Odie was home for 5 days in a row because of 1 ditch day, and two 3-day weekends combined into one 4-day weekend.  So today, I am overwhelmed by being home on my own.  I am looking at this mess of a house, the piles of laundry everywhere, the dust, the cobwebs, the dirty dishes in the sink and around the house, the dead anniversary flowers, the bored, stinky dog.  And I am thinking AAAAHHHH!  I want to run away! 

They look to me like they are sadly hanging their heads.

A journey of a million household chores begins with a single load of laundry. 

I’m trying to find some small bits of joy in today, even though I am lonely missing Odie and overwhelmed by my job as a housewife and mother.  Baby V woke up today, saw the gray cat and squealed then said, "Hi Kitty!" clear as day.  She’s never done that before.  It was a precious moment.

And then her first "Cheerios," which are actually Trader Joe’s "Joe’s O’s."
 

This bought me some time.  But not much.  I am actually going to go put her in the baby back pack we use for hiking and try to get some housework done.