Okay.....I *think* I am ready to go on this trip. Mommy guilt has reared its ugly head, though. I took the boys up to my mom's this morning. She will have all three of them until she takes Luke and Joel to camp on Sunday, and then she will have Nathan until a week from today. When I got ready to leave my Mom's, Nathan locked his arms around my waist and wouldn't let go. He was laughing and pretending it was a game, but I knew he was nervous about me leaving because of things he has said over the past couple of weeks. My mom has a co-worker that has a son Nathan's age, so they are planning to get the two boys together over the next week and go to the park, etc. I told Nathan about that, thinking he would be excited to have someone new to play with, and somehow he got the idea that he would be staying with this kid. :huh: He also thought that when my mom took the older two to camp (about a 2 hour drive each way) he would be staying *by himself* at my mom's house. Again, :huh: . I managed to straighten him out about those two things, but then last night he asked me if I was going to bring Grandma medicine to help him if he gets homesick. So I knew he was having some anxiety. Anyway, he wouldn't let go of me this morning, so I asked him if he wanted to walk me to the car. He said okay, but he still wouldn't let go of me. When I got out there, I asked him if he was nervous about anything in particular that he wanted to talk about. He was smiling, but his lips started to quiver, and I just lost it. I hugged him and told him he would have a great time with Grandma and that he could call me any time he wanted. He was trying *SO HARD* to suck it up, and finally my mom teared up, too. What a mess.....but so funny on another level because generally my mom, sisters, and I are pretty stoic. I am sure we'll laugh about it later. He walked back in the house with my mom and I drove away, crying, of course. My mom called about an hour later to tell me he was fine and ask if I was okay. It made me feel better to know that he was over it. It is so funny, though.....I have left him about once a year for a week or so (with grandmas) ever since he can remember. I don't know why it is bothering him so much this time. I always used to get so homesick when I would go away from my mom, so unfortunately, I can identify with him all too well.

Joel is trying camp for the second time....his first experience was not so good (homesickness....but only at night) so he laid out a year before trying again this year. I hope he has a great time and good weather.....it rained the whole time he was at camp the first time he went, and I am sure that had something to do with his feelings about it. Luke is going to the same camp as Joel, but since he is older, he is able to do more of a "wilderness" experience, and he is all over it. Luke LOVES camp. When we get there for closing ceremonies each year, he doesn't even come talk to us, and he almost cries because he is *leaving*!

Anyway, think good thoughts for my boys this week! I am sure Travis and I will survive.....we can comfort each other, after all. I can't wait to meet Nellie tomorrow, and will try to remember to take a picture! ETA: Travis just got home and said he is curious to see if Nellie is real or if she is a lonely old man living in a "van down by the river". [/QUOTE]