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Monday, April 28, 2008

The weather was gorgeous on Friday. I'd forgotten to thaw something out for dinner, so I was supposed to pick something up on the way home.

However, I left work at 3:30 for a 4:00 Physical Therapy appt for my shoulder (I really don't think it's helping). I got done with that around 5:00 so I had to hurry to pick up the kids from daycare by 5:15. By the time I got them, I really just wanted to go home.

So, once Russ got home, we went to Outback for dinner. It was really good. I just love their cheese fries. It's just so difficult to relax when we eat out in public, though. The boys get bored with the whole deal very quickly, so it's a usual race to finish our meals before they throw us out. I mean, they aren't too bad, but if the stars are out of alignment, we are usually doomed. Only one way to learn though, so I suppose that's why we keep trying.

Needless to say, Friday evening when we got home, I was eager to get the boys bathed and in bed. This too, used to be rather simple, but has taken on a new twist. You see, we are now weaning Liam from sucking his fingers. This is something that he even did in the womb. I told myself I'd not worry about breaking the habit. That was until I saw that he had big callouses on his fingers and an open sore. So we talked about it, and agreed it was time. Ok, ok... I suppose me telling him that his finger would fall off might not have been the best way to start the process, but oh well.

So, he's open to having me put a band-aid on his finger. It's a big ol' bandaid, so it's uncomfortable for him to put in his mouth. Additionally, for every night he goes without taking the band-aid off (which he did on the first attempt, claiming that his finger was "all better") he gets a sticker to put on a chart. 10 stickers = set of Legos.

Well, he's been really good at earning his stickers, and hasn't been sucking his fingers. The downside of all this is that it takes him hours to get himself to sleep. I really don't think he stalls on purpose, it's just that without that soothing comfort, he just can't relax. I usually turn in around 10:00, so if he's not asleep by then, I let him crawl in bed with me for a little bit, just so he can get to sleep.

I preferred to stay up later on Friday, to spend time with Russ, but the dinner did me in, and I just couldn't stay awake. I was soon to join Liam.

Amazingly, Liam was up around 6:45am. I stalled him until around 7:15, but eventually got up to make him some breakfast. This turned out to be kind of nice. Jax slept in a little, so Liam and I had some nice morning time together. Afterwards, we finally set up the little "Table Top Bowling Set" that Russ picked up at the book store while we were on travel. We made some "bumpers" out of some blocks, and ended up with a pretty slick lane on the coffee table. It was fun. Of course, when Jax got up, he wanted in on the action and caused a ruckous. By then, Liam was loosing interest anyway.

When Russ got up, he was eager to get a few errands done, so we were out the door. It was another beautiful day outside, so I was happy to get out, but just as happy to get back home so we could get the lawn mowed. Spring has sprung in our yard and the flower are beautiful especially the fragrant lialacs by the garage. We worked together to tackle some weeding. Russ helped me weed wack and mow, and he tilled up the garden.

Grandmom sent a big box of spring and summer treats. Their was golf and sand box toys and funny glasses and one even had a clown nose that Russ had fun with.

That evening we shared dinner together and Liam was a little better about getting himself to sleep. I stayed up with Russ and ended up watching a Harry Potter movie on TV while I worked on my sock monkey. Russ has a new computer game, SimCities4, where he can build cities, so he was absorbed in that. It was just nice to share quiet time together. I finished Edgar the Sock Monkey right about the time SNL was coming on. So I watched a few skits with Russ, but had no trouble crawling into bed.

Sunday was misty and dreary outside, but I have to admit that it's doing a nice job of greening things up! I made us some pancakes for breakfast. We all puttered around the house for most of the day. Liam and Jaxson played really well with each other down in the basement. Russ had a great time watching a couple of races on TV. I enjoyed catching up on some small sewing projects that have laid on my table all winter.

