For a couple of years now I have been doing a few hours of bookkeeping each week for a trucking dispatch company. I go in the evenings while Matt takes care of the kids and if there's some extra work he'll take a day off so I can get in some additional hours. So last week I was telling Ethan about the plan to take care of this baby Maddie. "While her mom goes to work?" he tried to clarify. "I thought the daddy would take care of them." I explained that sometimes mommies and daddies have to go to work at the same time so somebody else takes care of the kids, but he could not get his head wrapped around that concept. I often wonder what, if anything, he is internalizing about our family life. Apparently he has a deep belief in the value of flex-time and shared parenting. (Also: He is pro-breastfeeding and prays often. My work here is done! Oh, there's more?)
Ethan and I are really enjoying this baby. Evan likes her while she is in her carseat or the swing- he'll hug her and bring her toys (and cat food- why do toddlers think this is such a generous offering?). No matter what he is doing, as soon as I pick her up he suddenly realizes that he needs to be held or nurse AT ONCE or dire consequences will befall us. I know that millions of babies make the transition to 'middle child' without turning into sociopaths but I am oh so relieved not to embark on that special parenting journey with this particular child. If he becomes a sociopath because I held him too much or cut all the crusts off his sandwiches... well, we'll just deal with that later.
1 comment:
Once when Emily was little and Chris a toddler, I was going to a meeting or substitute and was leaving them in the hands of Grandpa and Dad. This must have been during a bread-making phase, because Emily wondered, "who would cut the bread?" Their lives are completely limited to what they live, aren't they? You have very fortunate boys!
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