flying solo - what a weekend!
My 10 year college reunion was this past weekend. I had friends over at our house before the Saturday night reunion event, and one family stayed the night Saturday night. I flew solo the entire weekend, as Steve left for a trip on Friday.
Here is a run-down on the preparation for the weekend:
Friday - we got up and I headed off to the new house to painting the ceilings in three bedrooms and the toy room. Steve and the kids come up around noon, brought lunch, and then I headed home while Steve stayed to install a fan in CC's soon-to-be bedroom. When I got home the kids took a nap while I mowed the grass. Steve got home around 3:30p, got ready in a flash and headed off to work.
Around 6pm I got a call to show our house on Saturday at 11:30am...fine. Around 6:30p I put CC down for the night, and Ben settled onto our bed to watch a movie. I started to bust ass to get the house ready (it has been 2 weeks since our last showing). Ben went down for the night and I continued to clean/de-clutter/organize/do laundry. I think I was in bed around 10:30pm or so.
Saturday: bright and early the kids were up...around 6:15am I think. I still had a lot to do to prepare for the showing and our guests. Around 9am, or so, I loaded up the kids in the car and we headed off to the grocery store. This is a chore I usually do when Steve is home with the kids so I can just be in and out. Since I was solo, I went to my not-usual grocery store so that Ben could ride in the grocery cart that has a car type thing built in the front. This gives him the play fun of driving the "car" while I shop...nice distraction. CC was a dream and just stayed in chill in her little seat.
We got home, I unloaded the car, I did the final preparation on the house for the showing, I loaded the kids and dogs into the car, and off we went to Target. My plan on attack was to put the dogs in the porch at the new house, while we went to Target. Our painter has a key, and the key set we have was in Steve's car at the airport parking lot. So, the back porch was the only solution.
We went to Target...Ben had an ICEE (every time we go to Target he gets one...for $1.25 it is worth it since he sits in the cart and behaves). Target was a breeze.
We went back to the new house to get the dogs so we could head back home...the dogs were GONE! G-O-N-E, gone! I immediately started to call their names, "L-E-X-I....C-A-L-I....(whistle)...L-E-X-I...C-A-L-I...(whistle)"...rinse and repeat. The dogs have been at the new house a couple times before, but not nearly enough to know the area. There are two interstates near the house...there are busy roads near the house. I was starting to freak out. The kids were in the car: Ben was watching a DVD and CC was asleep, so they were contained and safe. After about a minute I went into the front of the house trying to figure out my next plan of attack. The thoughts in my head went something like: their tags have our home phone # and I was not home (note: we need new tags with our cell #), they are going to get hit by a car, I have friends coming into town and things to do - how long will it be until I find them? I looked up and down the street...nothing.
I reached into the car and grabbed my cell phone to call Steve. "They are gone!" I told him immediately when he answered. "What?" he said. "They are gone...the dogs are jail break and I can't find them", I said in a panic. Just then Cali made her way from the backyard on the driveway. In a relief I told Steve "oh, here is Cali", and Steve replied "well, Lexi won't be far behind". Sure enough, not 30 seconds later Lexi showed up...drenched! We have a creek that runs in the back of the yard and Lexi just had to get into it.
I loaded the dogs into the car and off we went back to the "old house".
We got home and I opened the door...all the house lights were on and no realtor business card...two signs that the showing was a NO SHOW! Shit! You are telling me that I busted ass to have a no show?! I was pissed. But, on with life we go.
Around 1:30pm, 2 hours after our show time I might add, I heard Lexi barking. Since she was wet she was not allowed to come into my clean house. At first thought I though "oh, Mike or Ruth are here". I looked out and saw a Cadillac, which is not a car either of them drive, but I thought maybe they borrowed a car or something. Then it dawned on me, maybe it was the realtor.
Ben was watching Toy Story 2 in the family room, CC was fussing herself to sleep in her crib, and I was looking sausage on the stove to get a strata ready for breakfast Sunday morning. I grabbed Ben and headed outside. Sure enough the realtor and buyer were running late (two hours late, mind you) and I graciously allowed them into the house, with the smell of cooking sausage and all. Ben, CC and I just took a walk down the cul-de-sac while they were inside.
