Momming Hard

We've all been here. Laundry. Yard Work. Work. Puking kids. Fighting kids. Late nights. Summer crazies. Not enough coffee. Not enough wine. Not enough time.

8 days is how long my husband has been back in Iraq and that is half as many days as he was home. He comes home just three times a year for about two weeks each time. It's never long enough as you can imagine but it's also too long. Hear me out. We spend 46 weeks of the year apart. Now, imagine a full two weeks of everyone adjusting to a new schedule, new bedtime, new day routine, just adjusting to actually having him in the flesh. AND he's exhausted from the travel. And the kids are already dreading him packing, which starts the tailspin of emotions for his departure. 

I've lost count of all the laundry I've done since he left. And I love clean laundry but folding, well, I'd rather pull hours of weeds outside in any level of sun or cloud cover as long as it's quiet. I'll fiddle with the sprinkler heads until they are perfect, but dust...only when I can take it no more.

The last couple of years we've had a yard person but honestly, it was passive for me. However they cared for our lawn was fine with me, but now that it's my job, it's lack of perfection is driving me nuts. But it is so important that it be as good as I can get it. I try with the house, I really do but it always looks like a whirling dervish just flew through. Such is life with a 2 year old or is it? I do not have this gig figured out.

We all know momming is hard work and my husband got a taste of it, but even he admits he needed to recover from it. How do you balance the house work and yard work? His work and your work? Or do you do it SOLO? I call myself a solo parent because 46 weeks out of the year I am exactly that and even when he comes home I still referee the parenting and have to remind him where we keep the vegetable peeler. The away time has certainly taken a toll on us. How do other families cope with these 20+ years of a husband being away the majority of the year? I'd love to hear some feedback.