Together Again

They're home.

My man & my boy arrived safely this evening. Not as bedraggled as sometimes, since the campground in Kansas Saturday night had showers. But plenty tired and oh-so-glad to be back at home. Sixteen days is plenty long to be gone, sleeping in tents, and traveling with all sorts of personalities. And without their daily fix. I stocked up this afternoon, and I think they've already consumed almost a gallon of the six gallons (2-skim, 2-2%, 2-chocolate. We need a cow!) that I bought.

The benefit, however, to some of the interpersonal challenges my boy experienced is that he actually missed his sister and voluntarily participated in hugging her when he got home. Twice!

Not too many tales of the trek yet. They did say they saw a grizzly about 100 yards away when they were backpacking. And Mount Rushmore (a schedule change due to some Yellowstone trails still being closed because of the snow that first week) isn't as huge in person as in pictures. But with my guys' personalities, the stories generally trickle out over the course of several days as they get rested.

It's just as well. Because there is no "trickle" to my girl. She has to catch them up on the whole two weeks that they missed. In one fell swoop.

On the way to bed, she had to give Dad the tour. Because she is finally purging. Not the bulimic kind. But the empty-her-room kind. And it is amazing what one room can hold. She has virtually single-handedly filled up our trash container and our recycle bin, and there are multiple bulging plastic bags ready to be donated. Hence, "the tour."

Once the bug bit, she began clearing out with a vengeance. While she is keeping some things that do have sentimental value, she is definitely being logical and discarding everything that "has absolutely no meaning to me." Including a plethora of stuffed animals. (Woohoo! Why is it that girls are such a magnet for stuffed animals?! And where do they all come from?)

And seemingly a bazillion bookmarks, tiny erasers, pens, pencils, markers, stickers, notepads, and all sorts of other little doodads. Apparently stuffed animals are not the only things that spontaneously appear and procreate in a girl's room!

She's still not done but she's well on her way, and she's enjoying the feeling that comes with bringing a pile of junk stuff out into the hall and whittling it down until only a small amount goes back into the room.

As I was straightening up the living room before the guys got home, she even reorganized the DVD disaster area and we rearranged a couple of side tables to give us a bit more room.

I wonder if I could convince her to clean out the hall closet next. . . .

It's so good to have my family all under one roof again.