Cal is feeling better and so far, no one else has come down with the stomach flu from hell. My hands, on the other hand (no pun intended) are raw and burn constantly from the lethal combination of scalding hot water, soap, and a few squirts of antibacterial Germ-X for good measure. You cannot be too careful.
Tomorrow, barring any last minute gastro-intestinal surprise, I am leaving for a long weekend to Washington DC! Because of Mark's work, he periodically gets to travel (albeit for business) while the boys and I and Marshall the wonder dog hold down the fort. Well, this weekend the tables are turned and Mark is in charge for five days.
Don't get me wrong, I have one of those very high functioning husbands. He does a great job keeping up with the house, keeping the boys in one piece, and even giving Marshall some QT. (Mark denies it, but he loves that dog.) But as I prepare to head out the door and give Mark control over the proverbial wheel, I am astounded by the vast amount of information I know that he may not. It isn't that he is uneducated...but there is just some information that moms retain and dads get to skim over.
For instance, tomorrow Cal has to take in a pillowcase to preschool for a craft project. I have purchased the pillowcase, but will have to tell Mark to turn it in because Cal certainly won't. As I think about it, I am not even sure Mark knows the new check in system for preschool. Does he know they charge by the minute if you are late picking up?
And then there's the grade school nuances. Will he know to hang the "Jude Kimmel" sign from the passenger visor in the pick up line? I hope he remembers that Jude has a spelling test Friday and likes to review the words Thursday night. I worry that he will forget to send Jude with his windbreaker or skip his Claritin in the mornings.
Now, none of this is truly critical. The world will not fall off its axis if the boys go to school in clothes that don't match, but I have to admit I feel a small sense of accomplishment -pride almost - for all the little things I manage day to day. With my life so scaled back because of my heart issue, I forget that I oversee a plethora of details that may not change the world, but help ours run more efficiently. And that counts for something!
So while I am relaxing in a hotel, eating a meal cooked by someone else on a plate I'm not washing, or admiring the World War II Memorial, say a prayer for Mark. I know he'll be great. I'm just not sure the kids will match. Or smell great. Or wear underwear. Or brush their teeth.
It's all good. I'm going on vacation!
Tomorrow, barring any last minute gastro-intestinal surprise, I am leaving for a long weekend to Washington DC! Because of Mark's work, he periodically gets to travel (albeit for business) while the boys and I and Marshall the wonder dog hold down the fort. Well, this weekend the tables are turned and Mark is in charge for five days.
Don't get me wrong, I have one of those very high functioning husbands. He does a great job keeping up with the house, keeping the boys in one piece, and even giving Marshall some QT. (Mark denies it, but he loves that dog.) But as I prepare to head out the door and give Mark control over the proverbial wheel, I am astounded by the vast amount of information I know that he may not. It isn't that he is uneducated...but there is just some information that moms retain and dads get to skim over.
For instance, tomorrow Cal has to take in a pillowcase to preschool for a craft project. I have purchased the pillowcase, but will have to tell Mark to turn it in because Cal certainly won't. As I think about it, I am not even sure Mark knows the new check in system for preschool. Does he know they charge by the minute if you are late picking up?
And then there's the grade school nuances. Will he know to hang the "Jude Kimmel" sign from the passenger visor in the pick up line? I hope he remembers that Jude has a spelling test Friday and likes to review the words Thursday night. I worry that he will forget to send Jude with his windbreaker or skip his Claritin in the mornings.
Now, none of this is truly critical. The world will not fall off its axis if the boys go to school in clothes that don't match, but I have to admit I feel a small sense of accomplishment -pride almost - for all the little things I manage day to day. With my life so scaled back because of my heart issue, I forget that I oversee a plethora of details that may not change the world, but help ours run more efficiently. And that counts for something!
So while I am relaxing in a hotel, eating a meal cooked by someone else on a plate I'm not washing, or admiring the World War II Memorial, say a prayer for Mark. I know he'll be great. I'm just not sure the kids will match. Or smell great. Or wear underwear. Or brush their teeth.
It's all good. I'm going on vacation!
Comments
I will miss you Banana. You deserve this and I am so happy for you that I'm almost not mad at you for going without me...almost. I can't wait to hear all about it. Takes pics of everything!