Ken Aiden and Barbie; Single Mom Tuesdays

Aiden has a thing for Alexis' Barbie cars. It has gotten to the point that Alexis doesn't even try to claim them as her's anymore and has just resigned to the fact that they live in his room now. He loves to race them up and down the hall and crash them into each other. But his favorite thing to do is..... climb in and try to 'drive' the car around, of course all while looking so cool with his sunglasses on upside down.

And then there is this look when he finally realizes that I am taking his picture.... "CHEESE!"

Of course Andrew plays so nicely with his brother and was only doing this because it was keeping Aiden happy to have a playmate, not because he too is a silly guy.

When Andrew's not trying to fit all 65lbs of his 10 1/2 yr old body into a Barbie car he can usually be found curled up on the couch or in his bed reading a book. Oh the good 'ol days of being able to sit around and read for hours on end and finish novel after novel. To be young again.

Of course no post would be complete without a cute picture of my Little Miss. Recently whenever I get the camera she wants to pose for the camera. I keep asking her if her neck is broken because this is what she comes up with: neck totally cocked to the left practically touching her shoulder. I shouldn't complain, at least she is looking at the camera and not some shifty eyes off to the side somewhere.

And my boys, minus their Barbie cars, are sharing a moment on the couch. Only Aiden can steal Andrew's hat without serious consequences. Anyone else would have their hand chopped off if they tried to touch his hat. That $1.00 Christmas gift has not left his head longer then one laundry cycle when I couldn't handle looking at it on his head anymore. Sometimes I question whether Andrew has blue hair or black hair anymore.

He does take it off to shower, and when he did take it off Sunday night to take a shower, he left it laying on the counter. I had specifically warned him about picking up after himself (something we have been working on), so I was not pleased to find his things still litering the bathroom floor an hour later. I promptly cleaned the place up and found a "home" for the hat. He was lost without his hat come Monday morning and didn't know what to do. Dale and I agreed that it would be returned to him later that afternoon. I think the message hit home because there has been no more liter left laying around. I wouldn't be surprised if he tried to shower with his hat on tonight so I couldn't get my hands on it.

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Tuesdays are tough for me. That is the day that Dale normally has to work late duty, which means he goes into work from 10-7, leaving at 8:45 and doesn't get home til 8. I feel like a single mom on those days. I still get up at the normal time (6:15) to get the kids ready for school, all the while letting Dale sleep in as long as possible since I know he only gets this day and one other day to do so each week. He usually gets up 15 mins. before the kids head out to school to spend some time with them and then him and I (and Aiden) get about 45 mins. together before he is out the door for his late duty. The morning goes as normal with Aiden, pick up of Alexis at 11:15 is normal, but then it all falls apart from there. Normally Andrew comes home at 2, but on Tuesdays he also has 'late duty,' or after-school band, so he doesn't get home till after 4:00. Having Andrew's extra two entertaining/helping hands at 2:00 are greatly missed when he is not there those two hours. So, to add that to Daddy' late duty day just sends me into a tailspin of tears by the end of the night. Dale usually gets home at 4 and can spend time with the kids while I start/finish up dinner. He is also there to help with after dinner clean-up, bathtime, bedtime routine and everything else that makes a household tick. On Tuesdays he usually pulls into the driveway in just enough time to kiss the kids goodnight before they close their eyes. I know this one late duty a week is unavoidable, and Tuesdays is the only time it works for his department, and I need to stop whining because at least he has a job! blah blah blah... but it sucks feeling like a single mom and I just needed to lovingly close slam some cupboard doors closed as I put away dishes and cry it all out last night when he got home (which I am sure he loved coming home to after a long day at work). He and I work so well together with our routine that this one day a week just throws such a monkey wrench in it all. Anyone have any coping strategies on what I can do when I am going it alone? It gets so overwhelming at times and I don't handle it very well.