Alone

Greg took Kate and Ty to Ohio to see both sets of grandparents and have his annual appointment with his surgeon. They were gone for three days and two nights. I was supposed to go along to see friends, have dinner with my husband to acknowledge our nineteenth wedding anniversary, celebrate Ty's upcoming fourth birthday and relax by Mom's pool with my little people; but the teens had conflicting schedules and an additional driver was required at home. That driver had to be me since Greg's bones were needed at the surgeon's office. Greg hesitantly took the little ones along, not confident this was a solid plan given how little he honestly has to provide for all their needs for extended periods of time. Each check-in proved he was enjoying time with them. Each check-in also found me in a state of disbelief. I was alone a lot. I mean ALONE. As in all by myself! This is a foreign concept for me. I am always meeting the needs of others and one hour alone in the grocery store constitutes a break in my world. But, I enjoyed it. I was relaxed even though I wasn't completely sure what I was going to do with myself. There were painting projects I could have delved into. I could always find something to clean but I made myself relax instead. And I did it. I wandered a few stores aimlessly. I chose meals at the last minute and once fed my teens a healthy and indulgent dinner of crab legs, asparagus and peaches....all off the grill and incredible. Four hours later they kidnapped me and held me hostage in an i Hop because they were starving. Given I have started a grain, dairy and sugar free anti-inflammatory diet, my options at i Hop were quite limited! Having never been to one before, the kids were convinced it was a travesty and insisted we eat there at 11 pm! People, I should have been in bed but found myself inhaling in a cheese-free omelet and enjoying it. Other than the i Hop incident, I dined on smoothies, soups and salads. Not feeding a small army left me to my own whims and it was good. Really good. I accomplished very little and for me, that was amazing. I am not skilled at this relaxation gig but I not only survived, I enjoyed it.

They returned today full of stories, laughter, messes and noise. My world has been restored.