First Week Back

We made it to the end.

This week has just been one of those weeks. We have been spoiled by having Grant home for the holidays without his evening classes. The term started this week, and Grant went back to three late nights a week. Phaedra came down with a cold on Tuesday. She had just gotten better from her cold she had at Christmas. It is so frustrating. I don’t know for a fact, but it feels as if the kids always get sick from church. Why can’t people keep their kids/themselves home from church when they are sick?

Monday, we had a Relief Society presidency meeting in the morning, and I took on a really big project for the week. I went home and quickly started feeling inadequate and overwhelmed.

Tuesday was rough on me. I managed okay Monday evening, but on the second night of doing dinner with the kids alone, with Phaedra whiny and clinging to me and Eleanor asking constant obvious questions and saying, “Mommy,” --just because, was wearing me thin. I didn’t want to ask my mom to come over because I didn’t want to add to her burden, but when she showed up unexpectedly, I burst out in tears. I felt like I was going to go crazy without adult interaction.

Wednesday was full of errands and another dinner alone with the kids. Phaedra only spends about two minutes in the high chair before she’s squawking at me at full volume to let her out. As soon as she’s out, she wants to be on my lap so she can grab at everything on the table. Book club was that night, but there was also an Elders Quorum meeting, so I took tired and cranky Phaedra to book club while Grant took Eleanor to the meeting. He was going to try to hurry and come pick up Phae and put kids to bed. Book club was awkward. I don’t think anyone particularly liked the book besides the person who suggested it, and I only hope I wasn’t too harsh about it. Plus, I always go away from group settings kicking myself because I talk too much. I wish I could learn to speak in moderation without interrupting people. Easier said than done. Grant’s meeting went late, so he wasn’t able to come get Phae, even when I stayed afterwards to be trained for my calling. We got the kids to bed late, and later that night, Phaedra ended up in our bed –the only way we could convince her to sleep with her stuffy, miserable nose. Grant and I hardly slept that night.

Yesterday, I was able to look forward to my photography class all day. I met Grant with the kids at Costco, where we ate dinner and swapped cars so he could take the kids home. The class was exciting. I am so thrilled to learn more. My teacher is new to teaching (his second term doing it), and it shows, but I think it will be really fun. I don’t remember the last time I had homework I was actually excited to do. We got out early since it was the first night, and I went home to do more work on the Relief Society project. Last night, Eleanor came down with Phaedra’s cold. So, the girls played ping-pong waking each other up. Eleanor could hardly breathe. Another night for Grant and me with hardly any sleep.

Today, Eleanor slept in (but Phaedra, of course, woke up early). We stayed in our jammies most of the day and had very low expectations for the whole day. Eleanor was enduring her first bad day with her cold, so she was feeling sorry for herself most of the day. She would constantly say, “Mommy, I’m sick,” in the same pitiful, I-need-sympathy voice I used to use with my mom when I was a sick kid. When I would gently tell her, “I know, sweetie.  I’m sorry,” she would tell me, “I don’t like being sick.” Poor girl.

It was a crazy week. I got the project done (my part, at least, but it looks like I might be asked to help with more). I think I just need more time to get adjusted to Grant being gone in the evenings again. I’m tired and hoping the girls sleep tonight. On the bright side, today was a colder day, and I managed to convince Grant to build us a fire. Plus, we were sitting here watching Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, and Grant paused the show, turned to me, and asked me if I’d like him to go pick up some hamburgers. We both agreed it’s been a long time since we did something spontaneous. How could a girl say no to an offer like that? Now, I’m sitting with my laptop and my fire, waiting for my knight in shining armor to return. The garage door made Phaedra stir in her sleep, and I’m hoping she doesn’t wake when he gets back. My, how life has changed since it was just the two of us.

We were hoping to go on a date tomorrow, but we’ll see if that will happen. I’ll have to clean the house before anyone can come here to watch the girls, and I haven’t had the energy to do it. I want to wait and see how miserable the girls are tomorrow. Plus, we have to see if either grandma will be healthy enough to watch them.