Balance of Work and Family

Ahh, what's that?  Even though JK is still in Utah, I worked last Sunday and I worked late two days in a row, getting home at almost 8:00 o'clock.  My children are truly blessed with a good grand-mother.  She looks after them with patience and joy even though she is tired.  I am not so blessed because there is so much work that the work is spilling into my time with the kids.  Poor Artimus has been coughing pretty badly in the last two nights and there is no medicine for a 3.5 year old.  So we both had very little sleep.  (She had no fever so I am just going to keep an eye on her.)  I am so tired.  If JK doesn't return soon, I think I'll crash.  Thank God for having a maid, despite only a few hours a week.  She did the laundry today and Artimus will have her own underwears rather than her brother's.  I really don't know how other single parents who couldn't afford a maid get by and stay sane, let alone raising healthy and happy kids.

 As soon as the craziness at work is done, I'll be scheming how to keep TV to a minimum and make reading and creating beautiful artwork our routine.  I really believe that TV makes kids less able to control their temperament, in addition to other important side effects like not as smart or social as kids who do not watch a lot of TV.

Hope you are doing well, and enjoying the sun.  Just wish the rain comes already so the humidity goes down.

Conversations

Are kids natural comedians?  JK flew to Utah for business on Sunday.  He called on Tuesday night, and Artimus said to him, in her as-a-matter-of-fact way, "Daddy, I really miss you.  I want you to come back in 5 minutes, okay?"

At 9:45 pm, I finally turned off the light, making good my threat that after 9:00 pm, they do not get to read any books.  The CD was playing the most soothing music - the same one every night. Artimus sat up, against my other threats again opening their eyes or mouth, and said, again in her as-a-matter-of-fact way, "Mommy, I think one of my teeth fell in my throat."  I said, "It's not possible so put your head back down on the pillow, NOW!"  Two seconds later, she sat up, "Mommy, where is the the ball Ethan got me from the dentist?"  Exasperated, I said, "I don't know.  We'll look for it tomorrow.  Pleeeeease close your eyes and your mouth."  In response, she said, "Okay, mommy."  One second later, she sat up, "Mommy, I think I found my baby. It's on my bed."  The baby is her toy baby.  "Great. Now sleep."  I kept my eyes on the computer, ignoring them.  In the darkness, and from the corner of my eyes, I saw her tossing and turning and I thought I saw her swinging her pillow around. Then she talked to herself in whispers.  I had no idea what she was saying to herself. Aaaaaaaaaa!  She is so cute and so exasperating! Then she rapped, and then she played with her saliva, making all sorts of noise.


Home feels like another world.  It's more hectic but it's also more fun.  Everyday is a different adventure!