it's here

the day i've been dreading for nine months has arrived, no matter how much i willed it to not happen.

it's the last day of school.

not that i'm not looking forward to having more time with the kids. (though, any introvert worth their salt will tell you that alone time is a must if we are to function and get through the day.) but ...

this last day of school is too big for me to take in right now.

this kid ...

today is her last day of elementary school.

this is the last time she will climb onto the bus as a little kid.

and in three months, these buddies will separate into two different middle schools.

where they will be middle schoolers.

i mean, what the heck?!

who said they could grow up??

and as hard as that is to take, it pales in comparison to this guy ...

who will be a junior in the fall.

a junior.

who will drive himself to school. no more bus. today was the last time.

just ... nope. can't think about it yet.

makes my heart hurt.

i now have three and a half hours to enjoy the silence, gather my emotions, drink some coffee, and put on my big girl panties so i don't have tears in my eyes when they get home.

i mean, when the littlest kid gets home.

because the big kid is going to a pool party for the rest of the day with friends. and the girlfriend. and he'll get a ride home.

and i just can't.

all herby up in here

confession: i'm a little obsessed with my gardens right now. i wander out a few times a day just to see if anything has bloomed.

so far, the only thing that has are the little eggs ...

so while i wait, i decided that our porch needed an herb garden. somewhere i could just open the door, snip off some stems, and make dinner that much better.

i ordered a cute tiered plant stand from world market, along with some copper plant tags, and then ran to the nursery for nine of our favorite herbs.

a few days later, the box arrived, and i couldn't wait to get started!

(mario was obviously just as excited to supervise.)

building the stand was pretty straightforward ... any ikea-phile should have no trouble. three shelves, two long legs, two smaller legs, and a couple of brace pieces, along with screws and an abundance of allen wrenches.

the multiple wrenches came in handy with the two-piece bolts. one to hold the bolt tight, and the other to screw in the second piece.

and, of course, there was the one screw that just didn't want to go all the way in.

and mario just gave me that cat look, the one that said, "seriously, human. one screw? you're just going to leave it like that?"

and yes. yes, i left it like that. (until marc got home.)

in less than an hour, it was built and ready to hold herbs.

which it did. technically. still in the box from the nursery, though.

aaaaannnndddd ... five days later, i finally planted them.

mmm ... thai basil ...

hello, mint. can't wait to use you in iced tea and lemonade and mojitos ...

my little herby stand makes me happy.

also making me happy? the peonies are about to pop. any day, man ... i can't wait!