Mommy's at the Airport...

Last week I headed to Chicago for a Regional Meeting with work. This was going to be a long trip, 3 nights and 4 days, and to say the least, a long week for Craig. I don't have to travel often, maybe 4 times a year or so. I have mixed emotions and worries leading up to each trip. Part of me looks forward to the time away and part of me dreads it. Our Senior Vice President will often say " Now Brittany, try not to whistle as you're packing your bags " A big bed all to myself, no blood curdling screams waking me up in the middle of the night, 7-8 hrs of uninterrupted sleep = pure bliss, all making it difficult to hold back my obnoxious whistlen'. However, the other side knows a few days in I will start to get a little home sick and be ready to return home to the P's and their keeper.

This time around I had a little more worry than usual. Flash back to 3 months ago when I had to head to North Carolina for another long work trip. The P's weren't in school yet and Craig was on his own to beckon to their every demand, hold down the fort, and some how manage to actually work. I prepared myself mentally, knowing that I would probably come home and everyone and everything would be dirty. I know how much havoc those 2 tornado's cause on a daily basis, its a given. On the flip side, I knew they'd be well fed, because we know Craig ain't gonna let nobody go hungry. However, I wasn't prepared for what I walked in to. At first glance everything seemed fairly tidy and I was breathing a sigh of relief until I walked into the girls bedroom, where there to greet me right away were several, maybe 8 little lipstick kisses scattered all over the doorway. Bright pink lipstick. Then just a couple steps further, a nice finger nail polish painting on the floor, finger paint, finger nail polish- its all the same I guess. I'm getting a little more flustered and hot and then I look over and see a large stick figures or "dokie " ( Paisley's name for a her stick figures )  sketched by Miss Paisley, right beside her bed. When I asked her why she did that she replies- "It's you and Daddy, I missed you " How in the hell can I get mad at that?? I was just served a large dose of guilt by a 3yr old. Thank God for that because I was about to hit the roof. With these discoveries, I quickly scan the house combing every room with a fine toothed comb. There was no more destruction or construction found. But now that we're in the light and I can get a good look at the kids and their hair, I can see its clearly matted and on the verge of becoming dreads. It.was.awful. He combed it, very gently, not to disrupt the tangling, but did not bother tackling the rats nest. They have on a nightgown and blue jeans paired with a dirty face and quiet frankly look homeless.The bad thing,  prior to picking me up at the airport, they had been at the ChickfilA playground. ( I started to prepare for defacs ) Presleigh then begins to shout that she needs to potty, so I walk her to the bathroom and there is no toilet paper, no toilet paper anywhere in the house and I don't even want to know how long it had been that way. Craig said they ran out that day...it's probably best I don't know. At this rate I should just be thankful there was not a casualty. Needless to say I wanted to cry, but instead I pitched a fit and took it out on Craig. Lecturing him on it all for probably way too long while he was wishing I he would have just left me at the airport.

Fast forwarding back to this trip and my anxiety about leaving.... The girls would be in school half the day helping some and as luck would have it, picture day would fall the week that I'm gone.I laid our their clothes neatly, clearly labeled with their names and what day it was to be worn and each perfectly accessorized. Made sure that all their princess gowns were clean, we were loaded up on toilet paper and there was plenty of benadryl in the pantry so he could drug them up if need be-totally kidding. My Mom was also going to be able to assist more this time since she is now on the mends from her surgery. All things looking towards the positive, so I left on a fairly confident note. I only received one dramatic call while I was away and that was due to Presleigh pitching a fit because she wanted to open up a Collectors Millennium Barbie her Nana had given her and Craig didn't know what to do. The tears were flowing and the world was coming to an end! With that said, each time I checked in things seemed at ease, almost eerie and the day I was set to come home, Craig felt the need to lecture me and say he would not tolerate my fit pitching this time around.  Guess he had been dealing with enough hormone driven, drama induced mood swings that week. They pick me up, we head home and I walk inside with one eye open and to my surprise, it was clean and almost as I had left it. I do my typical walk through, checking each room, looking for things out of place ( I know, psycho ) but nada, zilch, nothing! The bed was made, this sink was clean, the girls were groomed and actually smelled nice.  I was able to walk in, put on my pj's and curl up on the couch to watch a movie with my sweet P's. I think I might have even pinched myself once or twice. I think the Dad's finally got it, finally.

Although I kinda gave Craig a hard time in this post, I truly am grateful that I can count on him to hold it down while I'm away. He really did a great job this time around and deserves a round of applause with a pat on the back. Also a quick shout out to MiMi, who cooked dinner for my family a couple of times while I was gone, bathed the girls and painted their nails, and for taking me to the airport at the butt crack of dawn. And lastly, a little Thank You to Mrs Sarah at FBK, who informed me today at Paisley's Thanksgiving Brunch that she may have had to put a bow in her hair on picture day.

Mrs Sarah: Hey, good to see you here. Where were you last week? All Paisley kept saying was " Mommy's at the airport " Each day she came in " Mommy's at the airport"
Brittany: Awe, poor thing. I had to travel out of town for a work meeting, so the Dad was in charge. Of all weeks to be out it was picture week.
Mrs Sarah: Well he did really good. She came in looking cute every morning. He was so funny, on picture day, he called up to the school and asked if we could put the bow in her hair. (she's cracking up) We figured since "Mommy was at the airport" we'd help him out a little bit.
Brittany: Well thank you so much for doing that, i really appreciate it and I know he does too.

Wink, Wink, Craig ;) Bet you thought I wouldn't figure that one out!