I didn’t sleep all that well after initially waking around 3:30am. Come 5:20am I decided to get up and get my morning moving. Despite all that, I felt surprisingly good. I completed my exercise routine and was headed out the door with Ykraps well ahead of schedule. Because of the early start, we were back for coffee before 5:45am – a new record. I spent the extra time surfing the web. Come 6:00am I delivered Mindy’s coffee. And while she seemed awake when I made the delivery, I’m quite sure that she went back to sleep for another 15 minutes or so. I didn’t hear a peep.
Back downstairs I did fifteen minutes of meditation before prepping for a run. Like the rest of the morning, I was well ahead of schedule. I was out the door by 6:25am. Much like Thursday, it was cloudy, but at least there was no threat of rain. It was chilly again too, probably about 30 degrees.
The run was enjoyable, and over before I knew it. I was back home by 7:03am. Mindy wasn’t downstairs as of yet but I noticed some of her things were. At least I knew that she had her day underway. I began prepping my lunch and breakfast immediately not wanting to lose the time advantage I’d so far maintained. Mindy came down minutes later and began helping with lunch. I prepared the Olympus camera for her to take on her trip by formatting the card and placing it in “auto” mode. I asked if she wanted the instruction booklet. She did not. She seemed tense – perhaps nervous about her trip.
We discussed whether or not she should head to the airport from school or come home first. I recommended going straight from school, which meant she should take everything with her this AM. She left undecided but took all of her gear so the decision could be made later. She also shared that Jimaken was going to bring the kids by school after Bella’s dental appointment so that she could see them before she left.
We sat at the island together having our breakfast. Mindy shared her disappointment with my perceived attitude towards her trip. She didn’t feel I was offering the level of support she had hoped. She expressed wanting/needing extra touches, hugs, compassion and conversation. Yep, we were out of sync. I didn’t quite get all that. I viewed the entire thing certainly as a choice, and also one I would likely not have made. And secondly, I viewed it as a fun weekend getaway with friends, regardless of the surrounding circumstances. Granted, her heart was in the right place. That was never in question.
Also, to deny my own concerns & fears would be misleading. I was more than a little concerned how my weekend alone with the kids would turn out. After all, I haven’t been in such a predicament in years and years. How would I run? How would they respond to being alone with me for the entire weekend? And lastly, how would I respond to zero “Jimmy” time. Still, part of me was looking forward to the “nesting” weekend. Come 7:30am Mindy left for school. We hugged for a minute or so and exchanged the typical I love you’s.
I spent a few minutes tidying up the kitchen before heading up for my shower. I was ready to leave for work by 7:45am. I left the house just a few minutes later and arrived to work by 8:10am. The mood in the office was somewhat glum given the light staffing and yucky weather. I felt pretty good, however.
I wasn’t sure if I would take a lunch or not. As the morning wore on, I got a case of the sleepies. I thought about going home for a nap but didn’t. I ended up working straight through the day eating my packed lunch at my desk. The afternoon was busy but under control – thankfully. Friday’s can be a bear! I remembered to submit a time-off request to cover Mindy’s planned May surgery. Mindy phoned some time around 4:30pm but our conversation was dropped about three times. I gathered that she was in route to the airport. Her flight was leaving at 6:15pm. She said she’d call from Philly (her layover stop). I left for home at 5:10pm after a nine hour day.
I was eager to get home and enjoy some peace and quiet before Jimaken brought the kids. I had Ykraps walked and a few small chores done before 5:30pm. My mind was racing yet I was still very tired. I kicked back into the recliner in hopes of catching a nap. I fell asleep but not for long. Still, on the other side I felt so much better.
Jimaken brought the kids home around 6:30pm as per the plan. The kids were both in good spirits after the drop. Jim didn’t stick around long. He offered help if I needed it. I figured we’d be OK. The kids were eager to have some fun and wrestled around a little aggressively in the family room. They were excited about dinner. I left the plans to them. Jacob wanted Chipotle, but Bella wanted pizza. They didn’t bring up going to Barley’s. I asked them to come to agreement. They eventually decided on pizza Friday, and then Chipotle on Saturday. I ordered the pizza around 7:00pm.
Bella and I drove after the pizza. Jacob stayed home playing Play Station. The pick-up went without incident. We were back ten minutes later. The funny thing was, Bella was the one wanting pizza yet ate only half of one piece. Jacob, on the other hand, woofed down several pieces. Bella’s mouth was still a little sensitive from her earlier dental work. Perhaps that played into her light appetite. Regardless, it was a good pizza – extra pep and extra cheese. Mindy phoned at some point after landing in Philly. It was a short conversation. She said she’d call again once in DC/Baltimore.
The kids wanted to do a movie. Again, I suggested that they come to agreement, but I had to assist. We opted for Ratatouille. We watched about 60 minutes of the movie before Jacob asked to go to bed. It was 9:30pm. At their request, I paused the movie so they could pick up where they left off tomorrow. Tuck in went without incident. They were sound asleep minutes later.
