Love the colors. :) Love all three of those girlfriends of mine.

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  15. Quinne-
    Thanks. The boys are indeed home, and had a wonderful time!

    Michelle? My friend Michelle from Indiana? Visiting my blog? Noooo. Must be a different Michelle. Thanks for noticing the sidebar picture. I wish I could figure out how to make it a tad bigger, though. Too tiny.

    Tammy- Welcome. I don't think I've ever seen you comment before!

    Pam- Hi! And thanks for delurking! :)

    Annie,
    Thanks for asking. I am MUCH better. (No more nausea, not nearly as tired). :)

    The rest of you... thanks for commenting. I like you girls.

    ~Stacy

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  16. Thanks for missing me. I really missed you too. I'm glad you had fun ... too bad I missed the Anne of GG showing. (I could have caught up on some sleep while "watching" it with you girls. Maybe someday when I'm really wired with Mountain Dew I'll be able to finish watching the second one (Anne of Avonlea, is it?) with you and Ella.}

    I sure love you, Stacy, and am blessed to be loved so well by you.

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  17. Oh boy! As a redhead, Anne of GG has a special place in my heart. It takes quite a bit of willpower to just watch the first video and not move on immediately to Anne of Avonlea, though. The tension building between Anne and Gilbert left unresolved is a little too much to bear.

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  18. What a great post. I love my boys to death, but they are very loud. This morning...howler monkeys.

    What fun that you and the girls had some time to together. Addie is getting so big.

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  19. how precious! that little girl in love with you and snuggled up in bed...so sweet. :)

    keep storing up those precious moments, my friend. good job!

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