Ok, so they left. I continued to get food ready, and then the guests started to come...yeah!
Had a great time...headed off to our reunion event.
Because everyone loves pictures, here is the only one of me from the night...it is blurry, sorry.
The event was held outside under a tent and it was uber hot and humid, but we had a great time. Steve got into his hotel around 11pm or so, and we texted/talked a bit. I wished he were there, as did he, but shit happens. His #1 priority this month, for bidding his schedule, was vacation and his PC, so I don't even think he tried to get this past weekend off.
I drank just a bit too much and got home at *gasp* 2am. I can't tell you the last time I got in at 2am. It was well before we had kids, for sure! Anyway, a mere three hours later I got up to feed CC, and just 2 hours later we got up for the day. I had a pounding headache, but I knew it was dehydration so just drank tons of juice and was okay.
Oh, how could I forget...on Saturday Ben had diarrhea. Poor kiddo went through about 4 pairs of shorts and probably a dozen diapers. His butt was so red that he would scream with the baby wipes, so at a certain point each diaper change meant that I hosed him off in the bathtub with the shower head as to not irritate him more.
Sunday morning flew by...we ate breakfast and hung out. My friends left, thank goodness they were a HUGE help in cleaning things up (thanks Ruth!!!). Keep in mind that there were five kids in the house, so things got messy pretty quickly. I was able to get the house ready for the open, and off we went to my aunt's house to kill time.
Open house = no one showed. Awesome...what a waste of time (note: reconsider the effectiveness of a open house next time our realtor suggests one). At least the house is uber clean.
The kids went down like a ton of bricks last night. Ben and CC both slept hard. I was in bed at 9pm...the sun hadn't even set yet. I was exhausted.
So, to recap my weekend, all without Steve:
- got the house ready for not one but two showings
- I had to mow the lawn
- I went to the grocery store and Target with kids in tow
- I had to deal with a panic situation with the dogs
- I had to host friends for the weekend
- nursed a sick kid that was going through shorts and diapers like it was his job
- I went to my college reunion without my husband (at least most people know he is a pilot, so I think most people assumed that he was working)
I am officially superwoman! Steve gets home tonight, and you bet when he steps foot into the house I am going to take off my mom hat and immediately put on my chill hat.
Here is a run-down on the preparation for the weekend:
Friday - we got up and I headed off to the new house to painting the ceilings in three bedrooms and the toy room. Steve and the kids come up around noon, brought lunch, and then I headed home while Steve stayed to install a fan in CC's soon-to-be bedroom. When I got home the kids took a nap while I mowed the grass. Steve got home around 3:30p, got ready in a flash and headed off to work.
Around 6pm I got a call to show our house on Saturday at 11:30am...fine. Around 6:30p I put CC down for the night, and Ben settled onto our bed to watch a movie. I started to bust ass to get the house ready (it has been 2 weeks since our last showing). Ben went down for the night and I continued to clean/de-clutter/organize/do laundry. I think I was in bed around 10:30pm or so.
Saturday: bright and early the kids were up...around 6:15am I think. I still had a lot to do to prepare for the showing and our guests. Around 9am, or so, I loaded up the kids in the car and we headed off to the grocery store. This is a chore I usually do when Steve is home with the kids so I can just be in and out. Since I was solo, I went to my not-usual grocery store so that Ben could ride in the grocery cart that has a car type thing built in the front. This gives him the play fun of driving the "car" while I shop...nice distraction. CC was a dream and just stayed in chill in her little seat.
We got home, I unloaded the car, I did the final preparation on the house for the showing, I loaded the kids and dogs into the car, and off we went to Target. My plan on attack was to put the dogs in the porch at the new house, while we went to Target. Our painter has a key, and the key set we have was in Steve's car at the airport parking lot. So, the back porch was the only solution.
We went to Target...Ben had an ICEE (every time we go to Target he gets one...for $1.25 it is worth it since he sits in the cart and behaves). Target was a breeze.
