SINGLE PARENTHOOD

Tuesday, September 09, 2008

So Don is not here. He's in Chicago visiting with our family, friends, and old neighbors.

Kind of a mini-vacation. Needed. Cuz it's hard to be with the little people all the time with a wife who works 60 hours a week.

It took some orchestrating. I'm working till around 1:45 p.m. and then I go and get the kids. There's always something or other after school, it seems - piano lesson or Hebrew school or the tutor's coming - then we have to organize the homework. Snack pet care phone calls lists backpacks mail laundry dinner cleanup bath reading - and inevitably remembering SOME homework thing that never got written down nor communicated to ANYONE except for NOW AT 9 P.M. THE DAY BEFORE... so then there's The Speech which is sort of illogical and also doesn't seem to work but still... what do you think, I'm going to come to college with you and organize your work??? You have to figure this out!!!

Then they're in bed and I get back to work!

I don't really see how single parents do it. I suppose they do it differently. There is no Hebrew school or piano - there's aftercare programs at school. There is a much later late night - because going through the backpack can't start till 6.

I did get ambitious (because I NEVER EVER really know my limits) and cleaned out the toy closets again. And picked this week to declare war on TV. So we're living like Pilgrims over here. Well, maybe not Pilgrims. The Amish? Yeah the Amish. Because we have shunned the outside world and have made purses.

Archie is acting damned weird. I think he is feeling the loss of the "alpha dog" and is stepping in where Don left off. Which means he's BARKING A LOT and patrolling the border constantly - boy is it annoying.

There are also the little things. For example, I can't watch crime dramas - they freak me out too much without Don around.

Appreciating what I have. Needing a massage.