Getting back to normal

My parents are leaving this morning which means that our lives and routines will be starting to get back to normal. Usually, that comes with a sense of relief which it kind of does this time. But it was fun to meet family every day and do something fun. So this time, there's definitely a sense of let down as well.

For one thing, I thought, what are we going to do with our time now? Our place is strewn with paper airplanes that Tobey and Kelsey made, old art that Kelsey drew for us, plastic Easter egg halves that remind us of the two hunts we did. All reminders of the fun we've had.

This morning, I realized that I completely forgot about the Y. I haven't gone for two weeks and once an assumed part of our schedule, I realize that I'll have to use some serious activation energy to get us out in the morning to go again. But after all the eating we did, I HAVE TO go again.

I also face cooking with a little bit of dread. True, I cooked when Tom's parents were here but as of last Tuesday, I've hardly had to lift a spatula besides the kids' breakfast. Even when we have a dinner of leftovers at home, my mom has been in charge of that so I've even hardly had to operate the microwave. Yesterday going through Trader Joe's to get some milk already signaled to me that providing my family with food was now again on my list of responsibilities.

Even sending Tobey back to school tomorrow after a week off seems foreign. I saw his preschool apron buried under a pile of jackets that we rotated through when going out. "Oh yeah...school", was the first thing I thought when I saw it.

Maybe there's a little less sense of relief getting back to normal this time because our sleeping arrangements this time have actually worked out. After the first couple of nights, Eli's been sleeping well in Tobey's room for both naps and night. And Tobey likes camping on our floor in his new sleeping bag and Thomas tent. We're not red eyed like we were last March when Eli slept worse and worse the longer Tom's parents visited. So we're actually rested and didn't mind the bedtime musical beds, if you will. I'm actually wondering if we're facing a couple rough nights ahead as Eli gets back to his big room and Tobey once again sleeps alone in his own room.

I know we can't live like we're on vacation always. But it is nice to look forward to my parents returning in a couple weeks and then Utah in May. I'll deal with vacation let down after that.