An exhale.

Well, hello there.

It’s good to be back.

Sometimes, you just need to let it all go. So that’s what I did. After three plus years of craziness, of packed school years and even more tightly packed summers, I finally let it all go- all the activities, all the plans, all the bucket lists. The only thing we kept was a birthday gift of ballet camp for Lorelei; the rest was erased off the list.

Instead, we were completely, utterly, deliciously lazy. Some days- many days- we didn’t slip out of pajamas. I stole naps when I could. We watched way more children’s PBS programs than was probably good for our brains (and if I hear the theme song for Electric Company, I might twitch). We didn’t finish the math books. We sort of let school stand where it was, (and yes, we’ll have a little catching up to do for the first few weeks) and we read a lot. I’ve read more books this summer than I’ve been able to read in the last three or four years put together. Absolutely delicious.

I signed out of Google Reader in June, and surreptitiously marked 1000+ entries as ‘read’ and cleared the queque this morning. I took time off from this blog, from many things I’ve done for years out of a sense of obligation- and it was absolutely lovely and absolutely needed.

A friend asked me if writing meant so much to me and brought me happiness, why had I stopped writing?

The easiest answer?

I had lost my voice.

The summer off has given it back to me.

The only important facts to know from this summer off is that Lorelei-girl turned six, (Six?!) and my miracle baby Josiah is so very not a baby any more and very much a big boy of three (three?!?). And Elliana celebrated one and a half come August, and is a toddling, talkative, opinionatedly ruling the roost littlest sister. And we can’t help it, we squeeze and kiss her all the same. Ben and Isaiah must have added lifts to their shoes again, because I swear I’m more looking Ben in the eye than looking down at him, and I’m not ready for it, and Isaiah’s right behind him. Lorelei and David, the middles, are in all sorts of mischief these days. I can’t help but think of Fred and George Weasely a bit with these two; they are incredible imps.

When James and I tumble exhaustedly into bed, it is the we’ve-done-good-today sore exhaustion of a life well lived. And we smile. Time is hastening on, and soon these little birdies will be flying out of the nest, much too soon for me, I assure you—so I hold these moments of lazy summer with gratitude.

 It’s good to be back.

How was your summer? Leave a link in the comments so I can come say hello!