40 Day Fast

Well, these three kiddos are hanging out with their grandparents in California.

It wasn't planned.  It just kind of materialized.  (I say that like they just up and left one day.  Ha!)  They'll be gone for all of July.  I counted out the days - if they come home August 1st, it'll be 40 days.  We're on a 40 day kid fast.

I've decided to chronicle it.  Cause it could be interesting.  Well, I think it's interesting anyway, and this is my blog.

Day 1 - Saying Goodbye

(Umm, I don't know how long the camera lens has been filthy, but Rob finally figured it out yesterday.  So the smudges will disappear in upcoming pictures.)


Rob and I drove to Dayton and saw the kids off on an airplane with my dad.  This is how sentimental I am.  When my dad said, "You can come to the airport with us if you want," I said, "No, it's cool.  I can say my goodbyes at the house."  And then he went on to say that he was actually asking me to come with him to help him get the kids through security, etc.  Oh!  Right.  Of course.  And can I just say that having 3 adults to take care of kids at the airport was luxurious.  Highly recommend it.

Then Rob and I came home and something really strange happened.  I was overcome with anger and then despondency.  We've been without kids before for a week or so.  We've been down to one kid lots of times.  But never like this.

I started looking around at things.  At their things.  And I wanted to throw them across the room.  Maybe destroy them.  At the very least, shove them out of sight so I wouldn't have to look at them for weeks.  The anger.  And then, once that passed, I wanted to lay in bed for hours.  "What am I supposed to do now?" I thought.  "What is my purpose?"

It should be noted that I enjoy being without my kids.  People who can't get away need to get their heads checked.  But in that little moment, I just felt purposeless.  And in truth, so much of what I do in life revolves around 3 tiny beings.  And I like it that way.

So Rob and I got out of the house.

Day 2 - Clifty Falls

There's this itty bitty Indiana State Park not far from here called Clifty Falls State Park.  Lame name.  It's like they held a contest to come up with the least creative name.  It was a toss-up between "Clifty Falls" and "Cliffs and Falls."

So, not shockingly, the park looked kinda like this:

Nothing spectacular, but it was pretty.  I spent a ton of time in my childhood playing in a Midwest woods much like this, so Clifty Falls just felt right.

Also, this is the face that you give your husband when he suggests that the next picture be a topless one.  Oh, and I cut my hair.  And I look awful in hats.

We hiked about 10 miles, most of it in the shade and/or along a creek bed!  All day I kept saying, "Thanks for coming with me, Rob."  I keep thinking it's uber-lame that Rob and I, you know, go camping and hiking for fun.  This somehow is unrefined.

While falling asleep in our own bed that night we heard noises that seemed strange.  When the house is empty except for the person laying next to you, there's lots to hear.

Day 3

Nough said.