Is it terrible that I am actually looking forward to my husband’s upcoming four-day business trip?
Because oh! my! god! I totally am.
It has been nearly three months of together time, some voluntary and some forced due to illness. Add in Mr. C.’s new, lax class schedule and my extreme hormonal crankiness, and you have a recipe for marital strife.
The man leaves Wednesday, and while I will be flying solo with The Poo, I cannot wait to kiss him goodbye - lovingly, of course.
I was 26 when I met my husband, and it had been six years since the end of my prior relationship. I was lonely sometimes, of course, but I also learned how to be alone.
I chose my schedule, I lived for my career. I socialized when I liked, and when I didn’t, I curled up on the couch or my bed with a good book, a tall glass of iced tea, and The Learning Channel.
I wouldn’t trade my family life for one more second of my single life, but come 8:30 that first night Mr. C. is away, you’ll find me on the guest bed with a refreshing beverage and the remote control.
Because sometimes, no matter how much I love them (and oh! I do, I really, really do) I just want to go to bed with a pint of ice cream and a Diet Coke, and watch Lifetime movies for hours. Then I want to sleep diagonally, messing up the sheets and pillows to my heart’s content.
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To help me get through the hours between waking and bedtime, you’ll find me using this awesome new Barney DVD. Find out why I love the world’s most hated dinosaur at The Full Mommy today.
January 28th, 2008 at 12:43 am
That sounds heavenly.
January 28th, 2008 at 3:27 am
While counting down the days over the last week, I have had several conversations with people where the realisation has struck that the introverted alone time is going to cease to exist…
In some ways it’s good - because it’s been replaced by little people - but in other ways I will miss it.
January 28th, 2008 at 6:37 am
I hope the trip overlaps with preschool and you get a couple hours totally alone.
January 28th, 2008 at 6:52 am
Sounds perfectly normal to me. You can bet I feel that way sometimes.
January 28th, 2008 at 8:11 am
I hear ya, sister. I really do.
January 28th, 2008 at 8:41 am
My husband leaves tomorrow for Tulsa and doesn’t come back until Friday. I completely understand how you’re looking forward to your husband’s trip!!! Enjoy yourself! I’ll think about you while I’m snuggled on the couch with the down blanket, the remote, and some snacks.
January 28th, 2008 at 8:44 am
Sometimes it’s good to have time apart, even with the kid in tow, you still get to pick what’s going down. Trust me I knwo, seeing as I work with my hubby every single day.
Guess what? I go on a business trip by MYSELF (to SXSW, yippeee!) in March. Talk about heaven.
January 28th, 2008 at 8:50 am
I’m still stuck on the loving the purple dinosaur thing… Ack.
My guy’s gone a little too much these days, but I still make it work to my advantage. I rent the movies I know he’d hate, spread books all over the bed.
Enjoy!
January 28th, 2008 at 8:55 am
I looooooove when mine goes to conferences and I get to play bachelorette once more. Without the dates and one night stands, of course.
Have a ball, darling lady!
January 28th, 2008 at 9:06 am
I get it. We were just on a two week trip together and when I came back I had a conference requiring a two-night stay in a Hyatt Regency. Oh how wonderful it was to be alone — no baby, no husband. Just little me in a king bed with more pillows than anyone could ever use. The only other “person” I wanted around was my corgi who I hadn’t seen in 2.5 weeks (she is our first baby).
January 28th, 2008 at 9:09 am
I totally know what you mean. I love The Prof to death but sometimes for a few hours on the weekend I need a little alone time at Borders or Target (or both!) with a nice hot venti soy chai latte.
January 28th, 2008 at 9:39 am
I love it too. I throw together whatever the kids and I both like for dinner (he has hoity toity taste) and then the remote is ALL MINE after bedtime. Ahhhhhhh.
January 28th, 2008 at 10:51 am
I sooo hear you on this. My hubby is a freelancer and when he works I never see him. He’s been home for nearly 2 months now and I want him GONE!
January 28th, 2008 at 11:33 am
No, it’s not bad. I feel the same way sometimes!
January 28th, 2008 at 11:34 am
I secretly enjoy my husband’s infrequent business travels too. I put the kids to bed early, pour a glass of wine and watch a chick flick.
January 28th, 2008 at 11:34 am
When my daughter went away to college, I’d sit and wring my hands, wondering what I’d do with my time. It didn’t take long for me to discover PLENTY to do when she was away. Now she’s graduated and back home.
