A Week In Which I Actually Hold a Coherent Thought In My Head

A week ago, we left the kids in Utah to hang out with their grandparents.  After 11 years of parenting, it is kind of strange, but in a totally good way, to be child free for an extended period of time. 

Now that both boys are in school most of the day, I am used to filling my time from 8:30 until 3:30 and usually a good portion of that time is devoted to cleaning up messes related to small boys, or running errands related to small boys, or doing laundry created by small boys (one of them, who shall remain nameless but I know you all can guess who, creates about 3/4 of the laundry because he likes to change almost as much as a presenter at the Oscar's).  Without them around, I have to say there is kind of a strange, Twilight Zone type, feeling in the air when 3:30 rolls around.  Without the backpack bomb shrapnel to clean up, the snack crumbs to wipe and the homework to push, I mean encourage, people to get through, I don't know what to do with myself.  But trust me, I will find a way to suffer through and fill that time.

So, after a week sans children, I was reflecting on what I really enjoy about them not being around (gosh, that sounds kind of cold and heartless but you people with kids, you know exactly what I mean, don't you?). 

Here is what is cool about being child free:

- I can eat my oatmeal in the morning and watch the news in complete peace instead of having to crank the t.v. volume to an ungodly level because someone is flying a fighter jet, complete with sound effects, around my head while asking me over and over again when he is going to have to get dressed.  Complete peace people!  It is not to be underrated.  Matt Lauer actually forms complete sentences, who knew?!

- Kevin and I can eat salad for dinner without me having to make some pasta or carb filler because both my boys seem to have a hollow leg and would surely die of hunger if served merely leaves with some chicken on top.  And there is no complaining at dinner about whatever I decided to fix.

- If I decide I want to leave the house after 3:30 p.m., I don't have to beg, plead and bribe the two homebodies before leaving.  I just grab my purse and walk out the door.

- Kevin and I can actually converse at dinner AND stay in bed on the weekend as long as we feel like it without that same fighter jet flying around our room. 

 - Finally, when I pick up the house and the bathrooms are clean, things actually stay clean!  It is astounding and really a beautiful thing. 

Now, all that being said, I still do miss the rugrats and all their hi jinks.  I miss the hugs, the funny questions or comments, Drew's smile and Ethan's cackle of a laugh, the mystery of never knowing what I will find in the washer after a cycle, and just generally constantly having my minions, ahem, children around.  They do kind of fill up the house in a way that is irreplaceable.  (By the way, grandparents reading, that is in no way to be interpreted to mean that I can't part with them for a week or two.  Just to be clear and you guys are the best for having them to stay with you.)