Kaboom

Bryon and Jake are at Bryon's dad's in north Missouri this week. We originally planned for all of us to go, not realizing it was Sam's first week of school. Rather than pull Sam out of school or cancel the trip, I encouraged Bryon to take Jake. He could really use the one-on-one attention. Although he has fewer and fewer wobblers as he gets older, the transition from summer to school has been tough on him too.

I've only been away from the boys for a few days when I took Abby home to my mom's more than a year ago. Since Abby and Sam are here it isn't completely different, but it is strange not to have Jake around. Bryon travels enough that I am used to his void - I carried 2 lizards out of the house this morning and shoveled a dead, disemboweled rat from our yard to the garbage - so I can get by.

But I was thinking this morning that not having Jake around is exactly like celebrating the Fourth of July without fireworks. They may leave you jarred and breathless and with a smidge of a headache, but it just isn't the holiday without them.