A successful leave

I've been spending some time reflecting on what a great leave we just had. I thought I might share some of the things I think made it successful for us.

Relaxed. That would be me being relaxed and comfortable in a messy house and in my skin.

Few plans. We preplanned very little.

List. The day after Jack Bauer got home we made a (flexible) list of those things we really wanted to do.

Budget. I budgeted for both time and money so that we could do what we wanted within reason. And we stuck to the budget.

Including. I tried to include Jack into the daily routine. He did all the laundry (heh). He feed the dogs. Yes, he did those things differently than I do and that was OK.

Letting go. I had obviously ditched my work for the whole of the leave, but I also skipped yoga and Pilates and a few other things that are part of my regular routine. (It will be interesting to see what I add back in.) I didn't plan to skip yoga and Pilates, but rather I decided each day that I would much rather spend that time with my husband. I can make up the classes, I can't make up the time with Jack.

Reality. I tried to keep my expectations for this leave to a minimum. For me that was important because I certainly have a history of romanticizing, which just sets me up for disappointment.

I really had a wonderful time while Jack was home. And sounds like he did too.

Now, it is back to work. :(