Recovering and regrouping....

It can be difficult to transition back to the weekday rhythm after the weekend, but it is much harder to get back in the groove after a long holiday weekend!

First off, I am an introvert. Being with a group of people can be very draining. I've come to enjoy it is small doses, but I definitely need down time afterwards. Sunday we had my ILs over, and yesterday we had a big BBQ at my family's house, so today I really want to retreat. That's tough when you have children, and especially when one child's reaction to all of the expansion is to want to velcro himself to my side for the day.

We didn't start off well this morning, but eventually we found our way back to the rhythm. After trying to figure out how to balance my needs with my son's needs, it turned out that the simple acts of coming together to make the bed and sort the laundry brought him back to center. We did those things, he had a snack, and then the boys played while I took a bath (something that is not supposed to be part of the morning routine, but we got home late last night). Then they had another snack while I hung the first load of laundry, and we read our story. They've been playing since then, knowing that it will soon be lunch time. They are firmly back in their daily rhythm.

I'm still behind. The school room needs to be neatened, and I have a lot of planning to do. But I trust that it will get done. I know that I am working on it even when I am just letting ideas "sleep".

This will be a busy week. We leave early Friday afternoon to drive up north and visit my grandparents. It is so important to me, and I wish we could go more often. Not only do I need to see them in these final years, but having great-grandparents is a gift for my children, even if they may not realize it until they are much older.

However, any trip takes planning and work. There will be food to purchase, prepare, and pack into a cooler. Laundry will have to be done a day early so we can pack the night before. The car has to be serviced, the boys need haircuts, and it would be great if we could get the dog groomed before she goes to be boarded. I'll also need to get a handle on what we'll be learning next week, as once again I will have a weekend with no planning time.

The car appointment is scheduled - on our regular park day. I hate to miss park day; it is a time of nourishment for me. Papa suggested that we pack light and walk, but it would take 40 minutes each way, and packing light would result in hungry boys who are ready to leave almost as soon as we get there. So we face our first scheduling issue since going back down to one vehicle. I may try to arrange a play date here at home, but the question is always who do I ask? I'd love to have everyone, but I don't think I could get the backyard in shape for that - not this week.