one day get-away

Right now I am enjoying the quiet.  I know in as little as a few minutes I will be greeting my two oldest in our hotel room. I had a good night's sleep. I got up once to pump at 3am and then again at 7:15 Ella got up again at 6 but I got to sleep quickly after. So now that i'm finished (after 30 minutes of pumping!) I decided to blog during this peaceful time.  Usually at hotels, pumping is not so fun because I have to be super quiet and I'm usually cold. This time, I did well in the dark instead of bumping into things and making loads of noise, and I prayed the whole time. I prayed for my kids, and our time together, for rain which we are in almost desperate need within the next two weeks, etc.   I've come to realize that I only have one more month with Kate left before she goes to kindergarten. I know I will be so crushed, but it's good for her to go. It will be a little harder with Maddy because she won't have her big sister to play with but I'll have to pray harder that I can be more intentional with her and her activities. I got to spend loads of time with just Kate.... so this could be my time with her. Hopefully by then Ella will be old enough to where she isn't as fussy and doesn't need my attention as much. Maybe we can even get some groceries!

Yesterday, like most days, I have zero energy. Plus, Polly (our summer help) is usually so busy with all three families that I don't like to have a strict schedule or things for her to do all of the time. We just took it easy most of the day and especially in the afternoon.  I think once I start sleeping through the night, or even when I just have to get up once, that might make a difference with my energy levels. I thought by now my body would just get used to this, but it hasn't!  Anyway, we had a couple from church over on Sunday, so I tried to clean up any clutter around the house, and luckily on Saturday I made sure to get the kitchen as clean as I possibly could so when Polly came, there really wasn't a whole lot to do besides play with the kids. We are out of a lot of groceries so the only thing I could make was homemade mac and cheese, and I only had gluten free noodles left!  Peter has meetings this morning in Fargo, so we left after Kate and Maddy's swimming lessons and arrived at the hotel to basically give Ella a bath and have a snack and go to bed. The kids got to bed after 10 and I pumped until almost 11 and fell asleep quickly.  Now this morning I promised swimming and I have to figure out how I'll pump, then pack up, and then walk over to the mall for lunch and maybe a little shopping. Then we have to race back home for swimming lessons (hoping we can make it!) and not much time for anything else.  Anyway, as I was getting ready for the hotel, Ella was fussing really bad. It turns out she had pooped (finally) and after her change she still wasn't content. I put her pacifier in and she ever so gently laid her head on my shoulders and closed her eyes.  What a sweet moment! I just sat down and enjoyed her for a bit.  I feel like I need to do a lot more of that!  Soon I will order breakfast, pack, probably pump, swim, and then pump again and then go to the mall.  I hope it goes smooth!