While I was Away

While I was away, Tom and the girls camped out on the living room floor all weekend long.

While I was away, my mom picked up my girls and took them with her for a seven hour excursion, hitting all the hotspots: Dairy Queen (because O told her, “I eat really well at Dairy Queen. (Alyssa reported that Olivia did not, in fact, eat well while at Dairy Queen with Gram)), Jo-Ann Fabrics, Walmart (because, duh!)

While I was away Tom cooked a pizza in the oven all by himself. I know! Okay, so what if I was the one who purchased said pizza? He opened the cans of sliced black olives (again, purchased by me for this very occasion), put the olives on the pizza, preheated the oven, put the pizza in the oven, set the time and took the pizza out when it was done. And then he fed it to the girls who proclaimed it the very best pizza ever. Score 1 for Daddy! I declare him the official pizza baker from this point forward.

While I was away my mom finished Olivia’s Halloween costume. Olivia is so excited she can’t stand it.

While I was away, Olivia asked Tom if I was going to be gone forever. My heart broke just a little bit. She asked the question when I’d been gone one night. I was gone two more, or three if you count Sunday night since I didn’t get home until after midnight and they were both asleep when I finally hauled my tired butt in.

While I was away, Alyssa reported that her throat stopped hurting. As in, there is no pain left at all. This eased whatever lingering guilt I might have had over the surgery. Guilt? Gone. Healing? Done. Cue happy, happy momma.

While I was away I saw some of my very favorite people and had some amazing moments that were incredibly beautiful even as they were excruciatingly painful. Strides were made. Many more are coming.

While I was away I missed my family terribly and am so, so glad to be home.