Michael travels for work. More than most of my friends' husbands. I can feel like a single mom at times, but somehow always find a way to make it through the time he's gone. I was terrified for the first night I would have to spend alone with both girls now that Rachelle's on the scene, but so far we have survived a total of 4 days and 3 nights without Michael, and I'm starting to feel like a pro! I've had some serious divine assistance in juggling a nursing newborn and a toddler who won't sleep through the night. I told Michael for Mother's Day I'd like to offer him the same opportunity to experience being a single parent for a night while I go somewhere - anywhere - kid free. We'll see...
This past weekend, he traveled down to Orlando for an annual sales meeting. He booked his flight when I was 37 weeks pregnant. At the time, it never even occurred to me to arrange for me and the girls to join him. I was just focusing on how terrified I was to be alone with two kids. With how busy he's been at work and how chaotic it's been at home, neither one of us even thought to discuss it until Tuesday of last week (he was leaving on Thursday). He called me from work to say, "I'm warning you in advance that you're going to be jealous."
"Why? I'm already jealous you're getting away from this circus..."
"I'm going to Sea World while I'm down in Orlando."
Suddenly I was looking for a cheap, last minute flight. None existed. I briefly thought about driving the 10 hours with the girls while I was getting ready for bed Wednesday night, but was overwhelmed with the packing that would be involved. Plus, Michael assured me, he would be in meetings most of the time and would only be at Sea World for a few hours one day. Not worth a 20-hour round trip with two little ones.
Until he called me Thursday afternoon when he showed up at his hotel room. For some reason, he was booked in a three-bedroom condo-like room, all to himself! And looking at the schedule for the conference, he realized he was going to have a lot more free time than he initially thought. Suddenly, I was sick inside. And wondering if I should just pack up the girls anyway. I could have made it there by 3:00 AM Friday morning, and the girls and I could have spent two sunny days in Orlando, watching Shamu and feeding dolphins.
Instead, I was indecisive long enough for Michael to convince me that the drive wouldn't be worth it. I would be exhausted, he reasoned. And Shaelyn would possibly be scared of Shamu, he offered. And it wouldn't be a vacation anyway, not with a 2 year old tagging along, he explained. So I caved. Not that Michael didn't want me there. He did. He felt sick over having such a large room that would have accommodated his family as well. To have such space, especially in light of the current recession, seemed such a waste. But last minute travel wasn't ideal. He would have loved to have had us, if we had planned in advance. Had he known he was going to have such nice accommodations, he could have driven down with us on Wednesday, and had his work comp him for the gas. He could have stayed through Sunday (most of his fellow co-workers do) and drive home with us. I could have gotten a two-day pass to Sea World for me and the girls, and we could have spent two very fun days interacting with sea life.
So Michael ended up enjoying 80 degree weather and Shamu while the girls and I stayed couped up in the house enduring 40 degree weather and freezing rain. He felt terrible about the whole thing, especially when Shaelyn got so excited looking at his pictures of all the animals at Sea World.
...but don't you think she would have loved this?
The sting rays are my favorite. If you've ever felt how soft the are, you would understand why. I love petting the sting rays!
But he did bring home a Shamu doll for Shaelyn. And she now sleeps with it every night. And I've spent the last few days convincing myself that the girls would have screamed for 10 hours straight in the car. And I would have gotten no sleep in the hotel room. And Shaelyn would have been scared of the real Shamu. And whiny about the heat. And a pain to keep restrained and close by me at Sea World. And wouldn't have stayed put when I needed to nurse Rachelle. And finding a place to nurse Rachelle would have been a nightmare.Probably most of that is true. But there's still a part of me that's sick inside.
