Running things solo

I've been pretty silent the last couple of weeks, eh?

Last week, the kids and I went to visit my folks. Wednesday thru Saturday.

This week, the Hubs was gone on a business trip. Wednesday to late Friday night (after the kids were in bed).

It's just that having to run the whole sha-bang without the Hubs takes a toll on me. [sigh] It's not only a physical kind of thing. It's also an emotional drain. I have to get the kids up and ready for the day. I've got to keep the sanity level in the house and not let them get too wild. I've got to fix breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I've got to get them showered and into bed. All alone. And as a solo parent, I had to stay patient. And holding my temper is what really drained me. [sigh]

I know there are ladies and gentlemen out there that parent all by themselves. But me? I'm not used to running the house by myself. The Hubs and I pretty much try to spread the responsibilities out evenly between us. He takes charge of one kid and I take charge of the other. So there's a lot more to do when he's gone. I'm sure if he was gone for a long time (which I pray to will never-ever happen) that I'd get used to the routine of doing things solo. But I'm used to him sharing the load. You know?

I did have a talk with the kids the morning the Hubs left in the darkness of VERY early morning. I asked the kidlings to "help" me when the Hubs is gone. And they both certainly do try. As much as a 5- and 7-year-old can help.

To reward the kids? I took them to see Kung Fu Panda and then out to Cold Stone. Movie and then ice cream? Woohoo! It was a win-win situation. And they felt good about contributing to the success of our threesome time together. Of course, the two did argue. It's hard NOT to argue at their age. But the bickering was a lot less it seemed.

Once I had the kids in bed, I still had things to do. More clean-up. More organization work. Me being tired meant that I spent less time on the computer. Therefore, I couldn't post. And I couldn't read what has been up with YOU all! I've missed ya! But I'll get out in the blogosphere catching up and commenting tonight/tomorrow. So watch out! Here I come!