As I prepared to go out of town for work this week I had an epiphany- things work a little bit differently for Mr. Spreadsheets than they do for me.

When Mr. Spreadsheets has to go out of town for work… he just goes.

There’s usually some minor discussion like, “I have a work trip next week.”

…and that’s it.

He packs his stuff and goes. 

When I go… we start prepping a year before the actual trip. That’s adorable that you thought I was joking.

There are so many preparations, that by the time I actually leave for the trip I feel like I’ve packed a week’s worth of “mom duties” into just a few days.

To put it mildly, there’s a bit of prep when I leave town… which might be one of the many reasons I don’t do it too often.

There’s the childcare prep, I either need a sitter, a good friend, or Mr. Spreadsheets, or some combination of the three to take over for me. I need to find a safe adult to take care of the three kiddos for the duration of the trip. I should mention that these are three fairly spirited kids who I spend a lot of time with.

Then there’s the grocery shopping and meal prep. I went to Costco and HEB in preparation for my trip. I made sure the fridge was stocked with easy to grab fruits and veggies, that we had all the favorite juices and snacks, and that the freezer was stocked with extra lunchmeat, frozen pizza, and corn dogs. But the prep can’t stop there, I also also need to impart any food related information to the adult in charge. Helpful tips like, AsthmaMan only likes Cheerios, and the Princess can only have juice once per day.

I washed, folded, and put away all the laundry for the family- I hate laundry so this was a miracle. I picked out clothes and left them on the dresser. I made sure all the sports uniforms, towels, and swimsuits were clean and easily accessible.

I made a list of all the places the kids needed to be, arranged back up rides, provided addresses and directions, and left the phone number for the pediatrician.

I left reminders like, take diapers with you wherever you go, double check and make sure everyone is wearing shoes when you leave the house, and baths are not optional after a sweaty day at the park.

I left a daily schedule, and a list of “fun activities”.

I’ve called multiple times a day, listened to kid tantrums, and lots of “Mommy I miss you!”.

But I’m going to be honest, the trip was worth it. Mr. Spreadsheets did awesome. The kids had a blast, and I sat through work meetings like a grown up.

I might make Mr. Spreadsheets prep a bit more next time he goes out of town, he can do the laundry… right?