Day 5: Zombie
(if you're reading this and have no idea what i'm talking about, please go here to get an update on our situation. Also note this is Day 5. Please go here for the first day in this series. thanks!)
so it has been 5 days that i've been on a single dad adventure. i've had my ups and downs, but on the whole Ethan has been doing great. i'm certain that he's happy to be back in his own bed, in his house, playing with his own toys. he has every breakfast with mommy over facetime, so he get's his virtual hugs and kisses from momma everyday. he knows he can talk with momma through the computer, so he's learned to come over and say "talk momma" to me to ask to speak with Janice. i think that's great, because that means he understands that while Janice is not here, he can have access to her.
most nights ethan has been great, but last night he was not. in the middle of the night he woke up crying for momma. i knew i was in for a long night, but after putting him in our bed, he fell back asleep. he's had a stuffy nose, so he was constantly snoring and waking up and flailing that it pretty much kept me up all night.
when morning finally broke, i decided it was time to go to an old staple, Cafe Au Play. Janice and I love this place because it's a great little non-profit cafe that has a big kids area, and always has things happening for kids. i went in the morning, and when i arrived there were 4 other sets of parent(s) with their toddlers or babies.
i ordered my coffee and bagel, sat down, and let Ethan play. as i sat and injected my caffeine, i looked around. i was feeling destroyed from the night before, but as i scanned the room i realised that every single parent was drinking coffee and had the same look on their face. none of us were smiling. no one was happily reading a paper.
everyone was a zombie.
it was actually very funny. we all shared the same vibe. the i-am-so-tired-but-my-child-is-not face. it was just classic. i didn't know the parents nor their children, but we all silently shared that feeling of... "i'm so happy i'm drinking coffee and my child is not screaming"
no words were spoken, other than the occasional child crying or parent saying "no, don't hit"... but for that short amount of time, i felt that i shared something with every single parent in that cafe.
as i got ethan back into the car to go home for his nap, i actually felt refreshed. more important than the caffeine was a sense that i'm not alone, and that i can do this. all because about 6 other parents openly shared the wear & tear on their faces over a much enjoyed cup of coffee.
there is no moral to this story, but really this was the highlight of my day. that in my tiredness from caring for a toddler, i found brethren.
so it has been 5 days that i've been on a single dad adventure. i've had my ups and downs, but on the whole Ethan has been doing great. i'm certain that he's happy to be back in his own bed, in his house, playing with his own toys. he has every breakfast with mommy over facetime, so he get's his virtual hugs and kisses from momma everyday. he knows he can talk with momma through the computer, so he's learned to come over and say "talk momma" to me to ask to speak with Janice. i think that's great, because that means he understands that while Janice is not here, he can have access to her.
most nights ethan has been great, but last night he was not. in the middle of the night he woke up crying for momma. i knew i was in for a long night, but after putting him in our bed, he fell back asleep. he's had a stuffy nose, so he was constantly snoring and waking up and flailing that it pretty much kept me up all night.
when morning finally broke, i decided it was time to go to an old staple, Cafe Au Play. Janice and I love this place because it's a great little non-profit cafe that has a big kids area, and always has things happening for kids. i went in the morning, and when i arrived there were 4 other sets of parent(s) with their toddlers or babies.
i ordered my coffee and bagel, sat down, and let Ethan play. as i sat and injected my caffeine, i looked around. i was feeling destroyed from the night before, but as i scanned the room i realised that every single parent was drinking coffee and had the same look on their face. none of us were smiling. no one was happily reading a paper.
everyone was a zombie.
it was actually very funny. we all shared the same vibe. the i-am-so-tired-but-my-child-is-not face. it was just classic. i didn't know the parents nor their children, but we all silently shared that feeling of... "i'm so happy i'm drinking coffee and my child is not screaming"
no words were spoken, other than the occasional child crying or parent saying "no, don't hit"... but for that short amount of time, i felt that i shared something with every single parent in that cafe.
as i got ethan back into the car to go home for his nap, i actually felt refreshed. more important than the caffeine was a sense that i'm not alone, and that i can do this. all because about 6 other parents openly shared the wear & tear on their faces over a much enjoyed cup of coffee.
there is no moral to this story, but really this was the highlight of my day. that in my tiredness from caring for a toddler, i found brethren.
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