Aaaahhhhhh...

Hear that sound?

That's the sound of me breathing in the quiet peaceful feeling you get after houseguests depart (if by that quiet peaceful sound you mean the sound of my daughter jabbering and sleep-avoiding as I sit by her bed, listening the chaotic sounds of things falling down all over the damn place some kind of home repair that is).

My parents left about an hour ago. We had a wonderful visit, but even if your houseguests are family that you love dearly it's still nice to get your house back again. I celebrated the way any red-blooded woman would - by removing my bra and changing into an oversized t-shirt. A girl's gotta be comfortable you know. The kids were both pretty sad to see my parents go, but my mother actually handled it better than usual since they're already planning a return trip in the spring, and most importantly since we sprang the news that we'll be coming to New England for a visit this summer. She always does a lot better when she knows when she'll see us next.

Now it's time to get back into a more normal routine - a LOT less eating and drinking (MUST get serious about a diet and get back to the gym), work, playdates and all that. I've also got a lot of blog posts percolating and many photos waiting to be shared. For now I'll have to leave you with this: