Today started early — 7 a.m. to be exact — with my girls coming back home.
I gave them a snack and tucked them back into bed… and surprisingly? They went right back to sleep.

They always go back to sleep when he drops them off after his nights with him.
Piper usually maxes out at 10 a.m. for sleeping in, but today she snoozed until almost 1 p.m.
And Aubree? She usually fights going back to sleep but she made it to nearly 2 p.m. with no fuss. That’s unheard of.

I finished painting around the windows, then re-routed the cabinet doors (because yes, of course the wood got switched and had to be redone 🙃). Sanding and painting those are on tomorrow’s to-do list.

Meanwhile, Aubree kept trying to take my paint brush — she’s determined to be a tiny contractor.
And Piper was attached to me like Velcro, wanting to be held every other minute. She’s also started sucking on her finger today, which I really hope isn’t turning into a habit, but we’ll see.

I’ve got them again tonight, and then during the day for the next two days.
After that, their dad has them for a full week.

And I’m just… not okay about it.

I’ve never been without them that long. And he has never had them that long by himself.
And while I do believe he loves them, it’s hard not to worry — because they’re not typical toddlers.

Aubree’s autistic.
Piper’s delayed and a mama’s girl.
Their routines, their needs — they’re not one-size-fits-all.

The only thing keeping me grounded right now is knowing I’ll get to video chat them every night, and I’ll at least know where they are and that I can still see them.

But yeah — I’m already counting the days until they come back home.
Until then, I’ll be here — trying to finish painting cabinet doors and trim, breathe, and maybe not fall apart completely.

One day at a time.
Just showing up — even if my heart is already halfway into next week.