Weekend-ends

I think I speak for most people when I say I live for the weekends. I mean, I really do love that I get to stay home with Charlie and Caroline. They keep me smiling and make me so happy. So our weekdays really aren't bad. But oh man. The weekends are bliss. Usually Forrest gets off early on Friday night (like 6:00ish) so he's able to be home to help me feed the kids, get them bathed and in bed. Then after they're asleep we usually try to go on a date. Often Forrest's brothers and/or mom will come over and watch TV while the kids sleep, and we go out to dinner/movie/temple/shopping.. whatever we want to do with our baby-free hours. If we don't go out then we play games, watch movies and eat popcorn and ice cream from home. Every single Friday night we talk about how tired we both are and how we really need to get to bed early. And every single Friday night we get to bed sometime after midnight. Then Saturdays Forrest usually has to work, so I take the kids and go to my mom's house. Those days are like a breath of fresh air for my sanity. My mom, dad and sisters are so amazing. Really honestly and truly AMAZING. When I am there, and adults finally outnumber babies.. words cannot describe the relief that it is. My mom and dad are so willing and happy to hold the babies, crying or not. And my sister steps right in to help feed them, change diapers, and entertain (with the help of her darling 4-year-old). Of course I wish I could spend Saturdays with Forrest. But when I can't, spending them at my mom's house with my family is ideal. They help me get the kids bathed, lotioned and jammied, and then they sleep in the car while we drive home for the night. Sundays we get up about 7 and go to church at 9. Forrest does his best to not have to work on Sundays, so after church we usually go to one of the grandma's houses for lunch. Then come home and have a quiet evening together before the craziness of the following week ensues. Those Sunday evenings - the weekend-ends - are the hardest. Because I know what's coming. I know that those lovely 2 1/2 days of family togetherness and help with the twins is over. And lying ahead I have 5 days of being outnumbered. Five nights of dinner, bath and bed all on my own. Like I said earlier, I really do love it. But it's hard.

When the kids were younger and still waking up to eat in the night, the weekends were a break that I desperately needed. Forrest would wake up to help me, and that made things so much easier. I remember holding back the tears when I went to bed every Sunday night, just thinking about doing it all on my own again. Another 5 days and 5 nights all on me. 

Things are much better now. The evenings aren't nearly so hard. And it's a little easier to take the kids out during the week. We take frequent walks, mid-week trips to Heber to be with family, and occasionally go out to do some shopping. So the weeks are much easier to handle. But the weekend-ends are still hard. I am so looking forward to the day when Forrest will be home by 5:00. Hoping it comes soon!