Joe-Less

 I'm on the last day (thank the lord) of single-parenting while Joe is in Las Vegas for a conference. He left Saturday around lunchtime, and has been gone Saturday night, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and all day today until midnight. 

I've managed: Saturday dinner (potatoes supreme), making a fire in the firepit and having a late night out in the backyard with flashlights and hammock snuggling; baths for everyone and a shower for me Sunday morning, Sunday clothes, Sunday morning session of General Conference in the chapel. Sunday lunch and dinner (pumpkin chili and blueberry muffin bread) as well as listening to the second half of Sunday conference. Sunday bedtime. Monday morning getting Noah off to school. Lucy to and from preschool both Monday and Tuesday. Some Project Life'ing. Some laundry folding and putting away. a Quinn mini-session in the garage. Monday night outing to the mall to eat dinner and play in their play area. Monday bedtime. Approximately 50,000 poopy diapers, since Lucy still waits for her bedtime diaper to poop... (okay, maybe only 15 total. But still.) Getting Noah on the bus Tuesday AND making him a lunch first. Quinn to and from his mini-preschool Tuesday morning. Bookkeeping a bit. Making the last 2012 Blurb photo book and finalizing all three 2012 volumes and sending to print. Some major Lucy meltdowns. A manicure. Managing leftovers WITH a side of veggies for Tuesday dinner. Some cross-stitching. Tuesday bedtime (barely). An hour in the middle of the night with Quinn on my lap as we listened to soft music and I wrapped up editing. Editng client sessions every night after kid bedtimes. Getting Noah off to school today. A full morning-midday with Quinn and Lucy at the Museum of Transportation (after I ended up having Lucy play hooky from preschool because this morning was too much. I just.... couldn't get myself moving). Some tidying up. Preparing Jamberry to mail. Dishes every day. Another leftover dinner at home (hooray fighting the temptation to dine out again)... Getting Noah (and the sibs) to Taekwondo early. Managing the littles at the playground while Noah kicked and hit for an hour. Bedtime just now (though Quinn is wailing at me to come back up because he wants red juice in his cup and not water). 

I've managed a lot. 

I'm ready to be done. 

Joe is a major asset to my life.... And these times without him confirm to me, unequivocally, how much he helps me to be a better mom. 

The rage-iest I've ever been as a mom has only ever happened when Joe is away for a long stretch. That tells me I NEED him in order to be my best me. 

I'm grateful for him. 

And ready for him to be home. 

The end.