Baffled

Why is it that when Marc’s not here (like tonight) my house is perfectly clean, my dishes not only washed, but put away, coffee made for tomorrow, both children clean, read to, and asleep by eight o’clock? When Marc is here, in theory, with two adults, it should be a million times easier to run my little household. And I know that I’m incredibly lucky to have such an amazing husband and father to my children – but why, when he’s here, are the kids running around fully dressed at nine with toys scattered around the living room? I speculate that perhaps it’s because when he comes home, the kids get an adrenaline rush and are harder to settle, but fear it might be that I expect him to be another me, and then think that I only have to do half of my job. I think that’s really what it is – I have this inflated expectation that when he’s here, he should be able to be fully on-board with what I want to get done (not that it’s selfish stuff, I want to get the house picked up and kids in bed at a reasonable hour). But the way it works out, when Marc is here, usually we squabble because I’m constantly expecting him to be right there, changing diapers and cleaning up toys, and he’s trying to relax and chill out. Everything is tougher. Unless I pretend that he isn’t here, which works out better – because then when he does step up and assist (and to be fair, unless he’s trapped in the computer game and can’t think beyond it, he always does), it’s just a bonus.

Either way, he’s not here tonight and I’m lonely and sad without him. As is my Jessica, she wants Daddy to wake her up when he gets home and take her to the bathroom and say shema with her. I’m probably spelling it wrong, but she really enjoys it and since I don’t know the words, it’s a Daddy/Jessie thing.

Jessie’s staying dry thru the night. To be perfectly honest, she’s still wetting the bed, but trying to stay dry – no more pull-ups at night. She really wants to – and I’m optimistic that it’ll work. Plus she wants to do it – which is, in my extensive experience of potty training the one child – is the key. Trying to do it when you’re the only one who wants to is monumentally pointless.

Sam went down to bed really early tonight, which was so lovely. Not only because he’ll get a good night’s sleep, but because I got to put my little girl to bed like I used to – when it was just the two of us. I read to her in her bed, switched off the light, we talked a little bit, and then I sang her to sleep with her special lullaby. I have one for each kid, Jessie’s is sung to the tune of Mockingbird, but since I couldn’t ever remember the words, I made some up “Mama’s going to buy you a great big pig. If that piggie gets too fat, Mama’s going to buy you a little cat…” Sam’s is sung to the tune of My Little Sunshine – and the best part is that one has a million little versions. His favorite is “You are my Sammy, my baby Sammy…”