The weeks go by too fast for me, I am not one of those Hurry- Up -And- Get- Here, Friday! kind of girls. No, I enjoy my days. But Wednesday is extra special, half price day at the thrift store!
This morning I was tired, of course, after last night's airport trip. And seeing that I don't always learn from my mistakes of staying up way way too late and being a zombie in the morning, I stayed up way way too late. I found some blogs written by other mommies who have traveling husbands. I am not the only one who likes heading out the door to Target without having to answer the #1 dumbest question in the world: What do you need at Target? Seriously, though, I read of a study proving that the spouse/parent left behind to hold down the fort was much more likely to suffer from illness and depression that regular people in the general population, although you probably realize that the study was not worded like that.
One woman described her struggles with serving dinner alone, waking up to every noise knowing she was THE protector of the household, and having to kill a mousie all by her lonesome. And of course a person had to comment and tell her she was a baby, that other people had it worse, there are military spouses who have husbands or wives who are actually in danger, ect. Oh come on. There are always those better off or worse off, but that doesn't negate our right to vent.
There is some comfort in knowing we aren't the only ones.
Whenever Paul comes home from a trip, it seems like he asks if I have done one thing or another that I was supposed to do. And the thing he asks about is always the one thing I forgot about. He never seems to ask about the other three thousand things I DID take care of.
The school nurse called today. Well, she said, Evelyn got hurt in gym class. It seems she was snow-shoeing and fell down. She got hit in the nose with another kid's show shoe. So she had a bloody nose, a swollen lip, and her tooth hurt. But she was okay. Never a dull moment.
Margaret, all happy and back from Florida, took Jonathan, Charlotte Claire, and Camille to the pool today while I went out and about. Suzanne came with me. I found a few good things at the thrift store, a jacket for me for $3, a pretty polka-dotted night gown for a few bucks, a really nice scarf for a dollar and a half, a t-shirt for Margaret, and a Corelle coffee mug for 79 cents.
We got the oil changed on the minivan (I hope Paul remembers to ask me if I did that, so I can shrug casually and say, "Of course.") We went to the bank, the dollar store, Big Lots, where I bought a new trash can...my old blue one was at least 15 years old, and the top was broken. This new one, I don't know. The top swings downward, what a smart idea! Trash can get all over the swinging top! ugh. Anyway, we went to the grocery store for bananas and grapefruit and cereal and chicken and tea and and and.
The kids are watching, "Despicable Me", which is adorable.
It is snowing out, again. I am glad I went out and about when the weather was mild. Paul comes home on Friday!!!! I can't wait to see him. As much as I hate that he travels, I love when he comes home. There are adjustments though. I have been the Boss for a few weeks. I have had to make those decisions about whether it's safe for them to drive on our snowy roads, and have had to make sure there is always enough milk, as there is no one to stop on the way home. I have had to make sure we don't get snowed in, and that the trash gets to the dump. I have given the pep talks, and broken up the arguments, tucked in the princesses, and set the boundaries for tablets at bedtime. I have vetoed or okay'd the television viewing, and kept an eye on the thermostat...you know, sometimes No One cranks it up. There has been no daddy here with a twenty dollar bill in his wallet for the kid who gets invited out and about with some friends. I have found that I am stronger than I thought I was. I can handle this! Except for when I feel like I can't, and I cry. When he comes home, it takes a while for him to fit back into the groove of things. He is usually so tired and jet-lagged for the first few days, he just takes a space on the couch, pretty much. He tries to stay awake. He does try.
Anyway, life is interesting.
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3 comments:
My Darling used to go out of town on occasion. I know what it is like to hear EVERY car that travels down the road when you know he's coming home. I remember what it was like to "hold down the fort", make big decisions, and feel lonely and yet no-so-lonely at the same time. Sometimes I liked having a few days to myself, but I like having him here too.
My husband has been going out of town for work Monday - Friday the last few weeks. After having him gone for five days a week, I have so much more respect for military spouses. I am left to deal with everything throughout the week: decisions, problems, the kids, their schooling, my schooling, etc. Sometimes, I get so stressed that I want to vent. And I feel I should be able to.
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Martha, I remember the days when I fervently hoped that each and ever car that came down the road was Daddy, even when he wasn't traveling. By the time he got home from work, I had had enough:) Crystal, of course you can vent. I am extremely thankful that Paul has a job, that we have a place to live, and that we have been so blessed, but still...sometimes it's nice to know it's not just me.
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