The Monday after a week of vacation is always a little weird for me. I flounder through the morning without Brendan here to bounce ideas off of. Do you think she needs a nap now? Can I really give them dry cereal for breakfast for the third day in a row? Do you want coffee, or would tea be better for late morning? We so easily fall into a rhythm when we have non-working days together that I find it odd to be on my own again. It's not that I am not capable, for surely I do the same things day in and day out all week long by myself under normal circumstances, but the sudden loss of adult companionship during the daylight hours is startling on the first day back to "normal". I miss his presence, and so do the kids. Harry took an extra long time to get over his normal Monday I-want-my-Daddy-and-he's-not-here blues and Emma is just grumpy, put out, and miffed that he dared not be present at her breakfast table, entertaining her with silly faces and offering her bits of his own cereal. So we stumble about today, but tomorrow will be better.
Our vacation was simple and lovely. We didn't go much further than our own, literal, backyard, but we found countless things to do with our time. We barely turned on the t.v. I laid in the hammock and watched the clouds float by, peered at countless caterpillars at the request of eager and excited children, and sat beneath the stars with Brendan, listening to the tree frogs' serenade and the whippoorwills' love calls. I remembered how well Brendan and I work together when we're building a project (we worked on our deck), something we haven't really been able to do in a couple of years. We rediscovered the smooth joy of vodka and tonic, went to the movies for the first time in perhaps 2 1/2 years, and had a beer at a bar. A real bar, downtown, even. I got in some sewing time, and Brendan got to play with his band a couple of times.
There were times when we got frustrated with the kids, or with each other, as a week's worth of togetherness can do to the most easygoing of families, but we seem to have regained a sense of equilibrium after the long adjustment that goes hand-in-hand with adding to a family. It helped immensely that our kids are now old enough to play in the yard without us being two feet from them at all times (thank goodness for our fence), and it helped that we each took some time away from the family, house, children, and dogs to pursue our own interests. I dare say we are getting better at this vacation thing, even if we didn't travel anywhere.
Conversation as I am writing:
Mom to H: Did you have a good vacation?
H: Yes, I did.
M: What did you do?
H: I did something. I like caterpillars. Mommy, you don't like caterpillars when they are big and fat?
M: They're ok.
H: You don't like caterpillars?
M: I like to look at them but not to touch them.
H: But I do.
M: What's your favorite thing about caterpillars?
H: To play with them.
M: What else did you do on vacation?
H: I planted flowers with Na Na. I want an apple. No, I don't want an apple, or water.
M: What do you want?
H: I want something to...hmmm. Let's see. I know. You know what I want? I want, um, peanut butter and jelly for breakfast.
M: We already ate breakfast.
H: No wait, I don't want peanut butter, just jelly. And no bread. Maybe bread to make a sandwich. Yes, that's it. A jelly sandwich. I want a peanut butter and jelly for breakfast, but not the peanut butter, just the jelly. Ok? Please? Not the peanut butter, just the jelly. Are you going to make me one or what?
M: We're going to have lunch soon, do you want that for lunch?
H: No, I want it now because my belly is staaaarviiiiing. (very dramatic now)
M: Ok, let me shut this thing off and we'll see what we can do (I say as I realize that we are out of both peanut butter and jelly - not good)
Yes, we'll stumble through today but tomorrow will be better. Time to go put my game face on and try to "sell" a chicken salad sandwich to my three year old. Except I don't think we have any bread, either. Oh, crud. I think we have crackers?
No comments:
Post a Comment