Ready to be Home

What a great week.  Sure, we had our ups and downs, and ohmygoodness YES we did get a bit tired of each other from time to time in this one condo, but overall I am going to have a lot of very fond memories of this vacation.  I hate that I had to leave my job & students to come here (taking three personal days and one day of leave without pay to do it)...but when we got hit with Snowmaggedon in January and lost a whole week of school, winter break was taken from us.  I could have stayed home and worked while the rest of the family came here to Myrtle Beach, but I am so glad I didn't.  Yep, there's gonna be a lot of work to do to catch up with what was missed while I was here, but its worth it.
Andrew turned FIVE years old on Thursday (the 24th). Celebrating his birthday at the beach was just wonderful for him.  He was so excited and is still talking about how he's "a whole hand" now, and "so much bigger than Hannah."  We spent the day at the Aquarium here, then went to lunch at Sticky Fingers (yum!).  Thursday night (after naps, of course), we grilled hot dogs and hamburgers and enjoyed his birthday cake (a cookies & cream ice cream cake from Wally World).  Side note:  I think I have gained back all the weight I had lost before coming here.  Jillian stayed in the suitcase the entire time.  I have been a bad girl and I have a feeling Jillian will not be happy with me.  I'm scared to get the DVD out again.

I do have to say, though...I am so ready to be home.  I miss my bed, I miss my dog, I miss my three kitties.  I miss my messy house and all its imperfections.  I miss my routine.  Its HOME.  Dorothy really hit the nail on the head when she said, "There's no place like home."  Its nice to take a time-out from the day-to-day routine and enjoy a vacation with extended family, but home is where the heart is.  (Man, I am full of cliches today, huh?)  Anyway...
For now, I am enjoying the peace and quiet (Chris and kids are napping, and both of his brothers have headed back to their respective homes) and looking forward to a quiet evening of dinner, movies, and getting packed to head home tomorrow.  Its been fun, but home is waiting.