Yesterday my guy left us for Charlotte, NC. I was so not looking forward to being a single mom for five days. This is the first time he has had to leave town for work since L was born in January. Although I am here with them all day by myself and seem to manage just fine, there is something about those last three hours of the day that so completely requires another set of hands.
Last night was our first night "alone". We went to a class at the library, so E had a PB&J and a variety of fruit for dinner. I guess it could be worse. I ate her crust. (yum) Unfortunately, L screamed the whole way home. In my humble opinion, there is nothing more nerve racking than being completely helpless for your screaming baby. I mean full on red-faced, tear-streaked, can't-catch-a-breath, blood-curdling screaming. For the love of pete, help me. Of course, the second I pull her out of the car, she is fine. Inexplicable.
We got home a little before 9 o'clock. Now, I am not one of those mothers that totally freaks if her kids aren't in bed right on time, but pretty close. I start to check the clock every second and am painfully aware that with each passing moment my job gets more difficult. I am a little more relaxed with E, she is a little older and seems more adaptable (I cannot believe I just said that about my 2 yo). However, L, on the other hand, I have worked very hard to get her on a sleeping schedule. It is brilliant, she is in bed by 9:30 and sleeps til about 4 a.m. I bring her to bed with us at that time and she sleeps with us until I get up at about 6:30. I usually leave her in there and she comes to at about 9:00. Needless to say, after slowly shaving precious moments off her bedtime (it used to be 11) I am not about to screw it up now.
I decide to take my chances with E, so I plop her down on the couch with a book. I explain to her that I am gonna put L down and that she needs to just read quietly until I come out. Since L is getting a tooth (yes, a tooth @ 3 1/2 months) she has been a little bit more difficult to get to sleep. Another source of stress, since I am flying solo. I have all these visions in my head of E running around crazy and L screaming in her crib.....
It is a miracle. A. Miracle.
E manages to actually do what I have asked, and so sweet about it too. L goes down without too much drama. I am half way home. E is next, she gets a bath almost every night, it is just part of our routine and helps her calm down. However, since it is already after 9:30 I decide that tonight is not one of those nights. I give her the five minute warning, the tension rises. She starts dumping her juice on the couch. So, I grab her jammies, I figure she doesn't know what five minutes is anyway. Then the meltdown ensues. We manage to get on her jammies and get to her room, she has said the word "NO" a record number of times in the last three minutes.
Bedside is usually a sweet end to the day, full of hugs and songs and giggles. Tonight we get there, and WHACK. The last thing my beautiful little girl does before she falls asleep is smack mommy in the face. I can't deal. I just put her in her crib. There were no words, no hugs, no giggles, how depressing.
Moments later my guy calls. He is in his hotel room, safe and sound. Asks me how it is going. "Fine", I say, not quite ready to unload.
Then he starts bitching about how his "company put me up in the nicest, most expensive damn hotel in Charlotte. I have spent almost all my per-diem for the weekend on one dinner. I had a steak, a glass of red wine, and a glass of whiskey and it was $48! How do they expect me to eat all my dinners on only $100!?! I will have to call tomorrow and have them wire me more money. I could eat appetizers, but it is still $10 for two little crab cakes! What the hell?"
I am a puddle of envy.
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