Around 3:00 Liam and I went to my friend, Gayle's Tastefully Simple party. It's one of those usual sales parties, but was fun... and delicious! Liam had a nice time playing with the other kids who were there too. Gayle's daughter, Erika used to go to the same daycare as Liam. I ended up liking the products so much - especially the Mango Margarita Slush - that I booked a party for the 18th... so if anyone WANTS TO ORDER anything, please let me know!

Sunday night was nice too. Really laid back and comfy, that way a Sunday evening should be. I even played the SimCity4 game with Russ and we started to design where we live. We will do that together sometimes. Russ really enjoyed that and I even enjoyed it more than I thought I would.

Now, this weekend, we shortened Liam's daytime naps, and he seems to have figured out some new tactics because he's still earning stickers, and though he's not eager to go to bed, at least he is no longer laying there awake for two hours.

On Monday Russ took Jaxson to his speech class. He called me afterwards with a great update that Jax had a great class and said 8 words and Ms. Penny was happy with his progress. He has really flourished the past two weeks. We have been working with a little booklet Ms Penny made for him and Jaxson is really getting it. He loves to say Ga Ga when we say Baby says in the book. This morning Russ said he got down the word Go. So they are coming along those words. Our assignment is start keeping track of all these new words that have begun.

Monday night we attended a geocaching meet and greet at our local CiCi's Pizza. There were around twenty people on this rainy evening and we got to see some new faces as well as trade the Superman themed Travel Bug we had.

We then stopped by Famous Footwear and got Jaxson some much needed sneakers. Wow he is up to a seven already!

Next week we hope to do more yard work such as more top soil and grading the garden. The next week Russ will be planting his corn so I better get those tomatoes around. We also will mulch out front but are taking a break in the back after losing quite a few newly planted bushes out back during last years dry summer.

12:22 pm est

Friday, April 25, 2008

Fredericksburg Weekend

We had a long weekend and no major plans. We went to Fredericksburg on Friday and did some window shopping and geocaching. The weather was beautiful and reached a balmy 90. We enjoyed looking the antique stores and the boys loved the two toy stores. Liam got a knight and Jaxson got a school bus he carries everywhere. That is a new word by the way, “bus.” Every new word with Jax is a celebration since they are hard earned and few and far between. Monday Penny, his speech teacher, said he is making great progress.

We had a nice lunch at a little restaurant in town called Spirits. Erin and I had eaten there before.

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One of the half dozen caches we did took us to the parking lot of Carl’s which is a Ice Cream Shop straight from the 50’s. We just beat the school crowds but it was amazing how fast the lines moved even with the traffic. We got a lucky parking spot and Erin found the micro cache after a fairly quick and stealthy search.

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Our last geocache in Fredericksburg took us to a nice park where we let the kids run and play before heading home.

The nice thing about geocaches is they usually provide nice interesting breaks for you and the little ones. We stopped at the Route 301 Maryland Rest Stop right after crossing the Potomac. We found two geocaches there and Jaxson got to have a great time on the playground rides although he was very curious and tried to fix one that was broken.

Friday night I stayed up ridiculously late trying to watch the Indy Car race in Japan. The trouble was they had to cancel it a day because the track had weepers from lots of rain. That is when moisture seeps up from the ground through the track.

The rest of the weekend threatened rain. On Saturday, I obviously slept in a little while Erin got up with the kids. I was up by nine and everybody was puttering around already. They played downstairs in the basement in their toy area while Erin cleaned up the other side that the dogs lounge in during the day while we are at work.

It was warm outside, so she and the kids spent some time out there as well. We kept thinking it was going to rain, but held off long enough for her to burn some leaves. I watched the race worked on the computer and did some research on the septic tank and products and pros and cons.

Around 4:30 Liam and I went to the grocery store to get some snow crabs. They were on sale for $5.99/lb and I couldn’t resist.

Later that night, Erin and I watched a few things on YouTube on the computer. It had been a while since we’d done that and it was really fun. I also checked in on the Indy race via computer, and Erin even stayed up to see Danica Patrick win!! This was her 50^th race and her first win. She’s the first woman to win an Indy race, so history was made.

