Checking In

I am simply checking in here to say that I know I have been a blogging failure this week.
But people.
I am preparing for a momentous occasion.

Once, when Alex was a year old, I spent 2 nights away from her.
To be specific, we were a 6 hour car ride away.

Then, when Alex was 5 and Derek was almost 3, I spent one night away from the both of them.
To be specific, we were a 3 hour car ride away.

This afternoon I will leave both of my children for FOUR nights. IN  A ROW.
And I will not be a car ride away from them.
As a matter of fact, if I had a sudden and urgent need to get to them, like for a hug or to sniff their necks, I would have a really long swim ahead of me.

I wont even be in phone contact for goodness sakes!

And so I've been preparing this week.

Doing important things like perusing the dinner menus on the cruise ship, and obsessively checking the weather to make sure my friend and I will be able to fly to Miami.

Oh, and leaving Josh a note and schedule so detailed that he might need to consult it before taking a bathroom break.
But at least he would know the correct dose of medicine should any child come down with illness, from the common cold to dengue fever.
He will also know:
the school bus schedule
that Alex has a birthday party on Saturday
Dance is at 9:45
Ideas for dinners
Ideas for lunches
Where all of Derek's epi-pens are
That under no circumstance should he allow Alex's first loose tooth to fall out while I'm away
How to turn on the dishwasher
That Alex has to wear a red or pink shirt with jeans to the song performance at the PTA meeting
That he must record said performance for me
That he should bring Derek's hand-held game with headphones so that he can record said performance
That there is a casserole in the fridge just because I love him
That Derek has the softest skin on his little bottom and it needs to be patted from time to time
And on and on.


Today I will finish up the laundry, run the dishwasher, and give the toilets one last swipe with a Clorox wipe. Then I will post a note on the front door saying that guests can enter at their own risk.
My husband is excellent at caring for his children.
He plays with them and cleans their ears in the bath.

Cleaning up around the house is not really where he excels.

But he can do this:

And that's pretty cool.

I'm sure he will do a great job.
I'm sure they will eat an occasional vegetable.
I'm sure I will miss them.

Well, I'm mostly sure.