…seems to get harder the older I get. Not only older, maybe, but I now have three (holy shit) hangers on that I didn’t have last time I crossed The Pond. Marc was kind enough to let me have Tuesday and yesterday to sort of sleep it off, but today Monkey-1 headed back to school, Monkeys-2 & -3 back to the crèche and Papa Monkey is off to whatever meeting he has scheduled for today, so I had no choice other than to try to swing back into ON mode. And I took NyQuil last night, so my ass is draggin’—and no that’s not another fat joke (although it could be).

I’ve been gone just shy of two weeks, not really a long time, right? Monkey-3 is completely changed. I hardly recognized her, and she scared the crap out of me Tuesday evening as she practically leapt backwards from my arms. She’s never done that before. Two weeks in the life of a five month old, though, means I’ve missed a lot. Time stands still for no mom.

Monkey-2 hasn’t slowed down in her development either. Little Miss Full Sentences And Don’t Even Think You Can Outsmart Me seems to forget she’s still months shy of her second birthday. She makes us forget, too, because not only does she not act her age, she doesn’t look it. We’re in for a world of shit later on—and no NyQuil induced night-coma will help me prepare for that. Craaaap!

You’re all probably curious as to the wonders Monkey-1 witnessed and participated in during his travels of the Great East Coast, and I shall get around to that. If I were to write a narrative of the entire trip it’d read like stereo instructions. It’s just not in me. So I’ll probably just put up snippets here and there—and hopefully you’ll all forgive me my prolonged absence.

Those of you in the know know this has been a mental health trip for me, and hopefully one for Marc as well (don’t go feeling sorry for the man—he took a short break in the Alps while we were gone). So far we both seem a bit more healed on the inside. I’ve been trying to get my shit back together, and things seem to be working. During my absence, Marc hired someone to help on the farm and that’s been a BIG RELIEF. He’s finally realized he cannot do it all, and MY GOD, I’ve actually seen more of my husband since I’ve been home than I have in the two months leading up to my escape!!

There’s still a big transition to go through. The household, which had been subject to My Way Of Doing Things has flipped over to Marc’s Way Of Doing Things and now that we’re all happily together again, and with time to spend together, we’re going to have to work out the Happy Way Of Doing Things TOGETHER. This is probably going to be a big challenge-because both Marc and I are right—all the time.

So it’s going to be interesting, or at least it promises to be. Or maybe Marc will make good on his promise and it will be dull as hell. Who knows.