k-i-s-s-i-n-g

Erik started singing a new song at dinnertime. It goes something like this:

Claire and _______(insert boys name here)
sitting in a tree.
K-i-s-s-i-n-g.
First comes love, then comes marriage,
then comes Peter in the pumpkin carriage.

He didn't get the ending right but I'm not going to bother with that. Claire then started singing the song back, but using Erik and a girls name. She stopped and asked what k-i-s-s-i-n-g spelled. As soon as we said "kiss", Claire got a big smile on her face and started giggling. She then began singing the song with more gusto. All the while Erik was yelling "Nooooooo!"

The singing went back and forth. Megan didn't want to be left out of the fun so she started hollering. Soon the three of them were running around the table chasing each other and ran off to another room.

At this point Jeff and I could have called them back to clear their dishes and give them a mini lesson on table manners. But the room was suddenly quiet and it was just the two of us. Kindof like a date.

Except by then the screaming had started again in another part of the house.

In the past I have wondered just how old do my kids have to be before there is a 24 hour period of no crying. We recently had that when just the kids went to visit my parents for a few days. Our home was quiet and calm and there was no crying. By the end of the first day I was already missing them! Because with all that quiet came the absence of kids laughing, giggling, story time, tucking into bed, hugs and kisses. It fell into the "grass is greener" category where you want what you don't have. And when you finally get it, it isn't as great as you thought it would be.

Well I got a ton done the few days they were gone. When they arrived home my children came running in the door, just about knocking me over with hugs and kisses. Welcome home!

And I'm sure someone was crying within 10 minutes. Oh well ;-)