Day 12 - New Normal

The New Normal:

I get up with the Teen at 6:35.  I make him a smoothie and get him out the door to catch the bus by 7.

I do a few things, make a banana / avocado / coconut milk smoothie for me and Savageman and I go wake him up.

We get dressed and go to the gym where I run somewhere between 1 and 4 miles and he does the eliptical or weights or whatever it is he does.  We talk to people we know.  We leave the gym feeling energized - one thing already accomplished. 

We spend the car ride home going over the plan for the day.

We get home and jump into what to be done around here.  Schoolwork with the kids, cleaning, organizing and decluttering projects around the house, and of course, brainstorming and research, research, research.

I cook up something on the stove or in the crockpot designed to cover lunch, dinner, and usually some leftovers that can be converted into something else.  Little spends some time with Grandma doing spelling and handwriting.  Middle and I go over geometry and psychology together.  When Little returns, he and I do math together and I set him up with his history and science. They both do some independent work until it's time to get ready to go to the dojang.

While we're kicking and punching, the Teen comes home from lacrosse or basketball (or both).  He and Savageman bond.

The rest of us get home and eat and have some family time.  That's been more of a priority lately, which has been one of the surprise Blessings we've seen.

Another is the good conversations we've been having about life and values and goals and priorities.  Asking what God wants of us, tuning in to what feels intuitively right for us at this stage of our lives as individuals and as a family.  Asking how we can help each other; being willing to do whatever is needed.

I realize that the unity we've recently experienced was forged in the fire of the work we've done in our marriage over the last year and a half or so.  A few years ago, we would not have been so quick to support each other through a challenge as we are now.  This isn't to say we haven't had moments - moments are to be expected.  But they are quick moments followed by genuine apologies.  No grudges, no blame, no contempt.

Like I keep saying - we're going to be all right.  I'm looking forward to the coming week and the new information and new challenges and opportunities it will bring.

Glad to have Savageman by my side, and glad to be the one by his side.