There is no place like home, there is no place like home...

Okay so I did love our trip to NJ but I am so GLAD to be home. There I said it. 

By Saturday after battling 100 degree temps in Philly I really wanted to be able to eat dinner and go down to the pool.  Then Sunday I was dying to put the kids bed early...but we weren't home. And the baptism party was never ending (or so it seemed). So late bedtimes again.

But then Monday came and we began our trip further north. No more having to carry around the little dude because with lack of the dogs presence he would actually walk. It was a miracle. We took the kids to meet my high school friends.  We went to a local zoo/park where the hubby and I grew up.  We visited with the hubby's family. Then it happened. A migraine. Since we were away where I had no painkillers handy, I thought we would be making an ER trip. But luckily for me, I got the TLC of my aunt.  She has had migraines, so she knew just what would help.  She applied wet cloths to the back of my neck and one to my forehead. She gave me meds.  She let me lay in her sanctuary. And when that wasn't helping, she cleared out my cousins bedroom and put me to sleep.  I listened to waves crashing (the noise machine) and had the best sleep in a week. It was wonderful.

Tuesday we spent with my aunt and her girls.  There was lots of Wii playing and a big dance party. We had dinner plans with the rest of my high school girlfriends so we loaded up our cooler with cheese, packed the car, and waved goodbye.  We had dinner with two of my girlfriends. It was so nice to see them again.

Our original plans had us traveling back to my sisters for the night. But we were ready to come home. So we decided to try and drive straight through the night.  It didn't work out.  The kids were uncomfortable sleeping in their boosters. So we stopped at a hotel in Virginia around the halfway mark. I really wanted to be home. I really wanted to click my shoes together and be in my bed.  The kids weren't too bad on the drive but I was over it. That is when it dawned on me, there really is no place like home.

Vacation or Obligation?

Every year, I take the kids on a trip to NJ to visit with family.  Some years this trip has served as our vacation.  The last two years, we have made multiple trips up.  The hubby dreads these trips.  He thinks the kids are bad, he hates staying at a million different houses and mostly just doesn't want to be in NJ. Normally I let him off the hook for at least part of the trip.  This requires begging another family member to drive one part of the 12 hours with me.  I may be crazy but I am not crazy enough to make the drive all alone with kids. 

In April my sister, Cat, had her first baby.  While I have been longing to come for a visit we waited until the baptism to make our trip.  And here we are.  For a long while, I was planning this to be a vacation. By that I mean, I was going to make lots of plans to take the kids to different day trips and places. But the hubby told me going to Disney is cheaper than these NJ vacations we go on.  So...we are going to Disney later in the year. But that is a story for another blog.  Anyhow I was telling my girlfriend all about these trips. You know how each day is reserved for a family member or friend visit.  She told me that I was not going on a vacation, I was going on a trip of obligation.  It never occurred to me in that way before, but she was right. 

So here we are. In NJ. On our obligation trip. Yesterday we visited with my grandmother (GiGi).  What a great visit we had.  Of course, there was the part of the visit where she thought Angel was going to be "sexy" for Halloween. Her hearing isn't all that good and when Angel told her "Jessie" she heard "sexy".  It was funny to say the least. We have the baptism coming up.  And then a day to spend with my girlfriends from growing up (and their kids for those who have them), a dinner with hubby's side of the family, a sleepover with the "girls", and a dinner with the rest of the high school clan.

Even though this is a trip of obligation, it is one obligation I am so happy I have!

Piece of Work

So those of you who know me, know it was definitely the little dude who put me over the edge.  Before that I was a semi stressed mom of two.  After he got old enough to get into trouble, he outdoes himself daily.  So there has been mineral makeup in the carpet, a blue face full of eyeshadow, a broken shade that either he or SK did but today, today really took the cake.  Little dude took off his shirt and colored his belly with magic markers.  Which are only magic in the respect that they don't come off even though they were sold at the Disney store.  Seriously. It. Is. All. Over.  And what does the little guy tell me to make me feel better about todays chaos.  He says "J., you really are a piece of work".  He got that right!