Grin and Bear It

After the month of November I have developed a whole new appreciation for single parents. Mark had to travel to Taiwain for exactly half the month. Which meant I was on my own for 15 days. Now back in the day when Mark and I were childless and he had to travel for work, it was no big deal. I would say "see ya later" and settle in for some takeout dinner and a movie. Then when we had Owen, if Mark had to travel I would say "I wish you didn't have to go". Then Owen and I would visit family or just pal around to pass the time. And now with two kids, when Mark has to travel, I look at him very seriously and beg, "Please don't leave me!" But of course he has to go. And I try to grin and bear it.

I got by fairly well the first week he was gone. We had our routines. We got invited to dinner with friends. A nice lady from church offered to watch the boys one day so I could get out for a couple hours. I managed to schedule events everyday that would help the week go by quickly. And it was hard. And I was very tired. But it was doable. And then the second week I got even braver. I decided to travel to Boston with the boys to visit my dear friend, Marissa. It would be good for us to leave and have some fun in a new city, I thought. So we took a red-eye flight, nearly missed a whole night's sleep, and began our adventure. Not long after we arrived my friend and her husband and their cutie pie one-year-old all got sick. Nasty cold virus, said the doctor. And things were beginning to look dicey. Then Gavin decided to take his sleep routine and throw it out the window. And things were looking more uncertain. And finally, Owen decided to turn into a problem child (that's saying it nicely) for the remainder of the week. And things looked to be a total bust.

Luckily my friend and I had been through a lot together and we were not ready to give up. She powered through her sickness. We got Gavin mostly on track with sleep. And Owen, well it was a lost cause really. But we went on some amazing outings each day. We got to enjoy the crisp autumn air in Boston. We got to catch up on each others' lives and create new memories. And we almost avoided getting sick ourselves. That pesky virus followed us back home. So we spent the next week fighting off illness. But I didn't care because at that point Mark returned from his travels and took care of us all.

Blessed be my husband. I have a whole new appreciation for him! I finally feel like I have recovered from single-parenthood. Just in the nick of time it seems. Mark has to travel again next week.