I don’t even have the words to explain how busy-yet-not we’ve been. I feel like our calendar is jam-packed and yet I spend days on end just ‘chilling’ at home: homeschooling Zachary, trying to get Kayliana on a routine nap schedule and trying to keep her outta jams. So, while I feel like I’m at home a lot, there’s just never enough time to get on top of things. (In addition to the standard stuff: my half marathon is just six weeks away so my training runs are getting longer; works been pretty bumpin’ for Mike; the boys have TBall practices and games every week; we are supposed to update all of our Engaged Encounter presentations; the yard is in DIRE need of some work, etc., etc.).

Kayliana has begun doing an inchworm-army crawl- face-plant scootch thing that has already proven tricky. She’s found herself under the coffee table, pinned up against a chair and one foot dangling near the railing above the stairs. So, needless-to-say furniture has been rearranged (to block all precarious cliffs) as has my life. Woah, shocking, right? A baby! Cramping your style? Shakin’ up your schedule? Causing extra work?!! Who knew?!

Besides the regular chaos, we spent this last weekend in sheer bliss. My dear friend Katherine (we met teaching nearly ten years ago) and her pixie-gorgeous-girl Grace (20 months old) came from California for a visit. Katherine and I are on a good run now of seeing each other in May (our joint birthday month). In 2008 she came here (Zachary was 2, Matthew 4). In 2009, after visiting family in Chicago she and I went to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin (she was preggo and her hubby Dan was in Iraq at the time). Last year, I visited them in Monterey (and hung out briefly with Clint Eastwood in Carmel). Rainy Seattle is no match for Carmel-by-the-Sea, but she and cutie pants Grace were still willing to see us all and meet Kayli. We spent the weekend mostly just hanging out, getting caught up, and playing with the kiddos. We had a dance party, went to the zoo, went on a run, ate delicious food and drank delicious wine…you know, the usual quiet weekend stuff.

I must say that the boys were ridiculously cute with Grace. In the car, on the way to the airport, Zachary asked me what Grace looks like. I went on and on about how she’s this little sweet pixie of a girl; kind of like Tinkerbell but WAY cuter. After saying this, Zach could not keep the grin off his face. I told him that he better be careful ‘cuz Grace is AWFULLY cute and what if someday he wants to marry her instead of Kayliana’s bff Veronica..?! Zach shook his head and said, “No, Mom. You KNOW that that would make Rebecca [Veronica’s mom] totally WAY mad.” True. Besides, Grace is already betrothed to a little buddy named Peter. Who knew that the 21st century would be all about the arranged marriages?!

Sadly, I deposited Katherine and Grace at the airport on Sunday evening with the promise of having a future destination birthday meet-up. Hawaii, perhaps? (We can dream, right?)

This upcoming weekend, Mike and I – always the jet-setters  – fly off to another destination: Madison, Wisconsin. We get to leave the kiddos (all three!!) with the parentals and leave on a red eye Friday night, returning home Sunday evening. We are so looking forward to spending quality (yet brief!) time with Eric and Mebbie – good friends from college – and their newborn daughter Emma (our Goddaughter as of Sunday at the Baptism). I’m so excited to see them, to meet her and to get to Godparent for the first time!

As usual, I’m not too pumped about the flying part (eh, doesn’t bother me that much unless there’s turbulence, then I keep a puke bag handy), but I’m TOTALLY thrilled to be in the airport – my number one favorite place to people-watch. I can’t wait!