Ahh – alone time! I cracked a beer and tuned the TV to the comedy channel hoping for some South Park. There was none. I gave up on the TV and instead played on the PC. Mindy phoned sometime after 10pm to let me know she had landed. Again the conversation was brief. I stayed up no later than about 10:30 – 10:45pm. I was tired and eager for a good night’s sleep.
Back downstairs I did fifteen minutes of meditation before prepping for a run. Like the rest of the morning, I was well ahead of schedule. I was out the door by 6:25am. Much like Thursday, it was cloudy, but at least there was no threat of rain. It was chilly again too, probably about 30 degrees.
The run was enjoyable, and over before I knew it. I was back home by 7:03am. Mindy wasn’t downstairs as of yet but I noticed some of her things were. At least I knew that she had her day underway. I began prepping my lunch and breakfast immediately not wanting to lose the time advantage I’d so far maintained. Mindy came down minutes later and began helping with lunch. I prepared the Olympus camera for her to take on her trip by formatting the card and placing it in “auto” mode. I asked if she wanted the instruction booklet. She did not. She seemed tense – perhaps nervous about her trip.
We discussed whether or not she should head to the airport from school or come home first. I recommended going straight from school, which meant she should take everything with her this AM. She left undecided but took all of her gear so the decision could be made later. She also shared that Jimaken was going to bring the kids by school after Bella’s dental appointment so that she could see them before she left.
We sat at the island together having our breakfast. Mindy shared her disappointment with my perceived attitude towards her trip. She didn’t feel I was offering the level of support she had hoped. She expressed wanting/needing extra touches, hugs, compassion and conversation. Yep, we were out of sync. I didn’t quite get all that. I viewed the entire thing certainly as a choice, and also one I would likely not have made. And secondly, I viewed it as a fun weekend getaway with friends, regardless of the surrounding circumstances. Granted, her heart was in the right place. That was never in question.
Also, to deny my own concerns & fears would be misleading. I was more than a little concerned how my weekend alone with the kids would turn out. After all, I haven’t been in such a predicament in years and years. How would I run? How would they respond to being alone with me for the entire weekend? And lastly, how would I respond to zero “Jimmy” time. Still, part of me was looking forward to the “nesting” weekend. Come 7:30am Mindy left for school. We hugged for a minute or so and exchanged the typical I love you’s.
I spent a few minutes tidying up the kitchen before heading up for my shower. I was ready to leave for work by 7:45am. I left the house just a few minutes later and arrived to work by 8:10am. The mood in the office was somewhat glum given the light staffing and yucky weather. I felt pretty good, however.
I wasn’t sure if I would take a lunch or not. As the morning wore on, I got a case of the sleepies. I thought about going home for a nap but didn’t. I ended up working straight through the day eating my packed lunch at my desk. The afternoon was busy but under control – thankfully. Friday’s can be a bear! I remembered to submit a time-off request to cover Mindy’s planned May surgery. Mindy phoned some time around 4:30pm but our conversation was dropped about three times. I gathered that she was in route to the airport. Her flight was leaving at 6:15pm. She said she’d call from Philly (her layover stop). I left for home at 5:10pm after a nine hour day.
I was eager to get home and enjoy some peace and quiet before Jimaken brought the kids. I had Ykraps walked and a few small chores done before 5:30pm. My mind was racing yet I was still very tired. I kicked back into the recliner in hopes of catching a nap. I fell asleep but not for long. Still, on the other side I felt so much better.
Jimaken brought the kids home around 6:30pm as per the plan. The kids were both in good spirits after the drop. Jim didn’t stick around long. He offered help if I needed it. I figured we’d be OK. The kids were eager to have some fun and wrestled around a little aggressively in the family room. They were excited about dinner. I left the plans to them. Jacob wanted Chipotle, but Bella wanted pizza. They didn’t bring up going to Barley’s. I asked them to come to agreement. They eventually decided on pizza Friday, and then Chipotle on Saturday. I ordered the pizza around 7:00pm.
Bella and I drove after the pizza. Jacob stayed home playing Play Station. The pick-up went without incident. We were back ten minutes later. The funny thing was, Bella was the one wanting pizza yet ate only half of one piece. Jacob, on the other hand, woofed down several pieces. Bella’s mouth was still a little sensitive from her earlier dental work. Perhaps that played into her light appetite. Regardless, it was a good pizza – extra pep and extra cheese. Mindy phoned at some point after landing in Philly. It was a short conversation. She said she’d call again once in DC/Baltimore.
The kids wanted to do a movie. Again, I suggested that they come to agreement, but I had to assist. We opted for Ratatouille. We watched about 60 minutes of the movie before Jacob asked to go to bed. It was 9:30pm. At their request, I paused the movie so they could pick up where they left off tomorrow. Tuck in went without incident. They were sound asleep minutes later.
Ahh – alone time! I cracked a beer and tuned the TV to the comedy channel hoping for some South Park. There was none. I gave up on the TV and instead played on the PC. Mindy phoned sometime after 10pm to let me know she had landed. Again the conversation was brief. I stayed up no later than about 10:30 – 10:45pm. I was tired and eager for a good night’s sleep.
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