Flying Solo June 2016

  Embarking on the first evening on my 6 days/nights of flying solo with the kiddos...AGGHHH!!!  I'm A LITTLE nervous...due to the fact that I have NO back up and NO family in the area to help me out...I'll be missing Myke, that's for sure!  On a typical day around here I'm in business mode with parenting/keeping things running.  It's A LOT of work to raise 4 kids!!  It's a lot of work to raise two kids...but with 4 YOUNG ones someone is ALWAYS needing something, it seems.  I've been doing it for SO long that I'm used to it...but it's also wearing on me.  (CAN YOU JUST WIPE YOUR OWN BOTTOM?!  YOU'RE FIVE NOW!!  YOU'RE GOING TO KINDERGARTEN IN 2 MONTHS AND I WON'T BE THERE TO WIPE YOUR BOTTOM!!).  I'm just more than ready for a little more independence in regards to the kids being able to meet their own needs on a more regular basis. We're getting there!  Slowly but surely.  At least we aren't in diapers...and haven't been for a year and a 1/2 !!  That has been amazing!
Usually Myke balances out my business-mode-of-running-the-household with FUN and letting loose.  He swoops in with a bundle of fresh energy and has the kids laughing and playing and dancing within minutes.  I WISH I was more like that...I want to be more like that... but, like he says, I'm in parent-mode the entire day and he just comes in for small bursts.  It's easier to be the fun one when it's more sporadic.  While we're labeling our parenting styles...I'm also more of the push-over.  Sometimes I just get TIRED of repeating things or "putting out fires" or just tired of parenting in general and will just give in or let something slide that I really shouldn't.  Kids are smart.  They know this.  They will nag me and keep asking for something after I've said no.  They do not do this to Myke.  They know better.  So that's a pain...but I guess it's also of my own doing in the end.

Myke has left for business trips before but never for this long.

 I'll start out looking like this: 

And by next Wednesday (or probably by Sunday morning at the latest) 

I'll look like this:

FACT.

Luckily, the first 3 days of Myke's time away are relatively relaxed in that they are Friday, Saturday, Sunday.  Next week is the final week of school so there is really no homework to do.  Both Eli and Chloë are taking piano lessons so there is that challenge of making sure they both get in their daily practice.  They are still at the point that they need one-on-one help with practice time to keep them on task.  There may be an influx in the use of the iPad or Netflix cartoons for the next few days to keep the other occupied so I can help them with practices.  It's also teacher-appreciation week at the boys' preschool next week so that involves little notes, gifts, flowers being sent in each day they go (Mon-Wed-Fri).  I need to figure out end-of-year teacher gifts for Chloë's teacher as well. We have no set plans tomorrow after school but Saturday we have committed to two back-to-back birthday parties 11am-2pm and 3pm-6pm.  Also, Chloë has her basketball game at 9am.  I have a friend taking her to that, though.  Phew!!  Sunday looks pretty open until the afternoon ...in which I'm hosting a kinder playdate for all the incoming kindergarteners at the elementary school that Owen & Eli will attend in the Fall (same one Chloë goes to).  The office manager asked me to run 4 play dates over the summer for incoming kinders to get to know each-other/mingle/play before August.  I scheduled the dates before I knew Myke would be away this weekend!  Agh!  At least it will be held at a local park..NOT at my house!  

I'll be fine.  I can survive this.  I'll keep you posted!