We have arrived

We survived the car ride and we are all still talking to each other. The highlight of the trip for me was when we figured out how to attach the portable DVD player to the car stereo and was able to hear the Simpson's Christmas specials on the car speakers. We couldn't see the show from our seats in the front but Mr. Husband and I have seen them so many times that just hearing them was enough for us. Yes, we are super dorks or überdorks if you prefer.

The kids have settled in pretty well. The twins are sharing a crib again and we hadn't planned it that way but they seem happy about the situation. They actually told us that they were ready to go for bed tonight.

#1 is in little boy heaven because Mom Mom's house has a big backyard and he got to go out there and dig in it. Two of his cousins also live in the next town over and they were here when we arrived. He got to play with them and he was so happy.

His cousins, Red and Little M, are not much older than him and #1 loves his brother and sister but Red and Little M play games that the twinnies just aren't interested in. You know, boy stuff. Like let's pretend to kill each other with swords. Fun games that his mommy doesn't let him play but he knows that we are on mycation and some rules are a little more relaxed on mycation.

I'm loving being at my Mom's house. I was really out of it today and absolutely needed a nap so I missed most of the shopping action today. I did go into the backyard with the kids and while I was out there I started a fire.

Mr. Husband and I would occasionally camp when we were first together. We haven't camped since #1 was less than a year old. I love campfires and it's one of the things that I have missed about camping. I haven't really missed the bathroom situation or the mosquitoes that I'm allergic to but the campfires are missed.

I was very impressed that I started the fire on the first try. Mr. Husband is in charge of the fire making so the fact that I could really get a fire going on the first try was really impressing to me.

So I was playing with fire and #1 was digging in the ground and the twinnies were running around and collecting rocks. It was a wonderful time.

I love living close to cities. I really do but I miss certain parts of living in the middle of nowhere. I miss the fact that you can have a yard large enough that the kids can just run and be crazy. I miss the fact that you can burn a fire in your backyard without disturbing the neighbors or getting a special permit. I miss the Earth and the ways that I interact with it. I don't do that in the city.

I still dream of living in the mountains of Oregon. Of dancing, barefoot and in my tye-dye skirt. Playing in our sunflower fields. My hair would be flowing long with a few random braids in it. The kids would be running around and we would probably be singing a song about the wonders of nature. I would be pregnant with our third set of twins but I would still have enough energy to homeschool all 9 children. I'd probably be a local midwife but since their isn't that many people in town, my services wouldn't be needed very often.

That of course is a dream that is not shared with Mr. Husband. That kind of life really isn't for him. I didn't quite understand that when we were first dating and he had long hair and more tye-dye shirts than I had but I have learned this fact since then.

Don't get me wrong. I like living in a city. Say Old City or London. I love both of them almost equally and would move back to either in a heartbeat but I still have the dream of the middle of no where. I just know that it's not going to be happening in this lifetime. But the fire was nice and I'm stinking from the fire and I love it.

I'm finally starting to relax after all of the stress of work and travel. I'm not used to just sitting back and relaxing. Even on the weekend at home, I have a schedule or at the very least a need-to-finish-or-I-will-die list. It's hard for me to get out of that mindset. I have to fight to make sure that I don't go too far to the other extreme and just sleep the whole time.

I've been thinking about how I live my life at home. I want to spend more time relaxing. I want to get on a cleaning schedule that will allow me more time to have a regular relax time. I want to define what I want to do during that relax time. I like to do puzzles, to write, to read and other things like knitting. I want to also be more active. #1 and I are both getting tennis rackets for Christmas and I'm hoping that we have fun with it. I want to practice the keyboard and learn how to use my left hand with it. Nothing really fancy but maybe reach kindergarten teacher proficiency.

I'm hesitant to actually write these things down as a new year's resolution because resolutions never last and I really want to make these things last. I want to have a plan for change that just happens to coincide with the changing of the year. It just happens that I have vacation now and I have more time to think about non-emergency things.

Well we will see what life will bring. I don't want to stress about the fact that I want to stress less.

Tomorrow we get to go to Red's elementary school and hear him in a readers theater. I'm excited because I never get to go do stuff like this for him because we live so far away. #1 is going as well. The twinnies are going to hang with Mr. Husband because I can't really watch them and my nephew at the same time. It just doesn't work.

Time for more reflection and maybe another one of those red slushy drinks that Mr. Husband makes so well.