This is Hard.

Ok. So this is hard. Much harder than I thought it would be. Actually, to be perfectly honest, I didn't even have this thought before tonight and I am pretty sure that if I had had this thought prior to now, I would have changed my mind about the whole thing and they would not be there.

My daughters, at this very moment, are at best, 12 hours away from me. If they get hurt, it is going to take me half a day to get to them. Even if I flew - driving to the airport, arriving early enough for security, the flight, and then driving to them would take at least 6 hours.

But then I have these thoughts...
1. I loved having time with my Aunt Patti. If ever there was a woman who knows how to spoil a child, it is her. And I want the girls to have this time with her. Some of my best childhood memories are because of Aunt Patti and some of their best childhood memories should be of her as well.
2. She is taking them in a limo to Navy Pier in downtown Chicago to see Cirque du Soleil Shang Hai tomorrow. How much better can their lives get???
3. My Aunt is responsible and calm and levelheaded. She can handle a crisis (if there was one) and she loves them almost as much as she loves me. Which is a whole, whole, whole lot.
4. Its only 3 days. From when I was 8 years old until 16ish, my mother went without me for 2 months while I spent my summers in Chicago. I can manage 3 days.

I may not have any nails left after the next 3 days, but aside from that, I can manage 3 days. And perhaps you should remind me of this when I am wanting to kill them on the ride home from Chicago next week.