Remember 2 years ago on the nest...

[ringstrue]

Can you order out? A lot? I've also seen myself do better solo when I plan out our time together - but I make sure to do things that are well within the gasp of me doing alone - so playing with the sprinkler in the backyard as opposed to going to the park, for example.

[EloiseWeenie]

I'm sorry, I hate when I have to parent without my husband. Stock your bar.

[onomatopoeia]

Good luck. I've done a few slightly shorter stretches and the best I can say is keep the routine for the kid's as much as possible, but at the same time it's all about survival. Whatever you can do to limit stress (pajama days, take-out, etc), do it. And plan something relaxing for yourself for when he comes home.

Does your 3 year old like to be a helper? Maybe build up the whole "when daddy's away, it's you and mommy being BIG GIRLS together!" sort of thing? I don't know...my three year old DS would eat that up. My 6 year old would have turned into a puddle of molten lava hearing that though.

Good luck!

[One Girl In All The World]

Jul 10, 2012 10:25:07 GMT -5 EloiseWeenie said:

I'm sorry, I hate when I have to parent without my husband. Stock your bar.

Big huge ditto. Good luck to you.

[secretlyevil]

I think crazy SBP is kind of fun.

Really though, good luck. I concur with ordering delivery and stocking the bar. Maybe your LM won't like the taste of whisky and it will expedite the weaning. Of course, he might take a hankering to it....

[One Girl In All The World]

Jul 10, 2012 10:29:48 GMT -5 asdfjkl said:

Jul 10, 2012 10:25:07 GMT -5 EloiseWeenie said:

I'm sorry, I hate when I have to parent without my husband. Stock your bar.

Yeah, where's the Parenting while Drunk board we were supposed to have?

It's over on the Baby side. :drink:

[pixy0stix]

::gets out popcorn to watch the fireworks::

When DH is out of town, I just plan an hour extra on both sides of the day to deal with contingencies. Plus, I stock beer in the fridge, and other food so that I don't have to go anywhere.

[lyssbobiss, Command, B613]

During the week it's not so bad for me as a single parent because I'm at work and I get a break. But on the weekends, here's how I cope - activities out the ass. No kidding. With it being as hot as it is, when we get up, we eat breakfast and then go to the pool early. Then once it gets too hot, we come back in, have a snack or lunch and watch a movie or something for a while. Then naptime/you don't have to sleep but you do have to play quietly in your room time. Then when he gets up we do a little more playing inside - for us, it's trucks or coloring or paint. Once it's a little cooler, back outside at the park. Then home, dinner, baths, bed. The trick is to have plenty of things planned ahead of time that you can or will do that day.
With two kids it may get trickier. I'm not always a huge advocate of tv as a babysitter, but I will absolutely let Babycakes watch Happy Feet so I can breathe easy for a little while. You CAN do it. If you think you're losing your temper, just walk away for a moment to another room and just breathe, or ask DD if she will play quietly for a few minutes. Set up a playdate with a friend if you can.

[twotrue]

Good luck! I know I only have one kid but actually much prefer solo parenting. Maybe DW and I are doing something wrong, but it just seems easier to make all the decisions myself ;-)

[lyssbobiss, Command, B613]

Happy to help! You know how to reach me if you feel like you're losing your cool. Activities make the time go faster for me.

[ringstrue]

Jul 10, 2012 10:49:55 GMT -5 twotrue said:

Good luck! I know I only have one kid but actually much prefer solo parenting. Maybe DW and I are doing something wrong, but it just seems easier to make all the decisions myself ;-)

I have a theory that a kid adapts to 1 care giver or two or more. When DD and I have a while (3+ days?) to be alone together it gets easier as the days go by - but when we are transitioning from 1-2 or 2-1 its harder.

[copzgirl1171]

Text me . Back to the pool Kids!

[iammalcolmx]

Jul 10, 2012 10:44:48 GMT -5 secretlyevil said:

I think crazy SBP is kind of fun.

Me too!!!

[redheadbaker]

I might be right there with you.

S.O. is going out of town the last week of July for a conference for work, so I am left with the baby and two dogs. Which wouldn't be so bad if we had a yard they could run around, rather than them requiring 3 walks a day.

I told him he had better come home with at least two bottles of my favorite wine.

[terpsfan]

Can you call in re-enforcements? For DH extended out of country travel I fly my mom in. I'm a wimpy wimpy who can't handle a 4.5 yo and 18 month old and dog for a long time by myself.

Especially right now as my 4.5 year old has turned into a moody dramatic epic-meltdown-every minute-teenager seemingly overnight. DH actually said this morning "she's possessed!" Fucking Fours!!!!!!

[Daria Morgandorffer]

Oh man, you have my T&Ps. H was alone with DD for a few hours yesterday and I got a frantic, angry phone call asking what he should be feeding her because she's refusing everything and then laughing at him. hahahaha.

[noonecareswhoiam]

Jul 10, 2012 11:14:24 GMT -5 asdfjkl said:

Jul 10, 2012 11:03:06 GMT -5 redheadbaker said:

I might be right there with you.

S.O. is going out of town the last week of July for a conference for work, so I am left with the baby and two dogs. Which wouldn't be so bad if we had a yard they could run around, rather than them requiring 3 walks a day.

I told him he had better come home with at least two bottles of my favorite wine.

