I wasn't dreading it because I was dreading leaving my son home alone with his daddy for a couple of days. Leaving Boo with his daddy is never, ever the problem. I'm so thankful to have a partner in this who is just as capable as I am at this whole parenting gig. Actually, I don't think we'd have a kiddo if I didn't think Gak would be the awesome daddy he is. This whole parenting thing isn't one I'd want to do alone if I didn't have to, and well, I don't have to. I've got an amazing hubby.
Sorry, not sure where that bit of ramble came from... maybe I've been reading too many "mommie's rock, daddies suck" kind of articles. That's far from the truth in my corner of the world. Just about all the dads I know (there will always be exceptions to every rule) take parenting just as seriously and work just as hard at it as the moms... sometimes more so.
No, I was looking forward to it because it meant I was going to be out of the office. It meant I was going to be able to focus on one problem, and one problem only, for the entire day. It meant I was finally going to meet with people face to face that I'd been talking over the phone with for almost 12 years now. Guiltily, it also meant I was going to have two whole evenings of not having to be Momma. Now, don't get me wrong, being Momma is the best title in the world to me, but there are days when it is nice to just be Addey. When I don't have to be employee Addey, or wife Addey or Momma Addey. When I can go out to eat and not worry about wrangling a kiddo into his seat every 30 seconds or trying to get a little elbow room at the table or all the other fun adventures of eating out with a four-year-old. When I can watch what I want on TV or not and not feel guilty about ignoring the world and playing with yarn. Everyone needs some moments like that, kids or not.
I was also dreading it because the work I was heading out to do isn't fun. It has to do with state regulations and reporting and well... this state is just plain wacky and very painful when it comes to that. Much more painful than just about any other state out there that I can think of. I was also dreading it a bit because I was only half looking forward to the site visit I had planned for the drive home. I was only half looking forward to driving 3/4 of the way across the state and back. (It can be a nice drive, but you can also get stuck on some of these roads that turn it from an enjoyable drive to slow moving torture...) I was also not really looking forward to Velcro-boy over the next couple of days after I got home. I get attacked by Velcro-boy often enough when he's had a full week of full-day daycare or Wednesday evenings after Girl Scouts start up that I knew being gone two whole nights would mean I'd have my arms full of a boy-o who didn't want to leave his Momma's sight for a couple of days.
The trip went well over all. The drive on Tuesday got maddeningly slow only in one or two places. The work Wednesday was long, mentally rough and time consuming. I don't want to think about how long it would have taken me if I'd tried to do it remotely over a modem. It wasn't difficult, but it involves a lot of data entry and a bit of math. And when you're dealing with 10 sets of reports, it just takes time, pure and simple. The lunch we had planned with two other sites nearby (who use our software and are all friends) didn't happen because of various other things coming up. I did have a nice lunch with the guy at the site I was at.
But, I'm also very glad that I did make the site visit I was half dreading on the way home. I was just wanting to pop in, say hi, just sort of check in for a few and be on my way. I was figuring I'd be there an hour tops. I was there almost two whole hours! It was all very good conversation and let me bring a lot of good information about the plant and happenings to the office. They were glad I stopped in and gave me lots of information to take back with me and I was able to answer a couple of questions. So, yeah, I'm glad I stopped, even if it meant I put in a 12 hour day all told. (4 hours at the site I was working at, 2 hours at the other site and about 6 hours driving time all told with stops for food and gas...)
So, the end of last week was fairly productive.
I wish I could say the same about this week. My low level exhaustion has dropped my energy level from about a normal 4 out of 10 to about a 3 out of 10 I think this week. And actually, it's not so much my raw energy level that's been the problem, but the lack of focus that goes along with it. My mind has been all over the place other than on what I'm supposed to be working on. I've got to fix that today and salvage something good this week!
But that's all work. I'll tell you, getting home last Thursday was nice. Boo and Gak were over at Kat's house because I wasn't going to get home until about 7:00. Actually, Gak had just gotten there a few minutes before I had. Steph had picked Boo up, and Boo and Zoe were playing in the back yard when I got home. They actually didn't even notice my car pulling up. I stuck my head out the back door and just yelled "Boo!" and you'd have thought I'd promised free ice cream for life the way they both came running. (What can I say, Zoe loves me too...) The funny part was I got a quick hug and then Boo was off and running again with Zoe. That was fine by me as I had a headache and wanted to catch up with Steph and Kat a bit before rounding up a boy-o to then go return the rental car and go home.
The weekend was nice. I did have Velcro-boy a bit at night, but that's been happening frequently these days. It's become part of the bedtime routine in a way.
We spent Saturday doing laundry and running some errands. Sunday morning was cleaning, a few more errands and some blob time. Sunday night Gak and I went to our friend Scott's surprise 40th birthday party. Kat did an awesome job planning it. We had a lot of fun and enjoyed a nice evening out with friends and not having to be Momma and Daddy. Monday was rainy and icky. Boo and I went down to Amma's around lunch time. We even went over next door to play with Henry and Lia for a little bit. Boo was being a bit clingy and shy and Velcro-boy so it didn't last long, much to Henry's disappointment I think. But, over all it was a good day.
Like I said earlier, this week at work's been tough, even though it is a short week. I'll get over it and move on. I get the feeling I need a followup before October though on this whole exhaustion thing...
This weekend should be fun. Tomorrow Boo starts in his bumper bowling league while the bigger kids continue to bowl in their league. Sunday we're having a family pot-luck and meeting for Girl Scouts. I'll be having a brief meeting in the first part to go over registration and goals for the year and stuff and then it'll be relax and get to know everyone time. You see, I've gone from 5 or 6 girls to probably 17 or 18. Yep, my troop has tripled in size. I'm actually looking forward to meeting all the new girls. A lot already know each other because there are a couple of troops that have dissolved over the past year and some are girls from the Junior troop some of my girls last year came from. It should be a lot of fun.
I've now got 5 minutes to snuggle an awake boy, get dressed and get out the door. Wish me luck.
Peace to all and may your travel adventures be good, and your focus remain strong.
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