Sometimes It's Lonely Riding the Crazy Train

Following on the heels of a mostly successful Spring "Break", the kids in our school district had one more day off today due to a Teachers' Workday.  It's the end of the grading period and certain things just have to get done at school.  Like report cards.  And lots of other teacher-y things.

I am now employed by said school system until the end of the school year, so I had to be there for the workday, too.  Seeing as how I make roughly $95/day for services rendered to the school system, and a sitter for the 7hr workday was going to cost me $110, my girls had the pleasure of accompanying me to work today.  And I have to say, they behaved beautifully.  Princess even commented at one point that she much preferred school without all the kids being there.  Hahaha!  Of course she does.  (I think that maybe a few of my fellow staff members felt the same way.)   Overall, I think my ladies had fun today.  Who'd of thunk it, right?

Nonetheless, I felt bad that they had to be there at all.  I mean, come on!  It's still Spring BREAK, for crying out loud!  


I know it sounds weird, but my kids having to come to work with me today made me feel all alone.  I guess it reminded me that my family is a little island, inconveniently removed from the rest of our relatives.


Normally, I don't mind living so far from family.  It's not great only seeing my family a few times a year, but it is the truth of my existence and I have come to accept it.  In a lot of ways, I like the solidarity of living in a slightly inconvenient location-- I never have to worry about a family member pulling the old "I was in the neighborhood and thought I'd stop by" crap.  Being as far away as we are from our folks requires a reservation on their part, which gives me time to prepare my house and my kids for company.  Definite advantage.

On the other hand, they also live an inconvenient distance from us, as well.  This makes holiday visits challenging-- try making two socially and emotionally challenged kids be happy to be ANYWHERE after an eight hour car ride!   I don't think the first day of a visit to Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny would go well after 8 hours in a car.

This inconvenient distance also exempts me from the joys of "free childcare from relatives."  (This is another of those phrases that sound like "Pigs In Space" in my head when I say, but whatever.)  I could really use free childcare from relatives this week.  Now, don't misunderstand me, the emphasis is not on the "free" childcare, it's on the "from relatives" part.  I would love to be able to just call up my sister or mom and ask them if they could "stop by" and watch the girls after school while I run an errand, or go to the doctor, or have my tooth pulled on Thursday. Ugh!  It's so much easier to have a relative stay with my kids than it is to hire some random teenager that probably won't "get" my kids and their quirks.  Or to pay some random grown up that will try to up the hourly fee they charged the first time that babysat because they "underestimated the challenges of watching two children".  Gimme a break, lady-- you said on your resume used to run a daycare!  Family doesn't do that to you.  They love your kids, and tell you the honest truth about how horribly angelically your kids behaved while you were out.  I need THAT.

borrowed clipart 

It's times like these-- when I am short on back-up plans and long on hope that all will go according to precisely timed plans-- that I MISS MY MOMMY!  I have never relied heavily on my mom when it comes to taking care of myself.  I have had an independent streak a mile wide since I was old enough to tell anyone listening that "I can do it myself!"  But where my kids are concerned, a familiar face and a big heart go a long way, and she has both.  I would prefer my relatives to babysit my kids any day of the week.  But, alas, it cannot be.

So tonight, while I am sitting-- alone-- on my couch, curled up with my new BFF Coconut and Chocolate Mousse Trifle, I will be stressing about my upcoming visit to the dentist and wishing-- for a change-- that I lived closer to home.