Quiet.

Quiet has been calling to me all week. I am up to my ears in whiny, shrieking little girls (whom I love with all my heart, I must add ;-) And this weekend we head up to Seattle for N's high school reunion. The best part is that Uncle P & Auntie R are excited to take the girls for a two-night overnight - yay! Everyone is a winner here: C & M can't wait to have a big-kid overnight in a house with dogs, cats, and doting relatives. N & I get to stay in a swanky downtown hotel - and best part is that I get a night alone while N goes out with his high school friends on Friday.

Dinner alone with a new book or a light chick-flick movie. Snuggled in luxurious sheets maybe after a hot bath. Peace. No whines, no "she hit me, mommy" in raised, high-pitched voices. Just me. A brief but welcome escape. Peace & Quiet.