I Miss My Family.

We went up to northern Wisconsin this weekend with some friends, and it was fantastic. We had beautiful weather, a beautiful house on a beautiful lake, canoeing and swimming and running, a local small-town festival and an unexpectedly stunning fireworks display. I'm home now, while Momlissa and the girls stayed on for an extra two days.

I acknowledge that I usually look forward to this family-free time. Momlissa and I are different in that she doesn't really see the value in time spent alone, whereas I feel there's no greater treat than having a few hours to myself, to read or play the pipes or watch a scary movie or just to do a glorious bit of nothing, without having anybody else's needs to attend to, or having to feel guilty because you're not attending to them.

But the reality is, it isn't all that fun. I got back at about nine last night, fed the cats, took a bath and went to bed. Woo hoo. Already I'm feeling lonely and bored and wishing my family was back, or I was still there with them - especially those two crazy little monsters who exhaust me so but who also are the best joys of my life.

Maybe that's the real benefit of this time away - it isn't the fun I have when they're gone, it's realizing how much fun I have when they're here, and how much I need them.