AGGHGHGHGH.
Seriously, will this stretch end?
What would I do better next time?
For one, I am going to make sure Josh DOES NOT have a schedule like this ever again. So it is probably a non-issue. I’d be fine with doing this for 5-7 days or so. Just not 12.
Also, I will never have a 2-year old / almost 6-year old / 7.75 year old again during a winter break. So really – non-issue. But I do have to survive the next 4 days.
(I’m being a little bit melodramatic here. It is not that bad. There truly have been some lovely parts. G’s 2-year-old-ness is alternately infuriating and the absolute cutest most endearing thing ever. I just miss having (some) autonomy. I am tired of cleaning up the same #(&$@ toys.)
I bet I would feel very different if I had a next door neighbor with similarly-aged kids. We’d be in this together! It would be a female bonding experience and definitely less lonely.
I don’t know anyone else around here in a similar situation. Everyone else either seems to be:
- traveling
- off WITH their partner
- working (kids in camps of some kind)
- combination of the above
- (yes, I miss work! And am starting to freak out about the inevitable pile up that awaits me next next week. Maybe it won’t be that bad, though? Not much happens during the holidays, right?!)
Meh. Lucky them.
ALL OF THAT SAID, yesterday was objectively fine. We went to Flamingo Gardens in wet weather, but it was misty and not a downpour, so it was actually rather cooling and nice. We rode the tram and it was a reminder that G is getting older – she really couldn’t handle it ~6 months ago (kept trying to escape and I had to distract her with snacks!) but it was downright pleasant yesterday. G took a nap, even if it wasn’t the 2-hour affair I was hoping for. We had a playdate/dinner that went well and Josh came home around 6 and ate / helped with bedtime.
I also finished Red White and Royal Blue! Recommend if you would like a total candy book about an alternate political reality, and also if you aren’t afraid of some fairly graphic sex scenes — it is a romance, after all.
OH, and I suspended Instagram (my personal account & my planner account). The BOBW account I left intact but unfollowed everyone so I can’t use it to scroll. Suspending is temporary so I can reactivate at any time. (My facebook account has been locked in a similar state since 2016, so I guess we’ll see what happens).
Today’s plans:
Clean up house (seriously)
Take G to MyGym
Meet friends at YAA
Lunch somewhere
G will take a good nap (RIGHT G) and I will do a BB workout
Finish How Reading Changed My Life
Make black bean soup
Yesterday: skipped workout & meditation! Oops. Today is a new day.
12 Comments
Just writing to say solidarity. I’m home for winter break with my 6 year old and 2 year old, with my husband working. I am counting down the days until 1/2! We also moved less than a year ago and I still don’t know many other moms in our new town. Hang in there. You’re doing great!
Is it G that’s challenging because of her age or all three? I want you to say toddlerhood is a lot harder than having big kids in a winter break like this haha because that’s where I am and it’s just so so hard / not relaxing.
I think it’s just the combo. And just dealing w the very close supervision that a toddler needs. Having just the big kids would definitely be easier and less stressful.
Love how you keep it real! We are on winter break with a 3 year old, and I am 38w 5d pregnant today. You inspired me to get a half day of child care Friday and tomorrow to give myself a break while my husband is working. But my 3 year is so off schedule and challenging and my pregnancy patience is wearing so thin! Wanting to savor these last newborn free days, but also not loving being 9 months pregnant and anxious to meet our new little one! Also reading RW&RB but way behind you on that! Here’s hoping for a nice Sunday for all of us!
Thanks for your honesty, which is always refreshing. I’m curious if you have any other “candy” books to recommend. Red, White and Royal Blue is already on my list and I really enjoy the romantic comedy genre.
Having a toddler is just tough. They require constant supervision, and can’t hold sustained attention on anything, so you constantly have to do things with them to keep them entertained. They nap? I guess that’s one good thing. And they are incredibly cute. I remember even vacations with Dyl at that age were exhausting because of the constant vigilance required, and I only had one kid, who was pretty darn easy. It’ll be better next time just because G will be older.
This vacation, sending Dyl to a break camp has been game changing. She was actually excited to go, and was thoroughly worn out when she got home. We’ve done break camps in the past, and they’ve been… ok, but she really seems to like gymnastics camp. I think we will try to do it again. Maybe you can send A and C to a break camp? You’d still have the toddler, but at least the older two would be entertained.
Two years from now it will be a whole new game. You won’t have to do this again. 🙂
YES re: 2 years from now! At that age if Josh had to work I’d probably just go and visit my parents or sister with all 3. Would be an entirely different experience 🙂 (OR they could all go to camp. AHHHHH that would be nice too.)
I am with you! I have only one day of true solo parenting but we’ve been stuck home for the last three days as my son got chickenpox. My daughter is same age as G and you put it so well: “it is alternately infuriating and the absolute cutest most endearing thing ever” (mostly infuriating though… she is going into total rebel mode! I guess being locked up doesn’t help…)
Don’t be so hard on yourself. You manage a lot! Even with my husband around, I do not even get to read three pages of a magazine.
I am not envious of your time at home alone with your kids! I am sure it would be different if you didn’t have a 2 year old. That is just a particularly challenging stage. Our little guy will be 2 in March so he’s in a similar stage of life. Luckily his daycare was only closed M-W of last week and will be closed on NYD. My husband worked Mon-Tues of last week but I begged him to WFH on Tuesday so he would be around. Our son woke at 5am on Sat and Mon of last week so there were some long, endless days. I love love love our son, but 5 days in a row at home with him is too much. God bless SAHMs. I don’t know how they do it honestly.
5 AM – noooo! I went back and read some recaps of Dec 2018, and G was totally doing that then. So I guess I should be grateful that it’s significantly later now!!
Wait, I just looked at your Friday ritual and when you say “clear out podcast list” do you clear everything every week? That feels both freeing and scary to me 🙂
Yes I do 🙂 I delete anything I am it positive I want to listen to.