Day 5

Today is our 5th day alone. All alone. Daddy is in Africa. No family within a 12 hour drive. Alone.

I have had help. I've been able to get out, but I have never been without children since Rob left. I have met friends for lunch, met friends at the playground, gone to dinner with friends from Alabama (YAY,) had people over to watch movies and play wii..... but my children have always been here or with me. I did have one evening where my friend Andrea watched Will so I could have dinner with friends, but I did have "Miss I refuse to sit still at dinner for 3 minutes" with me.

Here is my count so far-

-I have changed 40 diapers
-Cleaned 10 pair of big girl panties
-Emptied an Elmo potty 25 times
-Cleaned up poop 4 times
-6 loads of laundry
-6 baths with 2 active and splashing kids
-served 15 meals alone
-served 5 snacks
-packed 2 diaper bags 10 times
-applied 7 band aids
-broken up 57 fights
-sent Bennett to time out 18 times
-read 125 books
-gotten an average of 5 hours of sleep per night
-taken 2 fussy kids to the grocery store 4 times. (A list the first time would have solved this problem)
-taken 4 wagon rides
-played 10 games of hide and seek
-colored 8 pictures
-applied 40 stickers to the potty chart
-chased children all over playgrounds 3 times
-ridden 2 merry-go-rounds with a terrified Will and an elated Bennett
-mopped up muddy dog tracks 3 times
-vacuumed dog vomit. twice.
-cried 3 times

So, the funny thing about all of this is that I am a stay at home Mom. I am used to all of this. I do every bit of this on a daily basis. But I am realizing so much this week how much it helps to have a partner. Someone who gives you that sigh of relief when they walk in the door in the evening. Someone to hand the kids to. Someone who will get up with them in the morning. Someone else to do the dishes. Someone to read a book to the kids so you can take a bath. Someone to watch them so you can go to the store by yourself. Someone to help with the meals. Someone to ask how your day was. Someone to pray with at night. Someone to laugh with once the kids are in bed.

I have had a great week with my little ones. In the midst of all of the craziness, we have had a great time together. I love love love being with them and watching them delight in their world. But I'm ready for their Daddy to come home. I don't like doing it alone.

And if Rob doesn't come home soon, one member of this house might mysteriously disappear. I'm not saying which one, but I am strongly suggesting that it might be one of the canine creatures. The one whose name begins with K. But that's all I'm saying.