Leaving the Boys Home Alone - Part one The preparation

On Saturday I received a Text message from my friend who I haven’t seen for a few years.

she had booked a night away with her husband and had found out he had to work so offered me the chance to take his place.

Loads of things entered my head, how would the boys cope without me and before I get loads of comments saying how can you leave children on their own, they will be with their dad and that was one of my worries.

Last time I left them alone my husband sent my 10 year old to school in his brother’s trousers who is 16 and his size XL polo shirt. I hadn't even gone away socialising I was taken into hospital.

Even whilst I was waiting to go for an MRI scan my husband called me in the hospital to ask why the oven chips were not cooking properly. Even from my hospital bed I managed to work out he had the grill on and not the oven, you see this was the first time my husband had used the oven, you are looking at a man that can even burn beans & toast and set the smoke alarms off!

So I made the brave decision and one very out of  character to say what the hell and that I would join my friend in Manchester for a day of shopping, lunch and girlie catch up and an evening watching Kings of Leon in concert.

I set off tomorrow at 12.00 yet I have spent the last two days organising everything from dyeing my hair to writing out a menu list for the kid's tea.

I do not often socialise so I have had to dust off some clothes to wear and pack everything I could think I might need, this has ended up in a rather large case of beauty products to try and make me look human.

I have spent the day preening, packing, cleaning the bathroom from little toilet accidents before my mum comes, laying out clothes for school and some more for sports day which I will miss and have huge guilt about that even though my husband, eldest son and my mum are going through which helps me feel not so bad.

I know I have some sort of control or maybe panic issue as i have slipped a note over the coat hanger with his sports day clothes informing my husband step by step what to do. It lists everything from making sure he wears sun lotion to having his hair look tidy.

Before I can even set off tomorrow I need to curl my very mad looking hair, take both boys to the Dentist and collect my mum who will look after the boys until midnight as that is when my husband finishes his shift at work.

My mum is a complete technophobe so I have left notes on who eats what and where it is all kept and even a note saying PJ's under the pillow.

Maybe a night away is what I need to show my husband just how complex a mothers role is and also and most importantly to try and reclaim my sanity and rest as I am shattered although I don't think somehow rest is on the agenda. 

Wish me look and watch out for my next blog entry to see how they coped left Home Alone.

Mums Mollycoddled Monsters