Just two girls and me

Sean and Brooklyn left for a trip a couple of days ago.  It was a lovely, rainy morning but the electricity was already off at 5 a.m. They'd planned on riding the scooter out to the airport but because of the rain, we took the car and the little girls and I dropped them off.

I stopped at the donut shop near our house on the way home, and the other two girls and I have been making the best of it since.  The electricity has been going off a lot and, after that one rainy day, it has been really hot and humid. 

There have been tears - big, salty ones running down little sisters' cheeks as they discover just how much they love and miss their big sister.  There have also been giggles - quiet, silly ones as little sisters take advantage of a big sister not around to chase them out of her bedroom.

I've been trying to remember to do all the chores and remembering all those odds and ends that Sean always takes care of that I totally take for granted.  I miss him - our laughter together and his positive attitude and the way he takes such good care of us. 

When the electricity goes off, I sit in the dark, sweltering, still air and contemplate starting the generator.  But I usually don't because, even though Sean says I am totally capable, I don't feel capable. I feel like the idiot that is going to do things in the wrong order and short out some magical electric motherboard for the entire province of Central Kalimantan.  (This could really happen, I think - magical electric motherboards are real things, right?) So the generator stays off.  I don't like the noise it makes anyway.

Sean had meetings to go to but Brooklyn got to go stay at her friend's house and have a party with girls her age.  I can't wait to hear how her weekend with friends went.  I've missed her so much. Packing her up to go on this trip was sort of like helping her pack for her first week of camp or maybe even college.  Is that a touch melodramatic for you?  But it did, it felt like she had suddenly grown up.  There she was, going off on her own adventure and not needing me...not even really needing my help packing and certainly not feeling like she was going to miss me!  And I seriously doubt that she did.  I love that independent, social little girl.

You should have seen the happy grins on all of our faces this morning when we woke up.  They are coming home today! I'll have my husband and little girl back!  I have promised myself not to beg Brooklyn to tell me that she missed me.  And I am looking forward to Sunday morning pancakes as a complete family again tomorrow morning.