Gone to Grandma and Grandpa's House

We took the boys halfway to Sugarland on Saturday to meet Michael's parents. We had a snafu on our meeting point so had lunch separately and met at a rest stop. I handed my boys over and we drove off. I wanted to cry as I kissed Sam goodbye and I could see he was on the edge too, but I smiled brightly instead and told him he'd have a great time.
And then they were gone.
They are having a great time. We did FaceTime on Sunday and I spoke to Sam briefly on Monday morning. Davis declined to speak to me. Martha has been great about sending pictures everyday and keeping me updated. The boys have been fishing and playing lots of games and playing with toys. They went to church with their grandparents and saw Clark sing and tried their first communion. They chose to sit on the very front row. I know that they are making wonderful memories and will cherish this week with their grandparents.
I miss them a lot of course. Mostly in the mornings and evenings. I don't especially miss them between 5 and 7pm. That is when they are usually the most challenging and now it's very quiet and relaxing around here during that time. It's at 10Pm when I lock all the doors and turn out the lights that it's the hardest to have them gone. That's when I usually go in and kiss them and pull up their covers and smell their sweet smells and whisper I love you in their ears. And I miss them in the mornings when we usually breakfast together and make plans for the day and I miss hearing their voices. They are missed, but missing can be a good thing. I know I will see them soon and I know that they are happy.
The break has been wonderful in many ways for me too. I'm less stressed and more relaxed and it has been great to have some space to just be me.
I've done some purging around the house. I've cleaned out the art cabinet and taken down lots of art work and cleaned out toys and done a run to good will. The house is so clean. We cleaned it on Saturday morning and it is still clean! It's so easy! The laundry is minimal and the grocery shopping was cheap and breezy. Michael and I are connecting. We're eating dinner later and starting movies earlier. We've talked more and not lost our temper once.
Michael and I have been having great dates. On Saturday on the way home from dropping off the kids, we went to a local winery called the Three Dudes Winery. We tasted wine, bought a couple of bottles to take home and then had a glass on their porch swing on the deck by the river. Later that evening we drove to Austin to the Alamo Drafthouse and shared dinner and a movie with Marchelle and Marc. After dinner we went to the Highball for a drink and dessert and more conversation. It was wonderful. Sunday we celebrated my Gramp's 89th birthday with a relaxed potluck at my mom's house. It was great to celebrate him and spend time with family without the distraction of the kids. That evening we ate leftovers in our lounge and watched Forks Over Knives on Netflix which was incredible and really challenged and motivated Michael and me to try and dedicate ourselves more firmly to a plant based diet. Yesterday we both worked and then had a simple dinner and watched the Hunger Games on our big screen. It was quiet and peaceful and easy.
Tonight we'll go to Austin for dinner at the Clay Pit with our friend AJ. Tomorrow Michael will have a cub scout meeting and I may spend the evening with a book and movie. Thursday Michael leaves for California and my parents leave for the beach and I will be all by myself. I was feeling really sad about this and thinking about driving up to be with the kids, but my friend Stacey volunteered to spend the evening out with me so now I'm super jazzed about this. And then I will fetch the children on Friday. I will be so happy to see them and hopefully they will be happy to be home. I can't wait to kiss them all over. And that's how it is to have the kids gone for a week and to be home in the usual routine while it's happening. Its pretty nice, I have to say.