Dudes.
I’ve been warned about what happens when husbands leave town for work … specifically TDY. Mary Alice gave the heads up on that months ago.
I knew how right she was when Scout went out of town last week overnight and I managed to get the RSV Plague of 2008 and storms tried to send us all off to Oz (not the prison).
This did not bode well for this week when Scout was leaving Sunday morning and returning so late on Friday that it will be Saturday.
So, I popped a Xan@x and got a decent night of sleep on Saturday, waking just as he was leaving on Sunday morning. Told him goodbye and lay there thinking … hm … something is wrong.
Oh. There it is. A tiny needle of pain over my left eye. This does not bode well. I gathered Alex and went downstairs, hitting the kitchen just in time for the needle of pain to explode through my sinuses. I gave Alex a toy, heated a lavender blanket and wrapped it around my head, and popped a sinus pill (standing in front of the pharmacopia of meds in the cabinet, it took me .000023 seconds to determine that it was worth whatever Alex would get in my milk, I *had* to do this. 20 minutes into “TDY” was way too early to call for help). I drank some coffee and knew I needed to lay (lie?) down. I gathered Alex and remembered the child needed to eat. I grabbed a box of Os and we went upstairs to his room (least likely to have something harmful in it.) I closed the door and lay on the floor, giving him a handful of Os.
He left me there for an HOUR, occasionally crawling over me, occasionally pulling my hair. He left me there long enough for the headache to recede.
I didn’t even care when I heard this sound:
(upset because I *sob* left the room *sob*)
(note clothes flung around in the background, also his doing. note the curve of Os farthest back – it’s like chalk outline of me – but in Os)
The method of survival this week is all about not sweating the little stuff and pacing. If Alex is happy pulling all the tupperware out of my cabinets, then so be it. I will also be leaving said tupperware on the floor because I will entertain him with it later when we fling it back in the cabinets.
If it’s unsafe, clearly I’ll stop him. If it’s really gross, like when he flung kitty litter, clearly, I’ll stop him.
This?
Not so much.
We’ve had a snow and ice storm, everything in the state cancelled, the heat isn’t working right downstairs, I’m out of bread, I’m out of butter …
It’s time to get some reinforcements … stay tuned …
… maybe grab a snack …
Cat food is good. Just don’t let him try and feed it to you.
I keep saying, you need to stick a bed (or matress) in Alex’s room, just for you.
Hope you feel better soon.
Veronica’s last blog post..Jellybaby Porn, A Love Story
Oh…
I do understand. The Sergeant has been gone a total of nearly three months since the Little Mister was born eight months ago. And one of these days he’ll be deploying…for a YEAR. I will have days like yours. Many, many days like yours.
I hope you’re feeling better…
the dragonfly’s last blog post..a word for wednesday!!!
I just thought to add, being blown to Oz wouldn’t have been such a bad thing.
Veronica’s last blog post..Jellybaby Porn, A Love Story
oh dear God….honey, I wish I lived closer. Next time, make sure you do a major store run before the hubby is ever allowed to leave on his TDY…there is just no telling what hell will rain down
Mary Alice’s last blog post..The World in an Apple Cake
ouch! I hope you feel better soon :S
OH the fun being alone huh? Hubs went to Triniday for a week on rugby tour when Bad was 4 months old. I still haven’t completely forgiven him!
badness jones’s last blog post..The Boo-boo
It’ll save time feeding him. Just through him in his room – voila!
Ree’s last blog post..Calling All Green Thumbs?¢‚Ǩ¬¶
Dude, My hubby was gone when the RSV plague hit our home too. There must be a conspiracy!
Blogversary’s last blog post..cold stories are boring boring boring
Wow sounds rough, hang in there!
skiplovey’s last blog post..Let?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s whip up a batch of Mojitos, it?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s cabana time
You can’t go wrong with reinforcements.
But the weather sure can be a pain in the ass.
Sarcastic Mom’s last blog post..Ridin?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢ Bare-Back
O, I know all about that. I hate soloing. I mean, we survive, but it is not optimal functioning for sure. LOL.
I love your cerealed outline.
Kyla’s last blog post..Wordless Wednesday: B&W BubTar
My husband always wonders why the house looks like a bomb hit it when he returns after a week out of town. It’s always a game of Survivor…so far I haven’t been voted off the island…
It is so rough. Nothing like it in the world… Survivor.
susiej’s last blog post..Pauses for the heart
If you can make it through the “Young and Relentless”, you can make it anywhere. I’m still living it everyday. Feel better soon. Love the outline in cereal, that’s funny, I don’t care who you are!
Oh, that sucks! Brings to mind the time my husband left me with a toddler and a pinched sciatic nerve when he went on a business trip. Worst week of my life!
