Single parenting

Emily is on a deadline this week, which means she's working past 6 on a regular basis, which means we're not seeing her much when the kids are actually awake. Today she got home at 7:30, and my afternoon kind of went like this: Get Kate at 4:30, go to pediatrician to get her vaccination shot (in her shoulder, Kate kind of looked startled, followed by WAAHHHHHHH but then she calmed down and let the nurse put the band-aid on), then back to daycare to get Jack. Go home, make dinner, give kids dinner, clean kitchen while they play, take them upstairs, play hide and seek with Jack, wash Kate up and put her in her pajamas, give Jack his bath, get Jack dressed, brush Kate's teeth, read Kate stories while Jack plays, get ready to sing songs to Kate, Mommy comes home. And my kids were in daycare today, which is to say my day wasn't really difficult until about 4 (although I did go out and get Underjams for Jack and try to exchange his shin guards for a larger size and did a little writing for the Fantasy Index annual). And I'm not even really a single parent, Emily was just working late. Plus the dinner I made was scrambled eggs and toast, although I'd like to point out that I did cut up some red pepper, in part so I could make a face on Jack's plate with mini-bagel eyes, a scrambled egg mouth, and a red pepper nose. And he appreciated it. It's the little things.

So anyway, yeah, some people -- ones I know -- do this every day. And their day begins earlier than 4 because their kids aren't in daycare. And I know I'll be doing this tomorrow and all, since they're home all day on Fridays, but regardless. I don't know how people do this all the time.

Even in the limited time, I ended up yelling at Jack because he wanted to open the Mother's Day present he'd made in class for Mommy. And around the fifth time I explained to him that you don't open presents that you make for somebody else, I had a difficult time keeping my cool. And then Kate was throwing her milk on the floor, and then getting upset that it was on the floor and it was not in her hands. And I'm saying, well yes, Kate, you threw it there. And this was just in the two hours I was here alone with them.

So yeah, I'm pretty lucky, because Emily was just working late.