I haven’t said anything about this on my blog yet - but half the reason for me spending so much time with the children recently has been because I knew what was on the horizon at work.
Between next week and Christmas I am very probably going to find myself on-site with my work, several hundred miles from home. Every weekday. It’s going to cause total havoc at home.
I basically have two options;
Commute back and forth from the client site each day - meaning getting up at 5am, and not getting in until 8pm.
Stay in a hotel - meaning I will be away all week, and when I am home I will be washing clothes ready to go again.
It sucks, doesn’t it.
Meanwhile, the wheels are going to fall off the wagon completely at home. W will essentially become a prisoner unless we hire a babysitter for several nights of the week (she is Brown Owl at Brownies, on the PTA of the school, and on the School website working group), and/or try to get the lovely lady who cleans for us to come more often (she does one day a week at the moment). Normally I do all the washing up, and a lot of the tidying up around the house when I get in on an evening - none of this will happen if I am not there (unless W keeps going until 11 at night every day).
As you can imagine, I’m not looking forward to the next two months - it’s going to be ridiculous. I’m thinking commuting every day, and at least trying to help outwill be the only sensible answer. I still won’t get home in time for any of the things W does on an evening though.
Postscript - W has been wonderful about me being away over the next many weeks. It’s been a surprise because I get to see the fallout of the more trying days with the children; the thunderous looks as I walk in the back door and ask “what did they do?”. My inlaws are apparently going to lend a hand when needed, and a couple of friends have stepped up to the plate too… I feel very, very lucky indeed to know so many great people.