You know you’ve been busy when…

...your blog posts are a week apart, and mainly consist of pictures.

I don’t really leave my kids with baby sitters, they don’t leave the house for school, and I don’t have anything particular that I do outside of the house, so I don’t spend a lot of time away from them. When Courtney is home though, I go out by myself, to run errands, to go for a run, to pick something up, maybe not every day, and never for very long, but still. And then sometimes he takes them out to play ball, or run an errand. These are little moments I get for myself, and I didn’t realize how important they were – they seem so short and insignificant - until Courtney was gone for practically three weeks in a row. I spent every day and night, 24/7, with the boys, and I love them – I love spending time with them, and I love having them around – but there came a couple of moments when I had to ask them to go into their room and shut the door for 20 minutes, so that for once (as a treat) I could go to the bathroom uninterrupted.

And it’s not even so much about spending time alone, it’s the ‘being the only one around’. If I am doing something, anything, like finishing an e-mail, washing the floor, taking a shower, cooking spaghetti, reading, and one of the boys needs me for anything; when Courtney is home, I can ask him to help, but when he’s not, I have to stop what I’m doing to help the boy in need. Never being able to do anything without interruption can, over a period of time, make the most calm and patient mother a little nervous.

I know mother here whose husbands travel all the time for work, and they tell me you can get used to not having them around, but 1/ their kids go to school, which gives them a short break every day, and 2/ I’m not used to it.

Apart from not having someone to share the child care responsibility with, I also miss Courtney’s company when he’s gone. Hearing his comments, stories, thoughts, and having him around to discuss things with, cooking and eating together, watch movies, being close – all the things we do together.

So I’m glad this year's traveling spell is over. Courtney had a great time at the conference in Pisa, and fun in Beirut (we'll know more in a couple of weeks). He needs these kinds of professional boosters every year. But now we’re back together again, and I’m happy about that. Next time we get on a plane, it will be together.