Adjustment Period

My husband is working a new shift. We're almost through the second week of said shift - which is EVERY.SINGLE.NIGHT. As in, for the first time in 12 years, I'm sleeping alone. With the weight of being responsible for two children, one puppy and my home. Alone.

There have been obstacles. Like...

1. BATS. Yep, we have a colony of bats in our tree out back. This means that not only am I terrified to potty the puppy in the middle of the night, but I'm terrified of the bats, too. And so is she.

2. A new job. A week into this new shift, hubby was offered a new job! HOORAY! It's nights. Herein lies the obstacle...my husband is loving working nights. He sleeps better during the day. No bureaucratic crap at night. I think he's nocturnal. Too bad he doesn't hang with the bats.

3. We got the whole plan figured out - when new job would start, what the sleeping/napping/working pattern looked like and what it meant for the caretakers of our children. Then the powers that be decided that he should start a month later than we planned. So we adjusted. Then the next day, they decided he should start next week. Back to the drawing board.

4. My children are not good sleepers. Last night, our son was up three times having reactions to his allergy shots. My daughter was up twice to pee. Our dog was restless because the kids were restless. Momma DID NOT SLEEP. Momma is TIRED. Momma is CRABBY.

5. Husband working all night and sleeping all day, then picking kids up, eating dinner and going back to work means that momma is responsible for the laundry, cleaning, cooking, bathing, errands, etc. Yes, he's working 50-60 hours a week. I'm working 30 at work, teaching kickboxing, managing a household, and not sleeping. Momma is TIRED. Momma is CRABBY.

My husband has been unhappy for YEARS at his job. This new position is WAY more money. It's a shift he likes. With people he likes. It's a supervisory role. He's being recognized for 11 years of hard labor. So if I have to be tired and crabby for him to take a turn in the spotlight, well then I'll just shut up, put a smile on my face, fold the laundry and never sleep again.

(Send help.)