This morning

This is a bit of an unusual morning for me. I'm sitting in the living room at my desk, in front of my laptop. I have a plate of pancakes with chocolate chips and maple syrup and a big glass of milk beside me. Colin and Caleb are at the kitchen table playing with Lego (they've been at it over two hours already) and Benjamin is actually down for a little catnap. Me, I'm just catching up on some blog reading.

This is all unusual because I wouldn't normally take time out like this in the middle of the morning. I usually wait until the boys are all taking their afternoon nap. But this morning I'm exhausted and giving myself a little break.

My sister Jennifer and I took the boys up to my Nana's in Bobcaygeon Sunday afternoon, returning late last night. We had a blast up there, as we always do. The boys think Nana and Papa are fantastic and so much fun. Well, they are! The boys ate two pieces of chocolate cake each night after dinner, went for walks, watched cartoons on a TV bigger than they are, ate cereal in bed, and played the entire time with the only toys there - two small shoeboxes of little figures and cars that Nana has had since I was a kid. It was truly eye-opening how much fun they had with that handful of toys. Not once did they complain about boredom. I have a new set of eyes with which to comb over our playroom and get rid of more of the clutter in there.

Benjamin took to Papa immediately. Benjamin didn't sleep well, which made him more tired and cranky and clingy than usual. He would scream and cry the house down if I had to go to the bathroom, but he would go to Papa in a heartbeat. I think it melted Papa's heart a little; who wouldn't be softened by a little toddler who will cuddle up into your lap and watch TV or giggle and laugh when you come around the corner?

So today is a bit of a detox day, a day to throw in a couple loads of laundry and laze around. James cleaned the house top to bottom while I was away. He even rented a carpet cleaning machine and deep cleaned all the carpets. The house was clean and fresh when I came home late last night, which was such a blessing. When I dropped Jennifer off at her house, we ran in for a bathroom break and discovered her husband had done the same thing (no, they didn't coordinate - our husbands are just like that!) Although I was too exhausted to properly express my appreciation last night, I gushed about it all morning. He could have spent his two kid-free wife-free days in any way he pleased, especially in light of the end of the media-fast on Sunday. But the house looks amazing and I couldn't be more grateful.

Well, there's Benjamin, which means signing off here for now. I feel a little disoriented, so I'll try and use this afternoon to wrap my head around the rest of the week, and jot down a couple goals for the next four days (last week's goals didn't go well at all!) and hopefully do a little advance meal planning. Back in the swing of things!