A Moment Of Silence, Please!

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I lost something today that was very precious to me.  And I don't know if I'll get it back anytime soon ...

 My weekly, all-alone, just-me quiet time!

 (I could have just called it "my sanity.")

 For the past so many years, my four sons and husband have gone to church on Wednesday nights during the school year for Awanas or youth group.  And I got the house all to myself for two-and-a-half precious hours.  (When you homeschool - when you're an introvert who loves the quiet and you're home all day long with four boys in a house that seems to be shrinking as the years go by - those are precious, precious hours.)

But for the past summer, while my older ones have gone to youth group, my youngest has been home with me and my husband because Awanas doesn't run through the summer.  And I was really looking forward to when we got back to the normal "everyone else is out of the house but me" time.  (I only get out by myself to do fun things about once every 4-5 months or so.  I kid you not!  So this weekly time is very important to me.  It's my sanity-saver.)    

 And, lo and behold, that time is here.  Awanas is starting up again.  So my youngest and my husband will be gone on Wednesday nights now, too.

 Yes!!!  Two-and-a-half-hours all to myself!  My precioussss!  

 But it just dawned on me ... my oldest has aged out of youth group.  So he won't have anywhere to go on Wednesday nights.  And not only that, but his friend who also aged out has decided to hang out here on Wednesday nights.  

 And not only that ... but my third son has decided that he doesn't want to go to youth group anymore.  So he will be home, too.

 No!  NO!!!  It's slipping ... slipping away!  Oh, my precious!  My precious!!!  (wimper, wimper)   

 I didn't even realize I was losing it until it was gone.  (Has anyone seen my sanity around here anywhere?  I'm looking for my sanity!  It's just a small pile of it really, but I kinda need it.  A little help, please.  Can I borrow yours then?  Please?  PLEASE?) 

 A moment of quiet, please, for what I lost!

 I SAID A MOMENT OF QUIET, PLEASE, KIDS!  LEAVE YOUR BROTHER ALONE!  STOP BICKERING!  AND NO, YOU CANNOT HAVE A SNACK.  WE JUST HAD DINNER 5 MINUTES AGO!!!
(I'll be okay, really!  I just need a moment to grieve.)
[Update, Thursday morning:  Okay, it wasn't too bad.  The boys hung downstairs while I locked myself in my room and watched The Greatest Showman really loudly while eating chocolate-peanut-butter ice cream (best ice cream ever!).  Have I ever mentioned that Greatest Showman is the greatest movie ever!?!  (Next to the Guardians movies and Thor Ragnarok, of course.)  The only bad part is the end.  By that I don't mean the ending.  I mean the fact that it ends.  Oh that it was about 8 hours long!  That would make a perfect movie even better!  And my third son ended up going with my husband to help at Awanas, instead of staying home.  Yippy!  Small victories!]

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