And while one would think that was a good thing, the truth is that is stinks!  Two weeks ago I set up two autoposts, both were 100% ready, but the subject matter was still up in the air.  Fast forward a little and here I sit, still waiting to hit post.

Well, lest you think I’m literally sitting around waiting to post, I should say that I’m actually not.  I’m frantically throwing things in boxes.  Frantically, not only because I have two kids that are opposed to my actually accomplishing a task like packing a box, but because I have to be out of the rental house in two days.  What?!  Two days?!  Oh, my friends, that’s not even the fun part!  What could possibly be more fun than moving everything you own within a few days?!  Try not having a place to move your stuff to.

Yeah, I know.

I haven’t really mentioned the house search or the pending purchase because I know how everything can go south in a hot minute.  I also know the nature of my luck — sucky.  So, I’ve put off posting about it so as not to jinx anything.  But, as I sit here, surrounded by half-packed boxes, I realize that it is pretty clear that we’re moving.  What I can’t post, unfortunately, is that we’ve bought our very first house.  Because it’s been two weeks since our first scheduled closing and it has yet to be rescheduled.

Yeah, I know.

Fortunately, my parents have generously opened their home to us.  They live right across town and have a virtually unoccupied upstairs.  Unoccupied, if you don’t count the faint smell of cat pee from the year that my sister, her husband, and all of their animals–both great and small– occupied it.  But these are tough times and if a roof over my family’s heads means that we’ll all smell like cat pee for a little while… well, what’s a little nose-holding among friends?  (Consider this your warning, if you know me in real life!)

So, say a prayer or two for us as we await signing the papers on our new house.  And, for me especially,  as I try to navigate managing my household while under the roof of someone with twice the authority as me but with half the rules– my mama.

This morning, I woke up in a pretty good mood.  Wog only woke up once, I crawled into bed with him and then we slept away until after 7:30.  That’s pretty huge!  After he and HH left, I turned on the TV and it kind of hit me like a ton of bricks… it was September 11th.  My good mood quickly faded.

Despite the overcast weather, it was easy to go along with my usual Friday morning activities: dishes, the grocery store, picking Wog up from preschool.  He was especially proud of a sticker that was on his shirt.  He chattered about it all the way to the gas station.  He kept trying to show it to me, but all I could manage was an “Uh huh” and “That’s great” since I really couldn’t very well turn around while I was driving.

After pulling up to the pump, I stepped out into the mist and proceeded to chat with the kids through the rolled-down window while the gas pumped.  It was then that Wog pulled his sticker off of his shirt and held it out for me to see.

It was a flag.  The American flag.  I began to cry.  (Thank goodness for the misty weather.)

Today he’s clueless.  It’s a cool day because he got a sticker.