Hello, friends!
This past week, Megan was in St. Louis leading our new staff cohort in a training on scriptural engagement. Besides being slightly jealous that she got to eat all the delicious things that St. Louis has to offer (she declined to bring me back any White Castle...) it was going to be another adventure in solo parenting!
Solo parenting isn't anything new to either of us. Sometimes she goes on trips and sometimes I go on trips. The one thing that made this adventure extra exciting was that this was the first time either of us would be solo parenting with a dog (and a tortoise!). This would also be the first time since JoJo started pre-school.
Honestly, those two facts were big changes. Usually, it'd be a situation where we would pay for an extra day or two at daycare, then I'd drop everyone off in the morning, work all day, then pick everyone up and do the dinner/playtime/bedtime routine. But, since JoJo is in preschool in the morning, we can't do daycare for just the afternoon. Added to that, since I had to let Phoebe out to go to the bathroom every few hours, I couldn't just be out all day. It was a different experience indeed! Here's how it broke down:
Monday:
- 8am: Head out and do some Sabbath stuff before Megan heads to the airport
- 10am: Get back to the house to say goodbye to Megan
- 11:30am: Pick up JoJo, go get lunch, and head home to let out Phoebe
- 2pm: Take Phoebe (with JoJo) for a walk
- 2:30pm: Take JoJo to Costco to pick up some groceries
- 3:30pm: Get a call from Megan that Thaliea threw up and needs to come home
- 3:50pm: Pick up Thaliea and Ezra from school
- 4pm: Get home, cook dinner, get Ezra to do his homework, get Thaliea to bed, make sure JoJo is entertained, and let out Phoebe
- 5pm: Eat dinner and playing outside with the boys
- 7pm: Bedtime routine and try to get everyone in bed by 8
Tuesday:
- 6:30am: Wake up to feed Phoebe and find out that she pooped in her kennel overnight
- 8am: Get everyone ready for school/daycare (Thaliea stayed home) and bribe them with McDonald's if we can do it quickly (we do... McGriddles for everyone!!!)
- 9am: Get back home and work from home, occasionally switching off my screen so I can let out Phoebe or get something for Thaliea
- 3:30pm: Pick up JoJo
- 5:30pm: Pick up Ezra from his friend's house (he went there after school)
- 5:45pm: Head to Alpine Inn for dinner with some of the men from our small group (and to feed some raccoons!)
- 8pm: Bedtime for EVERYONE (if only it was that simple)
Wednesday:
- 5am: Wake up with a massive migraine but still let out Phoebe because we CAN'T have a repeat of yesterday
- 6:30pm: Wake up again, migraine is still there, and get ready for the day
- 7:30am: The kids are up and it's time to get ready for school
- 8:30am: Everyone off to school, including JoJo to preschool
- 9am: Go back home and try to get some work done, while occasionally letting out the dog
- 2pm: Pick up JoJo
- 4pm: Pick up Ezra and Thaliea
- 4:30pm: Cook dinner while bribing the children with ice cream if everyone does all their chores and homework
- 6:30pm: IT WORKED! Go get ice cream
- 7:30pm: Let's get everyone to bed!
- 8:45pm: Have a phone call with a ministry partner
Thursday:
- 5am: Did I wake up this time? I assume I did but I really don't know
- 6:30am: Feed the dog. Either I got up the first time or the second time on this one...
- 7:30am: Kids are up and it's time to go!
- 8:15am: Everyone out the door so we can get donuts on the way to school (for those counting at home,that's bribery #3)
- 9am: Back home to play everyone's favorite game, "Work while occasionally letting out the dog!"
- 3:30pm: Pick up JoJo
- 4pm: Pick up Thaliea, Ezra, and Ezra's friend for a playdate
- 5:30pm: Friend heads home and we're off to church small group
- 6:30pm: Tell the kids that if they finish their food, they can have a s'more (#4!)
- 7:30pm: Head home because there's still homework to be done!
- 8:30pm: Bedtime for the kids
- 9pm: As much cleaning as can get done before Megan gets home, including dishes, laundry, mopping, and cleaning the bathrooms. Many podcast episodes were consumed...
- 11:30pm: Sleep, blessed sleep
- 12:30am (Friday): Megan comes home and our family is complete again...
By the numbers, we had 4 briberies, 1 poop emergency, 1 puke emergency, and 7 dog walks, which isn't too bad! Everyone is alive. No one got lost (I'm looking at you, Gus!), and a decent time was had by all...
Funnily enough, Megan will be out of town for work again next month, so we'll get to do it all over again! Please pray. =0).
Have an excellent day!
~Adam