Winding Down

We are approaching the end of Spring Break week.  It has been quite busy indeed.  There have been physical therapy appointments, veterinary appointments for Aged Crabby Dog and Ottoman-shaped Dog, grocery shopping, organized meals, and so forth. There is also Herself's Work and payment of the bills and laundry and cleaning of the kitchen and transporting both the van and the truck for repairs. (Herself took those opportunities to walk the 3.4 miles home, and then bicycle back. The chain fell off the bicycle halfway there. She put it back on successfully.  Woo!)   

Yesterday, Offspring the First and Beau made multiple pies in honor of Pi Day (3/14). The pies were, without exception, delicious.  It has been lovely to have Offspring the First and her Beau here.  They plan to leave tomorrow morning, after a flurry of laundry and pie-consumption today.

There has been great deal of cheerful and boisterous noise throughout the house, with barking, more barking, chirping, chattering, video game noise, television, Nerf gun popping, guffaws and hiccups and the guinea pig hissing.  So much activity.

The highlight for Herself was Tuesday evening.  All three Offspring, plus Beau, Herself's Beloved, Herself's Cherished Friend, and Herself enjoyed dinner and a movie together.  All of Herself's favorite people together in one room at the same time. HUZZAH.

Yesterday, in contrast, was rather draining. Aged Crabby Dog has been faring poorly lately; Herself is rather concerned. She's 11, but seems older.  Is it almost Time?  Herself does not know, and the not knowing is the hard part.  When Aged Crabby Dog was tranquilized to go to the vet (as is necessary, given her Crabbiness), she tolerated it poorly. Poor old girl could hardly walk. Afterwards, Herself tucked Aged Crabby Dog in to rest on the couch, where she remained, immobile, for hours.

Later on when the doorbell rang, Aged Crabby Dog propelled herself towards the front door to bark before she realized that she still couldn't stand up properly.  She collapsed in the front hall, exhausted, and lost her bladder control.  Herself had to steer her mother (who had rung the doorbell) around the scene of the Dog Wreckage in the front hall and take care of cleaning up Aged Crabby Dog, and then had to complete preparation of dinner. Offspring the Third was concerned and kept hovering near Aged Crabby Dog, so he had to be redirected frequently, and he was also inadvertently irritating Offspring the Second, who needed a buffer from those who were annoying him. 

Everything was managed somehow. 

Herself is tired.

She has not had any opportunity for quiet time or solitude.  While the Offspring and Beau are all old enough to be fairly self-sufficient, it has been far more activity than Herself can normally tolerate.  She yearns to be alone in the house in order to tidy it up and get everything back into its place; to do her filing and organize her study; to play the piano for a bit.

In time. Shortly, the house will be bittersweetly quiet again.