Sunday morning, Erin was up with the kids and made some pancakes. Once I got up, she took the big dogs to the dog park. It was cooler outside and the rain looked even more imminent, so I figured she wouldn’t be gone long.

We spent the rest of the day just puttering around. The kids are reasonably good at entertaining each other now, so that helps. I watched and taped Danica’s win from 11-1 and then at 5:30 got a second treat watching and taping the last ever Champ Car open wheel race as they merged with Indy Car this year. It was a very historical racing weekend.

Erin worked on another baby sling for her co-worker. It was a white one, and she made a little bag that attaches to the sling rings so there’d be a place for keys. I understand she’s taking a break from baby slings, and is going to tackle the task of making a sock monkey.

It was a nice weekend of staying home. It’s been really nice having some of these homebody weekends. We’ve gotten things caught up including our rest and the kids rest!

10:31 am est

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

April 12-13

NOTE: I know it looks like the dates are out of order, but it was just the way I lumped days together because of our training and visit "home home." Otherwise you'd have to read bottom to top a lot more than you already do.

Saturday, April 12

Finally, we got the chance to sleep in. It felt so nice. I think we finally felt like our lives were getting back to normal.

The boys and I got out of bed and headed to the kitchen to have some breakfast. Right after I got things cleaned up, the sun came out, and I could tell the day was gorgeous outside. I had no trouble getting the boys out in the back yard either. So, while Russ continued to catch up on his sleep, we headed out the door.

I didn’t really plan on working in the yard, but once I was over in the corner, opening up the kids sandbox for the first time since the Fall, I couldn’t help but fetch the rake to tidy up the area a little. That led to ridding the whole fence line of leftover oak leaves. By the time Russ got up, I’d made my way to behind the boys’ clubhouse and cleared out underneath the holly trees. I love the privacy the holly trees give… but that’s about it. Just when you get the oak leaves raked up in the Fall, the holly trees drop their leaves in the Spring! I would have continued, but by this time, the boys were ready to go in, and Russ wanted to go to the bank and get some shoes. Liam needed a pair of sandles too. So, I got us all cleaned up and we headed out for a few errands.

We also made a little video of Chancellor’s Run road. This is the road that goes to the kids’ daycare, and the road to our old townhouse. They are just starting some major construction on it, so we captured a trek down the length of it for historical purposes.

Once home, and while the boys took a little nap, I went back outside to do some more raking.

That evening, Russ helped to get dinner around. Then he helped me get the kids ready for bed.

Later he and I watched some movies that we downloaded from Netflix on the computer.

Sunday, April 13

The weather was a little cooler, but still sunny. The backyard still beckoned me to finish up raking leaves, and mow. When the boys requested to go outside after breakfast, I was happy to find their shoes.

We played and puttered around out there for most of the morning. We came in for lunch, and then got cleaned up. Russ noticed a flyer for an open house showing of a sunroom around the corner, so we planned to go check it out. A sunroom is in our long range plans, but we were curious to see just how one was installed.

The sunroom was neat, but the price tag of $40K nearly shocked us out the door. We signed up for a free estimate of our house just for fun, but we have serious doubts that we’d ever have that kind of money to spend anytime in the next 10 years!

Once home, I put the boys down for a nap. I lounged on the couch and gazed out the window at our now clean back yard. I plan to take down a few trees this summer. Russ wants to plant our garden with beans, corn and tomatoes. I’m not going to bother with flowers this year. I soon found myself groggy in the sunshine as it beamed in on me, on the couch, and before I knew it… I was asleep too.

I woke up in time to ask Russ to get the boys up from their nap too. We played together for a little while, and then I started getting dinner ready. Jaxson and Liam helped me. It was cute watching Jaxson shuck corn. He really got into it, and did a great job. He also helped me cut up and season some red potatoes. It was so cute.

