Because I’ve been lonely lately (thought Dave’s birthday dinner helped amazingly), because my Oma turns 100 next month, I’ve been looking at a lot of old photo’s.  And I’ve realized I’m lonely partly because my house is so empty.  I’m down to only three kids.  Three kids is sooooooooooo quiet.

Dane is not here today, that makes it mouse-quiet.  Dane is loud. He is an energy ball.  He is a hugger.  When he’s not here, it’s so quiet.  I get a lot done, but sometimes, usually, I’d rather have the noise, the mess, and the hugs that come with Dane in the house.

I envy Dave his one-on-one time with Dane today.  It’s another soccer tournament, this one deep in the forest here.  The kind of indoor soccer hall that suddenly, magically, appears in a thick, dark, grove of trees.  I’m secretly hoping this hosting team has a fabulous baker mom & Dave brings me home some freshly baked Küchen (cake).  Being lonely also makes me hungry for treats.

Tess is leaving for the afternoon, I can hear her scurrying around in her room, in the bathroom, getting ready.  The outdoor ice rink is open.  It’s not quite freezing, but it’s open and she & her friends can.  Not. Wait.  It helps that I picked up an almost brandnew pair of skates at the Entsorgung Unterlagen the last time I dropped off our garbage. It’s not that they were in the trash, you can’t take things out of the trash, but as I was slowly & carefully reading the signs to find exactly which bin my old fan went into, another lady was slowly & carefully reading too.  She had a pair of skates.  A pair of used-three-times &  her daughter grew skates. In a 36.  Tess’ size.  I looked at her, she looked at me, we both snuck a peek at the garbage inspector, and she gave them to me!  Free! So, so, so happy.  And the garbage inspector looked the other way & only gave a little “Hmmmpf” to show his dissatisfaction at the rules not being followed to the exact letter of the law.

That leaves me home alone with Cole.  Cole who is Dane’s age, 7, in the photo below.  Cole who will be leaving home in less than 2 years.  I used to think those years went so slow and now I’m begging the years to slow down.  Stop.  Just stop going so fast!15NOV14_img