while we thought H was much better after sunday’s hiccup of sickness, it turns out – not so much. tuesday night there was some puking, so mommy stayed home on wednesday. it was an all-day cuddle-fest. and it’s just not right to contaminate a good babysitter’s house (i want her to keep me, you know), so i was home today as well. the kiddo was back among the living – toddling around a bit, playing with this or that, but still not 100%. he definately required more attention (and holding) than his normal life.
while it’s always nice to get a break from work and not be the sick one, on the other hand… them’s a couple of loooong days. so much so that i had to go get dairy queen tonight. well, DQ was the result of several incidents: JE mentioned that there would be a DQ cake at the birthday party on saturday; my kid was much happier in a moving vehicle; i’m pregnant and i get at least one of those indulgences per pregnancy (last time it was pancakes at 9 pm). i must say, a good georgia mud fudge can make a day brighter.
i’m sure it’s different when the kid is happy, playing and not so dependent. i’m sure it’s different when it’s above freezing out and you can get outside. i’m sure it’s different when it’s not a thursday and you could at least go to the LIBRARY. but if it’s not different, i don’t think i could do the stay at home thing all day, every day. my friends are currently avoiding my phone calls because i’m chatting their ears off, simply because i’ve had no real interaction. CSI is a good show, but there’s no real back-and-forth to the conversation. they talk but don’t listen.
however, i’ve also been around a few friends to know i don’t think i could do the gone at work thing all day, every day. the rush rush of the mornings and then the repeat performance around dinner – i get tired of it. i don’t love doing dishes and laundry right before bed because we don’t have clean underwear or forks.
i also don’t think i’d be very good at working-from-home while the kids are around. i mean, when do you shower??? i finally get a moment and i’m rushing to the computer to check email and get things done, but yet i still smell. and i have to get dinner in the oven. again, perhaps it’s different when the kids are able to entertain themselves for 10 minutes.
all this to say: there’s no such thing as perfection. the ideal is that you’re fully engaged in what you’re doing at the moment – be it work or tending to kids. and if you’re lucky enough to have a job that allows you to work some of the time while being home some of the time, then maybe you ought not complain about it too much and appreciate its benefits. you can look forward to the days among adults and also look forward to time with the kids. with the right perspective, maybe you’ll even appreciate it as you’re enjoying it.