Adjustments

I wish I could say that everything was great the minute Scott got home.  But, it wasn't.  There is always an adjustment period that goes on after he has been gone so much.  I'm used to doing it all myself.  All of it.  It wears me out, and I tell myself I just have to manage till he comes home, and then I can rest.  Meanwhile, Scott has been away from home working, and all he wants to do is get home so he can relax and hang with the kids.  Which leaves me still doing all of the work.

Tuesday morning, the kids were so excited to see all the presents Scott had brought them (free mine paraphernalia).  As Scott lounged on the couch with Kate (who was still not feeling well), I went to work unpacking his suitcases, doing laundry, and doing all the house cleaning that I hadn't been able to do the day before because I'd had a sick baby that needed held.  And I can't say that I went about doing all that very cheerfully.  I was still doing all the work, except now I had all of his stuff to clean up too.

And then the afternoon came, and the kids wanted to go ice skating.  Kate and Owen couldn't go because they are too little, so someone had to stay home with them, and the other one of us needed to be the fun parent who took the kids ice skating.  And of course the fun parent had to be Scott.  The kids had spent the last month and a half with me, they needed time with their dad.  So, he took the older 5 kids for a fun time ice skating.  And even though I understood and agreed, it didn't make it easy getting left behind. 

Sara had gone ice skating the week before for Activity Days, so she had a bit more experience than the other kids. 

Josh may have spent about 90% of the time on his bum instead of on his feet.  

Aaron may have spent a majority of his time chatting with the passersby. He loves talking to anyone who will listen.

The kids had so much fun ice skating, and I really was glad Scott had been able to spend quality time with them.  

Scott and I didn't talk much for the first few days he was home.  There was such a distance between us.  We had lived separate lives for the past month and a half, and it's really hard to just start again like that hasn't happened.  I can't begin to express the toll having him gone had taken on our family, me more than anyone. I always expect him coming home to be all that it takes to heal all of us, but it takes much more work and love to bridge the gap that develops while he is gone. 

It was Tuesday, Thanksgiving was two days away.  We had originally planned to go to Aberdeen for Thanksgiving.  It had been more years than I can remember since we spent Thanksgiving with my family.  But as the time grew closer, I dreaded the trip more and more.  I didn't want to travel, I didn't want to exhaust myself packing and traveling with 7 kids, I didn't want to spend my time entertaining extended family, when my immediate family was in need. 

We made the decision to stay home for Thanksgiving, and my mom was very understanding about us not coming.  We debated on if we should invite Scott's parents over for Thanksgiving dinner, but in the end, we decided we needed it to just be us.  We needed time as a family to work on being whole again.  And in the end, it proved to be just what we needed.  I'll save all the details of the day for another post, but let me just say that it was a happy, relaxing, and truly enjoyable day, with the 9 of us back together as a complete family.