Hubby needs prayers....

Tomorrow, after the kids go to school, Hubby will drive me about half an hour north to meet up with my folks.  He'll come home without me, and I will journey with them to the town where I spent most of my growing-up years.

And on Saturday, we'll all be going to a funeral for a dear teacher and friend, who was my fourth grade teacher, my 7th- and 8th-grade social studies teacher, the faculty advisor for the JV cheerleading squad that I was on for several years, and the teacher who threw a bridal shower for me before I got married.

In other words, Mrs. R was more than just a teacher.

I went to a very small, private, Christian school from second grade all the way through high school graduation, and Mrs. R was there every year that I was...and then some.  She taught for the school for 30 years before retiring.

I explained this to the Fries tonight.

Well, the travelling part.  Not so much the funeral, although I did use that word, and I explained it was kind of like a church service.  I didn't elaborate on precisely what a funeral is.

You would think that I was abandoning them to the wolves, rather than leaving them with Daddy.

"But no one will be hewre with us!  We'll be alone!" they wailed.

"Daddy will be here.  He'll pick you up from school tomorrow."

"You'll be alone!"

"No, I'll have Gramma and Boppa with me."

"I'll be so sad!" This, from Small Fry.

"I know, honey, and I'll miss you, too.  But I'll have my cell phone, and Daddy can call me so that you can talk to me."

"Who will you stay with?" Medium asked.

"We'll be staying with Mrs. H, who is a very nice lady.  She used to teach with Gramma, and so I've known her a long time."

"Awre you never coming back?"  Small again.

"No, honey!  I'll be back on Saturday night, probably after bedtime."

I hugged Medium's long, skinny doggie and smooched it as well, so she can get hugs and kisses from me through her doggie while I'm away.  I did the same thing for Small's rainbow bunny.

"I want to go with you!"  Large Fry, who became inconsolable.

"No, honey, you have to stay here."

"Will you be taking your computer?"  Tears glittered on Large Fry's long lashes and she sniffled.

"No, but I'll have my tablet, and we'll see if I can't find a way to Skype with that."

"I want to see pictures of where you're going."

Hmmm.  Wonder if Flat Stanley is coming with us. "I'll have my cell phone.  I can take pictures and send them to Daddy's phone.  Will that work?"

Large nodded, and used my shirt to wipe her eyes and nose.  She said she wanted a shirt of mine rather than have me hug a stuffed friend for her.

Rule #3.

Ultimately, Large was so upset about me being gone that I had to tuck her into my bed.

I heard the twins giggling and stage-whispering as I mostly closed the door to our room, and went down to check on them and remind them that bedtime means they're supposed to have their eyes closed and be QUIET.  I found that Small had moved over to Medium's bed, where before they were tucked into their own beds.

I know Hubby went up and talked to them, to reassure them, after he got home.

Given that Large just came downstairs, mangling my stuffed doggie that was on my end table, and said she couldn't sleep because she's scared and wants someone to sleep with her, I'm thinking Hubby is going to need some divine help.