Routine Seeking

I’m beginning to feel settled back into my At Home routine. Planning for a trip, being on a trip, and returning from a trip can turn two full weeks upside down, longer if the trip is an extended one. Having sick kids also seriously disrupts routines. Fortunately Patches recovered from his illness before I had to leave him. Kiki is still coughing lots, but she is otherwise alright. Unfortunately Link has come down with a fever. Since I got a call from my sister-in-law saying that one of her kids was diagnosed with a strep infection, I’m probably in for a doctor’s visit and another round of antibiotics. Whee. To add even more zest Gleek spent the morning playing with a little girl who began throwing up mere hours after the playdate was over.

Oh and speaking of Gleek, I’m not sure whether she is acting out after having been “abandoned” over the weekend, or if she has just passed one of those developmental curves which make behavior less predictable, but we’ve had several “incidents” in the last couple of days. I was getting ready to leave the house and discovered that Patches had been drawn on. The entire back of his neck was purple with bold purple marks across the back of his head and his shirt to match. I grabbed him and wiped as much off as I could, but decided that he could wear the shirt so that I wouldn’t have to rummage through laundry and luggage to find a clean one. I stepped downstairs to inform Kiki of my departure and then the howling began. Gleek had dumped an entire bottle of spray-on hair detangler over Patches head. He was slimy from head to foot. So instead of leaving the house I carried dripping, howling, Patches to the tub where I submitted him to the indignities of having his hair washed. Since he got to play in the water afterwards he became reconciled to the event. To give Gleek credit, she was appologizing profusely throughout the process. She honestly didn’t realize that the stuff would come out so quickly. She had no such excuse the next day when she filled an empty shampoo bottle with water and dumped it on the carpeted floor of Patches room.

I’ve been home for four days. I’ve still got suitcases to unpack. ( In theory I was going to make the kids unpack their own suitcases, but with assorted illnesses and personalities I may just give up and do it myself.) I’ve got a yard which needs mowing and rainy weather expected for the next week. I’ve got a garden that I really need to get planted and a bunch of preparatory work associated with that. Right now I just want some sunny days when I don’t have anywhere in particular to go. Days when I can really focus on my house and yard. Hopefully days when I’m not too tired to get stuff done. I’ve only got 4 weeks until school gets out. In two weeks I’ve got to make a trip to Pocatello for a family event. In five and a half weeks I’ve got to make a trip to California for a family reunion. Where is my comfortable rut? Can I have it back now?