After a refreshing (and long) trip back to the old Mitten, I am glad to say I am home again. Michigan is my childhood home and a place I yearn for at different times of the year (autumn!), and yet.... home is where you make it. And my home now is with Fraser in Portland.
It's great to be back in my own kitchen, small as it is, knowing where everything goes, knowing what I own. Last night I volunteered to cook the chicken piccata and fresh green beans partly because Jacob kept asking, "Daddy, can you play with me" but just as much for my pleasure. Seriously! And tonight I did the chicken with lentils and leeks (so that's something I can do with lentils...).
Of course this is the high of just being back home. All the pleases and thank yous and "I'll do that for you"s between Fraser and me, the to-do's that pull at my brain after being here too long have not come back yet, and I can appreciate cooking for my family again. Eventually, it will all become regular again. But for now, these are reasons for taking vacations also. To remind oneself of what we have, of what we like and don't like in our daily lives, of what we miss and what we get used to, what we enjoy.
I love this feeling of appreciation. Of really loving being back in the middle of cooking and the boys playing around me, making marble tracks or hanging a new hummingbird feeder or dancing to kids' music turned up loud. It's great to be back.
And just a few hilarious things Jacob said tonight:
"I would like to have a sister, please."
"I need some liquid." (this was him asking for a drink)
"Mommy, say 'you're very thorough'." (after he cleaned up all his marbles)
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