10 November 2005

How Do Women Do This?

My family has been impacted by a cold over the last two weeks. We're all congested and coughing. My kids are so congested that when I hold them on my shoulder, it sounds like they're purring. I jokingly said "Babies aren't supposed to purr."

The other day, my wife called me at work. She was so sick that she couldn't handle the kids. Thankfully, her sister stays with us, so she was helping but had to go to work. I decided to come home and watch the kids for the day.

By the end of the day, I was utterly exhuasted. I got home at about 1000 and took the kids from my sister in law so she could get ready for work. Because they've been sick, the baby has been sleeping a lot, which really helped. When he was awake, I needed to hold him. When he was asleep, I was down on the floor playing with Joshua, our 15 month old toddler. Joshua climbs on and get into everything, and even more so when the baby is occupying the attention. I find it easier to stand with the baby so I can follow Joshua around the room, but then he wants to be picked up. That left me with a 13 pound baby on one arm and a 26 pound toddler on the other.

For lunch, I threw the kids in the car and hit the drive thru window that my sister in law works. That's what daddies do.

My wife likes educational TV left on during the day. It's not quite as mindless and brainwashing as I had been told. I was happy to see that "Reading Rainbow" is still on. I enjoyed that show when I was a kid. It's sure outlasted "Star Trek- The Next Generation", and Levar Burton is still going.

I'm going to write in my other blog about how my sick wife still managed to drag herself out to vote. I was smart and voted on my way into work, since the polls open right when I'm leaving anyway, and the firehall we vote at is just a couple of streets over.

Though the day was exhuasting, it was a lot of fun to spend the time with my kids. Joshua laughs when I get down on my hands and knees and charge him. He also likes to be sat on my shoulders while I run around. Caleb, at 3 months, is all smiles. It's fun to lay him down and get him to smile. Unlike his big brother, he actually will sit still. I can sit him on my lap and hold him up and he's been content up to an hour so far. I have a newfound respect for what full time moms do, and a new found appreciate for the role I've been created for.