Back Home from Vacation

 Plan A was to type an entry earlier this morning.   During last week, there were always time crunches: our son’s competition time(s) and dance workshop times.  There was time with the family, time with the dance team, and then at nights, time with my college kids.   As if the days weren’t long enough, the shift to Eastern Standard Time nearly killed me!   At any rate, there’s no place like home, even if it meant washing our whole wardrobe.   I was so proud of myself—I actually unpacked in 24 hours!   I am normally one who has remnants in a suitcase for weeks.   I guess everyone has those tasks that get away from them because they absolutely loathe doing them; did I mention that I’ve now delegated dusting to the kids?

Anyway, Plan A got diverted.   After a week of free hotel breakfasts (I don’t think I want to see a bagel again for a number of months), I made our old standby: cornmeal pancakes.   Then I started a bit of light cleaning before settling down to the computer.  Light cleaning became washing, drying, and folding all the clothes.   In putting the 4-year-old’s clothes away, I began to clean out drawers (she got a boatload of new things from the outlet we did damage to while on vacation); out with the old, aka too small/worn out, in with the new, right?   Her room looks like a tornado touched down on it, so she and I began to clean.    From there, we did a mini-tour of the house to pick up the rest of her toys.   That conversation went something like this:

Mom:               “This [doll/toy] looks lonely.   Let’s put him/it with his other friends.”

 4-year-old:      “He doesn’t have friends.”   Translation: why can’t he stay where he is?

Mom:               “Then take him to your room.   He might like to meet your other friends.”

4-year-old:       “He won’t like them on any day.”

Kids are hilarious.   I remember a time when we paid the older two an allowance based upon competed chores.   At some point they decided that they had enough money and no longer needed to do chores.   Lesson learned.

Meanwhile back at the ranch, plan B worked well, too.  After all of the diversions (I didn’t mention curling my hair after a trip by the mirror and a check-in with my college kids), I wanted to be sure to check in with my blogging friends.   You guys have been so nice and helpful with your posts.  Bobbie’s thoughts about the dance being God’s larger plan for reconciliation?  Priceless, and I wanted to tell her so.   BChsMamaof3 had a fantastic recipe for a “blue sky” parfait.   Tirzah’s partying hard, and Sahmto4ormore and ThreeLittleLadies had great vacations, too.   Happy Anniversary to Sandbetweenmytoes!

Last week, I found myself managing my college requirements until 1 and 2 in the morning, which added to the stress of morning hustles to be places on time.   This promises to be a lighter week for me.   With that in mind, it would be a perfect week to update both our website and the blog, making them more informative and user-friendly.   I’ve neglected my writing for far too long now, and it’d be great to make headway on a project that’s been on deck for months.   Interestingly enough, the kids and I were reading Man of the Family by Ralph Moody.   In today’s story, the oldest daughter, saying that God had spoken to her, told the mother to give up a job that made her family a secure income (but wore her out) and trust God for an income that hadn’t completely manifested itself in the natural yet (Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen).   The mother trusted God and was obedient to the call.   Having now fought my 3^rd battle on a job that’s wearing me out, I can’t help but wonder…