At the end of last month, right after a last minute trip to NY for an unfortunate circumstance, there was need to return for another. My step-dad's mother, Janet Gleason, passed. Her health was iffy for a while, so while it was not completely unexpected, it always feels surreal to say your final goodbyes. Of course I rounded up the boys and drove up to do just that. She was so good to us and counted us as her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
On the way we stopped to stay with Cousin Jill since she is an easy half-way point and just wonderful company anyway. She let us take over the basement each way to and from NY. Thank goodness for Jill & Greg! I never could have made that trek without the stopover!
The boys were pretty good and the drive not completely unbearable (though I don't want to have to do it again for a while). But being a single parent for a few days was really rough. I felt like I was "on" the whole time, worrying about them,"are they fed?", "are they safe?", "where are they?!" There was help on the other end as always but still, they are a handful. Restaurants are no fun with busy boys and we had to endure a couple of those. And Benny of course it still very much glued to my right hip. You would think I would have just fallen into bed each night exhausted. I was exhausted, but I never relaxed completely until we got home and barely sleep the whole week. I super tired and missing Leo very much by the time we got home.
Still, the visit was nice as we spent some quality time with the Grands, the Aunts, the Uncles, and Lily. We had beautiful weather the whole time. Nathan loved being outside, running non-stop. I love to see him able to just go and not worry (too much). Benny was less easy as mentioned, and he got a little banged up on his outside adventures (a missing chunk of his nose, a scrape on his chin and forehead were proof). But we survived.
While we were there, Babci went into the hospital (and we all feared - another grandmother?!). She recovered, but the hospital visit brought Leo's aunt and uncle down from Boston to see her. So I brought the boys over to see them. Nathan had only met Paul & Julie once and Benny not at all so we stopped by Grandpa Trucks house on the way out of town.
Despite my GPS not working, then the DVD player not working on the way home, several potty breaks and some hungry and I'm-sick-of-the-car complaints, we made it work. I was very happy to collapse on the couch when we got home, and let Daddy take over.
Since then I feel like it's getting harder and harder to catch up. True we have a lot of little house projects going on (as you will see in another post). But the kids seem to require non-stop attention. Meals are a series of getmethis and getmethat. Each room of the house is a trail of objects from other rooms. Dust, dirt and dropped food and drink are everywhere. And this isn't even taking care of shopping for and preparing meals, doing laundry, getting ready to go one place or another. If you're a mom, you know. It's endless. Then there is the overnight shennanigans. For the most part it's under control here. But there are nights where Nathan wakes with his awful high-pitch whine that wakes Benny 50% of the time. Last night Benny took forever to get back to sleep. Then it takes ME forever to get back to sleep. Then there is a Nathan in my face at 5:30 saying he doesn't want to sleep in his room alone (I let him sleep on the floor for a quick solution that didn't require me to move). And then Benny wakes at 6:30 for the day, just when I planned to wake up to fit in a little me-time. Ugh! I'm not complaining - this is parenthood. But sometimes I just have to throw my hands up in the air and say "It's not fair." Stomp around like a child and get it out. So I did. And now I feel better. But now I must get back to the to-do's. Dinner doesn't make itself over here.
PS - My Mothers Day was great. I left the house for a few hours. ALONE! Then we went to Gigi's for dinner. A needed break indeed. I think we should have mothers day once a week at least!
