I'm back

I had a fabulous holiday in California, and I didn't touch a computer while I was there. Okay, maybe once or twice to get directions to our hotel and rent a car, but no e-mail, no blogging, no on-line bill payments.

The problem with blogging is that everything is now a potential post, but I don't have the time to post even a tenth of what I think and so there's a constant frustration in my world. But it's really nice to have fans who miss me while I'm gone. Really nice.

The week before we left Tim worked a whopping 80 hours, and so I was a single mom for the week working to get a family of four ready for a 3-week trip, sorting out husband's travel papers, doing laundry, choosing toys, packing bags, organizing hotel rooms, etc. while still feeding, bathing, chauffering, and loving my little girls. By the time we got to CA we were in desperate need of some TLC, which Tim got and I sort of got. We had a nice first week relaxing by the pool, but Tim got a lot more sleep and alone-time than me since I was excited to be with my family and running on adrenaline, and I hadn't stayed up until 2-3 in the morning every night for the previous week. But it was payback time when we got home--I've stayed in bed until nearly noon and napped in the afternoon every day since we got back!

Some highlights (and low-lights) of the trip:

LOW: When arriving in Chicago after 10 hours of travel, Tim was held up in Customs for an hour and forty-five minutes. Since we had only 2 hours to get to our next flight, this was more than a little nerve-wracking for us. The mean Customs man cut the corner off Tim's Green Card, rendering it completely invalid, since he is not a physical resident of the US anymore, and he fined us $165 for travelling on an invalid Green Card, even though we had just paid $170 to get a Travel Letter from the US Embassy explaining that we were okay to travel on an expired Green Card. After many tears (on my part) and hoop-jumping (on Tim's) we raced through O'Hare airport to our next flight and made it just in time to stand in an enormous line of people waiting to board our plane, which was undergoing carpet replacement after a passenger on the previous flight had vomited all over the rear cabin. Thank God for air-sickness!

HIGH: Lounging by the pool with my husband and two girls every morning for nearly a week. Cerys loved jumping in, with and without waterwings, and she learned to swim, which was amazing. She's like a little fish!

HIGH: Getting to hang out with my sisters. We have so much fun together, and it was great to get some face time.

HIGH: Eating Gelato Paradiso. www.gelatoparadiso.net Yum. And Cheesecake Factory, and Claim Jumper, and Ruby's, and Baja Fresh, and I think I gained a few pounds when I was there!

HIGH: Seeing my extended family. My little cousins and aunts and uncles are so much fun, and I haven't gotten to spend any real time with them in a couple of years, so it was wonderful to be able to relax with them for a few days. And getting to see my grandma, whom Addien Lila is named after.

HIGH: Anna's wedding. She was a beautiful bride, and she married a wonderful man. The reception was a great party, and her in-laws are better than anyone could hope for. What a wonderful event. Oh, and Cerys was the cutest flower girl I have ever seen.

HIGH: Meeting my nephew, Charles. What a cutie.

HIGH: My kids were amazing on both flights. They are so incredibly well-behaved and so wonderfully sweet, I couldn't be prouder of them.

LOW: Coming home to a gloomy, rainy England sky. And crying on and off all the way home because I miss my family so much.

HIGH: Kids sleeping through the night and until at least 8 every morning since being home. Yes.

LOW: Being burgled while we were away. See next post for more details.

It's nice to be back, although I do really miss my family. But it's nice to see my friends, and sleep in my own bed, and watch my girls explore their home and reaquaint themselves with their toys. And it's nice to be back online.