I did my normal Sunday night tasks getting diapers and clothes ready for the coming week. This is our week to “get back to normal.” I have a physical therapy appointment Monday night, but don’t have great expectations. We’ll see.

2:48 pm est

March 29 - April 8th

Saturday, March 29

Despite the fact that I had a lot of laundry to do, I had a hard time getting going. I knew that I’d be without the kids for the next few days, so I just wanted to enjoy every minute I had with them. I think Russ felt the same way, as we found ourselves doing a lot of snuggling and car playing. He and Liam took a special outing to Burger King.

Sunday, March 30

I’d gotten nearly all the laundry done and put away the day before, so now my daunting packing task lay ahead of me. The suitcases were empty on the guest bed, and waiting to be filled. There was no way around it. I had a week’s worth of packing to do for 4 people, so I forced myself to get started.

I did postpone my start a little though, since Liam and I found ourselves playing a couple of board games in the living room. Then, after we’d picked out some toys to take to Grandma’s and Grandpa’s house, we practiced riding the Hot Wheels bike a little in the basement.

That evening we had a nice London Broil and some quiet time together.

Monday, March 31

We hit the road a little after 7 in the morning. We’d both forgotten about it being MONDAY, and thus, the probability of hitting rush hour traffic. It was a misty, foggy, cold morning, and I think that didn’t help with the travel either. In reality, though, our trip to York wasn’t too bad. We had some slow spots, but arrived at the Cracker Barrel in York right on time at a little after 10. Mom and Dad had arrived earlier, so we were all looking forward to sharing brunch together. Our rendezvous was short, but we knew we’d be seeing each other only a few days later. Russ and I had an intense week of education ahead, and we just wanted to get through it as best we could.

After loading the kids up with Grandma and Grandpa, Russ and I headed out of the Cracker Barrel parking lot towards Rockville. It seemed we couldn’t avoid traffic at any time during the day, and inched along in spots. I was nervous about taking Metro from Rockville to Alexandria the following morning, so I insisted that Russ drive me by the Twinbrook stop so I could scope out the joint. We also found the building Russ’s class was in as well.

We weren’t that hungry, but it was too early to check into our hotel in Gaithersburg, so we decided to run into a fancy Target store to get swimsuits. The Courtyard by the Marriot had an indoor pool and hot tub, and – of course – I forgot to pack my suit. Russ was very helpful in assisting me in finding a top that matched a bottom (or vice versa) but in the end I settled on a one piece! Russ got a pair of shorts (guys have it so easy in that realm). We had a late lunch at a little bakery type shop near the Target. We phoned in to make sure the boys/grands got home okay. Their response was a good trip and they were already cluttering up the living room with toys. We also noticed the Mexican Restaurant where Russ wanted to take me to eat. He said that the area had grown up a lot since he was here several years ago for another work-related class. Right across the walkway was a Joe’s Crab Shack. I’d always wanted to eat there, so we thought we might give that a try on company per diem too.

We checked into our hotel in the late afternoon. We busied ourselves unpacking, and getting things ready for the next day. We ordered a pizza for dinner, and enjoyed the pool and hot tub. We were disappointed that the hotel did not carry the TLC channel, so we missed a couple of our favorite shows. We substituted with a movie instead.

Tuesday, April 1

The wake up call didn’t wake us up. We were already awake. Not sure exactly why, but we’ll just figure it was stress. We both had a long day of unfamiliarity ahead, and everyone knows how that can be.

Russ and I headed out of our hotel around 7:10am. That put us at the Twinbrook Metro stop in Rockville around 7:30. He dropped me off at the “Kiss and Ride” (no, really, that’s what it’s called) and I fumbled a bit with my Metro SmarTrip card before I watched some other passengers wave it over the icon at the turnstile. I had my itinerary in hand, and luckily boarded one of the new Metro trains bound for Metro Center, where I’d make a switch that would take me into Alexandria. I confirmed my route with a friendly looking man while aboard, and he assured me I was headed in the right direction. He didn’t ease my stress much though, as I continuously had my eyes on the posted rail map and strained my ears to hear each stop announced. Metro center was very busy, but I relied on what little travel sense I had, and found my way to the right platform headed for the King Street Station.

