En Route
My parents help a lot with my kids; my in-laws too. This used to be torture for almost all parties concerned until I learned the magic. Off-site time for kids and grandparents is soooooo much better. Why did I avoid it so long? Why, indeed.
I had a very, very, very good reason. I wanted to be included. And, I wanted them to see the generations working in a seamless, inter-operable harmony. I wanted it to work well. And, I WANTED TO ENJOY TIME WITH MY KIDS AND MY PARENTS TOGETHER. I think of it as the fundamental tone of love, connection. That's the way I'm built.
I have let it go. I realize now how little a difference it is to anyone, even me. But despite the diminution I feel the difference. It is another trade off I make, especially as a working mom. My husband, my children and myself benefit greatly, for example, from the weekdays' sleepovers that offset childcare time and protect precious family time on the weekend.
But now it has come to the weekend. Today p-man and I split up our time with the kids and it made for a rather good, possibly better, Sunday. I took them to Granville Island and Kite Festival, p-man picked us up. We didn't have much time all together this weekend and I feel odd about it. Am I strange in this view? It seems to be screaming at me as only logical to split up the work on account of the success it affords. But I can't quite peel myself away from an idyllic view of togetherness. I burn somewhat, not inconsequentially, at the solitariness of the memory built today -- my 3yo being told the bus was express breaking into this at the top of his lungs:
I had a very, very, very good reason. I wanted to be included. And, I wanted them to see the generations working in a seamless, inter-operable harmony. I wanted it to work well. And, I WANTED TO ENJOY TIME WITH MY KIDS AND MY PARENTS TOGETHER. I think of it as the fundamental tone of love, connection. That's the way I'm built.
I have let it go. I realize now how little a difference it is to anyone, even me. But despite the diminution I feel the difference. It is another trade off I make, especially as a working mom. My husband, my children and myself benefit greatly, for example, from the weekdays' sleepovers that offset childcare time and protect precious family time on the weekend.
But now it has come to the weekend. Today p-man and I split up our time with the kids and it made for a rather good, possibly better, Sunday. I took them to Granville Island and Kite Festival, p-man picked us up. We didn't have much time all together this weekend and I feel odd about it. Am I strange in this view? It seems to be screaming at me as only logical to split up the work on account of the success it affords. But I can't quite peel myself away from an idyllic view of togetherness. I burn somewhat, not inconsequentially, at the solitariness of the memory built today -- my 3yo being told the bus was express breaking into this at the top of his lungs:
Labels: quality surveying
posted by mo-wo at 9:25 p.m.
1 Comments:
Those weeks (inevitably summer weeks) we are so busy it stings and all running in different directions I find myself longing for a boring Saturday morning all of us walking uptown in bad moods to get coffee, hit up London Drugs for chips, get some bread.
I hear you.
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