A lovely electronic friend asked me how I was yesterday.
She was worried about me being lonely without my kids and wanted to know if I was missing them.
She wrote: “They can be a bastard like that – drive you nuts when they are there, then break your heart when they’re not!”
I replied: “I used to really miss them but I am used to my new normal now. But I do feel a bit miz some mornings when the house is so silent and empty.”
The feeling was worse when I had PMT earlier this week but it’s eased now.
After our exchange, I started to worry that maybe I should be missing them more: was I an emotionally stunted mum for not weeping into my pillow at night?
I decided a while ago that I can’t let myself succumb to the ache. There’s nothing I can do about the stretches when I don’t have my kids.
Part of me wants them sleeping here in their beds every night of the week. Part of me resents (a lot) that they’re not.
I want this to be their home. I don’t want them to have two homes. I don’t want them to go on holidays without me.
But they are having a brilliant time in the snow, it would be selfish for me to want them all to myself.
They get to have two totally separate, lovely lives.
It’s double the fun.
But geez it’s quiet at my place. Especially when I’m working from home – like I was yesterday – and you don’t have any plans for the evening.
If I didn’t have the bloody dogs I could pop up to see DD.
But I do have the bloody dogs and can’t find a single person willing to mind them or, at the very least, let them out for a wee.
A local teenage boy was supposed to mind them, but he’s ditched me for a hot date. Marlene the dog sitter is in Europe. Marlene’s daughter in law (and fellow dog sitter) is booked up. The local kennel is full. Friends who I’d normally lean on have plans or are away for school hols. My sister and her hubby are out celebrating his birthday.
Blah. Blah. BLAH.
Let me just repeat for the 100th time: DON’T GET A DOG if you’re a single mum or there’s any chance of you becoming one.
You WILL regret it.
Yes, yes, Geoff. I know, I know. You told me …
Song of the day: Baha Men “Who let the dogs out?”
housegoeshome 
Hahahah…my typing finger was poised and then I got to the end! 😂
Hang in there because sooner, rather than later, you’ll be complaining that you never have time to yourself!
Like the dogs, that’s guaranteed! 😉
It’s a bit daunting thinking they will be potentially my responsibility for another 15 years. Sigh.
I must admit the logistics of moving are a heck of a lot harder with dogs, especially when we have four. If we can’t sell our house we’ll have to rent it out and rent down on the Coast but I doubt anyone will want us with all our animals. But there’s nothing nicer than coming home to a rock star welcome. Mine carry on like they haven’t seen me for weeks when I return from the loo. It’s unconditional love like no other Alana. Plus it means you never have to drink alone again!
I have my fingers tightly crossed you sell the house. And I must admit I was hysterical the other night when Bilbo ran away and I thought he was going to be squashed by a car.
Yeah having dogs is an extra challenge to getting away. I’m planning on a trip to Melbourne in October (to run of course) and wanted my husband to come as support but now the only other person in the house is wanting to go too which means that my support for the weekend has to stay home or we try to find someone to house-sit because three dogs would break the bank in a kennel.
Oh no! That’s such a pity. Yes, I’m going away and it’s going to be $50 a day to have the two dogs minded. It doesn’t sound like much but it really adds up. Maybe you could find a nearby teen who is prepared to pop over and feed them for a small fee
Yes, animals while giving you total unconditional love, can definitely cramp your lifestyle. At the moment, we have built in pet sitters since we built a house for my folks at the bottom of our property but they are often off on their own holidays so I’ve told them they can holiday as much as they like so long as they are home when we get to holiday !!!!
I must say that with A working away from home so much and K living in the US, having the animals there is good company for me. Although maybe I’m turning into a the mad cat/dog lady who talks to her pets because there is nobody else to talk to !!!! LOL