be it ever so humble

Gabriel, Beatrice, and I drove home to Annapolis from Lancaster this afternoon. We had a very satisfying 24 hour visit that included savoring gooey chocolate-studded bread from the market, some long overdue Olympics-viewing, and sledding on the fantastic hill at Buchanan Park (Beatrice went down with me and was positively stunned by the experience). Frances has this week off of school so we visited for a bit before dropping her with my strong, generous, extraordinary mother, who is not only hosting her for a few days, but also spent those 24 hours taking care of all of us. It feels so good to have her make me dinner and pour me another glass of wine.

It was all very homey and very excellent. And yet. Home is the place where your children go to sleep: at a reasonable hour, with minimal fuss, for the majority of the night, most of the time. Which means Annapolis wins the home contest hands-down, and I was relieved to walk in the door late this afternoon with my tired kiddos. We all flopped onto the couch, and fatigue moved through me in a mighty rolling wave.

Life with two kids is easier than life with three; the break from what has lately been relentless sibling rivalry is dreamy. Beatrice, despite sleep deprivation, was positively thrilled to see her papa and be at home, and her sweet grins made everyone else happy too. Gabriel returned to the culinary roots of his toddlerhood and early preschool days and volunteered to help me make dinner, taking on the salad with admirable focus and care. Beatrice cooked up her own mess on the floor at our feet.

There was dinner, there were baths, there were stories. There was a breakthrough moment that involved the Nose Frida being utilized in an unintended way. Mike went to seminar, Beatrice and Gabriel went to bed, and as I cleaned up the kitchen I realized that I curl up and relax into routines nearly as readily as the children do. Or maybe I'm just content because they're content. In any case, being at home with its rhythms and routines feels great. Gabriel and Beatrice are happy; happy and sleeping. 

I wonder if Frances is...?