Freedom is great - but is it worth it???

Having just had the last two weekends off from Parental Duty this is where my question comes from....

Lucy has three sets of Grandparents (divorced parents remarried/repartnered) & two out of the three are teachers.
So seeing it has just been school holidays we thought we would take advantage of their time off to ship our little blondie off to them to have some quality time. For us & them.

Lucy spent two nights & two & half days with each of the Grandparents - & as far as everyone is concerned - a GREAT time was had by all.

Going back to my question... is it worth it?
Well yes absolutely but it certainly makes the coming back down to the parental world of responsibility a VERY bumpy, long & tiring ride! You see its so easy to forget how much work a two year old is.

We had only been home with Lucy for 2 hours yesterday when Jon & both looked at each other & said "Oh my goodness - she doesn't let up does she?"
Our house has been quiet, clean & calm for the last 48+ hours & now within the space of TWO it had been turned on its head.

In that space of time Lucy had managed to say 'Huh' about 150 times.

('Huh' is Lucy's response to ANYTHING that Jon or I say. And even if we repeat two or three times what we have just said - we are still met with a 'Huh'.
AAARRRGGGHH!)

She had also cried a very false & annoying cry about 25 times - or each time she just slightly tripped over the smallest speck - or bumped into the merest corner of any piece of furniture.

She commented numerous times 'I want to e-e-eat'.

She changed outfits.

She had stripped off nude.

She had spilt water all over the floor when trying to pour her drink from one cup to another.

She had swept a newly mopped floor & left bits of fluff all over it.

She watched the Wiggles.

She rode her bike outside.

She learnt that when you put your finger onto a spinkler valve it squirts in all different directions...even over yourself.

She pooed in the shower.

She pulled the vacuum cleaner cord out & let it retract back in about 20 times.

Phew! Thats a pretty busy two hour time line.
It certainly lets you know that you have entered the parenting world again... BAM! (thats me crashing into the parenting wall!)
We were stuffed by the time she went to bed at 7.30pm. Only 3.5 hours after she had come home.

So again back to my question... the re-adjusting - from being single, carefree, get out of you car & walk away without getting anything else out of it, coffee without walking round the cafe & sleeping in - to the full on responsibility of a two year old would have to be about the hardest thing you have ever got to do.

But will I pack her off to that wonderful place called a Grandparents home again????
With the knowledge that we will have to go through the trying adjustment period again....

ABSO - F*******- LUTELY.... Bring on the Xmas Holi's!!!!

We all had a wonderful time - & we really do appreciate the time to just be US again!
Thanks Rob & Liz, & Liz & Don - we love you guys!

Long Weekend Recovery

Well we had a really busy long weekend...but it was good.

Jon had to work all 3 days & Saturday night, so I have been on Lucy shift pretty much full time. I feel I need a holiday now too.
Seeing she is a typical 2.5 year old - the day just seems to drag by about 4.30pm, which is when witching hours begins.

She's bored - she's hungry - she's too awake to go to bed & too tired to be nice. All in all she is just 2.5....

What didn't help matters is that we have been busy either having people over or going to other peoples places or babysitting young friends...so her tiredness was escalating & my tolerance levels were depleting.

But yeah...thats what you get I suppose!

So anyway on Sun night we had two of the girls from my mums group & their husbands & their kids over for a BBQ. It was a fantastic night - with the two girls letting their hair down & getting way beyond tipsy.

Being the sensible prego woman that I am - I kept it down to one small glass of red (sigh!) & sat back & watched the merriment.
Jon too also helped in emptying those 4 bottles of red - & boy what a laugh we all had.

One of the husbands was celebrating his birthday that day & had already spent a great deal of the day at the pub, so his involvement in the merriment was fairly quiet - but he had the odd comment to throw in.
And the other husband was the DD - so he like me - watched three pissed minda's from a sober position. Which as most people know its not nearly as much fun as when you have a few under your belt to loosen you up.

With all three kids tucked into various beds around the house we kicked on to the great time of midnight - wow! I know everyone must be saying - what party animals.
But when you know in the back of your mind that you have to get up to that 2.5 year old in the morning (and its 6.30am at the moment cos of the early rising of the sun!) the mixing of midnight & alcohol - is a BIG thing.

I must admit tho I did give a 'mum' warning to Jon at 11pm to remind him that he had to be up at 6.30am to go to work. Awful I know....
But once upon a time evenings on the piss would be easy - get up in the morning & keep going - but the age factor creeps up on you & suddenly you find that recovery is not as easy as it once was.
But Im sure a couple of panadol, berocca's & some serious bench leaning helped mightily the next day.
An afternoon 'grandpa' nap was taken too - Before heading out again for another get together.
I did notice tho that my bottle of softdrink was being drunk way faster than it should of.
Even hair of the dog gets harder...doesn't it Jonno!

So it was a good weekend... Long but good!