Meanwhile, Russ killed time by checking into his class a little early. He had about an hour to kill on each end of his class while he waited for me to travel Metro. Fortunately, at each of our classes, they provided a hearty continental breakfast. We checked in with each other via cell phone during the day, and were both relieved to hear that we were off to a pretty good start.

Russ took a Visual Basic programming class, and I took an Intro to UNIX language class. The classes were part of a company called Learning Tree International, and we felt that the curriculum was very well executed.

So, I made my return trip via Metro without any obstacles, and was relieved (and a bit proud of myself) when I happily spotted my husband at the Kiss and Ride around 5:30. I can also mention that it was a gorgeous Spring day. I even saw tulips blooming!

Since it was close to dinnertime, we decided to go to the nearby mall and eat at Dave & Busters. D&B is always a fun place. You get good food, and then afterwards you can be a kid again and play a variety of midway and video games. We had a grand time and won a bunch of tickets which we redeemed for some goodies for the boys. It was a lot of fun, but we dared not let it last too long, knowing we had to get another early start the following morning.

Wednesday, April 2

Wednesday’s schedule was pretty much the same. I even had a person ask ME for directions while riding Metro, and I felt confident enough to get them headed in the right direction. Russ had a tough morning, but managed to use some of the time he had waiting for me, to catch up a little.

That night Russ took me to the Mexican place near the Target store we went to on Monday. Oh, it was SO good! I ate WAY to much, and was nearly miserable. I think the only thing that saved me was the weightless feeling I got while I soaked in the hot tub back at the hotel!

We checked in again with Mom and Dad about the boys and were happy to hear they were getting along just fine. They’d played in the crick, had fun in the sandbox, enjoyed cooking with Grandma and riding the ATV with Grandpa. They even both got their hair cut!

Thursday, April 3

I speak for the both of us when I say that by this time the novelty had worn off. I’d mastered Metro, and was beginning to notice the stuffy smell. Our classes were challenging enough, and the subject matter was valued, but after a while, you just get tired of listening. It didn’t help that even though our stress level decreased, we still were not able to sleep in much. Awakening at 5:30 every morning was not desired, yet kept happening.

So another day down, and we planned to go back to the little shopping area in Gaithersburg, to eat at Joe’s Crab Shack. We had a great time. The crabs were awesome, and the drinks made us happy just looking at them. The waiter was friendly and we got a kick out of the little dances they all did periodically. I even had fun picking out a T-shirt. In fact, we had such a great time that we forgot to call to check in on the boys!

Once back at the hotel, we figured we’d spend a little more time in that coveted hot tub, before loading up the suitcases again. We had little time to spare in the mornings, so we wanted to be as check-out ready as possible.

Friday, April 4

Our check-out went smooth, and I helped another Metro rider with directions, so I knew it was time to go back home… I was getting to versed in public transportation.

The last day of class went fine, but about 2:00 I was itching to go. Russ’s class let out really early, and he ended up killing extra time by going back to Dave & Busters for a few more games. He was pretty lucky though and won a TON of tickets, so he got some more neat stuff for the boys, including Batman and Superman guys, a light saber and a whoopee cushion! He also spent a fair amount of time in Borders, so we’ve now added another dozen books to our home library. Oh well, spending money on books is never really a bad thing.

Finally, I got out of class and landed at my final stop at the Twinbrook station. As soon as I got in the van, we headed out of town to go fetch our boys up in the mountains.

Thanks to Russ’s good directional planning, we skirted the beltways around DC & Baltimore, and took a slight western detour through Frederick, into Gettysburg and then on up 15 and 83 towards “Home Home.” We pulled into the driveway just a little before 10pm. Surprisingly, Liam was still up to greet us… but neither of us minded at all.

