Happy to be Home!

Well, home from our mini vacation and glad to be here.  Holidays are always wonderful, but I've come to realize after this little trip that they are wrought with irony.  For our three-day adventure I was so looking forward to a break in the routine - beach, sun, nice meals out...then the irony of it all.

The forecast for our few days away was hot, hot and more hot.  With no air conditioning at home I was looking forward to sleeping in a cool hotel with luxurious bedding.  The irony is that the air conditioning was so loud it kept us up most of the night and the bedding was luxurious, but it just wasn't MY bed.  Why is it that even in the most luxurious bed away from home all we can think of is sleeping in our own familiar beds?

The meals out were a nice treat too, but of course the irony of a nice meal out is the expense and for some reason eating out for a few days always makes me feel 10 lbs heavier.  (Okay perhaps I did put on a solid 5 lbs in 3 days, but it does feel more like 10!)  Yummy food, but hard on the pocketbook and the waistline.  The other irony of eating out is that as wonderful as it is to not prep food, clean dinner and to just be able to sit with your family, the kids are always batty.  I spent most of every meal trying to convince someone to sit, be quieter, eat or come out from under the table, but the food was good...10 lbs heavier good!

The beach was wonderful.  The kids had a great time and the weather was ideal, but the irony is all that sticky, scratchy sand.  It is such a pain to clean off and now it is all over the car and kitchen floor.  Fun that comes with a mess!

What about that beach prep?  I agonize over how to keep my hair looking half decent, does my swimsuit cover all the right bits, and are the bits that aren't covered too day-glow white or jiggly.  The irony is that when we get to the beach everyone is looking just about the same.  Then add sticky sand, sweat and a healthy dose of sunscreen and no one really looks attractive.  Perhaps they had it right just past the turn of the century, when bath costumes were more like modern mini-dresses.

The most ironic thing of all is that when we set out on Sunday JD and I were both looking forward to a break in the routine, but by Monday morning it was so clear that the break in routine was wreaking havoc on sleep patterns, meal time and generally naughty behaviour abounded.  Yes, we had a lovely time and I wouldn't give up that time together for anything; but, it sure is nice to be home.  There is something to be said for good, old everyday routine!

P.S.  And, no I'm not complaining especially if you read a few posts back when I was peeved by someone complaining about a holiday.  I'm just sayin' it is ironic how a vacation, a break in the routine, always makes us appreciate our everyday life!