domesticana

Chores & Charming

Being alone with Ella these last couple weeks, I keep trying to stay positive, making this or that chore an adventure rather than a bummer and struggling to remember that she's missing her daddy as much as I am. Probably more.

Sunday marked two weeks since Matt flew to Kona, leaving his old Land Cruiser at the airport. Naturally, it wasn't how I wanted to spend my day, but somebody had to go get it. Since I don't feel comfortable hitting anyone up for a ride to the airport (it's an hour and a half away), we endured the following to get his car back:

• Took a taxi to the bus stop.
• Spent two hours on an airporter bus.
• Took the airport shuttle to long-term parking.
• FOUND the car.
• Struggled to get it started (the whole choke thing intimidates me).
• Dealt with the cashiers because Matt took the parking garage ticket.
• Paid $180 and drove home.

It took 5 and a half hours from start to finish, but somehow it wasn't that bad. Ella was so patient and excited to ride in all the different vehicles, and she kept chatting everyone up and making little friends along the way. The fellow Sepastopol-er at the bus-stop inquired all about her doll and where she was headed. The bus driver played pee-a-boo with her (not when we were driving, obviously). The janitor smiled at me in the airport bathroom as Ella sang to herself as she pooped. The pediatrician on the parking shuttle showed her the gifts he'd brought back for his daughter from Germany. And the cashier at the garage gave Ella her very own "important paperwork" so she wouldn't feel left out. Seeing her charm everyone all day made me feel so happy to be present and watching and paying attention to her doing it.

Of course my mini love affair faded when she woke up crying at 1am after having wet her bed, again. I swear, nothing makes me more of a grump than having to change sheets in the middle of the night. As I crawled back in my own bed after changing the sheets, wiping her down and getting her re-jammied, I realized that all of her sleeplessness and bed wetting started about the time Matt went on this trip. Poor thing.

So, last night when she made it to the bathroom before wetting herself all over the floor, I tried not to be such a bitch about it. I think I only half succeeded. It's a start.

Phew.

I know, I know. I vanished again. Sometimes real life takes hold and I just don't have any energy to write about it.

Take for instance the first three weeks of October: it was an onslaught of family visitors. First my dad came to town (always a pleasure); then Matt's niece came to stay with us for a week (sweet, but a tad trying); then my mom showed up (it was fine); then my sister-in-law and other niece came to stay for a few days (by that point I was too exhausted to take much note); then everyone left including Matt (who flew off to Hawaii and landed just minutes after the earthquake), then my parents came back for a couple days; then my dad left for Yemen (crazy!); then I drove Ella and my mom down to So. Cal to visit my grandpa for a few nights; then Ella and I drove nine hours alone in the car, with no video entertainment, to get home.

In the midst of all that, Matt kept calling me from Kona with news of impending work deals that might keep him there for several months. Then he bought a car, and I knew it was serious. If that's not a whirlwind few weeks...

So, Ella and I are flying to Kona on Wednesday for a couple weeks, and I suspect the two of us will be heading back again for Christmas. This is by far the longest Matt's been away from us, and the fact that he's not coming home for Thanksgiving is overwhelming. We toyed with the idea of just 'moving' over for a few months, but it's more than any of us can handle. Ugh, the mere thought... We just got settled here in our new town: new school, new friends, new routines. I'm exhausted. I need to stay put for a little while, and I think Ella does too.

On the bright side, we get to go to Kona for a couple weeks. Yeah, we'll be working and dealing with familial obligations galore, but at least we'll be in Hawaii. I'm sure we can swing a couple trips to the beach, and if not, at least the condo has a pool.

On our own

I haven't been taking nearly as many pictures as I'd like lately, but I did manage to shoot a few on some recent 'quality time' outings with Ella.