Happy New Year, friends!

I hope your holiday season was exactly what it’s meant to be: messy houses, bickering children, snacks masquerading as meals, and just enough wine to make it all feel festive.

And now… back to reality.

Re-entry is HARD.

Bedtimes slide over break. Falling asleep gets harder. The experts say to ease back in—15 minutes earlier each night. That has never worked for us. We’re more of a “pull the plug and deal with the fallout” family.

Then there’s the alarm clock. I know it’s coming. It still feels rude.

I don’t hit snooze. What’s the point? You still have to get up, and it’s miserable no matter when you do—so I dragged myself out of bed and braced for chaos.

I fully expected tears. Yelling. A lot of “LET’S GOOOOOO!”

But… it never happened.

Last night, before dinner, my daughter announced—UNPROMPTED—that she was packing her bag. She checked her schedule. Packed what she needed. On her own.

Who is this child?

This morning brought a few cuddles, one gentle “time to get out of bed,” and then she was downstairs eating breakfast.

We were already in the car when her brother said, “I forgot my basketball stuff!” and ran back inside. I imagine she sat there, chest slightly puffed, quietly proud that she was ready and he wasn’t.

I have no illusions this will last. Tonight could be a disaster. The week is long.

So how do I prepare?

Lower expectations. More patience than usual. Earlier bedtimes.

Re-entry is hard—but sometimes the anticipation is worse.

If you’re back in the swing this week, I’m cheering you on. Share your re-entry wins (or disasters) in the comments—and here’s to early bedtimes for everyone involved.