Looooong week

What a long, long, LONG week.

Jody has been out of town (working at the "Googleplex" in CA) all week - left at 4 a.m. Monday morning and won't be home until tonight. In the past this hasn't been too much of an issue. Sure, I'd prefer he's at home with us, but I've managed without him OK. This week, however, I think due to the fact that I'm getting towards the end of my pregnancy and am more tired, it was really hard being a single parent.

Caring for a toddler, coupled with the fact that I'm trying to work on a newsletter for our API group and prepare for an upcoming photoshoot for a 1-year-old, has been very draining. On Wednesday, I finally accepted that I just can't do everything. So the dishes were getting washed every other day, the basket of clean clothes sat for 3 days before being folded and put away, and Ava and I didn't pick up any of her toys Wednesday night. I think that deciding that world wasn't going to end if I didn't do everything I wanted to helped me relax a bit on Thursday, not get so overwhelmed and have a much less tiresome day.

It's funny because I actually had these crazy notions that I'd be able to get so much done while Jody was out of the house for a week. I even had an idea that I'd do some painting in the livingroom or bedroom or cut down a bunch of branches in the front yard! ROFLMAO. I'm lucky if I can do a load of laundry and wash the dishes. Seriously, what was I thinking? I really just needed to listen to my body and take it easy instead of trying to be Super-mom.

My sister has been over to watch Ava a couple times and that has been a help (thank you, Carrie), but it just doesn't replace having two parents.

My hat is off (way off) to all the single parents out there. :) Give yourselves a pat on the back.

And Jody, I really appreciate all that you do to help out with housework and taking care of Ava. We can't wait to have you home again (and not just to do the dishes). ;)

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In other news, Ava and I attended our local API chapter meeting this week where we had a wonderful speaker talk about "raising our children using the philosophies of Love and Logic, REAL Parenting, Parent as Coach (Diana Haskins), Non-Violent Communication (Marshall Rosenberg), How to Talk so Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk (Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish), Happiest Toddler on the Block (Harvey Karp), and Parenting from the Inside Out (Dan Siegel and Mary Hartzell)." She has taught Love and Logic classes for the past 10 years and, a couple years ago, "developed REAL Parenting - classes that focus primarily on how parents can develop and maintain their relationship with their children, teaching specific, concrete skills that can be used to connect and stay connected with their children. The primary themes of REAL Parenting classes are respect and empathy."

I hope to write a bit (at a later time) about some of the information I gleaned from the talk and handouts she had available. It's pretty interesting stuff and will be useful in raising our lil punkin, er punkins. :)