It is never easy when Papa makes his annual February journey to the US. But I will say that it is MUCH easier now, with 5 children ages 3-12 than it was with 3 children ages 0-3! This year he is gone for 2 1/2 weeks. To make things a little easier, I have greatly simplified our dinners. This is what we had Sunday night: popcorn, chips and salsa (made by a Mexican school mom and sold to benefit a service trip to Kenya by our teens...I HAD to buy some, it was for a good cause, afterall), cut fruit and chocolate dip, and cheese and crackers. Mmmm, I'm sure I hit all the major food groups. The chocolate covered dairy, didn't it? I did start to feel guilty yesterday that the meals have been so thrown together. To counteract my guilt, I make them salmon, salad, and mashed potatoes last night.
We mostly have good days. There are moments when I wonder how in the world a single parent does this day in and day out. Most years the biggest struggle for me is just managing everyone alone. That is getting easier. The Singapore girls manage themselves mostly now. What I have noticed this year is just that it's hard to be the only parent to get them where they need to be.
Sunday was a particularly good day. We came home from church and lunch. We worked on upcoming tests and piano practices. Then the older girls all wanted to bake. I made dough in the bread maker, then let Miss Middler make monkey bread out of it.
5 comments:
Love it. I remember the days of "survival" when David would travel but in my case I just made up my mind that I was not going to be a mother who could not handle her children. I thought of the single mothers I knew who raised fine sons (Heaven help them!). One of my neighbors in the country raised seven boys! They are all great men with families now. I thought of the woman in our church (very godly woman at that) who raised 12! I drew from all my inspiration and then our pastor preached a sermon about Charles and John Wesley's mother . . . and that did it. Never did mention their father. Father was probably busy out earning the living, which is the way it is at our house. Not that kids don't need their father, but often Dad is busy working as many as three jobs (like Dave when we were out of a job) to make ends meet so Mom has the kids to manage.
I drew from all those things, I would take a deep breath and then I would plow ahead!! Much like I imagine you are doing. It was some hard years . . . Two trips to three separate schools each day! I remember well, but from the other side of the fence now (everyone can drive and they are starting to leave home for good), I would go back and do those hard days over again just to have them all close to me. Sometimes I think I would give anything to hold them one more time like I did when they were young, to gather them all on the bed with me (in the days when they were little enough to fit all on the bed) because that was the only way I could take a much needed nap. I loved every minute.
Enjoy it Sara. It goes by very fast.
Mel
Shew, My hubby works a lot leaving me here with my youngest (18 months) all the time. Somedays I so wonder how single mom's do it. My poor 18 month old is like having 3 kids!!! I totally don't blame you on the hodge podged dinners, you have to make life easier somehow :)
Rats- why weren't we diverted to Turkey!? I sometimes order two pizzas and I freeze one to use for occasions such as this! Or pancakes or any other meal for supper... ha! :)
YUMMY! I struggle with what to make when Carl is OOT too. He travels one or two nights per week and lots of nights our dinners our thrown together. Sometimes, I swing through Chick fil A but that's not an option in turkey. Chocolate worked as dairy - I like that!
I was waylaid by sentimentality and forgot to add a note about the girls' cooking!! :)
Awesome! Do you know that is the way Kathleen learned to make Baklava? Did just like your girls are doing! She took it to school when she was in the 7th or 8th grade, or maybe it was the 6th . . . Somewhere around that age. She makes a killer baklava to this day!
That looks absolutely delicious. I looked at the recipe (thinking I would try it) and saw it was not for the faint of heart.
I really, really think kids should learn to cook early - something I discovered by accident and experience, not because I already knew. Ha. They seem to do really well. Don't you think?
I would have loved to have tried your girls' dessert. Yum!
Mel
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