Need Some Ideas - While I'm Gone....

Hi! My husband used to travel a lot when my kids were little. He transcribed a bunch of their favorite books onto his computer and every night he would call and they took turns choosing the book daddy would read to them. He read (we had a speakerphone) and they had the book. I think that would work great with Skype. It meant a lot to my kids, they still remember (16 and 18).

Maybe you could have them pick out a book to read with you each night over skype? Son and daughter can take turns picking the books, and schedule a time each night that you can skype and read before bed. I'm sure they'd look forward to it. :)

My sister's husband is in the Air Force. When he is gone, they do a few things. They have a count down. They put in one M&M in a cup for each day he is gone and they get to eat one each day or they have done a paper chain where he writes something special on a link and each night they cut off a link and read it. They have done a hand print where he has a handprint of each girl and they each have one of his. When they say their prayers at night they usually hold hands so they put their hand on the print and pray with him on FaceTime. They have had a pillow case made that has his picture on it stretched out in a hug so anytime they needed it they could hug Daddy. Each trip is different. But they always do a countdown of some sort. They have also done the book thing.

Buy a few blank books...little hardcover books with blank pages. I'd get four...one for each of them and two for you. For each day you are gone, each of you can do a page in the book...they could draw/write about what they did each day, and you could write/draw something special you love about them for each day you are gone. When you return, you could all share your books. I hope your mom is well.

I just took dinner to my friend with leukemia...she was heading back into the hospital for a week for additional chemo. She was making her boys a big basket of treats & goodies and leaving it for them on the dining room table. Maybe something like that...make 2 and your husband can surprise them with the second half way through your trip?
Good luck to your mom!

Kids adjust rather well so don't go too much out of your way. Your mom has breast cancer and you have to leave the country. Focus on yourself some. Maybe you could write a few notes for bedtime, but don't stress too much. It sounds like you have enough with your mom. Email/phone/skype are all perfect outlets. Take care.

I travel a lot for work so my kids are used to me being gone for short stretches but two weeks is a long time. Don't expect your kids to be great conversationalists over the phone so reading the book over skype is a great idea. You could also leave notes with your husband in envelopes with the date on them so they can open something on a few of the days you are gone. Share a memory about the day they were born or something silly they did when they were little. The love hearing stories about themselves

Best of luck with your mom

Get one of those books that record you as you read
Send them an edible arrangement
Get a video picture frame and download a bunch of pics of you and the kids, wrap it up and leave it for them to find while you're gone

What about something similar to an Advent calendar and you could leave something special for them to open at breakfast each morning. Some ideas would be:

A note telling them your favorite things to do with them
A coupon (home made) for hugs and kisses when you get home
Something that tells them something that they do that makes you proud of them
A small craft that they could do that you could send Grandma after you get home

Another idea would be to have a jar/bowl with a sign "Kisses from Mom" and have a Hersey's kiss for each kid for each day - something they could have after dinner.

Good Luck and I hope your Mom gets better soon!