Travel Routine

I've spent a lot of time this summer 1-on-2 with James and Matthew, a lot of it away from home.  They're pretty good at packing an overnight bag now, though James has forgotten his pajamas twice, and they almost never remember to brush their teeth when we're away. 

They're getting better at falling asleep in new and weird places, though. 

I like to think that this time with them is helping me get better at stuff, too.

With Matthew, I'm learning to hold my tongue. He's always listening and he's almost always on the lookout for potential crises. Even an innocuous "hmm" can kick his worst case scenario machine into high gear. Sometimes it takes 10 minutes for a scare like that to wear off.

With James this summer, I've actually witnessed thousands of his interactions with Matthew but I still don't know how to help them improve their communication. He says he's shy, but I've seen him hover on the perimeter of peer groups until an opportunity presents itself to make a joke or start a new game and he jumps right in.

Ear plugs are my best friends when it comes to sleeping in new places. I. Love. Them.

It feels like "The Summer of James and Matthew." Bobby is at work. Alex is at work. Robert prefers to stay in his room to avoid contention with James. It's just me and the little boys kicking around, doing our thing. That's the routine. We hang out at home, we hang out camping, we hang out traveling. Routine. 

I'm getting kinda tired of the routine. Feeling worn down. Need a little more variety in my life. Plenty busy, though. Don't need more to do. Just gotta find a way to recharge faster or more efficiently.