Weekend Without Paul

Edith walking a slackline at a festival. May 11.

This past weekend it was just me and the kids. Paul was on one of his once-or-twice-a-year hiking trips with the guys -- something I certainly don't begrudge him and, in fact, would rather he do without me. Either way, he left Friday morning for Traverse City, Mich.

That left the kids and me alone for 60 hours (not that anyone was counting). To my delight, the weather turned out to be beautiful, despite a forecast of thunderstorms all weekend long. Edith and Atticus spent two hours playing in our kiddie pool and with the neighbors' water table. We went to a festival at a nearby school the first evening, a playground in a nearby suburb the second evening and a playground at our church the third morning. Each night it seemed we got home just in time for them to go to bed - perfect!

I certainly miss Paul while he is gone, and I certainly look forward to when he comes home from work each weekday -- not least of all because I get a break (or at least an opportunity to split up the kid duties). But now that the kids are 5 and 3, it is much easier to plan things, follow a schedule and get out the door on time. The biggest surprise: I wasn't totally, 100 percent exhausted by the time Paul got home Sunday night. I even -- gasp! -- enjoyed myself.