Saturday, March 12, 2011

On Our Way

In just a few hours.

After a crazy week -- more work than could possibly be done, a sick 3 year old who couldn't shake his stomach bug, a teething baby who got sent home from daycare twice with fevers, forcing her to be near her much sicker brother, and trying to prepare the house for our 5-day vacation -- everything is ready and we leave in the morning. I worked until 1 and 2 a.m. three nights this week, and was back at work by 8 a.m. on all of those days. By Friday I was exhausted, the kind of exhausted I don't think I'd been since Landon was a baby. Luckily, JP proved for the millionth time what an amazing partner and father he is because he let me sleep in today, even after he did 100% of the work taking care of two sick kids at home for a full week (and doing 17 loads of laundry and all the other clean up that comes with a child who can't keep any food or water in his stomach; it was bad). Landon seems to be better. I saw "seems to" because we thought that once before only to be surprised with more puking the next day. The poor guy- he hasn't been sick for more than 24 hours since he was a baby and he's only thrown up a handful of times in his life. Even on Thursday, when he was well on the road to recovery, he was just so weak that he only wanted to lay on the couch and watch movies (something he never asks to do) and when we went to read a book before bed he only wanted one- and then asked that it be short. The Biscuit is teething and angry about it; her allergies have also come roaring back so she's all runny and red.

My uncle is here to watch the kids (he and my aunt are staggering their time here; they're flying over from Georgia to watch the kids, because they are awesome and generous and responded immediately to a desperate email I sent out after JP's parents told us they weren't coming. My family is amazing) and Clairebear was so fussy the first few hours he was here he accused me of photoshopping all my blog pictures. Luckily Claire rallied and put her smileyness and cuteness of full display (plus, I don't even have photoshop). Hopefully both kids will be their usual healthy, easy selves for my aunt and uncle.

I haven't really thought about the fact that we're leaving them for 5 days. I know they'll be fine with aunt and uncle, I just wish I could get two vacations -- one with JP and then another one with them, especially after this week of working so much. But it's going to be a great vacation- I've probably never worked so hard to make a trip happen! Work has been so insane- I'm blessed with very supportive co-workers because no one even suggested that I cancel it. I have my kindle loaded up with three new books, my old ski clothes are packed in their UT swimming duffel bag, and my clocks and alarm have all been sprung ahead for daylight savings time.

Twelve hours from now, we'll be on our way to Denver!

6 comments:

  1. Have fun! The kid's will have a great time, and you deserve a good break. Sleep in, drink wine, and ski!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yay! Have a great, relaxing vacation.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Please don't take this as a judgment, because that's not how it's intended - but isn't it hard for you to leave your kids for 5 days, especially when they've been sick? I tried to go away for a night once with my hubby, leaving my then year-old daughter with my parents. She ran a fever while we were gone, was crying non-stop, and I cancelled the reservations and came home. My husband was mad at me; I couldn't relax and have fun knowing she wasn't happy. She's three now, and I still can't leave her for a night with anyone except my husband. Is it that easy for everyone to leave their kids overnight??

    ReplyDelete
  4. Wendy, I don't think it's "that easy," so much, but I can leave my kids with family who love them like crazy and would take care of them like I would. I've left my daughter (now 3, then younger) with my husband's mom and dad for a week on 2 occasions, and she had a great time. I got daily updates and a few pictures, and even when she got a cold, I knew there wasn't anything her grandma wouldn't do for her. I'm even happier to leave my kids with my own mom, since I try to parent just like her anyway.

    And I knew the mental break of not being an on-call mom for a few days would benefit everyone. Getting to be in Europe with just my husband was a real gift to our marriage and I'm so glad we went for it. So that's how we do it.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Have fun, LL! I'm so glad you and JP will have some alone time together. You REALLY deserve it!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I am so jealous. We are saving up for a Colorado ski trip next year. Our three boys are finally all of an age to actually ski, so we'll be taking them along too. Enhances the family fun factor, but what I wouldn't give for five days on vacation with my husband! In the eleven years since we became parents, we've never managed to do it, except once, overnight, when had signed up for a triathlon together at the crack of dawn the following morning. Technically it qualifies as time away, but it certainly wasn't romantic.
    Have a great time!

    ReplyDelete