Single Mom (for a few days)

Last weekend, Nathan went to Portland to hang out with his older brother, Dustin, and his family. I was mentally prepared for the trip, but I severely underestimated how tired I would be after four days. Nathan left Friday afternoon and returned late Monday night. When he finally walked through the door, I left him with two crying babies and headed to bed. Welcome home! (He wondered why I wasn't more excited to see him. I had to explain that I was too tired to smile.)

Being a parent is undoubtedly rewarding, but also exhausting at times. Going through the day and never having a break from 7 am to 8 pm was somewhat overwhelming. I would find myself mentally saying, "I can do this! I can do this!" Then, I was actually saying the words out loud, motivating myself to stay energized and positive throughout the day. And it worked. And I was happy, and I did an amazing job (if I do say so myself!). 

The babies were fussing and teething, Eliza suddenly had a 103 degree fever, and I handled it all without Nathan...and we survived! I went to bed at 9:00 each night because I was that tired, and before I fell asleep, I wondered: "How do people do this alone?" I gained a small glimpse into what it would be like to be a parent who never had any help (and even then, my mother-in-law was there to help if I asked most nights). I also realized that I am capable of being a positive, loving parent in a stressful situations and that attitude in crazy moments absolutely makes a difference. 

Most importantly, I realized how lucky I am to have Nathan around all the time. It is a blessing that we are able to work from home and spend our days together with our children. Even when he has a busy day helping students, he takes every break to help put the twins or Eliza down for a nap. I am grateful for his constant companionship and thankful that he allows me to have a few moments to myself during the day.

Lesson learned: I can handle our three children alone. However, I prefer to parent with Nathan. I am so glad he is back (and so are these little ones).