Let Me Hear Your Balalaikas Ringing Out.

I left work early today to pick up Evangeline at the airport. The guy who picked up the sub job was a small, older man WHO HAS NEVER SUBBED BEFORE. Sweet Jesus. Those first-graders of mine are going to eat him alive. I threatened them ahead of time with certain death if they misbehaved but their brains are like sieves and I'm sure they forgot within 3 minutes.

Evangeline is as lanky and adorable as ever. She has not slept in 36 hours. She spent her last evening in Russia with one of her friends and both of their host-babushka mothers, throwing back shots of vodka. I totally love it that these old women will sit around a kitchen table and drink vodka with their young American charges. 

Hey. Do you know what the life expectancy of a Russian man is? 57 years. No lie.

She brought us a bunch of presents. A dorky hat for Josh. An amber bracelet for Sasha. A religious icon for her confused and conflicted mother. She got a very cool present for her boyfriend Nate (who is in Japan until August CHRIST what is it with these kids?) but I am not allowed to say what it is because he lurks on this blog sometimes. Which is funny to me.

Evangeline is cat-napping right now while we wait for Paul (Sasha's boyfriend) to join us, then we will all go out for dinner. Guess what we are having for dinner? If you don't get it right, you have not been paying attention for the last couple of years.

*   *   *

Hey, thanks for the mommy-blog suggestions the other day. I will pass them on to my friend who is about to ruin her life with a child. Kidding. Motherhood is beautiful and, ah, sacred. Yeah, that's it. Sacred! Blackbird was surprised to hear that I read mommy-blogs. I only read a couple, really, and the ones that I read are ones that I find entertaining because the writer has a voice. Swistle, for example, could write about the chemistry of cement and probably have people hanging on her every word. Tessie, also. What I like about both of them is that they don't ONLY write about their kids. I'm not even sure that those blogs are mommy-blogs. Oh, and I apologize in advance to both Swistle and Tessie if they find that label offensive.

Oh hell, I might as well admit that one reason I read mommy blogs is to remind myself what a PAIN IN THE ASS kids are and how HAPPY AND PRACTICALLY STRESS-FREE my life is now that my kids are not kids anymore and I can do whatever the hell I want most the time.

There. I said it. Are you happy now?

Comments

[cindy]

i will definitely check out the suggested reading material.
however, this must be said before i begin reading them.
i spent last weekend - my birthday weekend mind you - reading the entire tome of 'what to expect when you're expecting' (it was my birthday present to myself) and was disturbed beyond words.
how you people have conceived, given birth to, and then raised those alien-like creatures is beyond my imagination.
no, just kidding. but only a little.

[Pam L]

Sushi and sake...what do I win?

[Belle]

Oh yay! She's home. You must be able to breathe JUST a tad easier now, eh?

[Melinda]

You're going out for SUSHI! See, I pay attention. Glad your girl is home.

[Margaret]

How wonderful to have the chicks back in the nest. I will be a wreck when Ashley goes to Cameroon. You will have to hold my cyber hand because you've done SO WELL. My sub got taken advantage of by several of my bonehead teenagers, so I've been doing some referrals and angry talking. Not fun.

[Liza Lee Miller]

Glad both your babies are home -- given the last line in your post, I'm laughing that your empty nest is full again! Enjoy! Maybe you're a Mommy Blogger now, too! :)

Your girls are soooooo lovely. Like their Mom!

[Cazza]

It's lovely when they go away and it's lovely when they come home. And then it's lovely when they go away again!!

Not hard to tell from the photo which one has just flown in from Russia. Gorgeous but, oh those bags under her eyes! Hope she is all refreshed and you are all replete with sushi. And sake.

What are the kidlings plans from here? More travel? More study? Stay at home?

Have a great weekend. And don't worry too much about the sub. But we want all the gory details!

[blackbird]

Sushi.
Mommyblogger.

[Laura/DaPFG]

your girls are so freaking cute. and i think balalalaikas is my new favorite word. though i have no idea what it is or even remotely how to pronounce it. but it sounds cool in my head (sort of like that noise that Xena makes) :P

[Maddy]

Adorable photo! I am sure you are relieved that your daughter is back safe and sound. What a great experience.

[Heidi]

I've said it before and I'll say it again--your genes plus Josh's genes equals gorgeous girls.

One of my very favorite blogs is http://wouldashoulda.com/
Wow, can that woman write.

[Tessie]

Well, you're going to have to try a lot harder than "mommyblogger" to offend me, that's for sure.

Also, WHY OH WHY do people keep pretending like having grown kids is anything but AWESOME SQUARED? I cannot WAIT for that! This is the best time of my life MY ASS!

[the bee]

It's official. You are the coolest parents ever. My parents would have sucked in all the air in the room and said "dear God in heaven, what would the neighbors say?". I myself, am amused and would love to have the bod to join the fun. I hope those girls have a lot of fun this summer. bee