Back to Normal. Sort of.

The oldest, she is gone back to her city of schooling and once again there is routine trying to work itself back into my days. Well, as much routine as summer months will allow. As as much as my missing her incredibly will allow. As much as my wanting her back here will allow.

I must say I am exhausted! LOL. Mental note for next year, she and I have to try much harder to work out our holidays so that I can have the time off for when she is here. Between trying to keep dayhome kids fairly quiet and yet amused for a bit longer in the mornings to cooking all her favorite meals to doing extra activities all bunched into a few days to staying up way too late each night trying to cram in every minute of visiting that we could, I am t-i-r-e-d!

Oh but we had some fun. We got her caught up on all the Amazing Race episodes that she has missed. I was reminded how much we enjoyed watching those together. She visited with all the grandparents and got some good time in with them. Friday night, because the boyfriend had come with her, I called a girls night out and took her and her sister to see "Julie and Julia", which was a delightful film, btw, all about food and blogging, no less. It did have the Hollywood requisite of one unforseen f-bomb and a crude joke, which by today's standards for anything coming out of Hollywood is fairly clean. Took me by surprise though as here in Canada it is rated PG. And I hear it is way tamed down in the language compared to the book and the blog from which the story is taken. Meryl Streep was amazing as Julia Child. The film was sweet, and amusing with many, many laugh out loud moments, shows marriage in a wonderful light (for once, thank you Hollywood) and is an inspiring story. My girls enjoyed it too, even though at first they were probably humoring me in going as my oldest is a bit more into the action kind of movies. The fellas went to GI Joe about which they had mixed reviews.

Saturday found us in the middle of the river. In tubes. Yes, me too. None of us had ever done this before and it was quite enjoyable. Lazily floating, being carried with the current, sun shining down on you and once we were past the busy park where we start the ride it was soooo peaceful. Sorry no pics. I didn't want to risk dropping the camera in the river. You'll just have to use your imagination from this pic I took of others enjoying the same activity. Just insert 5 yellow and orange tubes with me and my kids in them into the river on this picture:

The only part of the whole experience that was not quite so enjoyable was the part where I had to get out of the tube. And try to do it with some grace. That was an interesting, and according to my sweet children, laughable amusing moment.

Sunday after church and a lunch of requested bbq'd cheeseburgers, we took off for an afternoon at the lake. What is it about sitting on uncomfortable camp chairs with family, munching junk food, swatting at bugs, while the kids enjoy the lake, that is so darn worth the drive out to a little lake with a pretend beach. I'm not sure but whatever it is I can do it every week over the summer.

After all the fresh air, sunshine, activity and late nights, after she left I'm so glad I was blessed with a super slow day on Wednesday with the dayhome. I actually was able to putz around picking up and cleaning up. The 7 loads of laundry from the week not so much fun, but it is what it is. The family does appreciate clean clothes once in a while. Dinner was super simple. Spaghetti with meatballs. The meatballs I already had in the freezer from when I had smart moment a couple months ago and made a double batch so I could freeze some. I think I may be onto something and am going to start doubling up on some meals. That was just way too convenient and I could pat myself on the back because the meal didn't come out of a cardboard box or come by way of the front door with a stranger requesting much moola before he hands it over.

Today will be more of the same. Recuperating and getting back to normal. Whatever normal is around here. See you tomorrow for Friday's Fave Five.