Good Week

Nicholas and I had a very good week. In fact, the best week we've had in a long time. Not that anything interesting or exciting happened this week, but we just were clicking and connecting really well, enjoying each other and keeping the bickering and stand-offs to a minimum. Hmm, I just realized that from that description we sound like a married couple. Well, I guess that what happens when it's just the two of us.

I think the difference this week is that I left work early almost every day, giving us a bonus half hour in the evenings, which was just enough time to actually play a little each day. In our normal schedule we get home about 5:45, he watches one DVR'd episode on tv while I make dinner, and then we eat, making it usually around 6:45 when we finish. Since 7:00 is bedtime, that means we go straight from dinner to getting ready for bed, sometimes with a bath squeezed in.

Add that to weekends of travel or full of errands and until last weekend Nicholas had forgotten he had any toys other than his animal puzzle, because he really only played at home for a couple hours a week. I know, pathetic.

Anyway, the combination of trying to get home before dark with daylights savings (which failed) and the fact that we are at week 10 of the semester and I was feeling a little burnt out meant that I left work early a couple days in a row. And then we had so much fun that I consciously made the decision to replicate that pattern the other days.

And, yes, it means I have an extra half hour of work to do each evening, but really, does it matter whether I'm doing 2 1/2 hours instead of 2 hours of work after he goes to bed? So I think we will continue to do this whenever possible. Of course this coming week I have advising appointments late each day, but I'll do my best.

Because, really, the flood of smiles and hugs I've been getting from this little boy all week have been amazing!

And I am loving working with him on his alphabet puzzle. By yesterday he recognized enough of the letters that I decided to blow his mind by singing the ABCs slowly while pointing to each letter. And he got it! His eyes were huge as he realized that as I sang, the words matched up with the letters on the puzzle.

Exactly what this tired mommy needed this week.