Jake is gone for a few days.

1. I miss him fiercely. The kids do too. This is both good and bad. Bad, because right now we are sad he's not here. Dekker randomly states that he misses Dad. Josh can't wait to call and tell him about wrestling practice. Naomi says she misses him when she's sad and wants his sympathy. Even TJ searches for him in the mornings when he wakes up. I miss anticipating him walking through the garage doors at nights and being able to tell him about my day and have me tell him about his. It's good though, because it means we love him and he's an important part of our every day lives. How sad it would be if we didn't notice/miss him when he's gone.

2. Easy dinners. When Dad's away though, I don't stress over a nice dinner. Make-your-own pizzas, pastas, and waffles will do. Certainly not a diet that we should stick to long term- but it's nice to take a break from more labor intensive and kid whining meals.

3.  A bit more "me time". I want to be clear. I miss having Jake around. I do. But, if I haven't unloaded (or maybe it just finally got loaded and is still running even) the dishwasher before dinner and pull out paper plates instead- I don't feel so bad. Not that Jake is a taskmaster. He works hard though, and is a good provider to our family. So I work hard to make sure the home is welcoming when he gets home. I'm not the perfect housewife, but I try to have things in decent order. So when he's gone, I loosen up a bit. Right now our bed isn't made and I haven't done my hair or make-up. I'll happily return to that when he's on his way home- but I'll take a break for a couple days! ;)