Saturday, August 2, 2008

One Word. Sounds Like...

Yay! Our kids are back home after their very long week away. A big Tex-Mex dinner was just waiting for their arrival last night to celebrate. We hit the pool first thing this morning in anticipation of our 21st or 22nd 100 degree-plus day this summer. We will be washing all of their clothes, and there are new homes to be found for the assorted souvenirs from their travels in Missouri and Arkansas. Everything feels right as Don sits in a chair playing his bass while Katie attempts to pick along with him on an acoustic guitar. Evan is running through the shower so we can go out to run a few errands later, and Erin is reacquainting herself with her little bobble-headed animal toys. The washer, dryer, and dishwasher are all running.
These ordinary sounds are incredibly comforting to me after the past days of quiet while my favorite noisemakers were absent. In a couple of weeks I will enjoy the quiet during the day, but it will be broken each afternoon as the kids return full of news about their days away, the phone ringing with their hectic social lives, the sounds of multiple instruments being practiced, pages turning in books, kids arguing about inconsequential things, 13 year-old boys banging on bathroom doors locked by 11 year-old girls, the t.v. chattering, music playing, the fridge beeping its protest against being open long enough to cool the whole kitchen while someone decides there is nothing good available... the sounds of home.

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