My Husband Left Me …

Written by Chelle on Monday, June 2nd, 2008

… for FIVE days, with two small children. All alone, no one to talk to, pass off, tag team, to vent to …

The hardest part was the tension from anticipation. If I let it all go, we rocked. If I started to think about it I got all tense, snappy, and impatient. The children were excellent. Their behaviour was top notch. In fact, while my husband was away, Ethan started to sleep through the night!

It is not like I have never been on my own to do the solo parent thing. This was different. I am not sure if it was the time factor or the fact that the kids are a handful right now. Not in a bad way, they just need a lot of me right now. I kept thinking I would never do this again. Next time will be different. And it will be different. My children will be a year older, and as a mother I too will be a year wiser.

I feel like the longer I do this Motherhood thing, the better I am. It is a nice feeling compared to that scared, insecure new mom feeling.

J is back. The world has returned to its stable, happy place for me. I helped out with a huge Le Leche League consignment sale this weekend, leaving Ethan for the longest time in his history. He was fine. Why do they grow up so fast? We also walked through the famous Public Gardens … a must see again!

How was your weekend?

Filed under Becca, Ethan, Maritimes Style, Mothers

27 Responses to “My Husband Left Me …”

Mom On The Run, on June 2nd, 2008 at 9:15 am Said:

Wow! Good for you! I wish I had known that you were alone this past week - I would have called or something. My hubby travels alot - I think since mid-November I’ve been home alone with the girls for a total of 10-11 weeks, add that to the fact hubby leaves for work at 7 am and comes home at 7 pm, I’m practically a single mom. It’s hard isn’t it? I find dinner time the loneliest. I don’t mind doing breakfast and lunch alone wo anyone to talk to - but dinner time? By then I need someone to vent to, chat with, help feed one kid while I feed the other (and try to eat my own meal) etc…

Visit me @ http://www.momontherun.net

Mom On The Run’s last blog post..About Mom On The Run:

Awesome Mom, on June 2nd, 2008 at 11:28 am Said:

I am glad you survived! I also find that I feel more confident the older my kids get. I just hope I can keep that feeling going then they are teenagers.

Awesome Mom’s last blog post..Enjoying my vacation

Nadine, on June 2nd, 2008 at 11:37 am Said:

I’m glad your hubby is back. It’s easier when you don’t have to do it alone.

Nadine’s last blog post..Copier Wars

Guinevere Meadow, on June 2nd, 2008 at 12:03 pm Said:

Hi! Thanks for visiting my blog, I’m glad you enjoy our Magnet Monday posts!

My husband will be going on a week-long business trip later this year. I’ll be alone with an almost-two year old. I’ll also be doing my internship to become an elementary school teacher. It’ll be a rough week!

Guinevere Meadow’s last blog post..Magnetic Monday: Experiment With a Psychedelic Masterpiece

Michelle, on June 2nd, 2008 at 12:35 pm Said:

Sorry to hear J had to go away for 5 days; I’m dreading the day Joe tells me he needs to go TDY! I’m not prepared to do the single parenting thing w/2 kids LOL What a blessing Becca and Ethan were so well behaved though! I didn’t realize Ethan wasn’t sleeping through the night yet!

Michelle’s last blog post..Grains of Gratitude

Erin, on June 2nd, 2008 at 12:54 pm Said:

We LOVE the public gardens! I’m so glad that you took a trip there. Even with the traffic noise, its so peaceful

Oh man, next year! It’s something to think about, eh? In one year, less one week, we will be solo again! I’ve been thinking about where we will be this time next year, and I go into full blown panic attack mode It’s too bad that Halifax hosted only 3 years ago and Saskatoon 2 last year, or you could tag along It’ll be in the East next year, Ont or Que…you could always drive annd calm a vacation

The weekend was good. Adam took pity on me and, after a miserable Saturday of Adam working ALL day, he took Sunday off. My back is just healing now, so he did all my lifting…laundry, pushed the stroller for groceries, carried Sam around, scrubbed the kitchen floor…it was wonderful! I worked hard too, I just didn’t injure my back farther.

Jacquie, on June 2nd, 2008 at 1:34 pm Said:

I can totally relate, life is different now that Bruce is home everynight!

Love the picture of Becca smelling the flowers, Ethan is as cute as ever too.

Had a busy weekend. We had 11 seven year olds running around on Sunday for Kamryn’s b-day party and we lived to tell about it
Jacquie’s last blog post..And then she was 7!!

Much More Than A Mom, on June 2nd, 2008 at 2:27 pm Said:

I’m glad you survived the week! Great pics of the kiddos.

Much More Than A Mom’s last blog post..Random Kid-Vid - 3rd Edition

Cara, on June 2nd, 2008 at 2:47 pm Said:

We had a busy but awesomely fun weekend.
I am glad to hear that I am not the only one whose child did not sleep through the night till well after his 1st birthday.
I too feel like I am getting better at this motherhood thing everday.

Cara’s last blog post..What would I do?

Helen Wright, on June 2nd, 2008 at 4:28 pm Said:

You scared me to death with that intro!!!
Isn’t it funny how much you rely on your spouse?!?! There are times that due to work my husband only sees our son for half an hour but that half an hour is so needed!! Makes you really think about those single parents out there.
People also don’t realize how hard it is to do this parenting thing when you are without family.