Hope it gets better soon.
Avery’s last blog post..It’s an Honor Just Being Nominated…
We have a rule around here…when Dad’s gone — no blood.
(Mark has been TDY, deployed, assigned to Egypt for a year, in Afghanistan, in Kuwait — it adds up to about 10 or 12 of the almost 24 years we have been married. )
Sometimes it is very easy when he is gone, and sometimes it totally sucks. The totally sucks ones make you stronger, right? Or messier, and smellier, and frazzled, and grateful when he gets home!
julie’s last blog post..Taking Care of Business part two
Oh babe. I am so sorry, I can totally relate to head pain, you know, minus the baby
flutter’s last blog post..Migraines and things that aren?t migraines, but might as well be because they hurt just as bad
At least he’s not an infant..I think your approach is spot on!
When I was a toddler they used to let me sit in the neighbors dog bed and eat fruit loops out of his cereal bowl..and look at me, I turned out perfect
MP’s last blog post..Grandma
I hope reinforcements came!
Amy W’s last blog post..The House in Virginia…
Oh my.
Do you need me to drive down? I could be your reinforcement…I’d bring liquor.
Jennifer’s last blog post..The ?¢‚Ǩ?ìOldies?¢‚Ǩ¬ù Station Made Me Cry
that looks like a day in my house even when the hubby isn’t TDY!!!
Kara’s last blog post..Some days I feel guilty
That certainly sounds like the time to call in for someone. Is it any better? I HATE when that happens.
Anglophile Football Fanatic’s last blog post..WW: Man I?m Gorgeous!
It could be worse! I remember having the green squirts when my younger had them too, and nobody, I mean nobody to help. Being a single mom is not for sissies.
witchypoo’s last blog post..The Great Cookie Caper
I hope your husband never, after you’ve been dealing with pukers in his weeklong absence and after you just reported via the telephone that one of his sweet boys just puked in his car, asks you, “How bad is the car?”
This is hypothetical, of course, and not an example from my real life.
Hang in there!
p.s. “lay (lie?)” – me too! I never know and always type the same thing!
zdoodlebub’s last blog post..Whee!
You are such a trooper!
Ewokmama’s last blog post..Grandma and Grandpa
My husband has traveled most of the time we’ve been married, so I’m used to it now. But it’s still not fun. Truthfully, sometimes I really look forward to having the evenings by myself, but the single parenting of 4 little ones gets old.
The hardest part for me is the transition back. I’m so used to running things when he’s gone, that I struggle with him messing up my routine when he returns.
Exactly what I used to do. Was harder when there were two. They would scream blue murder at each other and I would wrap a pillow around my head.
Thankfully MPS doesn’t go away for work anymore. I would only get a minutes notice (he was in media, now IT) and he could be gone for an hour or days….
Kelley’s last blog post..I need a secretary.
Oh babe – hang in there!! You WILL get through this! If it’s any consolation – when Emma pulls the tupperware out of the cabinet or her (newly laundered, grr) clothes out of her dresser or the books out of her bookcase, they stay there for a loong while before I get them picked up. And that is with a husband here and my health intact, so go easy on yourself. Parenting by whatever means necessary…
Jen’s last blog post..Voting as a woman
I know exactly what you’re describing! My husband travels a lot during the fall and winter, which is how he’s missed sick kids, broken-down cars (thank god for neighbors), the oven hood crashing down, my ear infection from hell, son’s stomach virus from hell which turned into MY stomach virus from hell.
Argh.
Hang in there. I feel for you.
Arkie Mama’s last blog post..They called him Baby James
Keeping my fingers crossed that the reinforcements arrive SOON!
Natalie’s last blog post..Giving You my Asshole Opinion
I hear it tastes like chicken.
Mrs. G.’s last blog post..Miss G. Takes Atlanta
Wish it could be me!! Thinking of you!
(Hey, at least I’m there for you virtually!)
VDog’s last blog post..March for Babies 2008
my husband used to spend several weeks out of the month out of town. it was usually during these times that all hell broke loose. like the time the landlady called and said she was selling our house and we had 30 days to GET OUT. charming.
good luck, hon.
janet’s last blog post..From me to him … with all my love
I enjoy my cereal with a little dog hair.
You poor thing- with your RSV and your sinuses. I wish I was close so I could reinforce too.
Hydes Like Us’s last blog post..On a rail
Ugh. Poor you! Yes, call for reinforcement!!
Kathryn’s last blog post..And the winner is…
LOL I feel your pain – I got this one day while busy tending other matters… Cuz when mom’s busy/sick/etc. that’s total permission to pull all clothes out of dirty clothes baskets and pour powder all over the bathroom floor, right???
Keppy’s last blog post..Ooooo it STINGS!!!!