Growing Up

I'm sitting in a pediatric dental 3 day review course.

In Scottsdale, Arizona.

My son is home with my parents.

This is only the 2nd time I have left our home state without my little boy.  I thought I would be a basket case, but thankfully I really haven't been.  Tate was more than happy when I left on Thursday night...my sister came over after work to do the Thursday overnight!  I ran home from work to get changed, grab my suitcase and spend a little time with Tate. I got to make his dinner and read him a couple of stories before I had to head off to the airport.  I was worried that he might be sad or cry...I shouldn't have given it any thought.

I made my way to the airport, boarded the plane and promptly fell asleep!  Landed at 1030pm (AZ time, so 1230am my time) and finally laid my head on the pillow in my hotel room at 1245am.

It's been a long weekend of classes 7a-530p Friday and Saturday and today it's 7a-1230p.  I'm catching a flight around 330pm, so I won't get home until 930 or so :(.  Yep, Tate will be asleep, but I've promised to wake him up.  I've talked to him a couple of times, but he's had to be almost forced to get on the phone :)!  He's happy as a clam which makes me very content, not happy but content.  This time also my parents seem more content and sure of themselves with his care.  That last week of summer that he spent at Camp Grandmommy and Papa has made a huge difference in their relationship and his comfort with them and vice versa.  Not that he wasn't comfortable, but they seem much more confident in their ability to care for him especially with his food allergies/restrictions.

I haven't slept well which I think is the time change along with the not so comfortable bed. (I was very surprised seeing as how I'm staying at the Hyatt Regency Resort and Spa! The bed is definitely not the Heavenly bed you get at a Starwood Hotel).  I have enjoyed getting into bed alone :) and getting to watch television in said bed.  We didn't get to enjoy Scottsdale or even leave the property...10 hours in a lecture room surprisingly exhausts you.  The views are breathtaking though, and we've enjoyed a few drinks in the early evening outside...

I've always said that traveling for the single parent is more difficult than the married parent or single parent who is divorced/separated because in the latter instances the child doesn't really have to be out of their normal routine.  They get to stay in their own home (or room at the non-custodial parent).  The other parent has some 'semblance' of the normal schedule whereas for the child of the single parent their whole schedule gets disrupted...they have to leave their home, they stay with someone who doesn't know the ins and outs of their daily life and their routine is greatly disrupted.

Thankfully Lindsey spent the night with Tate at our home on Thursday to more easily get him off to school on Friday...they had a monsoon unfortunately, so apparently it was a scary commute and wet drop-off, but they did it!!!  My parents picked him up and took them back to their house for the weekend.  They traipsed back to our neck of the woods for soccer on Saturday and waited at our house for the downstairs a/c to be repaired...my parents rock!  And then they've been at my parents' for the rest of the weekend.  

Tate seems no worse for the wear.  He's grown up and more importantly I've grown up as a parent.  Now I don't plan on leaving him again any time soon.  But I'm thinking that now I'm more likely to go away for a fun girls' weekend without worrying so much or feeling as bad about going away to have fun.  

Growing up...who knew I had so much more to do?