Back to Life, Back to Reality

I'd planned to take a day to recover when we got home.  Ben understandably wanted to get right back to work, but I had no problem with keeping the kids home from school for a day to let them ease back into normal life.  What I forgot was that my kids don't really sleep in, and Cat really hates missing school.  She insisted on going to school that Monday, and the other kids were up early enough that I could have gotten them to school without too much difficulty, but I still kept them home.  Really, it was nice to just have a day to do laundry, put things away, read, practice piano, do some schoolwork they'd missed, and watch a little TV.  And of course run Cat to an indoor soccer practice in another city.

The next day everyone resumed their regular activities, with Ben even helping Jack get more work done in the morning before rushing off to school.  Cat was job-shadowing at Jack and Eliza's school that day, so I was able to take the three of them to school at the same time.  Luke said he didn't want to go to school but didn't protest when we were walking into the building; then when I arrived to pick him up he was so upset with me for wanting to take him home that he was crying and running away from me.  I couldn't help but wonder why other kids rush to their parents and give them hugs when they come to get them, and Luke was doing the opposite.  But I digress.

Eliza was distraught after school because she'd "forgotten the rules," but didn't seem to have any more trouble after that first day back.  Everything else went pretty smoothly and the kids even had surprisingly good piano lessons for only having practiced a bit during the trip, and one day at home.

And just like that - as much as I might have preferred to still be on vacation - we were all back to normal.