... the mom and kids will play!
Actually, Daniel being gone for any length of time (one night, three weeks-- it doesn't much matter) usually means wedig in and take care of a small list of projects. These are typically things that I've been wanting to see finished that he will gladly and quickly take responsibility for but just doesn't have time for. It's a fun way to surprise him (sometimes with more holes in freshly painted walls than he perhaps fully appreciates!) and a great way to help pass the time as we await his return.
This time around has been no different-- and fortunately the kids enjoy some out-of-the-norm work just as much as I do! With their help, I've moved and swapped out a few dressers, deep-cleaned the boys' room, moved and reorganized bookshelves and downstairs toys, put some things in the attic and taken some other things out, hung pictures in the family room and my bedroom and the upstairs bathroom, and packed up Gabriel's little boy drum set *sniff* that he's officially outgrown (both in sound and size).
I've also dug in a bit with Elliot. He's 2 months old now and in the past 2 weeks finally starting to fill out. When he goes in for a weigh-in next week, I anticipate some good results. With all that in mind, I decided it was time he start learning how to nap. I'm no rigid scheduler when it comes to my babies (ha!), but Daniel's absence sure does highlight just how little time Elliot spends not in somebody's arms. (It's also highlighted how rarely I shower before Daniel gets home from work. Yikes!)
We're not setting any records by any means, but we're getting into a little groove and I'm actually finding enough time to do some things each day without him getting ridiculously overtired because I'm not holding him. But don't tell: the little man will only sleep on his tummy. I know this isn't recommended-- and believe me, I've tried to get him to sleep on his back-- but it works.
Of course, without Daniel here I am running low on sleep. I'm doing the 8-10pm pacing/bouncing with the fussy baby, the nursing throughout the night hours, the waking at 2am with a croupy Aubrey, the praying with Gabriel about bad dreams at 4am, the starting the day with Claire at 6am, etc. I miss my early-morning man (and the coffee he always has waiting for me when I wake up).
Last night as we sat down to a fancy dinner of baked oatmeal (!), Bronwyn sighed, "The house feels so empty without Daddy."
So when Daddy's away, the real truth is that we count down the days until he's home again!
right there with ya! jimmy's away for the first time in a year (for work) and we all miss him ... i busied myself scouring the house clean last night b/c i hate sleeping w/o him. the only good part, in kayla's mind, is she gets to sleep in bed with me! but she's a little more wild in her sleep than dad - poor lillian got whacked a few times in the night, though she didn't seem to mind. ;)
ReplyDeleteI thought I saw him in some pics on fb, a class trip or something? And in one of the group pics he looks like one of the kids himself! :O How long is he gone for?I'm always freshly reminded of how much Gabe does with the kids in the night when he's gone and I'm the sole one. I was wondering just the other day how old Elliot was. He might look little but I know he's been around for a little while now ;) 2-3 months! That's when I always notice a turn in the babes, and usually for the better and even just for them!
ReplyDelete@ReneeOckrin - Only 4 days! Other than our first two summers here, when he goes away, it's really only for 3-5 days at a time.
ReplyDeleteHe does look like one of the kids! And even our kids notice. Gabriel told me the other day that he thinks Daniel looks really young for being 32. Ha!
When my children your age were babies, we were taught NEVER to put them on their backs, but lay them on their stomachs, or at least prop them on their sides!
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