Been a long time gone...
Lord, I ain't had a prayer since I don't know when
Long time gone
And it ain't comin' back again
-Dixie Chicks
I know, I know. I have been a very bad blogger lately. I would blame it on being a single mom this week (Derek's gone to Pennsylvania with a group of students) but that really doesn't explain why I haven't written anything in the prior three weeks, does it?! Honestly, things have just gotten crazy and blogging has dropped down on the list behind more pressing chores like laundry, dishes, and feeding the kid. But blogging is still above vaccuuming, which explains why Jay is currently eating a cheerio that appears to have been around since I crawled around on this very same floor. That, or it says I haven't been so successful with the "feeding the kid" chore.
Seriously, though, I've had some good ideas for what I can blog about. I mean, I have whole posts floating around in my brain. So I do THINK about you, dear readers, even as I'm ignoring your need for updates. And I promise, I'll put finger to keyboard and share them with you soon.
For now, I'll just share one little story about my brief foray into single parenthood. One night, I'd nursed Jay to sleep twice only to have him wake up screaming as soon as I laid him down in the crib. (I know that nursing him to sleep is not a great idea, but sometimes you do what you gotta do.) On bedtime attempt #3, I'd JUST gotten him to doze off in my arms when my cell phone rang. I was sure it was dear hubby calling, so I ever-so-gently stood up to take Jay back to the nursery so I could call him back. Then, right as I walked past our landline phone with him in my arms, it rang. While I wasn't looking, someone had apparently changed the phone's volume setting from "Ring" to "SUPER EXTRA LOUD ALARM RING." (You see where this is going...) And yes, he woke up screaming, yet again. Sigh.
I put him down screaming, thinking that this time I'd just let him settle himself down by crying it out. (Yeah, that's not usually effective, but nothing else I'd tried was working either.) So I called dear hubby back. He proceeds to launch into a story about how the hotel staff was just falling all over themselves offering their group cookies and coffee when they arrived. (Remember, kid is still wailing in the background.) Poor baby, I know it's hard to sleep in a hotel room. I mean, you just can't really feel at home without having a layer of small toys & rattles scattered across the floor and eau de diaper pail wafting from the nursery. And it's just so hard to relax when the only sound you hear is peace and quiet...
I know it's hard to travel, and I'm sure I'd miss my little Torquil Jay terribly if I was on the road. But I do believe that it's easier on the person who's gone than the one left at home. This week has truly given me a new respect for single parents. I don't know how you do it.
Posted at 07:31PM Dec 19, 2008 by Jen Foster in General | Comments[0]
