Return to Work Trial Run

…aka “A Weekend at the Farm”, or “30 Hours WITHOUT the Kiddos!”

A few weeks ago, Darrel suggested something that I instantly vetoed.

“Why not let your parents take the boys one night? We could actually SLEEP! And they could test out keeping both boys for when you go back to work to see if there is anything specific that they would need for when the time comes.” he said.

Um, nope.

I had two big reasons: not enough milk to “waste”, and worries about accidental exposures during a food trial.

I asked my parents anyway, because this was something that Darrel really wanted. It was also something we both really needed, and as I’ve recently decided I need to water my own roots first I found myself packing up the boys stuff for an overnight with the grandparents.

Friday at 1:00 p.m., my parents drove off with the boys, and Darrel and I took 30 hours by ourselves.

God Bless Grandparents!

The first thing I wanted to do was to take a shower. Alone. With the door closed. And no little people yelling at me.

You know what? It was boring! I hardly knew what to do with all that alone time in the shower.

It made me miss the boys.

But the after shower time made me appreciate the time alone. I did my hair, makeup and got dressed like I used to do all the time, without interruptions, without chasing little boys up and down hallways while dripping wet, and without ever saying to myself “Okay, where was I, now?”

I’ll be honest; it was a little weird being alone with Darrel at first. We’ve so rarely been alone together since Zac came along that it almost felt like a second or third date. (Isn’t that sad?)

In fact, it took about five hours – and a cheesy ’70’s song – for me to relax and realize how absolutely necessary the “no boys” time was for us.

We were waiting for something in a store, patiently listening to the music playing on the speakers. Just to be silly, I decided to belt out the chorus. Right before I started singing, I looked at Darrel. I wanted to see his face when I started acting like an idiot in public!

He wasn’t looking at me at the moment, and just as I started to sing – so did he!

We sang the chorus together and laughed. At that moment, I realized something. THIS is why I married Darrel. THIS is why we need some alone time.

THIS is fun!

For the rest of our 25 remaining hours, we were a lot more comfortable and relaxed…maybe even the most comfortable and relaxed we’ve been in years.

What did we do with all that glorious alone time? I mean, childcare on a Friday night is a big deal, right?

Well, we’re such party animals. We went to Home Depot and bought supplies to build potato cages and fix our pantry problem. We went to Walmart for a few necessities. We picked up 3 cases of potatos and a case of coffee at the health food co-op.

When we got home, we cleaned out the library/spare room and threw away HUGE quantities of trash, went through the boys toys and found two giant boxes to donate to charity, and stopped by Tractor Supply on our way to pick up the boys to get some duck feed for my parents.

Wild times, I tell ya!

We did also manage to get some good “snuggle on the couch time” while watching Season 1 of “Game of Thrones”, and slept uninterrupted for 8 hours straight.

Well, at least I did. I woke up in exactly the same position I’d fallen asleep in. Even my fingers hadn’t moved!

Darrel woke up once but went right back to sleep for another three hours.

Glorious!!

For their part, the boys had a BLAST!

When we picked them up we heard all about their fun day with Grandma and PopPop.

Jed got to sit in PopPop’s lap and “drive” the pickup truck around the farm. He helped with chores around the farm, feeding the animals and collecting eggs.

He also fell in the pond.

I knew that was going to happen eventually. 

Mom rescued him from the water, and stripped a dripping wet Jed down right there on the pier. He refused to go inside, you see, until his Thomas toy train had been rescued from the pond, too.

Apparently the most traumatic part of the whole ordeal for him was the potential loss of the train he had in his hand when he fell in.

Priorities, people!

Dad rescued Thomas, and a little while later Zac grabbed Thomas, ran to the pond, and threw him back in!

Dad rescued Thomas again, and they spent the rest of their outside time keeping Zac away from toys that could be thrown in to the pond. Apparently Zac has decided that all toys and balls must be thrown in the water, now. Stinker.

Friday night Zac screamed for me for 4 hours straight. Mom finally put him in the car and went for a drive; he was asleep before the end of the driveway.

My son has a temper and an incredible stubborn streak.

The rest of the time was fine; he slept great that night, though he refused a nap Saturday afternoon.

Both boys came home with slightly red cheeks from all the sun they got playing outside, and I picked a tiny Tick off Zac when we got him home. The joys and perils of country living.

When we got to my parents to pick up the boys, Zac refused to let me out of his sight. If I went around the corner, he went with me. If I stood up, even to stretch, he stood up and watched me warily.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I have the world’s BIGGEST Mama’s Boy!

All told, he drank 27.5 ounces of breastmilk at Mom and Dad’s. I pumped 18.25 ounces while we were apart. Based on consumption, I’d say he’ll drink 25-30 ounces of milk a day when I go back to work.

Based on that, and the amount of milk I was able to produce to replace it, we’ll be okay for breastmilk consumption while I work for three months…if I work no more than 5 days away from home per month. 

Since it takes me one day away from home to travel to work, and another day away from home to travel home from work, that means I can work 3 days a month.

We’re screwed.

We need more foods for him, but there is nothing else to trial right now. Our gardens haven’t come in yet (mine hasn’t even been planted yet!).

All we can trial on Zac now is probiotics, salt, and maple syrup. Not exactly the kind of foods that are going to fill his tummy and diminish breastmilk demand.

I have no idea what’s going to happen the next few months, but I HAVE to go back to work or our finances will sink like a rock. We’ve reached the end of every clever solution I can come up with for financial survival.

I’m glad we did the trial run, even if we lost 10 ounces of milk for it. It was good to see that the kids will be happy and well cared for at Grandma and PopPop’s, and it was good to get time alone with Darrel. We all needed this.

But knowing the expiration date for safe milk for Zac is making me more anxious about returning to work.

So, prayers, please? And if anyone has any bright ideas, I’d love to hear them!

How was your weekend? How did it work out the first time you got away with your spouse after the kids came?

__________

By the way, the photo up top is almost everything we had to send for the boys – for a whopping overnight visit! Three bags, an ice chest FILLED with food, plus Jed’s Thomas backpack of toys and Epi-pens. The Summers Family travels light, you know?