We made some small talk with Mom and Dad for a little bit, but we were both exhausted after a LONG week with LOTS of travel. We headed downstairs to go to bed. I think Russ read about one paragraph of his book before switching off the light.

Russ and I had some wonderful kid-free dinners with some really good adult conversation. I especially cherished our evenings together. However, it felt so good to be with family after a long impersonal week in the city.

Saturday, April 5

Liam crawled out of his top bunk and asked for a snuggle on Saturday morning. He was quite happy to wiggle himself right between Mommy and Daddy. The slight problem is when Mommy and Daddy aren’t quite ready to start waking up yet. I couldn’t complain too much though. I was happy to see his face. It wasn’t long before Jaxson began to stir in the crib, and Russ was quick to bring him into the pile on the bed. Eventually, we all headed upstairs for some breakfast with Grandma and Grandpa.

We’d just finished up breakfast, and I was thinking about getting a shower, when Aunt Evelyn and her grandson, Seth – who’s 3 – dropped by for a visit. It didn’t take long for Seth to join in with his cousins playing with the Knights, costumes, trucks, and Optimus Prime helmet. We even took some time to go down in the basement to play in the sandbox and with some bubbles. It was neat to see the boys play with their cousin (second?).

While the boys were playing, Aunt Evelyn and I chatted a bit. Mom checked in every few minutes, but was busy getting some things ready for Jo & Brian’s arrival. Russ and Dad ran into town for a few things at Mom’s request too.

Seth and Aunt Evelyn left mid morning, and I took the opportunity to get a shower. Then Russ and I introduced Mom and Dad to the Wii. Dad scoffed at it at first, but soon couldn’t resist “throwing” a few bowling balls. Even Mom took a turn at boxing!

Dad, Russ, the boys and I went up to the farm to try out the ATV a little bit. I took the boys for a few spins around the yard, and then Russ and I took the ATV up on the hill to check on the Mug Shot Geocache. It needed some minor repair, so we brought it back down. By this time, Liam was begging Grandpa to take him for a spin on the tractor. It was pretty cute!

After we got back to the house, we had some lunch, and then I put the boys down for a nap. This gave me time to help mom with a few more tasks in prep for Brian & Jo. I also got the opportunity to start a little laundry.

Brian and Jo arrived just in time for dinner. It was SO great to see them. They settled right in with ease, and the boys were delighted with the gifts they received. Liam was anxious to use all his wonder color stuff (and secretly made a birthday card for Grandpa), and Jaxson just loved his little Thomas Train. Both boys were thrilled with the LOUD instruments they were given too, much to their devious Uncle’s delight. Russ and I were very appreciative of our belated birthday gift cards too… but seriously… the real gift was gift of an IN PERSON HUG from them both!

After dinner, we all just took the time to catch up a little. Once the boys went to bed, we introduced Brian & Jo to the Wii as well, and we ALL had a fantastic time bowling! Cheezy Brian and Psycho Jo just might be hooked!

Sunday, April 6

Sunday was a really nice day. We were lucky to have beautiful Spring weather. We just enjoyed being home home together. Later in the morning, Russ, Jo and I headed into town. We needed to do a little birthday shopping for Dad. Liam decided to go work on a sporting clay shooter with Grandpa and Uncle Brian. Jaxson needed a mid-morning nap, so Grandma stayed home with him.

The three of us had a fun time in town even though most of the stores were closed. We bought some good books at the used book store, and then had lunch at the diner, just because it’s a fun touristy place to eat. After lunch, we needed to go up to the dollar store, so on the way we stopped by the SPCA. I ran into an old teacher of mine, and Russ almost convinced me to take home the brindle boxer. It’s sad to see the homeless critters, but sometimes it’s nice to show up to give them all a few extra scritches.

At the dollar store, Jo convinced us that we needed to get some party supplies for Dad’s 75^th birthday. Russ even ran into the grocery store for a cake!

