I miss my kids.

One thing I forgot to mention- that day was a little harder for me in particular, not because I was in a sense wasting a day in Europe, but because I missed my kids a lot that day.

Don't get me wrong, I always miss them, and they are never far from my thoughts, but some days, the feelings are just a little stronger. Or maybe I am just a little more aware of them.

Usually I have been crazy busy, tons of walking, and sightseeing, and being "Go! Go! Go!" until we collapse in bed at night, and even though I still miss them, and think about them, I don't have time to feel sad.

If that makes any sense.

And then there are moments like last Monday. After the laundry was done, (if you want to call laid out all over our room to dry "done") and I was sitting at the ice cream shoppe, eating my strawberry sundae concoction, trying not to be too obvious as I watched the little family by me. It was just a mom and two little kids trying to decide what to order. The little girl couldn't decide, they all looked too yummy. She was however, pretty interested in checking out the patio seating outside in the garden. (Several times)(It looked lovely, and I would have sat out there, except it was pretty hot out).

The kids didn't particularly remind me of my own, but just sitting there, by myself, alone with my thoughts, half a world away from my offspring, somewhere where my kids would love to be, and I really, really missed their little faces.

Another time in particular was yesterday, it was just for a moment, but John and I were in a candy store, and there was this cute, cute, cute little girl, like 4 years old with brown curly pigtails. I couldn't help but notice her. (I seem to notice a lot of the kids I come across.) Anyways, she had a paper bag with her, and every so often she would pick up a different color lollypop and show her mom, who would smile and say yes, and she would carefully drop it in her bag. She had that bag clutched so tightly in her little fist.

I must have smiled at her, or said something, because she kinda ran up to me and proudly opened her bag to show me her precious stash of lollypops. She had at least half a dozen brightly colored suckers in there. The mom tried to stop her, saying something to the effect of "no honey" like she thought that her little girl was bothering me.

In all honesty though, I was delighted.

Even if I was acutely aware that I would have liked to share a moment like that with one of my own kids.

I hope when I am old, I am like those little old ladies who bake cookies to entice the neighbor kids to come over, rather than old and crotchety and yell at them to get off my lawn.

I'll be home in a couple days, and I am ready. More than ready I think. These last two weeks have been a lot of fun (I am a week behind in posting) but I am ready to go home.

Tomorrow morning I get on a plane and head for the good 'ol U S of A. With an overnight in NYC. John and I split up from there, and he heads to Philadelphia, and I head to Salt Lake, where I am going to hug and kiss my kids until they can't stand it anymore.