The tortoise may not have been married

I apologize for the absence. I keep trying to write something funny or uplifting, but to be honest I haven't felt funny or uplifting. Each day at 1pm I run down to the mailbox to see if my visa paperwork has come yet so I can make my way to Moscow to join my husband. How is it that in a culture where everything is digital and online that I still have to wait for paper visas to send to the consulate? It makes me think of the story of the tortoise and the hare. Granted, the slow paced tortoise wins in Aesop's prized fable, but maybe he wasn't really running to anybody.

It's my 29th birthday next week. My husband and I have been together for 13 1/2 years. Most of my life is filled up with time spent with him. Unfortunately, I'm living in my hometown where he and I went to high school and fell in love. It seems like every corner I can see him smiling and remember something special about that time or place. Nobody else can make me smile like he can.

Today, number 3's loose front tooth started to dangle and bleed.

This is not my job.

My brave husband has pulled dozens of teeth from 1 and 2, but 3 is always a different story. She wanted me to pull it and so out of necessity, I tried to yank it. As I yanked, she bit me. I tried again and she bit me again while simultaneously grabbing my wrist with her hand. This tug-o-war went on for half an hour. No tooth fairy tonight.

At bedtime, number 2 was unwilling to give up his bed for someone else (his mother) because he just sleeps better on the couch when it's not pulled out. Who knew my son would be the princess and the pea?

During prayers, number 4 sweetly prays "Dear Jesus, thanks for the day. Help Dad to not fall out of the plane in Russia. Amen." I'm sorry to say I laughed, but I totally did.

So here I sit. Waiting. Waiting. I've been out of my own house for 6 weeks and without my best pal for 5. I'm starting to feel like my poor sister who is always two weeks overdue with her babies. Everybody comes up to me and says "you're still here?" I know. If I could leave, I would. One of these days, I will win the race and move on.