homesick.

i was determined to have a productive day today. winters have a strange way of sucking out all of my energy with the frigid and icy air. it makes me want to snuggle up in a blanket all day long and read.

unfortunately, my day requires me to be out of bed by 6:45 to make breakfast, pack up the kids for school, get them on the bus by 7:30 with kisses on their cheeks (and kiss the hubby goodbye, too), change the morning baby diapers, feed the babies, etc, etc, etc. 

needless to say, i haven't had the time to lie in warm blankets all day long, much less catch up on blog posts. so, back to the beginning, i was determined to have a productive day. lucky for me, i have an amazing husband who cleaned the house last night, so i could jump right into my "fun" to-do list.

i turned the music on, got my homeschool prep supplies out, and got to work.

but then, it seemed like every song reminded me of Madison.

1. train/drive by: shopping errands at target, copps, and wholefoods.

2. f.u.n./we are young: picking up isaiah and "o" from school.

3. asher roth/g.r.i.n.d: cleaning and morning dance parties with mimzy in our apartment on ascot lane.

4. bruno mars/just the way you are: dropping off mak at preschool.

5. ceelo/forget you: working out at the YMCA

6. soulja boy/kiss me through the phone: driving downtown madison and picking up sam from class.

7. ne-yo/closer: BLSA (black law student association) dances at brochach.

once i thought of all of these Madison memories, i thought of more Madison memories. i thought of the zoo, the library, the cultural diversity, the museums, the lakes, the parks, the farmers market, the plethora of delicious restaurants on state street, and how everything was only 10 minutes away. i thought of my lunch friends, dinner friends, movie friends, work-out friends, and my book club friends.

sigh.

i miss Madison.

i miss Madison especially during the Sparta winters. There was always something to do and someplace to go. I miss my kids' friends, teachers, and doctors.

i miss everything.

i'm really grateful we only live two hours away. i'm glad we can visit at least once a month.

but what happens when we move from Sparta, and perhaps from Wisconsin altogether?

i'm so torn. i really, really miss living close to family. but that would mean moving away from Madison.

Madison has been the most family-friendly, diverse, educated, eclectic, and accepting places i've ever lived. it ranks #2 as best places to raise a family. i want to be closer to family, but there's a big part of me that wants to move back to Madison.

when we first moved there, i never thought i'd get so attached. we had such an amazing time there, and i guess i'm reluctant to give that all up so soon. i'm homesick. 

i'm homesick for Madison. 

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today i am grateful for:

*the productive day i did have in spite of being homesick.

*the opportunity i have to make our short time in Sparta a wonderful and adventurous experience.

*our new friends in the Sparta area. i just wish they lived closer. ;)