With the teenager and husband gone, all the household chores have fallen squarely on my shoulders. My oldest is usually responsible for the dishes, and without her here I have had to handle that without help. I confess to cheating a bit by using paper plates, but have run the dishwasher twice when it got full. I find the fifteen minutes to load or empty is far from the full-hour she makes the task take. When she returns, I will be glad to hand back the dishes, but will insist that she knock off the drama!
I am still figuring out what the husband usually does around here. He is great in a crisis such as we had last week when the bathroom suddenly needed an overhaul, but as far as day-to-day details, I'm not sure that there are any set expectations. So far, I haven't been hearing a mental mantra of "He should be doing this!" I am undecided if this is a good thing or not. On the one hand, I haven't been as irritated with his absence. On the other, I wonder if I've been a little too lax on insisting he help!
Its the kids that are my main stress this week. I know parenting is a 24/7 deal, but that seems to be true only if you are the mommy. The constant demands on my time and attention are wearing thin. I miss being able to hand them off to the teenager for twenty minutes to take a shower. I long to leave for a few hours knowing it is daddy's turn to deal with the toddlers for a time.
I am sure that somewhere in the Guiness Book of Records there are some impressive survival statistics. Somebody who was trapped underground for a week, or lost at sea for six days or something equally astounding. I doubt, however, that surviving 5 days of single-parenthood takes its appropriate place in those hallowed halls of fame. I have no doubt, however, that if the editors of the Guiness Book borrowed my kids for most of a week, we would see a literary revolution of published records.
Most Amazing Mommy Awards:
Michigan mom stops screaming for 30 full seconds!
Champion single-mom changes record 482 diapers daily!
Mommy buried by bills, babies, and other burdens found still alive on day five!
In the midst of everything, I find I miss the presence of the ones I love more than their assistance with the daily challenges of life. I realize that I love them no matter what they do or do not do for me. I will be glad to hug the daughter who does my dishes. I want to hold the husband who has no chores. And the three smaller kids? I love them too. I just have to find a way to enjoy their presence as much as I miss that of the others.
"Every good and perfect gift is from above,
coming down from the Father of lights,
with Whom there is no variation or shifting shadow."
--James 1:17
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