This weekend I had a Mum’s night out and saw Sex in the City!!! It was great!!! …both the movie and the MNO!!!

Helen Wright’s last blog post..Mum’s night out!

Helen Wright, on June 2nd, 2008 at 4:29 pm Said:

BTW…it’s getting pretty damn annoying to have to write sushi every time!!! I am counting down the days to Hamachi House!!! I have yet to find a really good sushi place in Atlanta!

Helen Wright’s last blog post..Mum’s night out!

Holly, on June 2nd, 2008 at 6:00 pm Said:

Darren’s leaving tomorrow. He’ll be gone for a few days. Not too bad, except that he forgot to mention it in the family calendar meeting. Oops.

And James got sick, then me. Hoping I’m better by tomorrow.

Glad to hear your time alone went well.

shionge, on June 2nd, 2008 at 9:12 pm Said:

Hiya Chelle, swing by to send my greetings to you from Aimee’s blog

I rememebered when my hubby was attached in Alabama for a year I found it a struggle for the initial two months and got over it quite quickly. The bonding with my girls were amazing too.

Deb, on June 2nd, 2008 at 9:23 pm Said:

Hehe. You had me going with your title. :o) Glad your hubby is back.

Shannon @ Gabi's World, on June 2nd, 2008 at 10:47 pm Said:

Sounds like you did well on your own, but it is always nice at least knowing you have back-up.

Congrats on Ethan finally sleeping through the night. All my kids did it so fast. I can only imagine how tough it is when they take this long.

Shannon @ Gabi’s World’s last blog post..Were gonna have Fun, Fun, Fun…

Marz, on June 2nd, 2008 at 11:51 pm Said:

Glad to hear all is back to normal.
It must be hard. I know how it would be for me, however, my kids are really weird & they turn to jackyl & mr hyde sometimes. Last night of work for Eric is friday, so he sleeps till around 4pm on saturdays. This is our time, me & the kids & they’re always so good for me but the minute he gets out of bed, all of a sudden they’re acting up, talking back & just are plain unbearable. I don’t get it.
Good news on the sleeping through the night!

Marz’s last blog post..Music… Music…. everywhere….

Devilish Southern Belle, on June 3rd, 2008 at 2:21 am Said:

Sounds like a wonderful weekend, and I am glad the five days weren’t terrible! Definitely the more you do the motherhood thing, the better you get at it! (though I sometimes wonder about myself….I swear there are days when I feel like I can’t make the right decision to save my life!)

Devilish Southern Belle’s last blog post..Oh, really?

Gail, on June 3rd, 2008 at 7:22 am Said:

I have a few friends whose hubbý’s travel a lot for work. I think they are total legends. I’m not sure how I would do it to be honest! Glad J is back now! You are right - another year on and we’re a bit wiser…… unfortunately the kids have grown another year too. Arghhhh! freaks me out how fast time is going by!!!!!

~JJ!, on June 3rd, 2008 at 8:05 am Said:

Yay you.

I’m proud of you.

Glad he’s back though…Now go for a walk…Alone.

~JJ!’s last blog post..*sniff*

Cori, on June 3rd, 2008 at 8:51 am Said:

First of all thanks Chelle for being so supportive with your comments through my craziness.

I love the photos of your little ones, they are growing up so fast, I feel so honoured to be apart of that by stopping by here and hearing your stories and seeing your lovely pictures. Going solo can be tough Al used to travel a lot, I’m not sure what’s worse the travel or the long hours we now have. I’m on my way to BC this summer flying solo with my two little birds, wanna come?

Cori’s last blog post..Upside Down, Inside Out & Backwards

Rebecca, on June 3rd, 2008 at 12:42 pm Said:

I’m so glad he’s home again! I can cope just fine when my husband is away, but I’d rather NOT.

Rebecca’s last blog post..The Saddest Pie In The World

Haley-O, on June 3rd, 2008 at 8:58 pm Said:

My weekend? You really want to know?
Glad you got through the five days! That’s a long time to be on your own. Josh has left me for five days, and my parents help out a lot…. Lucky me.
Haley-O’s last blog post..Mattering

Rachel, on June 3rd, 2008 at 9:58 pm Said:

I cannot even believe that the week already started. I am not even sure what we did but yes, the tag team is key. Even though I do most of the stuff with Max..my hubby still does the trade off and then I can breathe.

Rachel’s last blog post..I have been tagged!!

Rachel, on June 3rd, 2008 at 10:05 pm Said:

I have tagged you. Check out my post.

Rachel’s last blog post..I have been tagged!!

Rebecca, on June 4th, 2008 at 2:27 am Said:

I was thinking the same thing last night…we’re staying at my parents and they are away for the week…it’s so so quiet once all the kids go to bed!

Immomsdaughter, on June 6th, 2008 at 3:56 am Said:

Reading this post makes me think of the coming trip the hubs will have in July - also 5 days away. Sob sob sob…I hope my kids are as good as yours now.

Immomsdaughters last blog post..Havoc Week

Tsoniki, on June 6th, 2008 at 10:44 am Said:

I think kids know when it’s one parent and try to behave. At least that’s what I tell myself! LOL My Dh has been gone since Christmas and it’s another month til we’ll see him. Luckily for me, I’m with my Dad so maybe it’s just having Grandpa there that helps too? A distraction for sure.