Adventures With Two: Daddy's Business Trip

One of the things we stay-at-home mommies like to remind each other is that our job is like any other job, but without evenings or weekends off (although I do realize that working mommies and daddies who come home to kids don't exactly get much time off, either, except perhaps a lunch hour and a lovely commute, during which they get to sit and listen to music or audio books, but I digress).

And while our jobs rarely require travel, our husbands' jobs do, and then we really, really, really don't get any time off. Especially if the kids' naps are all awry.

It's even worse, by the way, for those of us used to having helpful husbands who walk in the door at 5:30 with smiles on their faces and the ability to talk to various stuffed animals and puppets without slipping in the occasional sarcastic comment. Not that I'm complaining about having a helpful husband.

So when Matt left on Saturday afternoon for his business trip, I knew I was in for a long week. He'd be home on Thursday afternoon.

My goals were to:

1.) Make sure Kalina and Elise suffered no major ill effects of their daddy being gone. Which meant I would be maintaining a calm, steady and cheery attitude for at least 14 hours a day. Think Mary Poppins, but without commercial breaks.

2.) Keep the house from becoming a disaster area.

3.) Try to get Elise a little more sleep (she was down around 12 hours a day at her low point).

4.) Not be ready to collapse in a heap of dust the second Matt walked in the door and in fact, continue to maintain the aforementioned cheery attitude.

5.) Have a little fun, especially with my friend Renee, who would be visiting.

And I think I made it!

Just for fun, here's Matt's Business Trip Week By The Numbers.


Nights: 5

Mornings I began before 6:00: 4

Times up at night: 14

Showers: 4

Loads of laundry completed: 2

Bags of trash taken out: 4

Real dinners prepared: 3

Starburst Jelly Beans eaten by me: 1/2 bag.

Starburst Jelly Beans eaten by Kalina: 8

Trips to Target: 2

Real naps taken by Kalina: 1 1/2

Toddler meltdowns: 0

Mommy meltdowns: 1

Minutes of television watched by toddler: 92

People who helped out a ton: 2

Overall, it was a good "trip," thanks mostly to all the extra hands I had, belonging to Grandpa, college friend Renee, and others. May Matt never leave again.

Photo 1: A picnic lunch at a local park with Miss Renee

Photo 2: Kalina has spent a lot of time with Grandpa lately!