I’m in the corner chair, under the full spectrum light, while M cleans the kitchen, N plays on the computer, T watches Zach and Cody, and S hangs out at a friend’s house. We’re in the last hours before M and the boys return to school and I return to the office. Tomorrow I need to re-establish the routine. I’ll get up at four, down my coffee, and work out to Robin Meade’s show on CNN. Yay pre-dawn.

Yesterday M and the boys returned from Florida. I cleaned through the morning, cranking Stars of the Lid, and stopped at the Grafton library (T wanted a couple Ranger’s Apprentice books and I didn’t want to wait until inter-library loan delivered them to Port) and the office (watered the plants) before hitting the airport. The flight landed early, so I didn’t have much to delve deeper into Architecture of Happiness. The boys asked of Shadow’s health immediately, so I ushered them into the van and told them the news as gently as I could. T and S cried. N cried a little, asking me to “stop talking”. T and S talked through their emotions quite well. Both said they would miss Shadow more than the cats, and T asked when we could get a new dog. I’m thinking late summer would be good for a new dog, as M and the boys will hit Chautauqua in July and I may want to get out of town this summer as well.

The boys dissipated through the house upon their return. The day they arrive home always hold the promise and challenges of transition. I’m accustomed to quiet and the boys are exhausted from travel. I hung out for a while then read upstairs. The stress of the lack week flowed through me and I fell asleep early in the guest bedroom.

This morning the boys woke early, before six, and since I fell asleep so early last night, leaving M with the kids, I got up and let her sleep. I had promised T, before he left, that I’d get him set on an online D and D site, so I got that started before working out to the Chicago episode of “Cities of the Underworld”. Later M and I watched another episode of Gossip Girls (the one with the pool hall and Blair’s sleepover, probably my favorite episode yet). I felt like I was leaning on the boys too much (S knocked down the new blinds while wrestling on the couch), so I wasn’t too upset when S left for his friend’s and M took T and N to Costco. I cleaned a little, lifted weights, and watched some football.

Ok, I’m ready to start settling in for the night. I’m looking forward to the office quiet. Good night.