This is actually the up side of things. We don't have a yard at all and DH is still grumbling about my insistence that we move out of the condo and into a house in the burbs with a yard and a garage. I think he probably loses substantial bargaining power on that issue after I spend two weeks trucking two kids around the city because he's out of town and we live in a condo that is completely not suited to our family.

Once he comes back, if he starts whining about how he won't be able to ride his bike to work and how we're living the cliche by moving to the suburbs, I'll be like, "Member how for two weeks I was carting our kids all over the goddamn city trying to get groceries into our house and keep our kids from going stir crazy by taking them to the zoo and park because we don't have a yard? Yeah, so shuddup about your fucking bike rides to work."

Tell him he can ride to the Metra stop;)

Seriously, my kids LOVE the bus. And the El. And especially the water taxi! Sometimes that's more fun than anything.

[secretlyevil]

Jul 10, 2012 12:06:53 GMT -5 @soudesafinado said:

Enlist a babysitter/mommy's helper for at least one day.

As someone who doesn't have kids - this sounds like a fabulous idea to me.

[Deleted]

Im a huge fan of babysitters. Could you even bring a neighbor kid to play with them while you're at home so you can get things done?

[2vermont]

Enlist your MIL.



;D

[2vermont]

Jul 10, 2012 14:50:52 GMT -5 asdfjkl said:

Jul 10, 2012 14:48:39 GMT -5 2vermont said:

Enlist your MIL.



;D

They just visited the weekend before last and we're still recovering. Thank you, no.

Sorry, SBP...it was a reference to another thread which I don't think you've seen.....

[blackkitty]

Jul 10, 2012 10:12:01 GMT -5 asdfjkl said:

I earn a new respect for single parents. I don't know how they do it.

We drink lots of wine!!! :drink: :drink:

[Daria Morgandorffer]

I can send you my MIL.

*Evil maniacal laughter*

[darnkatz]

Jul 10, 2012 11:14:24 GMT -5 asdfjkl said:

Jul 10, 2012 11:03:06 GMT -5 redheadbaker said:

I might be right there with you.

S.O. is going out of town the last week of July for a conference for work, so I am left with the baby and two dogs. Which wouldn't be so bad if we had a yard they could run around, rather than them requiring 3 walks a day.

I told him he had better come home with at least two bottles of my favorite wine.

This is actually the up side of things. We don't have a yard at all and DH is still grumbling about my insistence that we move out of the condo and into a house in the burbs with a yard and a garage. I think he probably loses substantial bargaining power on that issue after I spend two weeks trucking two kids around the city because he's out of town and we live in a condo that is completely not suited to our family.

Once he comes back, if he starts whining about how he won't be able to ride his bike to work and how we're living the cliche by moving to the suburbs, I'll be like, "Member how for two weeks I was carting our kids all over the goddamn city trying to get groceries into our house and keep our kids from going stir crazy by taking them to the zoo and park because we don't have a yard? Yeah, so shuddup about your fucking bike rides to work."

He can still ride his bike to work. Tell him not to be a pansy

[pixy0stix]

Fuck me. Saying, "Hey, you might need to plan more time because shit blows up in your face" is mommy martydish? Seriously?

Or saying, "I just don't get it because I don't have that frame of reference?"

YES I"M A SUPER HERO MOM! WHERE'S MY GOD DAMN FUCKING CAPE?!

[secretlyevil]

Jul 10, 2012 15:24:35 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

Fuck me. Saying, "Hey, you might need to plan more time because shit blows up in your face" is mommy martydish? Seriously?

Or saying, "I just don't get it because I don't have that frame of reference?"

YES I"M A SUPER HERO MOM! WHERE'S MY GOD DAMN FUCKING CAPE?!

Being able to swear freely has really brought our discussion to a whole different level. :drink:

[pixy0stix]

I might have a potty mouth that I have been keeping in check all these years.

[redheadbaker]

Jul 10, 2012 15:24:35 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

Fuck me. Saying, "Hey, you might need to plan more time because shit blows up in your face" is mommy martydish? Seriously?

Or saying, "I just don't get it because I don't have that frame of reference?"

YES I"M A SUPER HERO MOM! WHERE'S MY GOD DAMN FUCKING CAPE?!

For me, it's more than just planning for extra time in case something comes up.

It's not being able to grab a break at the end of the day, when DS is at his crabbiest, by handing him off to S.O. when he gets home. It's about trying to wrangle 2 dogs on three walks a day who are afraid of the stroller, who go apeshit when other dogs in their yards bark at us on our walk, or who try to take off and nearly tip the stroller when they see a squirrel or stray cat.

I'm sure I'll survive, but I'm not exactly looking forward to it.

[pixy0stix]

I get that. It was just one of the biggest tips that I had. Otherwise I was constantly running late because I wasn't giving myself time.

My thing is that I have to cram everything into the 2 hours after ZB goes to bed, and my bed time when dh is gone. Which ups my adrenaline, which makes it hard to fall asleep, which makes me sleep in, which leads to a viscous cycle.

Maybe my tip should be, "If everything doesn't get done, just say eh fugit." As long as everyone is fed and reasonably clean, that's good enough.

[ttt]

www.orbitz.com/flights/to-LAS/to-Las_Vegas/

KA and I will help you! And we have pools!