Widowed

I just finished eating a banana split, followed by a half a bag of Nilla Waffers, while watching about 2 1/2 hours of t.v. shows.  This is what my life has come to this month.  To be totally truthful this isn't really all that different from any other day in any other month...other than the fact that I've barely seen my husband.  Marcus is on track to bill 260 hours this month, and that's with taking the first 4 days of the month off for vacation.  What that means is that we have seen VERY little of him.  The last few weeks I vaguely notice him coming home and getting into bed in the wee morning hours and then I briefly see him and get to say a few words to him in the morning before he has to go right back.  It's pretty brutal...certainly not sustainable. 

I've always thought being a single mother would be one of the hardest things in the world.  Whenever people have referred to themselves as a single mother because their husband works so much I've always thought it was funny, but maybe did a little injustice to what being a single mother would really be like.  Obviously having to work to support your children and be their main caretaker would be absolutely exhausting.  I was telling a friend this the other day though, and she pointed out the while that is true, at least the working single mother is happy to see her children at the end of the day.  I've laughed a little about this the last few days, as I've nearly lost my mind at the end of a long day of doing everything for the girls.  Today for instance I'd gotten the girls bathed and out of the tub and asked Hailey about ten times to put on her dang underwear, and somehow it still hadn't happened, so of course I threatened her that if she wasn't fully dressed by the time I came back in the room she would go straight to bed.  (I know it's not good, but I feel like I have to threaten both my children to get anything accomplished!)  Anyway, she did it, and then started singing a song that went something like "I love my mom, she is the nicest mom in the world!  She is always so nice to me!"  I swear this girl is so good at manipulating, and making me feel bad, but in a sweet way.  It was pretty funny. 

This month I've had to take a lot of deep breathes.  I'm seriously hoping after this next week work slows down for a while, but I guess this is what we signed up for.  I knew it, but the experience is supposedly totally worth it.  Right???  Time will tell I guess....anyway this seemed like the perfect time for an incredibly random picture upload.  Here they are:

 Hailey got her first real haircut before school started.  She's had several haircuts before from either my mom, or myself, but this was her first real not just a straight line haircut.  Amanda is in our ward and comes to our apartment to cut our hair, and it's so nice!  We love her!

 We've had a lot of strange dress up moments. 

 Above I think Avery's face does a great job of summing up how we've been feeling.

 Hailey just being cute.  She wanted a picture in her new shirt, with her comforter in the background.

 These two actually aren't White Sox fans, but they do look cute in the shirts.  Thanks Ash and Chris!

 Hailey got to go to one of her best friend's birthday parties the other day.  I think Hailey loves Davis.  Really, and who wouldn't he really is one of the cooler kids I know.

 I love these pictures.  She loves him.

 Avery showing off her new Toms...thank you grandma J!

 A trip to the park/school.  School was cancelled here for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, so Hailey took advantage by riding her scooter around the "playground" at the school.  Luckily pre-k actually does have a playground toy, but the rest of the grades only get to play on this big cement slab, isn't that sad?!

 Hailey with some kids from her pre-k class, and the other class.  This picture doesn't show it, but she is quite the ring leader.  She is too funny with the kids from her class.  She loves them all.

 We have a babysitting swap going and we have Saturday off, but Marcus has already warned me he may not make it.  If he can't I've decided I'm still going out.  I'm going to go get a flu shot and a Pedicure...who could ask for anything more?!