And so it begins..again!

So many new beginnings coming up, actually not really new, but new this year. Life around here is kind of like Groundhog's Day, with a few episodes of Freaky Friday thrown in. Many days are the same song and dance with a tantrum about something different, but still a tantrum, sticky hugs, warm cuddles, raised voices, "I'm sorry's" and wonderful, heart melting conversations. Over the past two months though, whoa! Our lives got a little more shaken up than we are usually up for. The kids didn't notice that the shake up was negative, to them it has nothing but positive. Ryan being home all the time. Ryan outside playing every night. Ryan at gymnastics and soccer practice. Ryan home for dinner. Every. Night. The kids love it. Love. It. They think daddy looking for a new job is a regular ole vacation for all of us. Well. To be honest--it has been. I have basked in many of the endless moments of having him around. We went from daddy working 80+ hours, Friday and Saturday nights, and every Saturday and sometimes Sunday, to having him here. Present. And ladies...watch out! He does the laundry each day (even folds it!), vacuums each morning, mops, does ALL the dishes ALL day, and does any and all errands that I need him too. What do I do? Well, I have been working/setting up my classroom for the past 4 weeks. Prior to that, I was living the good life man!

To be completely honest, I really didn't want him to find a job and go back to work. Especially these past two weeks. I've been teaching full time. He goes and picks Dylan up from kindergarten each day. He takes care of Carly each day. He writes her schedule on the fridge each morning. He also writes, "S, V, L, D." This is his take on the guys from Jersey Shore, the very bad reality show on MTV. They say that everyday they have to, "G, T, L."--Gym, Tan, Laundry. Rough life huh? So Ryan came up with S, V, L, D for himself--shower (yes he has to remind himself, we found out early on in his unemployment that he would "forget" to shower unless reminded--the smell finally reminded us after four days), vacuum, dishes, laundry. It's his routine.

Alas, Ryan going back to work is really what is best for all us. Really. It is. As much as it would be dreamy for us all to be home full time, it is not our reality. And I secretly think that even though he says he doesn't mind staying home full time, there is a place inside of him that longs for a career again. Thus, he accepted a job in golf sales. A job he is very excited for. A job that will have him home more, enjoying life more. It's what he does, It's who he is. He works. He's a dad. He needs a balance of both.

And so it begins. Ryan goes back to work tomorrow. Dylan to afterschool care at my school. Em and Carly at our wonderful preschool/daycare, Good Shepherd. And so it begins. Soccer games yesterday. Two of them. NFL on TV today. The age old question in our house in the fall every weekend--"How did the Cougars do?" Go Cougs! And so it begins. Our routine. Once again. As much as I wanted him to stay home and life to stay easy, I want our routine back again too. I long for routines. My kids do too. And so it begins. A new normal for us all. New beginnings bring new excitement and new joys. Here's to my husband and his new journey!