Adventures In Solo Parenting: Letting Go.

The kiddo and I survived six days without my husband. Last summer it was four weeks. This summer it'll be three. Being a solo-parent is a lot of work. It is exhausting and lonely. It is also empowering and fun.

When Daddy is away, I am the bedtime routine ring leader, the booboo kisser, the nightmare chaser, the meal maker and snack hunter. At the end of the day my eyes are heavy and my head foggy. But, as I lay my head on my pillow, next to my sleeping little girl, I am grateful. Our daughter is amazing. I had the privilege of experiencing another day with her.

The mornings are early and the days are long, however, we got through them. The challenging moments I approached with levity. Meltdowns turned to giggle fits with the simple phrase, "Do I need to eat your nose now?" Bed time protests were eased by being tucked into my bed, with extra snuggles and a story.

I refused to allow stress to ruin our week. I could have easily wallowed in my lonely sadness but what good would that have done? Especially, when there were pictures to draw, museums to play in, and lunch dates to be had. In the words of a certain Disney princess, I let it go.

I let go of how I thought the week should go and just went with how it went.

I let go of sadness and realized an opportunity to spend time with my favorite little girl, without having to share her,

I let go of the dread and saw an opportunity to challenge myself and grow.

I let go of fear and became a better parent, person, because of it.

Of course, we had tough moments. We didn't, however, let the define our week. Our week was defined by late night snacks in bed, giggles at newly found cartoons, smiles over boardgames and the sound of laughter while cooking dinner together.

I am so happy to have my hubby home. I am grateful for all that he does as a parent and as my husband. I am also grateful for the chance to learn and grow while he was away.

More than anything, I am grateful for a daughter as awesome as we have.