Survival Tips

So.... I wrote this list of survival tips and then almost posted but felt the whole time like it was monotonous and self-something. Not self-righteous, but definitely the nicer side of who I really am. So then I started thinking about a better list of survival tips for when G.I. is out of town (thanks for the nickname, Claire!).

1. Laugh all day long at the conversations you have with your kids. Like the one we had this morning about the best way to pass gas in school.... if you can't make it silent and blame it on someone else, you better ask to go to the bathroom.

2. Look good. Last week we were at the playground (in my I love Star Wars shirt) while waiting for Logan's baseball game to start. Two teenage boys near me said something like, "Hey, you like Star Wars?" (I said yes because that's the easiest answer) Other boy, "We love Star Wars, too. It's a good movie. Girls who like Star Wars are cool." (yes, always yes.) The boys kept talking, and then one walked away and the other one walked over to me and said, "Hey, I just wanted to let you know that my friend thinks you are really cute." Um. THANKS? Hey, I'll take a compliment from anyone! And then I told Joe he better get back home because the boys were hitting on me. ;)

3. Go to a friend's clean house and then come home and lecture all your kids that they better get their rooms cleaned up because the house is a disaster. And if they don't--then threaten to throw all their toys away. That makes the evening end really well.

4. Stay up all night checking facebook and playing solitaire so that you can wake up at 5:30 the next morning and feel exhausted. Then instead of doing something productive during nap time take a nap yourself so that you can continue the zombie walk the next day.

5. And finally, you deserve to be comfortable. If it's 90 degrees outside it is worth your happiness and comfort to pay for the AC. Just check your thermostat frequently. . . if it feels a bit chilly it might be because a kid turned it down to 50 degrees when you weren't looking.



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original and more serious post


I know that a husband's occasional trip out of town is a drop in the bucket compared to the life of a single mom, or a military mom whose husband is gone for a year. But the fact remains--it is still hard! So let's talk survival tips.

Food. Everyone still has to eat. Find a balance between easy and still worthy of your taste buds and budget. My favorite this time around has been an amazing spinach and chicken salad with a good vinaigrette plus a Kefir smoothy drink (found in your Walmart fridge section). Actually, that is what I ate at Madison's school yesterday and several teachers told me that they were craving my lunch.

Plans. Make it fun. Movie nights, parks, games, etc. It helps to break up the time.

Friends. I have great friends who agree to do fun things with us (like meet at a park). We've been invited to dinner, FHE, and to play and chat (adult conversation is very important!). I am hosting a girl's night at my house--can't wait! I have a babysitter lined up so I can spend a few hours away--looking forward to that!

Sleep. Still working on this one, but I think it's really important!

Time. Use your time well. Clean during the day so you can enjoy your atmosphere (messes make me cranky), and then put the kids to bed early and do something just for you that is enriching and/or relaxing.

Attitude. A work in progress. I'm learning that I am the only one who can make sure these things happen, and that I am in control of my happiness. If I do the things above it helps me to have a more positive attitude. The kids have been prepped about the relationship between good behavior and mom's patience. :)