Seriously, the guilt has. to. go.
I have to travel twice for work in the next two weeks. One is only scheduled to be a day trip, but I'm packing underwear, a sleeping bag, and a toothbrush because it's over to a coastal village and the weather is notoriously unpredictable over there this time of year. I might get weathered in and have to crash at the school. The other is an overnight to three villages (fly into one for a meeting, hitch a snowmobile ride to another for a meeting and to mentor a new teacher, stay overnight there at a friend's house or at the school, hitch a snowmobile ride to a third to mentor three new teachers). I'd have childcare in the last two villages (I used to live in the second and have good contacts in the third), but having to stop in the first screws with the entire thing as far as taking DS along goes.
You know what? I should NOT feel guilty. Because, as of the 11th, I have an ENTIRE month off. Yes, an ENTIRE month. My new job this year (curriculum specialist) gives me flexibility of scheduling, and I took no days off this fall other than holidays, started in mid-August, and will work into June. DH and DS will deal without me for a night (or two if I get weathered in on the first trip), so I get an entire month of unrestricted mama time. DS and I are heading back to WI before DH does, so DH will have PLENTY of time to recuperate from his traumatizing evenings with DS.
AND last year, DH got to go back to WI early for Christmas while I stayed in AK with DS. AND he stayed in WI for an extra few days when I went back with DS and my dad.
I'm a stellar mama. One, maybe two nights without me will kill neither DS nor DH.
Or so I tell myself.
I have to travel twice for work in the next two weeks. One is only scheduled to be a day trip, but I'm packing underwear, a sleeping bag, and a toothbrush because it's over to a coastal village and the weather is notoriously unpredictable over there this time of year. I might get weathered in and have to crash at the school. The other is an overnight to three villages (fly into one for a meeting, hitch a snowmobile ride to another for a meeting and to mentor a new teacher, stay overnight there at a friend's house or at the school, hitch a snowmobile ride to a third to mentor three new teachers). I'd have childcare in the last two villages (I used to live in the second and have good contacts in the third), but having to stop in the first screws with the entire thing as far as taking DS along goes.
You know what? I should NOT feel guilty. Because, as of the 11th, I have an ENTIRE month off. Yes, an ENTIRE month. My new job this year (curriculum specialist) gives me flexibility of scheduling, and I took no days off this fall other than holidays, started in mid-August, and will work into June. DH and DS will deal without me for a night (or two if I get weathered in on the first trip), so I get an entire month of unrestricted mama time. DS and I are heading back to WI before DH does, so DH will have PLENTY of time to recuperate from his traumatizing evenings with DS.
AND last year, DH got to go back to WI early for Christmas while I stayed in AK with DS. AND he stayed in WI for an extra few days when I went back with DS and my dad.I'm a stellar mama. One, maybe two nights without me will kill neither DS nor DH.
Or so I tell myself.
