My husband arranged for me to take a much-needed trip to Chicago to visit a girlfriend over the 4th of July weekend. I was beyond excited! I cherish my time with my family more than anything, but I was ecstatic to sleep in, lay out in the sun, shop, eat, etc. without my little “shadows” following close behind. I knew I would be rejuvenated and giddy to meet my little blondies when I landed back in Kansas City!As I was making out my list of “to-do’s” before I could even check-in for my flight, I laughed aloud at all of the work that is involved when Mom leaves town versus when Dad leaves town.
Before heading off on my amazing girl’s weekend, my list looked something like this:
- Pack for myself (obvious).
- Pack for my children (because they were going to Grandma and Grandpa’s with Daddy, then staying when he had to return to work on Monday!). This task is not as easy as it sounds … do I have enough diapers? Did I remember both of their toothbrushes, their toothpaste, shampoo, hair ties, hairbrush, shoes, pajamas, etc.?
- Make sure there’s enough food in the fridge and enough snacks for the (short) time when the kids would be home with Daddy. (Granted, I don’t have to do this, but it’s necessary – as I will explain later!)
- Make sure laundry is caught up and that the house is somewhat in order (because Lord knows it won’t be when I return!).
- Wait – did I pack enough clothes for the kids?
On the other hand, if my husband were to set off on a similar weekend with the guys, this is what he would have on his list before checking in for his flight:
- Mow the yard (for the record, I’m super-thankful for how great my husband is at taking care of our yard. He’s definitely our in-house landscape architect and groundskeeper!).
- Pack for himself.
Times like this make me pause and really consider what life is like for my kids while I’m out of town. They were ecstatic to be spending a lot of time at Grandma and Grandpa’s, and I was thrilled for that to happen! However, there was a bit of time when they weren’t at Grandma and Grandpa’s and Dad was solely responsible for their care. During that time, I heard about the following:
- A catered breakfast – from McDonald’s
- Lunch consisting of chips, popcorn and raisins
- Dinner out at Waffle House (with my daughter wearing her pajamas)
- “Nap time” taking place in the same room – filled with fake snoring
Don’t get me wrong, I am beyond thankful for my husband. I love the memories our kids will have of the times when “dad was in charge”! I can’t help but wonder if all the “work” is worth it … and from my children at Waffle House, I can only assume the answer is “YES!”
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