Behold, the Husband Returneth!

Every year the Modern Languages Association (MLA) holds their annual conference between Christmas and New Year's. And every year, the first round of interviews for tenure-track jobs are held during this conference. WHY they can't find a better time of year to do this, I don't know. But since the economy only gets worse every year, and since, while we have always had a job, but not yet found a tenure-track job, my poor husband must go to this every year. This time he was only gone four days. It could have been worse. One year he left on Christmas afternoon when I was pregnant and all the kids--and myself--had strep throat. It was much better this time, plus he got to visit his brother he hasn't seen in several years. Still. I am very excited that he is back again! Tonight we celebrated the  birthday he missed when he was gone, which means that all five kids are in our room putting together a bookshelf as we listen to a Sandra Boynton special that seemed particularly suited to someone with a PhD in medieval studies who currently teaches at a school with the razorback hog as mascot: Pigorian Chant. Old MacDonald in Latin, with a response by the pigs in pig latin. It's pretty good.

Anyway, we're glad to have him back and not to be all alone anymore ("all alone" meaning the six of us remaining being all alone, that is...)