When I say that I’m “missing in action,” it is really only a half-truth. I’m missing from general life, but it’s not because of any action on my part. Rather, my absence is due to inaction or whatever you might call lying on the couch with a bucket in hand. :surrender_tb:

I was afforded a nice break recently. Friday morning, I loaded the kids in the car and made a couple hour trip to meet about 8 or 9 ladies that I’d previously only known online. I am part of a wonderful large online community of women known as MOMYS, which stands for Mothers of Many Young Siblings. To qualify for the group, you must have at least four children in eight years or less. (Women who don’t “qualify” are welcome to join as a read-only member.) MOMYS discuss many topics, but some things are particular to MOMYS-type families and only understood by those who have walked that way or are currently in the trenches: 15-passenger van models, color coding for organization, and where to find dining room tables that will fit your whole family. It is also the only place where I can announce our fifth baby is on the way and still be seen as a novice.

So, while I was delighted to have enough relief to make the daytrip, I more than made up for it yesterday. Hopefully, however, maybe the trend will continue with little breaks in the sickness. If so, this will be a first.

While I’ve enjoyed meeting a large amount of online friends, there are still at least a dozen I’m hoping to meet one day soon.