Missing Mom Already

Kristin left this morning for Ecuador where she will be for most of the month. This means a couple of things -- most frighteningly that the Family Manager is gone and the boys are left to their own survival devices. Meals we can take care of (thank you Super Suppers) -- other things like remembering where just about anything is located in our house can be a problem. Right now I am wondering where the list of things that must be done by a certain day and time is. I know Kristin showed it to me, I just don't know what she did with it. Fortunately there is a well marked calender with most of the same information and it is still firmly attached to the fridge which I am certain is still in the kitchen. Anyway, I am proud to say while I may have lost a list or two, I have yet to lose one of the boys.

I do resort to my own household managerial system that may lack style but goes off the scale in functionality. For example, who needs clothes hampers and laundry baskets. Dirty clothes go right into the washing machine when they come off and we wash many small loads -- Good thing we have that energy efficent, water saving front loader. Also who needs drawers (as in chest of drawers, not underpants) ? My system --Out of the dryer, neatly folded onto the air hockey table/laundry center. Before this Christmas when were given the Air Hockey table, I had to dedicate one half of the dining table to the laundry center. Hey, it works. I have discovered that as long as I stay on top of things like dishes and laundry, I am okay. It falls apart when I let things pile up and then I get overwhelmed and it only mounds up even more.

My final survival system is bribes. I pay the boys dearly to help out with things that they should be doing anyway and they make out like bandits and there is little to no whining. You do what you have to do.

Kristin is slightly crazy for about 48 hours before departure on these interim trips. We try to give her wide berth as she packs and does all that last minute preparations. During those 48 hours we are really ready for her to go, then she does leave and we call her about six times between when she leaves the house and boards her international flight. Then a full eight hours after she is gone it sets in we miss her terribly.

All of us were sad at supper tonight and there were even some tears. Graham thinks Kristin shouldn't be flying this late at night. Who knows, we might have to move that laundry and play some air hockey.