Hooray!

Oh hooray! My husband is home! He has been out of town on business this week, and I have been masquerading as a single, working mother -- a job that I am happy to give up! Honestly, I don't know how single parents manage all that they have to juggle in a day -- I am exhausted!

Now, granted, part of my exhaustion stems from my 6 year old wanting to sleep in Mommy's room while Daddy is out of town. This is great, in theory, but she comes with a lot of baggage -- literally. Stuffed animals, dolls, decorative pillows, and there was even a plastic toy "Scooby Doo" van that she got from a recent kid's meal! And then of course, is the issue of her moving around in her sleep. A lot. We have a king-sized bed (my husband is a tall guy -- 6'4") and you would think that should be large enough for Mommy and her 6 year old -- until the child tosses and turns in her sleep and spends the majority of the night sleeping horizontally across the bed. With her feet UNDER my back -- very comfortable!

But all of that aside, I found that it takes a lot of energy and organization to get everything done before bedtime (mine) so that I was not scrambling like a crazy person in the morning (at least not scrambling as much...). I usually get home around 5:30 - 6:00pm and dinner needs to be made, children fed, dishes cleaned up, homework done (occasionally -- fortunately we don't have too much yet), clothes pulled out for the next day, lunches packed, teeth brushed, diapers changed, jammies on, children put to bed, and toys picked up.

Some of this I take care of after the kids are in bed, because otherwise I would not get a single minute to snuggle with them or listen to my daughter's ongoing narration of her day, both in "real" school and the neverending "pretend" school that goes on here for all of her waking hours. And it's terrible to feel impatient with your children, that you have to get things done, when spending time with them is really the most important, and probably most fun part of your day! I've learned to try and multi-task as much as possible -- making dinner, doing dishes as I go along, and usually listening to my girl's stories from her day. The other night was great -- I was cooking and doing dishes, and she sat on the stool in the kitchen and read her library book to me -- it made my time in the kitchen go by so fast, and it was a nice break for her from the Disney Channel and her Polly Pockets!

Tonight, I have my husband home to help carry the load, and I am so looking forward to that! And of course, a good night's sleep -- as long as he keeps his feet to himself! ;)