In Which I Contemplate my Impending Departure

Going to my favorite place again today …

 

 

Work travel since the kids have come has taken on a whole new meaning. I’ve never particularly enjoyed traveling for business, but in the past I could pick up and go for a week at a time several times a year with minimal repercussions on those around me. Now I agonize over every detail of my trips – what time of day to leave, how many days to stay, whether to try to take one or both of the kids with me, whether to bring someone along to watch them or use corporate day care, etc. I am very fortunate in my child care arrangements and lucky that I can leave overnight and between Jared, Julie, and my mom my bases are pretty much covered and the kids get to stay in their secure and familiar environment.

 

It’s still super stressful. Both kids are sick this time – Piggy with viral sore throat and Winnie with an ear infection. I’m feeling pretty sick myself. So all in all, the kids are better off at home for this trip, but I worry because they aren’t sleeping well. I worry that Winnie will wake up in the night and when she realizes I am not coming no matter how much she cries, that she will give Jared a run for it. I’ve never spent a night away from her, so I’m worried she’ll feel abandoned. I’m less worried about Piggy because he’s been apart from me before and done really well. He’s actually getting clingier with age, though, and that makes me worry. Is he starved for attention? Am I neglecting him in subtle ways because Winnie is so demanding?

 

It is a necessity that I work at this point in our lives. I don’t love it, Jared doesn’t love it, and my kids certainly don’t love it. So, like many less-than-ideal aspects of life, we just do our best to deal with it. Every time I leave the house, and especially when I have an out-of-town trip, I look forward to the day I will stay home with the kids. When that day comes, if I ever feel nostalgia creeping up, I’ll remind myself of how I felt on days like today. I’ll remember that I just wanted to stay home and snuggle my piggies, make them lunch and read them stories, and maybe occasionally sneak in a nap while they are napping. The simple life. That’s the goal.