We took longer than I thought we would in town, but when we got back, we still had time to go play in the crick a little bit. I really cherish these moments where my precious family can come together to share the wonderment our boys have in the world. Just the opportunity to see Aunt Jo and Grandpa teach them to skip rocks is precious. Even Grandma enjoyed throwing sticks in the stream just to see where they’d go.

Brian and Russ got some additional bonding time up in the house. They were watching the NASCAR and the Indy Car races. Russ held out… but all the travel must have caught up with Brian, because Russ reported that he soon fell asleep on the couch.

Once we all got tired of playing in the crick, we headed up to the house. I then remembered that I needed to restock the geocache with some new travel mugs we’d gotten at the dollar store. I wanted to get it back up on the hill, so Jo asked if she could go too! I was a little nervous about driving us both up there on the ATV, but Russ and I made it, so I figured I wouldn’t put us in too much danger. Jo was an eager passenger, so I planned to do my best. We made it up to the top, and had a great adventure in the process.

By the time we got back to the house, and Jo got cleaned up from all the mud I dragged her through, it was about time to get dinner going. Just as I was setting the table, Aunt Pat called, and said that she and Uncle Wally would like to come over. So, I had Brian and Russ go get another leaf for the table!

We had a really nice dinner together. The evening was quite cozy as the sun dipped down behind the hill. I wasn’t so sure about the whole birthday idea at first, but in the end it turned out really fun… even the balloons and party hats! Dad was a big kid, and he had a grand time living it up like he was 7 or 5, not 75!

We took our time finishing dinner and cleaning up. The conversation was nice, and before we knew it, it was nearing 8:00 and the boys really needed a bath! Just as we got them out of the tub, Wally and Pat decided to head over the hill. It was time for the boys to snuggle in as well, and I knew Psycho Jo was itching to get a hold of that Wii-mote again and work on her bowling score!

Russ and I were willing to pop in a movie or something, but we just seemed to have so much fun bowling with the Wii, that we opted for that instead. Mom and Dad stuck with us as long as they could. Brian finally gave up and stretched out on the couch. Just as we were finishing up a game, Kate arrived!

We let Kate take a few turns and chatted a little with her. We gave Oberon and Titania a bit of attention too. It would have been nice to stay up a little later to give Kate a proper welcome, but it was nearing midnight and we’d had a busy day, so we let her put herself to sleep on the couch.

Monday, April 7

I woke up with half a smile and half a frown. On one hand, I was happy to finally be heading to my own home after such a long time away. I was missing the dogs, and anxious to get things back to normal. On the other hand, it seemed as though we were JUST getting comfortable with everything, and it was time to pack up and go.

Fortunately, we had the chance to have a nice breakfast together before heading South. It took me longer than I thought it would to gather everything up… especially all the toys. It didn’t help that I was kind of dragging my feet a little either.

We made tentative plans to meet Kate & Rich at the Zoo in DC sometime soon. Evelyn and Carol happened to be driving by just as we were loading the van, so they stopped by to give us some extra hugs for the road.

Jo was the last to wave us off as we pulled out of the driveway. She’s the newest addition to the family, and I am so glad. She’s definitely a keeper.

The departure was especially hard on me, and I moped pretty much all the way home. Fortunately, Russ was very understanding and did his best to listen to my woes. We both knew that once I got back into work and our normal routines things would brighten up.

We got home about 5:30pm. The drive took us about 7.5 hours. A little longer than normal. It was great to see the dogs. Our petsitter had even left his dog there too, just to play, so when he swung by after work to pick her up, we got to thank him in person.

Tuesday, April 8

I was still mopey Tuesday morning. I didn’t plan to go to work until later because I had a doctor’s appointment about my shoulder anyway. I decided not to go into work at all. The boys went to daycare, and Russ went into work, so I used the time to unpack, pay some bills, get laundry going and get some groceries.

Wednesday, April 9

I went back to work today, but Russ took a turn staying home. I always say that you should just plan an extra day to recoup after a long getaway.

2:26 pm est

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