A top 5 list that will make you feel bad for me.

To commemorate Ryan's travels, here are my top reasons to hate it.

Reason number 1: When it gets to be about 5:30pm I become slightly depressed that Ryan ISN'T coming home. And the realization sets in that I have to do the whole night routine, alone, again.

Reason number 2: The kids sleep in my room on the floor every night Ryan's gone. Not sure how this started, or why, but the constant and mind numbing snoring makes me want to rip my ears out and slap them on the wall until morning, when I can put them back into place to hear Claire whine to me about how it's too early and she's "still tired!!!!"

Reason number 3: I have to keep the house clean the entire time. Like when I go out of town, the house has to be clean. Cause let's face it...who the hell wants to come home to a messy house? Now understand. I am not a clean freak. I have "quirks" yes...but I mean the counters have to be empty, the closets shut, the toys picked up, the laundry done, and the house spotless. Until Ryan comes home, that's how it stays. When he walks in the door, all bets are off. (Maybe THIS is one of my "quirks" hmmmm food for thought)

Reason number 4: I end up spending way way WAY too much time with my parents. It's kind of a sickness. And then it just becomes cumbersome. And I can't see them for like a week once Ryan gets home. If I do, I find them terribly annoying and my mother is like a harpie nagging at me about one thing or another. God love her.

Reason number 5: I miss him. A lot. So do the kids, but I'm talking about me.

A few annoyances are as follows and in no particular order:

~Web cam visits with the kids suck. The connections are bad and the kids get bored after about 2 minutes. Then I'm stuck looking at myself looking at Ryan on a computer screen. Not attractive.

~I spend more money. Out of boredom I'm sure. But it's not good. Sorry sweetie.

~I usually don't go to bed until way past my bedtime. Makes for a crabby me, and the cycle continues.

~No one else is here to experience our children's less than stellar behaviors. Which in turn leads me to win parent of the century with my yelling, door slamming, and all around banishing the kids to their rooms.

~He misses out on all the really cool things the kids do when he's gone. And they are pretty damn cool.

All in all travel sucks. But really Reason number 5 is the worst.