How do single parents do it?!?!?

If you are a single parent reading this - my hat is off to you! You are obviously some sort of super human if you can manage to be a single parent and yet still have time to read this boring blog. Same goes for the wives of husbands who travel. You gals are some pretty strong women. Stronger than me!

David left on Thursday afternoon. As I am typing this it is 8:06pm , Saturday evening. And all I can think about is getting the kids in bed and pouring myself a big ol' glass of wine. And I mean big. I might just even bust out the fancy-schmancy Reidel glass and fill that puppy to the top.
My kids ate nothing but junk today:
* Breakfast was left over donuts from the sleepover party
* They snacked on Capri-Suns and animal crackers later
* Lunch was McDonald's
* They shared a pretzel from Auntie Anne's at the mall
* Dinner was left over pizza
My house is a wreck
*Dishes that need to be washed
* Kitchen table that DESPERATELY needs to be wiped down
* Filthy floors - crumbs, people hair, cat hair, sand from the sand box all over the kitchen and family room and the carpet upstairs needs vacuuming like you would not believe!
* Swim suits in the washer that need washing, beach towel draped all over the patio furniture
* Stacks of mail and papers that need sorting
and I am BEAT and don't want to take care of any of it!

Right now everyone is at least bathed and jammied. Allison should be in bed but I was too tired to argue so she is watching her beloved Backyardigans. Audrey and Amy are in the basement watching a movie. They are supposed to go to bed at 8:30 but I already told them they could sleep in the basement which probably means they will be up all night watching movies and/or TV

So what have we actually done this weekend to wear me out like this? Not a whole lot really, it's just that I've done it all by myself.

Thursday was the sleepover party. Jeanna came over around 4:30. We went to the pool at 5:30. Maddie and her mom met us there. We came home around 7:30 and ordered pizza. Maddie's mom went home at 9:30 but was back at 11:00. Maddie tried to sleep over but just wasn't quite ready for an "all nighter". Everyone was finally back in bed by maybe midnite?

Friday we went to the pool from 12:30-2:30. We came home, I put Allison down for a nap and then hopped online for tutoring from 3-4. Jeanna went home around 4:45 and we went out for dinner at a place we like but David doesn't. After dinner we hit the grocery store for milk and cereal and then it was home for baths and showers. I think I finally got everyone in bed by 9:30? And then I stayed up until 12:30 sewing patches and badges on Amy's AHG vest because ...

Today we were at Wal Mart from 10-12 collecting school supplies for foster children. Amy's uniform changed from this to this when she moved up at the end of the year last year and yes, I am THAT MOM, the one who waited until the night before Amy needed her uniform to finally sew everything on it. After collecting stuff at Wal Mart for 2 hours we hit the mall because I discovered this morning that Audrey needs blue uniform skorts for her AHG uniform. She only has one right now and it's kinda on the short side. I have learned, you have to buy the uniform stuff NOW b/c #1 it's on sale now and then #2 there isn't much to pick from later in the year. So off we went. First stop, McDonald's because the new Happy Meal toy is American Girl books and we HAVE to get every single one!!! We just HAVE to!!!! And then we hit the mall. Oh how I LOATHE the mall!!!!!! I only went b/c it was actually in the 90's here today and they had been standing out in front of Wal Mart all morning and I thought there might be a mutiny if we went to the outdoor shopping center instead of the air conditioned mall. And of course the mall closest to us is the "low rent" mall where the customer service at each and every store is just BLEH!!!!! We went to Children's Place and returned the outfit Carolyn bought for Allison, swaped it out for the same outfit in a different color. And then I got two denim skirts for the older two - turns out Amy's is too small - she needs the same size as Audrey so now I get to go back again - oh joy. After Children's Place we hiked it down to the other end 'cuz Gymboree was havin' a big sale and I had a 20% off your entire purchase coupon and it was Gymbuck time. (Gymbucks are evil! I get suckered in every single time!!!) We got home a little after 3pm only to discover that the garage door had been wide open since we left at 9:40 this morning. ARGH!!!! (and btw, we purchased ZERO uniform skorts, couldn't find any in Audrey's size ANYWHERE!)

Got home, got Allison down for a nap and then the older two called a friend over. After that friend came over, the two boys who live next door came over. What I wanted was a chance to relax. What I got was house full of kids. Pout ... pout ... pout....

Kicked all the friends out at 6 and started trying to figure out dinner. Called the Children's Place out at the outdoor shopping center to see if they had the skirt in the size we need figuring if they did we could maybe eat dinner at the Whole Foods out there and I could feel a little bit better about the nutritional value of our day. BUT they didn't have it so leftover pizza it was.

So now it is 9:18. In the middle of typing this I stopped to read to Allison and then rock her and get her tucked in. Then checked on the older two in the basement. Got the sheets and towels out of the dryer, folded them and put them away, put new sheets on Amy's bed, and then started a load of swimsuits. And then I went ahead and cleaned the litter box - eeeewww, ick, gross! That has to be the chore I hate the most!

So now I am gonna go wipe down the kitchen table, wash the "hand wash dishes", and then FINALLY pour that wine.

Tomorrow is church (if it isn't raining) and then maybe out to lunch. David should be home by 2ish and I can't wait.
Why can't we go to church if it's raining?
'cuz David has my car and I have his. His car sux. One of the ways it sux is that the power windows are broken in that they only stay up when taped and today one of the back windows broke free from the tape and is half way down.
Why does he have my car?
'cuz he is at the American Thompson Association Show and Shoot and he needed the bigger car so he could fit his display boards in it and he needed the car that doesn't have taped up windows so his gun would be safe if he stopped for any reason along the way.

Again I ask, how do single parents do this every day?