Home...

We are home. I am exhausted. It was a fabulous and fast almost three weeks in the States. We celebrated a family Thanksgiving for the first time that I can remember in many, many years. When was the last "family" Thanksgiving? The 1990's maybe? And, even then, the whole family was not there - just part of the family. Eighteen of us under one roof - for a week - this year at the Outer Banks in North Carolina. It really was wonderful and memorable. This is the first time since we moved to the Sandbox that we've been back to the States for a "Holiday" during November and December. Staying through Christmas would have been nice... Maybe next year? That is just too far off to plan, right now. And I am numbed from the traveling, and the unpacking that awaits me.

My Kids were thrilled to see us return and as always, I was happy, happy, happy to return home to them as well. Our sitter does a great job with them - they are pretty high-maintenance Kids [which IS my doing]. When we got home last night it was play time and treat time! New toys!!! New treats!!! Almost worth having "Mom" leave since she returns each time with a suitcase full of new toys and treats... I left a drawer full of clothes and other things at a friends house because there just wasn't room in the luggage for everything - but my priorities are in the right order - the toys and treats are more important than clothes and books. I'll ship those next summer when we do our yearly shipment.

I'm sure I've missed quite a lot in the blogosphere. When I'm home with family and friends the time passes quickly and I can happily limit computer time to just brief checks. I've missed a lot, I'm sure. I didn't read the newspapers, much, for the most part I missed the news on television, and I missed a lot of friends - here - in "computer world." I hope you all enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving. Back to the real world, now, and home! It is wonderful to spend time with family and friends, but it IS good to be home, too - home to our Kids, home to our own bed...

We had new neighbors move in next to us while we were gone. They have wind chimes that are some of the loudest I have ever heard. They also have a little dog. I was out with my two Kids yesterday and heard their dog. That will prove interesting - my Kids bark - their dog makes noise - their dog makes noise and my Kids respond. The new neighbors must also have kids of the two-legged kind - or they would not have been moved into a four bedroom house. We will look forward to meeting them at some point when we are back on "real" time and a regular schedule. It is more difficult to travel this direction and get back on time, here, than traveling to the States. I can count on the next week of sleeping at the "wrong" time and waking in the middle of the night. Since I'll be up at weird hours - I'll have plenty of time to blog!