Mommy needs a freaking break

I swear that it's a complete coincidence that I wrote a Sometimes Single Mom column about needing a break when my husband happens to be working for 7 days straight, which is way harder than it sounds when you've got a traveling spouse. How does one make up for 168 straight hours of parenting alone?

Not that I'm counting or anything.

But whether you've got a spouse or partner who travels a lot (or a little) or he comes home every night after work, then I bet you can relate.

In other news, I'm headed to Philly the week after Easter, and if you're in the area, I hope you'll join me at my Mominatrix Book signing on April 8. While my husband's parents will not be making an appearance, there will be some of his family there, so it'll be like you're meeting them by proxy, which in this case, is very good. They are awesome. Plus, you can grab a book, mingle with some Philly/Jersey bloggers, and more importantly, say "hello!"

And if that's not motivating enough, the New Girl will be there.

And finally, I've started a weekly interview series called "I'm a Mominatrix," featuring a variety of diverse mom bloggers sharing their stories about what makes them a hot, sexy mama. It's nice to know that you don't necessarily have to write about sex, or pretend to carry whips in your diaper bag to still keep the fires lit, or at least, attempt to keep the flame going.

So who's first? Well, you'll just have to click through and see!

If you'd like to be featured, drop me an email (mominatrixbook[at]gmail[dot]com.

Comments

[melanie]

Escape to Las Vegas and see Michael Buble too!

http://www.ksne.com/pages/mel.html

[amanda]

My evil secret— I am most resentful when it's illness that has me parenting solita. I ache to be there with you and the divine New Girl. Grrrr.

[tng]

I say, 'WHHOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!'

Not about the alone parenting, of course. All I read was:

'lalalalalalaPHILLYlalalalaBOOKSIGNINGlalalalNEWGIRLWILLBETHERE!'

Whoop whoop!!

[Sandrine]

Wow, I get angry just reading this post and all your comments! How can there not be all sorts of systems set up to help people with travelling partners? Or single parents? What kind of society is this that allows one man to go warring for his country and not make any decent provision for the care of his children? Or Kristen are you supposed to be provision??? The very idea of doing all that you're doing and not dropping dead twice a day! I tell you if I was in any of your places, I think I'd sell the children. (Something I consider doing often enough anyway, to be perfectly honest...)

[Beth]

Oh, I feel you.

P is home a lot, I admit. But he's on 24/7 call. There was one instance where he didn't come home for four days. When he finally came home, he fell into bed and slept for two more. Then got up and informed me that he had to go to work and "sorry he couldn't help."

And did I mention that I work, too? From home? While homeschooling?

Yeah, he wonders why I INSIST on going to the library BY MYSELF.

[VHMPrincessv]

hahaaha.
I left the kids for 6 days in Jan. Hubby says all the time how that 6 days was so easy and FUN! And he did all the laundry! And the house was clean.

And now he's baffled that 7 days into his 60 day trip, I'm a wreck. It's one thing to do 6 days KNOWING that the evening of day 6, Mommy comes home. It is quite another to be at the end of day 6 thinking "54 MORE DAYS? NO!".

I hear you sistah.

[Subourbon Wife]

My resentment that my husband gets to spend the night in a nice, quiet hotel room knows no bounds!

[Amy Jo]

I will be there at the book signing! I just got clearance from the babysitter!

[Vicky]

Going into a weekend as a single parent to me is the worst. Weekdays are tough but weekends are endless. I'm already counting the hours which does make me cry. Must.Stop.Doing.That.

Then I think, "Wait. I'm gone almost all of April for work travel." So there's that.

[Trista]

I SWEAR I just had this conversation with my hubs this morning (he works nights. Read-sleeps all day)

After 12 plus hours of working..cause I have in-home daycare open from 6a to 6 p. I have to tend to my own kids...Breakfast, dressed for school, lunches made..off to school. Then after 6 its dinner, homework, baths, bed by 8. And that's IF we don't have something to do. Don't even get me started on the house work...

Its no wonder today I blew up and told him to keep his P90X working out weight loss shit to himself...because I barely have time to shit and wipe my ass let alone spend a friggin' hour or more a day working out..unless I want to haul my ass outta bed at 4...after going to bed at midnight 'cause SOMEBODY needs sex before he goes to work at 10 pm and then I still have an hours worth of house work/laundry to do.

Harrumphhh...sorry to vent on you. This was the long version of "Dude, I feel ya!"

[Keyona]

I feel your pain! Hang in there!

[Mr Lady]

I've been parenting alone for 12 years. If you make me count the hours, I will cry. CRY, I TELL YOU.