I'm just following orders.

"You need to write something or people will get bored."

So says my eight-year-old daughter.

Smart kid. Perhaps she gives me a little too much credit, but she is a smart kid.

We have returned from the last big hurrah vacation, school clothes shopping has been done (ouch), bedtimes are inching closer to 9-ish p.m., and I am trying to feign at least a little disappointment at the fact that beginning next Tuesday the children will be out of my hair away from their loving, devoted mama for nine hours a day.

Tonight is Sam's back-to-school night where he will meet his teacher and have a look around the school. He's moving from the Upper Elementary (grades 3-5) building to the middle school this year. Sixth grade. Exciting stuff. This is the same kid who half joked with me yesterday that if I got too tired driving home to Michigan from W. Virginia, he could probably do it. Then I spent 20 minutes trying to wrap my head around the idea that A) he's already tall enough to reach the pedals, and B) in a few years he will be doing it.

Oh, how time flies.

Things are good with the Pipe Lifers. I could add so much to expound, but each thought could really be its own blog post. And so some of them will be.

Plenty of subject matter for future writing, this life we live.

Until next time ...