I'm a single mom a few times a year due to a some business travel of my husband's, and truthfully, I dread it each time. We both work hard, and our kids' schedules are full, so it's just plain hard to navigate the time with no co-captain. There is one perk, however, and that's the opportunity to be with all three boys in the morning. The early start to middle school forces me to get up and leave before the two younger are even awake. I'm grateful that Rob's flexibility allows me to leave quickly, but I miss out on bed head, and rosy faces, bowls of cereal, and the comics open on the table.
This week, our mornings were not as leisurely as they are when their dad's in town, but I got to wake each of them up personally with pats to their backs. And I got to push my toddler in a stroller through the neighborhood to day care each cool, crisp morning, with a stop at a friend's for my fifth grader. I made it to school on time for five days in a row, and my oldest only forgot his lunch once.
Life lesson: When life offers stress or serenity, choose the latter.
Lucky boys-- that sounds like a pretty nice way to be woken up!
ReplyDeleteI love that stress or serenity is a choice. I often forget that and am happy to be reminded. I do love the stolen moments of single parenting. Don't envy the people who do it daily, but I love the opportunity for shared moments that wouldn't normally happen.
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