Me, Myself, and I

Starting tomorrow morning, Captain Competitive Senior (a.k.a. my husband), is in charge.  That's right, for 60 hours, I'm going somewhere BY MYSELF.  For the first time in probably 11 years.  I'm pretty sure the last time I went somewhere by myself is when I flew home to get ready for our wedding.  Since then, I've gone plenty of places.  First accompanied by Captain Competitive Senior himself, or girlfriends (mine, not his of course).  Then with Captain Competitive Junior as a baby, and finally with the whole kitten caboodle of Alpha Gamma McVey.  I am usually the crazy lady in the airport with the 3 kids and sometimes a husband if it's a family trip.  I often do travel alone with them and have been doing so since the twins were 2 and still in diapers and CC Junior was 4. Crazy I know, but desperate times call for desperate measures.  Sitting here with 3 kids under four on a long winter day always seemed worse than hopping on a plane and constantly diverting disaster for a few hours until my parents picked us up at the Orlando airport.  To anyone who has ever had to sit next to us on an airplane, I am truly sorry.  Really I am.  I'm sure it was unpleasant, especially when Good Time Charlie had a major blowout as a 2 year old that leaked onto the airplane seat.  I hope all the good samaritans who have had to endure a few hours of us have long forgotten about me and my boys.

Back to tomorrow............. CC Senior is in charge for 2 and a half days.  He has been in charge plenty of times before, but usually enlists the help of his parents who live a couple of hours away.  This time he's flying solo.  I have pumped up the boys in my absence with promises of an exciting "Boys Only Weekend".  I have told them that this is very special to have this time alone with daddy (while mommy is sipping refreshing beverages with old friends in sunny California acting like she is 20 again).  Not that I don't think that the weekend will be a success, I honestly do. CC Senior is more than capable and may actually find himself having a great time.   But I have to admit I'm letting him off easy this time. 

To all the ladies out there... whether you work or stay home, don't you love it when the husband asks, "What did you do all day?"  CC Senior honestly asks me this because he is being nice.  And because he's a good listener and I told him that he needs to be more curious about my everyday life, however mundane it may seem (although insane is more of a correct term for everyday life here).  For these 60 hours, all I am asking him to do is feed, bathe, read to, and put the kids to bed on Friday evening. Wake them all up at 6:30am,  feed them breakfast, and have them all dressed and at the football field by 8am Saturday morning for CC Junior's football game. (Oh, and Sir WhineAlot is NOT a morning person, so listen to lots of whining, and watch carefully because Good Time Charlie likes to see how far he can throw his cheerios.)  Come home, feed them lunch, play, give them a snack, play referee, make sure they don't kill each other or flood the basement, and please please stay out of the emergency room this weekend.  After that, please feed them dinner, make sure they are clean (and wiping them down with a washcloth DOES NOT count as clean), brush their teeth, and put them to bed at a reasonable time.   Oh, and do that all over again on Sunday, except instead of the football game, make sure to drop CC Junior at the birthday party, and don't forget the gift.   I won't be home until Sunday evening, definitely after bedtime, and hope the house is clean.

Here's the thing........... here are all the things I'm NOT asking CC Senior to do this weekend (with 3 boys in tow):  grocery shop, pick up the dry cleaning, go to the post office, pay the bills, wrap the birthday presents, host a playdate, do the laundry, drive carpool with people flinging things out the window, plan a birthday party, wait for the cable guy, design a Halloween costume, make cookies, make play dough, make dinner (I'm pretty sure frozen pizza is the food of choice for the weekend), and hold on Line 1 to speak to the next customer service representative while Sir WhineAlot and Good Time Charlie toilet paper the house. 

Now I'm not saying I could do his job, because I know that I can't.  I have absolutely NO idea how to do his job and all the stress that comes with it, so I don't expect him to know how to do mine, especially with things flying around the house all day.  I appreciate that our relationship works this way. He manages the daily stress of supporting a family of 5, and I manage the daily stress of boys who are full of creative energy (that's the politically correct way of putting it).   All I'm saying is that he will probably have a much greater appreciation for me when I arrive home on Sunday. (He says that's not possible, but I'm going to leave that up to this weekend).  Just like I would of him if we switched roles for 60 hours. 

Until then, I'm going by myself.  Just me, myself, and I to watch an old friend engage in holy matrimony.  To ride on an airplane without a millions snacks and juice boxes, and to get reacquainted with the old me, before Alpha Gamma McVey became my life.  I wouldn't trade it for anything,  and it's nice to know it will be right here when I get back, probably with new nerf bullets adorning my windows.  Have fun boys.  CC Senior, love you, and please don't call before noon cental time, I'll be sleeping.