A "real" date!

I've had such a nice week! After subbing on Monday and Tuesday I got a surprise call from my mother-in-law, Trish (the newlywed) to see if she and Allan could come for a visit that evening through Friday afternoon - of course! Zack was taking off on a four day trip and I was excited for the company! Well in addition to a nice visit with them I was also able to take off on Thursday afternoon to join Zack on an overnight in Seattle. We had the best time together! We were able to use some movie tickets that we've had for over two years and went to see Star Trek, our first movie in the theater since before Audrey's birth . . . way too long! We enjoyed a dinner out and a nice walk too. It was such a treat, especially since it was completely unexpected! Thanks so much, Trish & Allan!!!

Upon my return Samuel let me know that he didn't want me to do that again (leave to see Zack without him). He is becoming much more aware of his emotions and is expressing them more and more too. Zack has three four-day trips this month and it's been harder on Samuel than in the past. We've been fortunate to be able to visit him for lunch on Saturdays which helps to break the trip up a bit. Choosing a good schedule is always a balancing act and some months longer trips are better, which is the case next month too. It always takes me a few times to get back into the 4-days alone mentality. By the third day last week I was already telling Zack that I didn't think 4-days were a good idea!! He laughed and said I had told him the same thing a few months previous when his schedule was similar. It's not any easier on him , especially since he has to show at 5:30am four days in a row . . . yuck! But each career has it's ups and downs and the fact that Zack really enjoys his job and it allows us so much quality family time together (and hopefully financial security sometime in the future) it is worth the sacrifices along the way.

This is the last week of school and I have a job on Monday but don't anticipate getting any the rest of the week. I'll have to post about my various experiences at some point since I've basically been taking anything I can get over the last month or so and that has meant some jobs I typically wouldn't sign up for (kindergarten, 8th grade science, high school TV production). I really feel blessed to have such a flexible way of bringing in some income and have learned a thing or two along the way. Zack has been great with the kids and each time I return from work and ask how his day was he says something along the lines of, "Easy, no problem at all." Which I know is true (90% of the time), and I'm glad he looks at it that way.