Wasted on the Ungrateful

On Sunday afternoon I found myself settled into my favorite chair on the back porch. I had just gotten up from a nap and picked some plums off the tree and was enjoying the cool afternoon.

All was quiet.

I wandered back into the house and puttered around. I was already bored.

Mindy had left a few hours ago driving to Arizona with the two boys and her mother. The girls were already there.

So I called her. But soon someone needed her and she had to go.

I read. I watched some TV. I cleaned. Then I called her again. But she had just arrived and there hugs and catching up that had to be done so she had to go.

I had no boys to bathe, no stories to read, no girls to chase to bed.
My bedtime routine was all off. So I laid there for a long time staring at the ceiling.

No one said goodbye to me when I left for work.

By the end of my work day I had called Mindy at least 10 times - with no answer.

I arrived home to an empty house. No kids begging me to jump on the trampoline with them. I called her again.

Oops she said, the phone was on vibrate. She asked if everything was ok. I started to answer but then I could hear the boys in the background. The water in their shower was cold! She had to go.

Back to the ceiling.

We finally had a real conversation on Tuesday. Mindy excitedly asked me what I had been doing. She wanted me to describe in detail my hours of solitude. Ahhhhh, I could hear her sigh. "I would give anything to be alone in our house."

I commented that it wasn't as fun as it sounded.

Her voice raised as she began her retort: "You have no idea....(the sounds of wailing and gnashing of teeth)...I gotta go."

Only 1 more day until I fly into Phoenix and back to the chaos.

Ahhhh. I can't wait