Sunday, March 28, 2010

Memorable Vacation

Add caption
It is the last night of my vacation.  The last night that I can stay up late and tomorrow is the last morning I will get to sleep in until I finish my 55 hour work week.  This vacation was definately a memroable one.  The past two years I have used my vacation time to travel to California.  In 2008, Lauren and I went to San Fransico.   In 2009, I drove across the country with Mandy moving her to her new life in LA.  The thought definatly crossed my mind to go to California again this year until it was recommended that Parker have his tonsil and company removed.  So this is a first that I used my vacation time to do nothing ( it wasn't really nothing, but it seemed like it would be nothing at first). 

We did a lot of stuff this week considering Parker wasn't feeling, and still isn't, feeling up to par.  There was A LOT of coloring, we made clay one day, read many many books, painted a hand print that he bought home from school and even saw a movie.  We had visitors on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.  Went to the library and a couple trips to Graeter's.  I realized about midweek, when Parker's and my constant time together was starting to make me want to scream, that this is the most time we have spent together, solid, straight through, without interruption, time since he was probably 3 months old, which is when I went from stay-at-home-mom to student-mom.  Since he was 3 months, I was finishing my degree and then, luckily, working full time about 3 days after I graduated.  We went to Florida for my last spring break before I graduated, but this has been a 9 day venture just being the two of us. 

It has been a great week.  Although, I can't lie, I wanted a little time to myself and he was more clingy than usual because of the circumstance, but I got a glimpse of what life would be like if I was at home.  I have a huge respect for women who choose to stay at home, my mom chose to stay at home with my sisters and I, and I know many other women who make that choice.  For me, it has never been an option.  I was in a relationship with Parker's father for a while after he was born and I continued with school.  It wasn't long after I started back at school in the fall that I also started working part-time because I needed to.  Then, once I became single, it was imperative. 

Parker asked me this morning if he was going back to school tomorrow and I told him that the day after tomorrow he would be going back to daycare.  He started tearing up and explained that he just didn't want to go back to school.  I asked him if he was bored of being at home yet and if he missed his friends, he said he missed his friends but he likes being at home all day.  This surprised me slightly because he tends to get restless like I do.  But then it clicked, it is spending real time with me.  We spend the entire weekend together most of the time, more recently than before (I quit trying to date), but for a 4 year old with one parents, it isnt enough, and I have realized that, it isn't enough for me either.  I think that I may have to take more vacations like this.  The weekends are normally packed full of laundry, errands, and housework.  We were able to do all that boring housework and chores, but more importantly we were able to just be together.


Painting the back of the hand print red



Paint his hand print blue








Eating Graeter's in Clifton



1 comment:

  1. I was so grateful that after Don left, I was able to get my art job back and actually work from home. I pulled all nighters and had a little more pressure, but it was so worth it to be home with the boys. I made less money, but I made more because of no babysitter. I would go into work a couple times a week and turn in the work and get more work for the next week. I was lucky that worked out while they were younger. And, they would sit around me drawing too, while I did my work. They will always remember the yellow cardboard cards!

    ReplyDelete