I miss running around the house naked.
January 28th, 2008 at 12:22 pm
Oh, I enjoy those rare evenings alone, too. I love sleeping in the bed by myself sometimes, taking up all of the space.
January 28th, 2008 at 1:44 pm
Ah, yes. Diagonal sleeping is nice. I use the time to watch all the chick flicks T never wants to watch. And I eat cookies in bed.
January 28th, 2008 at 1:58 pm
I look forward to using all the pillows - by myself!
Enjoy!
January 28th, 2008 at 2:43 pm
i kind of love it when the husband’s away
January 28th, 2008 at 2:48 pm
Hee.
I love business trips for the same reasons. My bed, with clean sheets and a pile of extra blankets, a couple slices of pizza and my laptop.
It is heaven, I tell you.
Oh- I do love my family. No, really.
January 28th, 2008 at 3:50 pm
I get it, girlfriend. I TOTALLY get it. Cereal for dinner. Cheesy Drew Barrymore movies after the kids are in bed. LOVE.
January 28th, 2008 at 3:56 pm
Yup, yup and YES!!! Enjoy!
January 28th, 2008 at 4:09 pm
So, a trip must mean that he’s healed, right?
And I totally get you. In fact, I am positive that we were seperated at birth, right down to the Diet Coke and the Lifetime movies!
January 28th, 2008 at 6:25 pm
Time apart is good. For all the reasons you listed.
January 28th, 2008 at 6:37 pm
Yep on that. You miss them, sure, but it’s also nice to have a little alone time, especially when you’re watching a movie that would normally get a “I can’t believe you’re watching that” response. Men just do not understand movies sometimes.
January 28th, 2008 at 7:19 pm
I hope you enjoy your time when he leaves! I did the whole Barney thing with my daughter and grew to hate him after several years.I had a break from him for 7 yrs. Then came Sam and he hearts Barney! my older boys hated him and for that i was thankful. now i use Barney for nap time around here! Can’t hate the thing that puts my 2 yr old to sleep!
January 28th, 2008 at 7:29 pm
I love sprawling across the entire bed. I dislike having to wake up with the little dude at 6:00 am everyday when my husband goes away, though. THAT is reason enough to keep him around
January 28th, 2008 at 8:29 pm
I couldn’t agree more.
January 28th, 2008 at 8:38 pm
Is it wrong of me to be thinking the same thing…except my husband has only been home for four days after being gone for three weeks…and already I’m ready for him to leave again.
Absence really does make the heart grow fonder. LOL. That and being able to hog the covers and get crumbs in the bed without being grumped at by your man…
January 28th, 2008 at 9:43 pm
Much as I complained about my husband’s frequent travels the past few years, I have to admit there were certain nights I couldn’t wait for him to depart.
Bring on the bacon, HGTV and, of course, the Lifetime.
January 29th, 2008 at 11:10 am
I totally agree! My husband’s a student too, so he always seems to be home, except when he travels to a conference once a month. I always miss him, but have to confess that I have a lot of fun while he’s gone - chocolate and chick flicks, here I come!
January 29th, 2008 at 11:34 am
I know what you mean. Alone time, it is a wonderful thing.
January 29th, 2008 at 2:02 pm
That’s funny you said that. Today at my son’s class, the moms were discussing this same topic. We were split. I’m so used to my husband traveling for work that it doesn’t faze me anymore, but for some of my friends it throws them for a loop! guess you are in my camp.
January 30th, 2008 at 2:32 pm
Sounds good to me. After 4 years of my husband deploying, he will now be home with us for 4 years straight. As much as I love him and our time together, I am missing my alone time already.
January 31st, 2008 at 2:33 pm
I’ve got to differ here–my husband traveled about 90 percent of the time, starting just weeks after Baby A was born. I missed him terribly.
Last September he changed jobs and now is gone just two or three nights a month. It’s SUCH a nice change. I was done with flying solo. I like having someone to snuggle up to–other than our three-year-old who still wants to climb in bed.
- Lea at Quick Serve Kids
January 31st, 2008 at 9:11 pm
amen.
February 2nd, 2008 at 11:51 am
I’m with you on this one. Also…I happen to know he enjoys a break just as much when I go to visit my parents alone. Either way, we’re always thrilled to be together again. But the breaks, they’re nice.