Ahhhh, a life. I do have a vague recollection of what that was like...
Babydiva my high energy, high maintenance easy child takes up much of my *ahem* "free" time since I am a stay at home mom. I get separation anxiety from her if we go anywhere overnight. Dang the luck. I don't trust her with just anyone so outings can be hard. There are two relatives who watch her but they have lives of their own. Dang the luck!
difficult child is a different story. We live
outside of a village of 370 people and he hates to get off his kiester and put the effort in it takes to socilaize. He hangs out with his uncle a lot. Problem is that as soon as I MUST take a break he has been a brat/disaster and sending to Uncle is a reward he
just lost.
The rest of the time I feel bad leaving him behind because him at home alone without a healthy social agenda seems too depressing and unhealthy.
husband works insane hours, seasonally of course. He's free a lot now during deep gloomy winter when I want everyone to back off. Even on good days there is no "us" time. If we try to talk the difficult child pops in needy for attention. As soon as he walks away babydiva starts whining. We haven't had a single conversation go uninterrupted in almost a year.
I wouldn't feel so desperate for free time if it weren't for the chaos. At the end of the day when I am burnt out the most the baby needs a bath and dinner while she is getting to crabby time, difficult child is being a pain about goodness knows what, dinner has to be made, I want a shower because that's my evening relaxation etc. etc. etc. Then husband comes home.
It's an all out battle of boiling over pots, ringing phones, poopie diapers, a whining teen all competing for the fumes in my emotional gas tank. By the time I finally relax enough to enjoy husband he is a yawning, twitching knot of restless leg syndrome and well, pretty much useless for any coherent conversation. (though I love him for trying)
The best thing I could ever hope for is a good nights sleep, a family outing to a park on the weekend and home to a PEACEFUL evening of beers in the rockers on the porch while husband char-becues burger-coals for dinner, knowing all along the baby is sleeping and difficult child is watching some well earned tv inside and doesn't need to hover or eavesdrop for once.
Forget a vacation I just want a "normal" weekend day, just once a month or so.