Gah! This week!

I'm a single mom this week while my husband is away on business on a trip he did not want to take but had absolutely no choice about. I always get a whole new respect for single moms when he is away. Because, Dude. This job is hard.

It may or may not help that it has been unusually busy with stuff and things. Last night was my very first school board meeting for Olivia's Catholic school. Since the daddy-person wasn't available and every single local family member was also busy, I had to find a new babysitter. She turned out to be great, but this always leaves me with a little anxiety.

Tonight is Olivia's preschool Spring program and "graduation" ceremony for those entering kindergarten next year. (No, they do not wear cap-and-gown. Thanks be to God.) I have her hair all twisted in hopes that I can accomplish the perfect twist-out 'do for her program tonight. Photos to come, whether good or bad.

She is bummed and I'm bummed and Joe is bummed that he cannot be there tonight. He is stuck in some mission diocese on the edge of the universe (or the border to Mexico, whatever). So I'm planning to record the whole thing on two separate devices and pray that one of them turns out really, really well so we can all play it back in a couple of days and say "Yay! You successfully completed preschool and will get to move ten whole feet down the hall to the Kindergarten room next year! You rock, little diva!" (The diva part because she sings loudly and can be heard above all 20 other kids in her class every time they do a program.)

I still need to iron her dress. Crap.

I managed to clean up the porch this morning, which feels like an accomplishment of epic proportions. The porch, you see, is where I send the non-nappers during nap, and the loud kids when it is raining, and the dirty kids when they are tired of playing outside. In short, it is where the kids play. And it has been neglected of late, so it was a disaster area.

My goal when Joe is gone is always to have the house cleaned and organized when he gets back, kind of as a gift. This never, ever happens like I want it to. But just to have at least ONE space that looks nice...well, that feels good.

Of course, he won't be home until tomorrow afternoon, at the end of a day when Olivia is home and I have three additional kids in the house, so it won't look anything like this tomorrow. Dude. What a waste.

I think I will go bury my head in a pillow and scream for awhile. And maybe iron that dress.