Yes, I DID forget about you.

I suppose I should update, huh? I gave you all the suspense, the sadness, the climax, and didn't even hand the 'happily ever after'. How rude of me.

Paul is HOME.
Am I done? Can I get away with just typing that?

*sigh*

Paul is HOME, and it is WONDERFUL.

We were worried for a little bit there because of the copious amounts of volcanic ash that was lazily floating over the Atlantic. His flight out of Paris was delayed three hours because of it, causing him to miss his connection in Minneapolis. I was attached to my computer that entire day, refreshing the Delta airlines page again and again, checking on his flight, checking for other flights that he could jump on when he got there. When he called at 4:30 to tell me that he missed his connection and that he didn't know if he would make it home that night, I told him to hang up and RUN to the desk and get on the 5:15 flight. He laughed, hung up, and got a seat on that flight. (I failed to tell him that if he waited until the 6:50 flight, he would be put in first class... NOT WORTH IT.) When it was time, I packed the kids up, went to the airport, and made use of my fantastic double stroller. He was already there, waiting in the baggage claim (having arrived about 30 minutes early), and it was one those moments that was kind of dream-like. I saw him there, well, I should say that I saw HALF of him there, due to the massive amounts of weight that he lost (which I promptly told him 'I found it!). We met in the middle everything and everyone, and we both knelt down right there on the floor in front of the stroller and hugged. A big, long, teary-on-my-end, family hug. Alex had this look on her face that I will never forget. A huge smile, but one that was unsure of what was happening. Was he home? Why isn't he on a big TV screen? Is he really HOME? Then she raised her hand, said, "DADDY!" and refused to be set down from that point on. Even Eli was looking back and forth from Paul to me, wondering what was going on. It was clear when we finally made it home and were all sprawled out on our living room floor that he knew who is daddy was. Finally another man in the house!

It's been two weeks, and things are pretty much back to normal. There was an adjustment period, where we got used to each other again, got used to these new routines. The hardest part was on my end, having to relinquish some of the household and child-raising duties that I have had on autopilot for the last four months. You would think it would be easy to just let it go and have some help, but it was hard. I had to stop myself from butting him out of the way in the kitchen, and taking over when one of the kids cries. But I've learned. I have remembered how nice it is just to sit and not have to jump up at the first sign of something needing to get done. Just to relax. And it's been so nice.

I am happy. I feel like the part of me that I had to shut down when he left has been revived, like I regained a limb that I had lost the use of a while ago.

So now, we jump right into our transition to England. We have about a month and a half before we are set to leave, and in that time we have... alot of stuff to do. But I have my partner back. It will get done. Eventually....