While they were gone

Upon my return home from Pennsylvania, I was facing one full week without the gals. I was looking forward to the long days ahead of me. I had a plan: balance. I was not indulging in drunken baffoonery with my neighbors like I did two years ago, which led to a few weeks of sloth-like behavior; nor was I going to be uptight and ultra organized (neurotic marathon training, anyone?) like I was last summer, which led to a bad case of pneumonia and a year of immunity issues.

I had a little bit of everything planned for the week, my goal was not to become too overwhelmed or too much of a slacker. I think I'm starting to dig this "balance" thing.

Dave and I got to go out to late dinners downtown at funky restaurants that didn't have a kids' menu. We were invited to have an awesome dinner with our dear friends Tammy and Ian. We also met downtown for lunch dates. We went for long runs and took the dog for walks at night. I got to sleep in (a little) and keep a reasonable schedule for running in the mornings.

Although we went out often, we also got many things done at the homestead. We gave our main living space a major facelift, bought a new bed and a new sofa. In hindsight, I'm so glad we got the furniture shopping out of the way, the would've been a nightmare with the girls!

As the summer is starting to slip away, I took the opportunity with all the quiet in the house to work on a schedule for when school starts. I'm hoping to easily get into our fall rhythm this year, since last fall was a blur of doctor visits. I had to think like a rocket scientist and organize a schedule for dance and piano  lessons that would not burn out the girls. I also took advantage of the peak summer fruits and did some canning--and since I was behind the counter, I made freezer meals for our hectic evenings that are sure to come those first few weeks of school.

Although "moderation" is still not a word that is constantly in my vocabulary, I am becoming more comfortable with it. I hope to have a great year ahead when all three of us return to the classroom in a few weeks. In the meantime, I'll enjoy the rest of the summer with the girls :)