Spring Break

We made it through spring break! Not that I didn’t think we would, but we’ve all gotten into our own routines. College girl has her independence, and even though she calls and texts frequently, they’re on her own terms. Banana Girl has gotten used to being an only child. And we have gotten used to only dealing with one child at a time, one over whom we can still exert control. We love having College Girl come home, but there is always a period of adjustment.

This time, we were good. Probably because it was for a short period of time. And because there was a constant state of flux.

She arrived while Michael was away, so it was just the three of us. That meant we could eat out and plan meals we like that he doesn’t. Because Banana Girl was occupied a lot of the time with school, work and band, it gave College Girl and me some bonding time. When Michael got home, he had his own time with her as well. And an unexpected snow day in the middle of the week meant the four of us could spend time together without having to deal with other commitments.

Because her spring break didn’t coordinate with anyone else’s, we didn’t have to worry about curfews and going out with a variety of people—there was no one here for her to do that. She spent a lot of time FaceTiming and texting her friends, but that gave the rest of us time to continue with what we normally do.

I think spring break was successful because she’d already been home for winter break, had already been through the adjustment from college to home and knew, at least in the back of her mind, that there are other people to take into consideration when you’re home.

And as a bonus, she brought stuff home, left stuff home, and didn’t ask me to do her laundry!