Pending Doom, Send Twinkies

I've been dreading this week. The hubs will be leaving us on Tuesday to go on vacation a work trip. He won't be back until Friday. That's FOUR DAYS with the kids to myself. More importantly, that's THREE LONG NIGHTS as a single mom. And honestly, I don't know how full-time single mom's do it! Even though the hubs does tend to get home late, I live for the small time I get all to myself as he puts the kids to bed. It's what gets me through the day. And it just might be what makes me lose it before the week is out.

You see, I never put the kids to bed. With Fin, this is not such a big thing. I can strong-arm and bribe him just as well as the hubs can. It's Dash. When he's tired and ready for bed, he grabs his bear and ducker and waddles over to the hubs and puts his head down. Just like that. And the hubs takes him to his room, lays him down, and closes the door. And he goes to bed. Seriously, just like that. On the rare occasion that he does get up in the middle of the night, the hubs (who is usually still up himself) just shoves his pacifier back in his mouth and he's out.

Please don't tell me how lucky we are that we have a almost-16 month old who goes to bed so easily. I know that. Here's the rub - with mama involved, it's a WHOLE NEW BALL GAME! Mama means playtime. So mama has to snuggle him till he's sound asleep. Then I have to sneak him into his room. Then I have to toss him as gently as possible into his crib (it's too deep for any kid of nice placement). If anything goes wrong? Start all over again. And if he wakes up in the middle of the night? HA! Guess the day starts early.

And have I mentioned the raging sinus infection that has had me up the past two nights. I saw a guy on a NyQuil commercial boasting about his good sleep and feeling better in the morning and I wanted to smash the TV. Then I started thinking, is it really that bad for the baby? I mean which is worse, no sleep and crazy mama or a leeeeetle green death? Don't answer that. My jury is still deliberating.

Fin has been begging to go to lunch bunch, and I think unless he pulls a knife on his teacher, this is the week he wins.

And on top of everything, this makes me want to strangle the hubs. Before you go all "bad wife" on me, I understand. It's for work, not for fun. And he's going to Minneapolis. It's going to be, well, chilly. Heh. But I think any mama will understand how three child-free nights in a hotel sounds a like too much like paradise. I don't care what you have to do during the day to get there. Not to worry, as long as he comes back well rested and ready to take the reins, I'll welcome him home with open arms and a hot dinner.

Don't forget I'm all pregnanty. And people keep reminding me that there are some women who love being pregnant, but unless you've never been here before, you should know that I'm not one of them. I'm more than a little hormonal. And I'm tired. I mean, really tired. I'm starting to think that the second trimester energy burst skips over mamas who are already taking care of two little one's.

So if you call me this week and I answer crying, or all you can hear is screaming, or I don't answer at all and never call you back. You'll know why. And if you stop by, bring some Twinkies. I'm totally craving them but I'm way too stubborn to actually buy something that unhealthy. Really. I'll be your best friend.