The Kids are Home

Our kids are home for the summer. Two weeks ago, I was traveling for work and three of our kids were gone. Our oldest was still in Georgia after finishing his spring semester; our second was on a trip to Germany and had stopped in Georgia for a week to visit some friends; and our youngest was on a cruise with one of her friends. All of this travel is really unusual for us, so it was a little weird that it all happened at the same time. Two weeks ago, my wife and third child were the only ones home, and the house was really quiet. Then I came home on Friday (May 27). Our youngest came home on Sunday (May 29), and our oldest two came home on Monday (May 30). Now all six of us are home for the first time since Christmas, and it has been a lot louder ... and a lot of fun.

Our dinner conversations this last week have been a little crazy. For example, a couple of nights ago our youngest randomly said, "On a scale of one to ten, what's your favorite color of the alphabet?" Without missing a beat, our second child said, "Honestly, yes." We all started laughing. My kids are nuts.

Last night, our two oldest made cupcakes. They made the cake rainbow-colored, and they made rainbow-colored frosting. And my daughter made GLBTQ flags to stick in them. Then we watched a movie while eating PRIDE-themed cupcakes in honor of PRIDE month. For the most part, our kids are supportive of people who make alternative lifestyle choices, and I'm grateful for that.

My kids are crazy, but it has been nice having them all home. Sometimes it's a struggle working through their problems with them. Sometimes it's emotionally heavy. Sometimes the challenges make me sad, sometimes angry. And sometimes it's amazing to step back and see how they've grown and matured.

My oldest is almost done with college, and it is really cool to see him excited about what he's doing in school. My second is developing confidence as she slowly steps into adulthood, learning to travel on her own and figuring out what she wants to do with her life. My third child is becoming more kind as he grows in his awareness of others and our interconnectedness. And my youngest is learning about the transitory nature of life as she works through the social challenges of high school. As difficult as it is being a parent, I really am grateful to have those four kids in my life. And I'm looking forward to spending the rest of the summer listening to their insane dinner conversations.