Where did the weekend go?

I drove back from Petitjean Mountain today in a rain that varied from misty to moderate, listening to an invigorating iPod shuffle -- Marah, Beastie Boys, Daft Punk. Skipping lunch because a bunch of biscuits, sausage, scrambled eggs, fruit, and scones fell onto my plate at breakfast, I got home just in time to see the kids sitting down to their peanut butter sandwiches.

By all accounts, they were little angels while I was gone, and when their dad called a couple of hours later, they considerately filled him in on the important aspects of their Friday and Saturday (Sorry scores, behavior records, Wii games played, etc.). With no obvious parenting to do upon my return, I was left at loose ends until their rest time ended and I could take them to JumpZone for some movement on this drippy day. We played a little Mario Kart Wii upon my return -- I was woefully out of practice, but Archer had unlocked the option to use Miis as characters, delighting Cady Gray to no end -- and then I took the whole family out to eat.

It's back to work in the morning; the usual round of course prep, teaching, meetings, and administrative work awaits me. That's a little bit of a shock after spending all day yesterday working. But I'm sure that when Noel returns -- and after this weekend, it feels like the home stretch although it's four days away -- he'll give me plenty of time for whatever leisure activities I desire. In between now and then, I'll try to maintain the routine, meet my deadlines, and put a little effort into the projects that will be coming due shortly after normal life resumes.