My man & my boy arrived safely this evening. Not as bedraggled as sometimes, since t

The benefit, however, to some of the interpersonal challenges my boy experienced is that he actually missed his sister and voluntarily participated in hugging her when he got home. Twice!
Not too many tales of the trek yet. They did say they saw a grizzly about 100 yards away when they were backpacking. And Mount Rushmore (a schedule change due to some Yellowstone trails still being closed because of the snow that first week) isn't as huge in person as in pictures. But with my guys' personalities, the stories generally trickle out over the course of several days as they get rested.
It's just as well. Because there is no "trickle" to my girl. She has to catch them up on the whole two weeks that they missed. In one fell swoop.
On the way to bed, she had to give Dad the tour. Because she is finally purging. Not the bulimic kind. Bu

Once the bug bit, she began clearing out with a vengeance. While she is keeping some things that do have sentimental value, she is definitely being logical and discarding everything that "has absolutely no meaning to me." Including a plethora of stuffed animals. (Woohoo! Why is it that girls are such a magnet for stuffed animals?! And where do they all come from?)
And seemingly a bazillion bookmarks, tiny erasers, pens, pencils, markers, stickers, notepads, and all sorts of other little doodads. Apparently stuffed animals are not the only things that spontaneously appear and procreate in a girl's room!
She's still not done but she's well on her way, and she's enjoying the feeling that comes with bringing a pile of
As I was straightening up the living room before the guys got home, she even reorganized the DVD
I wonder if I could convince her to clean out the hall closet next. . . .
It's so good to have my family all under one roof again.