Back to basics

It was a great Monday. With the kids packed off to school, I was able to get to the gym for the first time in almost three weeks! I don't know if it's the New Year resolution phenomenon or if the club has just signed up many more members, but it was the most crowded I've seen it at AquAniene. Still, I was in no hurry and it was nice to have no time constraints.

Josh picked me up since he had taken the car in to Peugeot to have the clutch pedal repaired. I have to say that we have both really enjoyed having this well-designed, fun-to-drive car. Josh thinks we could get away with having a car this size even once we move back to the States. He says he's finished driving the enormous gas-guzzling tanks. Our Peugeot takes diesel, is a manual transmission, and doesn't require frequent visits to the gas pump! I think once we're back in Chicago, having the third row seating option again would be a nice feature. But, we'll see....

January, as it turns out, is typically gloomy and rainy in Rome. Still, there are patches of brightness and with the temps never going much below 50 degrees, it doesn't really bother me much. For Josh, the rain is much more of a problem since it prevents cycling and makes him a little stir-crazy.

It turned out to be a really lovely day with all the kids, just one at a time. Josh took the girls to swimming, so Avery and I had a nice dinner -- just the two of us. He told me about his day and the letter "g." Later, when Olivia came home, she helped me prepare some chicken, and then Josh and I sat down to have dinner alone with her. Again, it was wonderful having the time to converse just with Olivia. Finally, when Charlotte came home late, she and I sat in the kitchen and chatted...but just a bit, as Charlotte is not too chatty these days.

So, perhaps this is the secret for maximum enjoyment: to do things with the kids, one at a time, instead of always together as a family. Or, perhaps after two weeks of togetherness, everyone needs their space?