Solitude

It is very very quiet here.

As you may recall, the big kids are with Grampa and Gramma this week in the "Big Vacation of Grandchild Spoilery" in Northern Wisconsin. This vacation is likely comprised of 18 straight hours of Cartoon Network, riding Grampa's tractor, and having a first rate short order cook who makes whatever you request including marshmallows and bacon for breakfast. There were also reportedly new toys waiting for them upon their arrival. So, at less than 24 hours separation from their mother, while I am already beginning to miss them acutely, they no doubt can barely recall that there is a woman who birthed them and whose name they typically utter (or shriek) about 2697 times per day. At the very least.

I have a lengthy to do list that calls me. But the siren lure of the computer is winning so far. At some point today (my only "work" free day this week) I need to do all our household finances that I have put off for the past 6 weeks, including reconciling the bank accounts from the past three months, sort out this filthy desktop (getting ready to move) and clean out the fridge. I am also washing all the bedding, including the kiddo's blankets, which become a bit nasty from food in bed and Quin's occasional diaper seepage. (Listen people, diapers seep sometimes. Blankets don't get washed all the time. This is the way it is when you have three small children and are trying to run your own business!) I also need to touch up some paint spots in the bathroom, living room and paint the ceiling in the kid's room. I have been delaying this task until the kids are gone to avoid the inevitable discovery of the wonders of paint by the children which would culminate in their tracking paint about the house and then marveling in the permanency of the "footprints." Gabe would doubtlessly say: "Look Mama! Like, a clue!" Scooby Doo style, because he now models his speech patterns on Shaggy and Scooby. (Typical dialogue: "Zoinks Mama! Like, I am totally hungry! Ruh Row! I need a Scooby Snack like, right now!")

In the absence of such distractions, there is this primal part of me which is screaming "Hoooray! No kids to wrangle or cook for or clean up after! Rejoice! Watch TV! Eat Bon Bons!" I am striving to strike a balance. I put in over ten hours at the office yesterday. Perhaps today I can slag off on the computer a bit and maybe even take a nap! Then I will tackle the To Do List From Hell.

I was thinking, as I locked up the house last night, how lonely I will be when my kids are grown and it is just me and Hubby all the time. So, yes, silly me, I am battling "Empty Nest Syndrome" while my kids are away on the World's Greatest Sugar Ingesting Challenge. Sigh.