Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Where I've Been

Oh hi. So it's been a bit since I last posted (and of course I had to post 3 days in row, then drop off the face of the earth). It's been....busy. Busy to the point that when I sit down, I just want to close my eyes and nap, and I'm not a napper unless I'm sick. So I've tried to force myself to stay awake by reading Kathy Reich's first book and watching extremely stressful Bruins playoff hockey.

Back to the busy. Three weeks ago Doug went back on construction inspection duty. He was on construction inspection duty for eight really, really long months last year. I was never more grateful for Daylight Savings time this past fall because it meant he'd be home before 7 after leaving at 6:30 every day. He normally works a 10 or so hour day in the office, but he has breakfast with the kids, picks Drew up from preschool three days a week then come home for lunch, and is normally home for dinner. When he's on construction site, his days can be 12 hours, plus the 30 minute commute each way. To say that the kids miss him is an understatement. I text him for adult "conversation" over the course of the day so I don't lose my mind.

I am so grateful that he has a job. We've spent the bulk of the last year playing the "let's get through the tough months and everything will get back to 'normal'" game, dealing with mandatory furlough days and reduced paychecks, so I'm not going to bite the hand that feeds me, but these construction jobs do a number on our routines (oh good lord that was an incredibly long, compound sentence). The kids are up before 6 every day because they want to see him for a few minutes before he leaves. Since no one naps anymore, our days are long and often fraught with temper tantrums (not all by the kids) and cries for Dad. Blech.

The busy also includes Meg's softball season and Drew's t-ball season both beginning. Turns out starting next week they will have their games on the SAME NIGHT and DIFFERENT FIELDS (Meg travels for her games, so not even in the same TOWN for some). So I won't get to see Meg play softball during the week but will catch her Saturday games, and Doug won't get to see Drew play t-ball at all (he is Meg's coach and yep, that is just a cosmically bad planned thing). Those nights also mean super early dinners that are not the greatest meals. I had a bowl of Kix for dinner at 8:30 last night. And a handful of chips. Super healthy. But I fed the kids a chef's salad! So hooray for me!

I know I had more to say but I apparently didn't have enough coffee today and it's almost time to figure out dinner for the kids and get Meg to practice her piano. Then there's wrangling four kids into the car to go to Drew's t-ball practice and hoping that the thunderstorms hold off. Because while they can play in the freezing cold and pouring rain (like their first practice last week), thunderstorms halt play. And make kids cry.

5 comments:

Robyn said...

I think we've been in the same place! I had chips and salsa for dinner (at 8:00) last night.

Let's get that girls' weekend scheduled, shall we?

brooke b said...

Sounds like such a l-o-n-g day for both of you! I hate that the kids' games conflict. Such a bummer. PS We are a total late-night cereal couple. :)

Cass. Just Curious said...

Deep sigh - I was tired before this - now I'm exhausted on BEHALF of you. If I get more then a few hours of sleep tonight I'll dedicate the last 30 minutes to you - I think the last 30 minutes are the best minutes.

Astarte said...

I'm sorry things have gone back to being so rough, schedule-wise. It sounds exhausting. We went through several months over the winter of DH being involved in proposal work that required him being in the office until all hours, and just from that relatively short time, I can imagine how stressed you must be, especially with four kids! Here's hoping that you're back to more normal schedules soon!!!

Anonymous said...

I'll nap for you. I'm good at napping lately.

Hectic schedules SUCK! Especially when wrangling 4 kids on your own, for the most part.

Sorry :(