When the Kids are Away

A few months ago my parents asked if they could take the girls on a weekend trip, just them and the girls well... my aunt Debbie, her grandkids, her friend, and his grandkids too, but not Mac and not me. NO PARENTS ALLOWED. I didn't not hesitate to say HECK YES they could go! I may have even told a little fiblet that A3 would be fine on this trip. If I am being honest right now, I really didn't know if she was going to be fine. She hadn't ever been away from us over night and she was going through a phase, she is always going through a phase, but this one involved a lot of bad words. When I said she would be fine, I totally had my fingers crossed behind my back because I HOPED she would be fine. And that is the truth. 

As the day got closer to this 3 day trip, I started to create a fantasy list of all the things I would do while they were gone. All the things I imagine adults without children would do on a weekend. My list included:

1. Sleep
2. Watch Outlander without fear of being spied on
3. Sleep
4. Go out to eat at 7:00 PM
5. Clean my house without interruption
6. Sit and admire my clean house without interruption.
7. Sleep
8. Wake up to a clean house
9. Finish my final project for my class
10. Visit with friends
11. Eat a meal while it is hot
12. Eat chocolate cake without sharing a bite, or three
13. Sleep in
14. Stay out late
15. Do nothing

I started a count down. I was so excited to get to be Carrie and not Mom. I couldn't stand it! Then as the day approached I got a brilliant idea: we would redo A2 and A3's room. I started a Pinterest board, a honey-do list, and a shopping list. We were doing this. I just needed to trick convince Mac.

The day came for the girls to leave. I was up at 4AM... they were just as excited as I was.  A3 was done sleeping. As I laid in bed getting kicked in the back by the messy haired one, I made a list of all the projects we would have to accomplish each day in order to finish the room before they got home. I was ready for them to go!

We were actually early to my parents' house, that never happens. We had the van packed in a matter of minutes and they were off. I wasn't even a little sad and that surprised me. I started to worry that I had some strange disorder that made mom's really happy when their children went away instead of miss them. I wonder if I need medicine for that? I plan on googling it later.

Mac and I rushed home to get started on the room. He was starting the bunk bed and I was starting the room clean out. I was almost 4 hours in, and I realized I wasn't interrupted at all. Not once. The sad part though was that I also realized I didn't have much done. The truth, I found out, is that I am a slow cleaner. This whole time I have been blaming the girls for not getting work done, but it is really me. I will never admit to this in real life and never once will a even whisper this to the girls, my cleaning fails will always be there fault. Always. Add that to their reasons for therapy list later in life. 

It was at the 4 hour mark that I realized the glorious quiet was starting to hurt my ears. My mind was needing to be distracted by the whiny demands of a 4 year old. My hands were begging to clean up a spill from an extra messy 7 year old. My temper was needing to be challenged by the tweeniest tween I know.

It was at the 4 hour mark that the pictures from my parents starting coming in. WHY WOULD THEY TORTURE ME? I was really starting to miss the girls and how could they be so cruel and send me pictures. They were rubbing in the fact that they were having fun with the A Team and I wasn't. They were making memories that I could only see in pictures. IT WASN'T FAIR! I am including some of the pictures, so you can understand where I am coming from, feel free to tantrum along with me! 

A3 is looking WAY TOO old here!

They all look happy. Real happy.

A2 is awesome being awesome.

A1 is a happy Tween. No fair.

I wanna go to Holiday World!

 I nearly had a temper tantrum as I started to paint the room. I made the decision to focus on the room. I wanted this room to be just as awesome as A1's room turned out in April. I wanted a room they would be proud to show their friends. A room they would want to keep clean, does that exist? Most importantly, I wanted a room that would be calming and encourage restful sleep. Does that exist? I am not sure if that is a real thing, but it was worth a try.

The room started out "Cute and Chaotic." Mac and I did this room while I was pregnant with A3. We wanted to make a fun room for A1 and A2, because they would have to share as soon as A3 showed up and booted A2 out of her room. We ended up with fun, wild, bright colors that encourage sleepless nights. At least that is the story we are going with...

I started this project the same way I start all of my project; with pictures of things Mac has to create. I need to brag on Mac for a little bit. He is amazingly talented at so many things including building. It is hard to believe that he is able to look at a picture and make it come to life. This time I threw extra challenges at him... I showed him pictures of things that had no plans with them. He had to create a plan for the project before he could even make it. It takes all kinds of talent to build things. It takes even more talent to build things based on a plan, but it takes the most talent to be able to look at a picture combine it with the directions and hand talking I give him, and then make exactly what was in my brain. Mac is the best. He did not write this, I swear! 

This project took us a little longer than our other room in April. Let's face it, we are older now and it is just hard to do this kind of work. I had to stop and nap, stop and complain, stop and eat. Plus, we had to move the "stuffs" of two (Kind of 3, because we discovered a ton of A1's things hiding in the room) kids out of room before we started. The first room was only 1 kid who really didn't put anything weird and extra in her room, like spoons, recorders, and Spackle. These are some of the weirder things we found this weekend. 

Even with the extra time it took for us to complete the project, I am very happy with the way it turned out! It was worth all the blood, sweat, and tears. Blood and Sweat all Mac; Tears all me.  Both girls are thrilled with their room, A1 is even a little jealous. I have to admit, I am a little jealous too!

Mac built the purple bunk for A2. I made the black paint stain on the floor under the rug.
The girls like the chalk board paint. I am hoping this is where they will put all of the vandalism marks. 

Here is the Reading Nook. Mac had to create this from the picture on Pinterest and the picture in my head.
A2 has spent most of the night hanging out in there. She thinks this is the best part of the room. She might be right. 

This is A3' section. Her idea. It has the two paintings she bought at the Art Fair
 and the sweet outfit she wore home from the hospital. All 3 girls have those on display. A1 thinks it is lame.
I don't care. 

I am excited for the bedspreads to show up later in July. Who knew things couldn't be over-nighted from Britain? Duh. 

As for my fantasy list...
I did not experience a clean house.  That just isn't in the cards for me. Maybe if the girls were gone for a month, but probably not. I also didn't finish my final project for my class... Not really in the mood to think. But let me tell you about the things I did do. I slept in until 10:30 one morning. I ate chocolate cake without sharing. I didn't eat hot food, but I didn't have hot food because I mostly ate salads and sandwiches.  One night we even ate at 10:45 PM, but that was because we were so busy working, we forgot. I started to watch Outlander, but I fell asleep, because I was out late. Ignore the fact that I was picking up garbage at the Muni. I WAS OUT LATE! I got to see friends. This weekend I managed to go to a gender reveal party and a bridal shower. I saw people there. Real people. I laughed with them. I enjoyed being with them. I saw my friends. Next time my parents agree to keep the girls for the weekend, I promise me that I will find a way to have a clean house AND do nothing.