My week as a single mom

The week has almost come to a sweet but exhausted end.

My husband went to Denver to learn about some secret military flying machine (not really secret obviously)for the first half of the week and consequently left me with the children to fend for myself. I have to admit I wasn't overly anxious about being home alone since the boys would be at school for most of the day and sister girl has taken the term 'get your beauty sleep' to an extreme with three hour naps each midday.

Honestly, I was kind of looking forward to the 'just me' at home with no one working in the kitchen on their computer and looking up to chat or see what I'm up to (you know I have to clean the house and look somewhat busy when he is working at home...like just the other day I broke out the flashcards for sister to start teaching her addition and subtraction just to impress the man) I needed a break from all the hard work!

Of course I have to mention so you will take pity on me as you read this...I broke my pinky toe (don't let the word 'pinky' fool you into thinking that its size devalues the amount of pain that can emerge from it)Friday afternoon while getting up from folding laundry and then tripping over the little pint size thing in the middle of the floor (that would be my daughter). I heard a snap (I kid you not) and saw that my toe was pointing in a weird angle (I didn't know toes could do that but it is the last and smallest of its fellow members so it is more vulnerable). Well I've never felt such bad pain (other than the labor I went through while I was drugged up at the hospital just waiting for Elizabeth to actually start coming out and for those God forsaken nurses to get me an epidural!)Anyway...I have been limping around in pain looking like, as a friend said this weekend, "I'm strutting my stuff." (this person actually thought I was 'strutting' my stuff around not realizing I was LIMPING because I had a BROKEN PINKY TOE!)

So, come Monday morning I limped out of bed and high tailed those boys into the kitchen, fed 'em, clothed 'em, groomed 'em and shuffled 'em into the van with my cup of coffee and sister girl! We were early I tell you...I had to pull over and let them hang out b/c we were so early! I was doing good!

I already had a play date planned for the morning to wear sister out and ensuring her three hour nap once again. Alas, the afternoon was spent in peace and quiet, allowing me even a short nap after I got some 'work' done around the house.

Then the big shocker...on the way to pick up I spontaneously volunteered to watch my friend's four children for three hours for her to attend a very important meeting. So, after having a leisurely day with my youngest I now was a short order snack chef for seven children, a Super Nanny overseeing all play and making sure equal time was shared on the Wii as well as a WWF referee watching over the trampoline and yard play. Then I became a school teacher enforcing homework time and once again a chef cooking tacos for everyone. When the sweet crew left I managed to get my kids in bed early and collapse into the bed.

The good news from all that work was that said friend reciprocated my hard work and watched all three children the next day after school for me to do whatever I wanted. (and I didn't even have a very important meeting to go to AND I have a two year old which equals all four of hers!)

The rest of the week I managed great. Don't get me wrong I did very very much miss my husband, especially each evening after supper when I got everyone ready for bed, something he participates in a great deal! But the best part was that all three nights I put the boys in bed super early and I curled up in bed and watched a BBC (British Broadcasting Center) made for t.v. movie, 3 seasons worth, of a wonderfully beautiful love story about some old English town. Nate was very thankful I had found such an entertaining show to take my mind off being so lonely without him (and the fact that I had found this show while he was so far away from having to be exposed to it!)

Nate has returned...my pinky toe is still hurting...my three season movie has ended...and I was quite ready to relinquish sole responsibility over our children!
And guess what sister girl saved all week for her sweet daddy? A lovely surprise of smeared poop on her carpet floor after supper tonight. I guess she knew to wait for his return b/c God knows if she had done that to me while I was a single parent I might have just put her out on the curb!