Home Sweet Home

Yesterday morning we left Janet's house at 9:00 and started our drive back home. We made one detour to visit the Long Island Children's Museum. We first attempted to visit the Cradle of Aviation, but they said they didn't have a reciprocal agreement with ASTC (even though the ASTC website said they did). That was the first time this happened to us, but it wasn't a big deal because the Long Island Children's Museum was just a few doors down. We spent 2.5 hours at that museum and then continued our drive home. Including the detour for the museum and some traffic in the Bronx, it took us a little less than five hours from her door to our door. One the way out the kids used the dvd player a little bit, but it wasn't working on our way home, which meant the drive didn't go *quite* as smoothly, but thanks to eating lunch in the van, some snacks, listening to the book Pax on cd, and each child having a 30 minute iPad turn, we survived the five hours in the van without a dvd player.

I had considered visiting the Long Island Science Center first, which was less than 2 miles from Aunt Janet's house, but it didn't open until 11:00 and that would have meant we would have gotten home a few hours later than we did. Hopefully the next time we visit her we'll go to that museum because it's another one we can get into for free. I am glad we got home at 4:30 because it gave me time to go to the grocery store, make pancakes for dinner, mow the lawn, go through the mail, put away the sink of dirty dishes that greeted me on my arrival home, unpack our suitcase (I had done a load of laundry at Janet's house on Friday so we were putting away our clean clothes), vacuum the carpet, and give the boys haircuts last night. This afternoon I continued the domestic duties by mopping the kitchen floor, baking a batch of cookies, and cooking dinner for the first time in more than a week while Paul and the kids were swimming. We are back to reality! We had a wonderful vacation. It was the longest I've spent with my Aunt - ever. We greatly appreciate her gracious and generous hospitality. The whole vacation cost me less than $20 even including gas and tolls. I'm very, very thankful!

Right now the kids are at VBS. Three other families in our neighborhood took four kids total to the same VBS - all of those kids are between the ages of 4-7. Oliver and Westyn are in the same group, which thrilled Oliver. He was well behaved in the worship service this morning, but then he fought me with going to Sunday School, but thankfully Mr. Draper helped him stay in the room. On the other hand Oliver was very excited about going to VBS. I just never know what his attitude will be toward separating from me. My plan for this evening is to work on a photobook because there is a code expiring today on Shutterfly that is for 111 pages free in a photobook. Wow! I've never had a photo book with even 30 pages much lass 111 pages! Usually just the first 20 are "free." Then if I have time I want to do some more studying for the Praxis test I plan to take on Friday. Tomorrow morning I have to report to jury duty. I'm praying I'm not picked to serve on a jury. Paul is dropping the kids off at his parents' house tomorrow morning. They are going to take the kids to Bloomsburg. Ian and Nadia have a Maker Camp from 10-1 at the Children's Museum this week (M-F) and Nadia has an acting class also in Bloomsburg from 2-5 this week.