My husband left this morning for a conference, and I’m flying parentally solo at home until late Friday night. My inclination is to eat microwave meals and veg on the couch snuggling my kids all week, perhaps overindulging in junk food, watching movies and playing video games with ’em and having a blast, but noooo, there’s that whole school, sports practices/games and being a responsible adult thing.
Sigh.
Tonight’s dinner will be a quick one with two practices scheduled – spaghetti and garlic bread. Quick and easy. I can dig it. Tomorrow, however, I’ll be roasting a chicken. I think. Depends upon whether or not I’m up for heating up the house in the afternoon to cook it. (It’s still 80-something degrees here.) Rest of the week is a plethora of crock-pot, no-brain-involved meals for the busy, practice/games/schedule we’ve got going on.
To say I’m scared of the next three days is an understatement.
Some how, some way, though, despite my best efforts for my kids not to eat me whole, knowing I’m wayyy out-numbered, I want to spend as much quality time with them as I can. Once upon a time, when my husband had a job a few years back that would take him away at least once a month for a week, we used to have this ‘flying solo’ thing down pat. The kids were my biggest helpers, and the house was always in order, everything was always taken care of. I kind-of miss those days sometimes, the ones where we pitched in together and making the dadless time as painless as possible.
The last time he left? No bueno. Anti-good. Worst experience ever, especially since it fell on Mother’s Day (and he was gone almost all month, too). I am praying it doesn’t get anywhere near as bad as it did then.
I’m going to need emotional reinforcement this week, friends.
I know I should count my lucky stars, he isn’t deploying, he isn’t away at a school for a month, or a tasking for longer, or in harm’s way. It’s three freakin’ days, I know some of you must think I’m a wuss or something (and you’d be right – I totally am).
It’s Murphy’s Law that when he leaves, things go (WAY) wrong. And I’m just not in the strongest emotional state to have to cope with the amount of wrong that could (and might) happen. So, any positive reinforcement and back-up is highly welcomed. And appreciated.
More than you could ever know.
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