The kids are back from their visit and we are settling down.  As usual we are navigating strong feelings, lots of questions, some concerns, and re-settling back into a regular routine.  I'm a strong advocate in making sure there is status quo in our household so returning home is not met with lax rules and celebrations, I find the best way to get everyone off their shaky ground is to keep things the same.  School continues, no days off just because I missed you, chores start right back up, schoolwork that was neglected is made a priority again, and I give them space to be in their rooms and with their things which at their age is very comforting.

I love my burst of new found energy after my small break.  That combined with more sun and less snow (still some, it's snowing right now), means that we go out and do more, expel more energy, be more active.  It means that like tonight their heads hit the pillow and they are asleep before the last page of the book is read.  

An exciting venture for me is that I've recently found a pen pal in Croatia and we have agreed to do handwritten letters to bring back the art of it.  The concept makes me very excited especially knowing my nanny had a pen pal in England during the war for almost 50 years and they both ended up visiting each others countries when they were older. I like the idea of connecting with someone so far away and making the world feel smaller and more personable.  It's a good reason to force myself to sit and write quietly at night and reflect.