The Big Boys, as Toddler Child refers to his older brothers, have been in school for almost three weeks. Routines are in place and loosely strictly followed.
Toddler Child misses the older boys during the day but roams the house freely with Mary [our dog] and enjoys pillaging their rooms, sitting in their chairs at their desks or the kitchen table, in general trying to assume their identities. I scurry at the end of the day to erase evidence of Toddler Child's presence in the Big Boys' rooms and return any loot to its proper place.
My days are fragmented. I feel like much of what I do is - Dig a ditch. Fill it up. Dig a ditch. Fill it up. I putter around the house, straightening, folding, putting away, wiping, feeding or thinking about feeding people and pets. I putter around the yard, pulling weeds, snipping things, making note of what Chris can do to help me when he's home.
Even though it's mid-September in Utah, the weather has been warm so things are still growing in our yard. I have roses that are blooming like crazy and shrubs that need trimming. There's one tree though, that every leaf has turned red and many leaves have fallen. I think it's less about the change of seasons and more a signal that we'll be replacing the tree next year. Chris? Something for you...
I know this work that I do, this puttering, is important. I made a conscious decision to leave a career so I could wife, mother, and homemake. I'm thankful I have the choice. It won't be long before I'll have more time to myself and can return to more intellectually stimulating things. I'm amazed by the women and men who manage a career as well as raising kids, pets and maintaining a home. I'm honestly not that capable.
I sometimes tire of the puttering - my little blog helps with that [pat, pat, pat on the head] - and yearn for my old office, a project, a meeting that's not school related. [I know, those of you who are working, are thinking, shut-up.]
I guess curly-haired girls will always want it straight, straight-haired girls will always want it curly, and the bald guys just want some hair.