We went back to the new house to get the dogs so we could head back home...the dogs were GONE! G-O-N-E, gone! I immediately started to call their names, "L-E-X-I....C-A-L-I....(whistle)...L-E-X-I...C-A-L-I...(whistle)"...rinse and repeat. The dogs have been at the new house a couple times before, but not nearly enough to know the area. There are two interstates near the house...there are busy roads near the house. I was starting to freak out. The kids were in the car: Ben was watching a DVD and CC was asleep, so they were contained and safe. After about a minute I went into the front of the house trying to figure out my next plan of attack. The thoughts in my head went something like: their tags have our home phone # and I was not home (note: we need new tags with our cell #), they are going to get hit by a car, I have friends coming into town and things to do - how long will it be until I find them? I looked up and down the street...nothing.
I reached into the car and grabbed my cell phone to call Steve. "They are gone!" I told him immediately when he answered. "What?" he said. "They are gone...the dogs are jail break and I can't find them", I said in a panic. Just then Cali made her way from the backyard on the driveway. In a relief I told Steve "oh, here is Cali", and Steve replied "well, Lexi won't be far behind". Sure enough, not 30 seconds later Lexi showed up...drenched! We have a creek that runs in the back of the yard and Lexi just had to get into it.
I loaded the dogs into the car and off we went back to the "old house".
We got home and I opened the door...all the house lights were on and no realtor business card...two signs that the showing was a NO SHOW! Shit! You are telling me that I busted ass to have a no show?! I was pissed. But, on with life we go.
Around 1:30pm, 2 hours after our show time I might add, I heard Lexi barking. Since she was wet she was not allowed to come into my clean house. At first thought I though "oh, Mike or Ruth are here". I looked out and saw a Cadillac, which is not a car either of them drive, but I thought maybe they borrowed a car or something. Then it dawned on me, maybe it was the realtor.
Ben was watching Toy Story 2 in the family room, CC was fussing herself to sleep in her crib, and I was looking sausage on the stove to get a strata ready for breakfast Sunday morning. I grabbed Ben and headed outside. Sure enough the realtor and buyer were running late (two hours late, mind you) and I graciously allowed them into the house, with the smell of cooking sausage and all. Ben, CC and I just took a walk down the cul-de-sac while they were inside.
Ok, so they left. I continued to get food ready, and then the guests started to come...yeah!
Had a great time...headed off to our reunion event.
Because everyone loves pictures, here is the only one of me from the night...it is blurry, sorry.
I drank just a bit too much and got home at *gasp* 2am. I can't tell you the last time I got in at 2am. It was well before we had kids, for sure! Anyway, a mere three hours later I got up to feed CC, and just 2 hours later we got up for the day. I had a pounding headache, but I knew it was dehydration so just drank tons of juice and was okay.
Oh, how could I forget...on Saturday Ben had diarrhea. Poor kiddo went through about 4 pairs of shorts and probably a dozen diapers. His butt was so red that he would scream with the baby wipes, so at a certain point each diaper change meant that I hosed him off in the bathtub with the shower head as to not irritate him more.
Sunday morning flew by...we ate breakfast and hung out. My friends left, thank goodness they were a HUGE help in cleaning things up (thanks Ruth!!!). Keep in mind that there were five kids in the house, so things got messy pretty quickly. I was able to get the house ready for the open, and off we went to my aunt's house to kill time.
Open house = no one showed. Awesome...what a waste of time (note: reconsider the effectiveness of a open house next time our realtor suggests one). At least the house is uber clean.
The kids went down like a ton of bricks last night. Ben and CC both slept hard. I was in bed at 9pm...the sun hadn't even set yet. I was exhausted.
So, to recap my weekend, all without Steve:
- got the house ready for not one but two showings
- I had to mow the lawn
- I went to the grocery store and Target with kids in tow
- I had to deal with a panic situation with the dogs
- I had to host friends for the weekend
- nursed a sick kid that was going through shorts and diapers like it was his job
- I went to my college reunion without my husband (at least most people know he is a pilot, so I think most people assumed that he was working)
I am officially superwoman! Steve gets home tonight, and you bet when he steps foot into the house I am going to take off my mom hat and immediately put on my chill hat.
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