This is it—the Adjustment Period. I didn’t expect the choppy swaying to hit quite so soon after I announced we were cutting our financial mooring lines, but we’re riding full on the swells now and stumbling our way to sea legs. It’s fantastic having my husband working from home and so, so good to see him energized rather than deflated by work, but I’ve gotta admit, being the one to leave in the mornings with the car keys and a briefcase is… strange.
Our days have an unfamiliar cadence to them now. We’re using new vocabulary and penciling appointments into uncharted waters, and while I’m utterly grateful for the possibilities ahead, I’m also utterly discombobulated. No matter how good all of this change is, it’s still change, and I’m responding with my best impression of a hungover sailor. It’s quite attractive, I’m sure.
Even though the rational side of my brain assures me that an Adjustment Period is necessary and that it’s only natural to feel like I’ve drunk a captain-sized stash of moldy rum at any given time, my emotional side is wallowing in alas… as in, Alas, I’ll never find my groove! and Alas, I shall never write anything meaningful ever again! Like I said, attractive.
So here’s my counterstrike to all the “Alas”es sloshing around my unsteady feet—
5 sources of home-front happiness this week:
- Having my dearly bearded husband back from a business trip
- The accompanying backrubs
- Tag-teaming on everything from dirty dishes to dirty kids
- Rearranging rooms and letting clutter go without regret
- Enjoying these last few days with the girls before school starts
Your turn!
I hate “Adjustment Periods.” I feel like I have been in one since I went back to work. Today the kids are at their first day of school, I am baking the obligatory chocolate chip cookies for when they stumble off the bus. That will be in about 10 minutes. As I have been baking I have updated my two class web pages with the content from today’s class, and uploaded the quiz for them to take. I just grabbed my bucket of correcting, when I noticed that you posted. Sweet procrastination. What could I get done in 10 minutes anyway? Now you want good things? Well, the best thing is that I went to bed last night CAUGHT UP with all correcting. The bad news is I went to work today and replaced all that I had accomplished with NEW assignments to correct. Other good things? The kids all looked so cute this morning for their new school year, we had FIVE whole days with no kid events (except back to school night, that doesn’t count), it has been sunny and nice during the day and cool at night for sleeping, and I have gotten to eat as much cookie dough as I want because nobody is home to witness it!!
Good luck with your adjustment period…alas, it doesn’t last forever! Sending love to you! xoxo
adjustment period … I know well what you’re talking about and am thinking of you often.
My sources of home-front happiness this month:
– the success of Noah’s potty training
– the happy smiles of Jonas
– the upcoming delivery of my dissertation in four weeks
P.S. beautiful picture of you and the girls!!!
Megsie – Procrastination? Good lord, woman, it sounds like you accomplish more in an afternoon than I do in a month! I wish I could come over to steal some of your energy and maybe a sneaky spoonful or two of that cookie dough.
Heike – Yay for Noah! Give him an extra high-five for me… and one for yourself too while you wrap up your dissertation. Much love.