I'm Back from My Hiatus: Family, Chaos & Returning to Blogging

Back from my longest blog break ever! Between vacation planning, spring cleaning, and chasing my 2-year-old, I'm finally returning. What I've up to?

If you listen carefully, you might still hear the echoes of tumbleweeds rolling through my blog. I’m pretty sure I saw a spider web in the corner of my last post... that’s how long it’s been. I’ve never been away from my blog for such a long time, and honestly? It feels like I’ve just resurfaced from some bizarre parental witness protection programme.

I'm Back from My Hiatus

But here I am, brushing off the digital dust, and it’s a huge relief to be back. I’ve missed this space more than I missed my morning coffee during the great hotel-room kettle shortage of 2025 (a story for another day). So, let me explain where I’ve been... before you start thinking I’ve been abducted by aliens or, worse, joined a silent meditation retreat.

What Happened? The Perfect Storm of Adulting

You know how life sometimes throws a giant pile of… stuff at you all at once? That was my last few weeks. I wasn’t just busy... I was “why is my calendar laughing at me?” busy.

• Work didn’t slow down. If anything, it decided to put on a jetpack and zoom into hyperdrive. But that was just the warm-up act. I was also juggling:
• Vacation planning (which, ironically, is not a vacation? LOL 🤣)
• Actual vacations (the fun part, if you enjoy herding cats through tourist attactions)
• Year-end spring cleaning... yes, I know spring is in March, but in my house, “spring” is a state of mind that strikes whenever we can find the floor
• Errands that multiplied like rabbits... dental appointments, school admin, replacing the pressure cooker that mysteriously died, scheduling the car service, restocking the snack cupboard for the fifteenth time this month

The errands alone deserve their own postcode. I became a professional queue-stander, form-filler, and “sorry, I need to take this call” mutterer. Waze chose the worst possible times to freeze, and I paid for it with extra turns and detours.

The Real Reason: My Amazing Family

But here’s the thing... all that chaos had a purpose. I’ve got more holidays now, which sounds relaxing until you realise that means more family time. And I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

Let me introduce the crew:

• My beloved wife, who somehow coordinates us all while maintaining her sanity (mostly).
• Jordan, my 15-year-old eldest son, who has discovered the magical ability to disappear when dishes need washing but can expertly debate the merits of every gaming console ever invented.
• Jasmine, my 14-year-old daughter, who is equal parts brilliant and sassy, and who keeps me updated on trends I’m too old to understand.
• And Jadiel, my youngest baby, who at 2 (almost) years old has the energy of a thousand suns and the volume of a heavy metal concert.

We’ve spent so many days together going to so many places... malls, parks, restaurants that tolerate toddlers, and even a tea plantation where Jadiel tried to adopt a huge insect. I really enjoy my time with them, even when that ‘priceless time’ involves tired legs, sticky hands, and last‑minute meltdowns.

So What Now? Work, Life, and the Art of Pretending You’ve Got It Sorted

Of course, I still have work commitments and other responsibilities that I volunteered without getting paid too. Because apparently, I looked at my schedule and thought, “You know what this needs? More unpaid labour.” I’m on the school PTA committee, I help run a local community group, and I’m pretty sure I agreed to organise something for next month that I’ve already forgotten about.

But... and this is the big but... I’m happy that I could clear my leaves to enjoy more time with my family. That’s the trade-off, isn’t it? You sacrifice your blog, your sanity, and your clean kitchen, but you gain memories. We just had our vacations the other day, and now we’re looking forward to another one. Yes, you read that right. I’m either a genius or completely mad. The jury’s still out.

Conclusion: The Cobwebs Are Gone (Mostly)

I’m back, I’m slightly frazzled, and I’m armed with enough embarrassing family stories to keep this blog running for months. The hiatus is over, the cobwebs are swept away, and my keyboard is once again sticky thanks to tiny toddler fingers. Life is messy, chaotic, and utterly brilliant.

What’s the longest break you’ve taken from something you love? Drop a comment below. I need to know I’m not the only one who’s let their blog gather dust while real life happened. And if you’ve got tips for surviving back-to-back vacations with a 2-year-old, I’m all ears. Actually, I’m desperate. Send help. And snacks.

P. S.: When not wrangling toddlers or explaining to teenagers why Wi-Fi isn’t a human right, I write about the glorious mess of modern parenting and the occasional work-life faceplant.