Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Home Sweet Home

It was a wonderful trip.  The kind of vacation that leaves you with a total of 8 hours of sleep for three nights kind of wonderful.  The kind of trip that isn't overshadowed by the cancelled flights, delayed planes, and nasty flight attendants.  The kind of trip where hanging out with your best friend in the hotel room laughing until your face hurts is just as much fun as going dancing and to karaoke and shopping at a mall for the first time since you can remember.  The kind of trip where you talk and laugh and shout over loud music so much that you loose your voice.  The kind of trip that makes you cry as you board your plane because you realize just how much you are going to miss your best friend.

And yet the best part of the trip turns out to be the realization of how much you truly love your life.  I guess that is why going away once in a while is so important.  If you never go away you may never realize how good it feels to come home.  Being able to come back to my family makes me look back on my younger, wilder days fondly, and not wistfully.  This is a good life.  And I wouldn't trade it for anything.

I walk in the door and see Grace sitting on the toilet.  "MOMMA!!!!!!!" she squeals at me.  She nearly falls off the toilet as she reaches out for me.  All three of the boys hear Grace and come running into the bathroom.  There the five off us stand, hugging and kissing and jumping up and down, Grace bouncing on the toilet.  Todd comes downstairs from vacuuming and wraps me up in his arms.  The first thing out of his mouth is, "I do not want your job."  I laugh because I feel so lucky to have my job back again.   Home, sweet home.

As soon as my bags are brought into the house presents are handed out to the kids and they go about playing with the little airplanes for the remainder of the night.  It is manic.  They are running and screaming and laughing and chasing.  I can tell Todd has had enough of that over the weekend but the noise is music to my ears.  Sounds of home.  Ever so often one of the kids runs up to me and tells me again how much they missed me and how glad they are that I'm home.   Home, sweet home.

Now here I sit in my bathroom watching Grace splash in the oversized tub.  She sings along with the radio and tells me silly stories.  I keep my eye on the clock to make sure I give myself plenty of time to pick Ben up from school in this crazy snowstorm we're having, and make plans for hot chocolate and a nice fire if swim classes are cancelled tonight.   It is my mission to make home as sweet for them as they make it for me.

Home, sweet home.






14 comments:

Mom24 said...

So glad you had fun, glad too it felt good to come home. xoxo

painted maypole said...

sounds fantastic. all of it.

Ashley Pichea [PicheaPlace.com] said...

love reading your thoughts! visiting from "just write"

Tonya said...

I'm so glad that you had a wonderful trip! There is nothing like home is there!

Hattie said...

I love the feeling of coming home after a trip! Makes you appreciate the little things!!!

Unknown said...

SO glad to hear that you had such a great time with your BFF! But coming home is always wonderful too. Definitely.

Tabor said...

You are one special momma.

Anonymous said...

Nothing like kids welcoming you home to make you feel LOVED. Glad you had a nice time, though!

historygirl said...

The excitement when Mumma comes home is always perfect. I love it every time...even if I just ran to the grocery store. Glad you had a great time!

maggie said...

Coming home really is the best, isn't it? Also, I've been out of the loop for quite awhile, and oh my gosh, your kids are all so BIG!!!

Karen Deborah said...

how grand and I'm so proud of you!

lime said...

so glad you had such a wonderful and unmarred by difficulty vacation. so glad the homecoming was so joyous as well. prefect balance.

Krystyn @ Really, Are You Serious? said...

Glad you had such a great time..and had such a warm welcome.

I don't think people fully understand how much moms need to have a little time off to really appreciate their life, but they do!

Rima said...

Yes, little trips like that are good for the soul. And good for your family, too, since leaving for a bit makes you an even better Mama when you return. Plus, I always swear my family looks 100% cuter after a few days away.

Words To Live By

Be grateful for each new day.
A new day that you have never lived before.
Twenty-four new, fresh, unexplored hours to use usefully and profitably.
We can squander, neglect, or use them.
Life will be richer or poorer by the way we use today.
Finish every day and be done with it.
You have done what you could;
some blunders and absurdities crept in;
forget them as soon as you can.
Tomorrow is a new day.
You shall begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be
encumbered with your old nonsense.

-Ralph Waldo Emerson