Leaving the kids...

In less than 48 hours I will be boarding a plane and leaving my family behind for a week. Ask me how far I am in packing...seriously ask me. I have not packed a thing! I do have my suitcase out...I've purchased some travel friendly items but as far as to actually put anything in the said suitcase or even take anything out of the store bag..I have not!

It's not that I'm not excited to go on my trip. I've very excited and looking forward to it. I'm going to Florida to the Master Trainer Course for Army Family Team Building. If you're not in the military, you probably have no clue what AFTB is, it's a pretty awesome program that helps teach Army families basic Army information like lingo, how to read your pay stub and then goes on to teach leadership skills and much much more! Ok, so anyway, that's where I'm headed.

So why haven't I packed yet? Well, really I'm not usually a last minute kind of gal..but I realize that when the opportunity came up a few months ago, I was thrilled, excited, couldn't wait! Now that we're so close I can smell the jet fuel...I'm anxious about leaving my kids. I have not left my kids longer then 24 hours since I got out of the Army. Sure, they've spent the night at friend's houses (very, very good friends and I worried about them a lot while I was separated from them). I've had a few hospital stays that separated me from my kids, again 24 hours and I sent Kevin away (if he was home) to be with them instead of me. I think the longest I've been apart from my kids was this past summer when Neil spent 2 1/2 days in the hospital and my friend Linda kept the other two boys. It about killed me.

Now I'm headed out and will be away from them for 6 whole days..count them..6 days...144 hours. I have been away longer than this when I was in the Army so this shouldn't be so hard, right? Other people do it. I just love my kids and I love being there for everything and anything. I admit I worry too much. I keep wondering..what if..what if and they can't and then this won't and on and on. The reality is..I know they will be ok. Kevin has already let his fellow Soldiers know that I'm headed out of town and that he will need to be flexible (haha, the Army flexible..) I have good friends on standby (oh yeah, got to plug their #'s into Kevin's phone). I really am not one of these mothers who thinks their husbands cannot handle the kids. Kevin is more than capable of taking care of our kids. I have no worries in that department. I will just miss them.

Daniel is already a little anxious about it all. Out of the three boys, he is the one who I have never really left. He keeps asking when I'm leaving, when am I coming home. Will I miss him, he will miss me. Hug here, hug there. Do you think he's making it any easier?

I know while I'm there, I will miss them like crazy. I'm staying at a hotel very close to Disneyworld...do you think I won't be thinking how much they would like it there. I was asked if I would go to Disneyworld while there...uhm..what kind of callous mother do you think I am???

Well I suppose I should head off and pack. I wonder if I could pack them in my carry on. Michael IS old enough to babysit...hmmmmmmmm