Now that I'm working full-time we have had to think of creative ways to keep the kids busy and taken care of during the day when school is out. Summer should be interesting with all the juggling we'll have to do in order not to let child care costs break our bank. I also didn't want to send my kids off to a "daycare" type place every day for the summer. So it seemed like they were old enough and since they were begging me to let them go I thought it was time.
I was a little worried at first, just because it was the first time and first times are always a little more intimidating. But I knew they'd have a great time and be in good, safe hands with Adam's parents. I also want them to have this memory of being able to spend time with them without us and make great memories at the lake that they'd always cherish. So after a week of craziness which included the last week of school and Jenna's birthday party we packed the car and met Gran halfway, somewhere in Indiana, to make the drop. On the way back we stopped at Schlafly Brewery in St. Louis to celebrate the beginning of our kid-free week.
I had all sorts of ideas for this week of kid free fun. I was going to have a clean and perfectly immaculate house. I was going to join the gym. I was going to just hang out and do nothing. I was going to rediscover my husband.
Well, some of that happened, some of it didn't. I didn't get to the gym. But I will. My house looks pretty good. That seems to be the only downside I can think of to them coming back. I look around today and realize that it probably won't look this good until the next time they are gone for a week. My laundry was literally cut in half! I can't remember the last time I only did 3 loads in a week. I didn't cook for anyone this week. That was also nice. We just kinda ate when we wanted to. One night my hubs and I just curled up on the couch and watched an entire movie, uninterrupted. It was great. We didn't have to fight anyone for the big TV and we cleaned the DVR of about 18 episodes of Spongebob Squarepants and Big Time Rush.
We actually socialized too. One night we had all my kidless friends from work over for a game night, and another night we went out, stayed out really late, on a work night, and drank beer on the patio at a local bar. One night we spent 3 hours looking for carpet and tile until 10 pm that didn't result in a purchase, but that's another blog post...
We crammed a lot of stuff into a few days, and it was fun, but not having my babies around made me ponder what was to come for us as parents. Right now we spend the majority of our time doing things for our kids, with them, etc. One of these days they will be on their own, and we'll be left to wonder what to do with all our extra time. Most days now are spent in manic mode, rushing from one thing to the next, and if there's no where to go then there's a room to clean or a load of laundry or a meal to make. With them gone it made me think about how different it will be when things are slower again. It happens fast too. These fun yet incredibly busy days while they are growing up don't last forever, as Connor told me on his 9th birthday when he happily informed me that in 9 more years he was leaving for college. Sniff.
Part of me looks forward to that time. It will be exciting to have time to myself, to have nothing more to do than pursue my own life goals while not being totally responsible for anyone else. But just as this last week has been great fun, I'm not ready for it yet on a regular basis. It scares me to think about when they won't be my little kids anymore, and they'll be my grown up kids, the ones that only need me every once in a while.
I still want to be needed all the time. I miss their cuddles and their kisses, and even told Adam tonight that I was ready for them to come home and drive me crazy again. His response, "By the time you get home they will have driven you crazy in the car for 5 hours straight on your way back from Indiana tomorrow."
I can't wait.
