One day down, three to go and doing okay

Well, we've made it through the first 24 hours of another work trip for Matt. He left dark and early yesterday morning and will be back after the kids go to bed on Monday night. After a long week of snow, ice and sickness, I was not looking forward to a long weekend of single-parenthood. In the past when he's been out of town for more than a day or two, I've typically spent at least part of the time retreating to my parents' house for some assistance and a reprieve from some of the hassle of cooking and cleaning. But this time as the trip approached and various activities have arised, I decided to try and duke it out on our own. And so far, so good.

Last night after the kids went to bed, a couple of neighborhood moms came over and we just talked, ate, drank, and laughed (a lot!) until almost 1:00 am! I had a blast with these ladies and am very thankful for their friendship. It was so much fun. So even though I'm a little tired today, it was so worth it!

Today's plans include a possible library trip, a haircut for John, and hopefully (if all goes well) dinner at a local restaurant where the kids can get one of their favorite meals - chicken quesadillas. My in-laws just called and offered to take the kids off my hands for a couple of hours today to give me a break, but I declined since I'm feeling pretty confident about our ability to get through today. Everyone's in a good mood, has eaten a big breakfast and are excited about our plans. I'm very optimistic about today.

Then tomorrow's plan is go maybe get to the grocery store in the morning, then a big party at the marina where my in-laws have a boat. The party is all afternoon, will have tons of food, drinks, door prizes, and fun. It was a blast last year and I'm really looking forward to it again this year. Then after the party, I'm going to come home to watch the superbowl with the kids, have a good, normal bedtime and then chill out on my own for the rest of the game. I thought I'd be lonely or unhappy spending the game by myself, but I'm actually looking forward to it. Not sure why exactly, but I guess I'm just ready for some low-key activities. We'll see how I feel by the time the game starts, but anyway....

So, it'll be a full weekend of plans, nothing terribly exciting (except for the marina party), but lots of fun. Hopefully the kids will stay happy and enjoy the time as well. I guess it's that I've now been a mom for long enough that being on my own for a few days just doesn't scare me the same way it used to. It's a challenge, and it is exhausting, but it's not overwhelmingly scary anymore. I love my kids and they're at a great stage right now. Very playful, more and more independent, and can be entertain themselves a lot more than they used to (together and separately).

I think it's going to be a good weekend for us all. But still, wish me luck!