Missing my girl

It's been a quiet week around our house. We haven't heard Paityn's voice since Monday morning about 7:45 a.m. when we left her on the bus in the school parking lot, headed for an amazing experience. Her 4th grade class, along with the other 4th grade class from her school (about 40 10-yr-olds), along with a handful of teachers, headed for Jackson, Wyoming for 4 nights and 3 days at the Teton Science School, where they would snow shoe and cross-country ski with real scientists to do fieldwork and observe wildlife like nowhere else in the world.

The roads were closed on Sunday, so we really had our doubts that they'd actually get to leave. But...the roads opened up, and the trip was on. Monday was a difficult day. There's the distance thing...the weather thing...the road thing...the "she's only 10" thing. But there was also the "once in a lifetime opportunity" thing. And I couldn't take that away from her. We finally go the call in the late afternoon that they'd arrived, safe and sound, and I started to breath again.

To put things in perspective, the dog refused to even go outside to potty for the first 24 hours. (what a bladder this guy has!!) I guess he was waiting for her to come home.

I miss my silly, sweet, quirky kid. I miss her bringing her box of conversation starters to the dinner table. I miss waking her up in the morning and putting her to bed at night. And I can't WAIT to hear the tales she has to tell about this incredible trip she just experienced.

She's on her way home...I'm counting the hours. Only about 4 1/2 hours before they arrive. Then I'll breath again...again.