Today is a landmark day for me . . . for the first time since Johanna was born, I am spending the morning alone. By myself. Just me.
To back up a little: Johanna started morning day care on September 3. However, it has not been until the last three days (when Thorsten has brought her in) that she has accepted, to some extent, that day care is an OK place. Actually, she likes the day care just fine--as long as I don't leave. All three of her day care teachers have the distinct impression that she is just plain mad to be left somewhere, anywhere, that I'm not. (The head teacher yesterday told me, resignedly, "Johanna just has an iron will." I will concur with that . . . she has a streak of stubbornness that elevates her to outstanding in a family already pretty full of wilful people.) Up until today, I have spent the morning sitting in the "parents' room" at the day care, but today I am allowed not to come until 11:45.
It's just been so long since it's just been me, I hardly know where to start with all the potential things I could do. I've already taken a long hot shower (I usually only manage about two uninterrupted minutes in there), put in a load of laundry, trimmed all the brush and generally cleaned up the yard, mowed the lawn, and put some stuff away for the winter in the basement. And I still have an hour to spare . . . ! Such a feeling of accomplishment, to bring any task to completion without eight or ten interruptions . . .
If I'd known that I wouldn't be starting to work until January, we might have tried to get a slot in the day care starting later in the year. But given how long it is taking Johanna to adjust, it's probably a good thing we've started early. And now I am looking at the frankly giddy prospect of having a couple of months of child-free mornings. I can clean out the basement! Get the grocery shopping done before the weekend! Get a haircut without a wiggly toddler on my lap! Finish the Christmas shopping on time! Meet with the bathroom planners for the new house! Go to the gynecologist! . . . OK, not all these things are precisely fun. But I WILL BE ABLE TO GET THEM DONE. . . . all by myself.
Weird but good feeling.
2 comments:
I had a similar experience yesterday...
It was the first time I had the whole day off. I didn't have class, Jorgen and Katrina were both in school for the entire day! I was able to get the bathroom painted, and watch the view! Then 2:45 came way too soon, as I had to carpool several kids from Jorgen's school to soccer, pick up Katrina, go to a picnic for Jorgen's school, find the time to pick up Jorgen from soccer, bring him back to the picnic so he could eat, then come home and get him showered and his homework done and help him make his lunch.... Our evenings go by really fast these days. Even though I had from 8:30-2:45 to myself, I still feel like I had a full day of carting everyone around!
At least today, I'm not on the carpool duties. I think Katrina and I will have a relaxing day at the MN zoo.
I hear you on the iron-willed child. That would be Sarah. She still cries when I drop her off and spends most of her day at preschool following her teacher around, wanting to have her hand held.
You saw the post about the pictures. She is just so, so, stubborn. Strong-willed. Bull-headed.
How did my two children end up so differently?
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