I have made a deal with the kids that if they get all their chores done by noon, we will go to the lake. They agreed to it and are jumping up and down cheering right now.
It is very quiet without #1 here, and we all miss him very much. The stress level though is so drastically decreased it is amazing. This seems to be affecting #3 the most, he is much less jumpy and has calmed down a lot. #2 very much misses his twin, but has expressed relief about not getting in trouble for fighting as much.
The job search will also continue today. Once school starts I hope to go back to work part time. This should help to dig us out of the debt we have sunk further into since I left my job when we moved here. I have enjoyed being home, but I REALLY miss working.