Those are pictures our friend Matt took on an outing to a local farm. This outing was the first episode of a five-day father-free adventure the kids and I had. Rob went to Baltimore for a conference on Saturday morning and came back last night (Wednesday night). I was tired today in the way I imagine I might be if I'd run a marathon yesterday. Solo parenting for five days is a little like a marathon, even though I had help from many quarters. Jennifer and John hosted me and the kids for dinner on Sunday. Betsy hiked with Jasper and me on Tuesday. Grandma Gloria took a stint with Lucy and helped me with the bedtime routine on Tuesday.
Highlights of our father free time:
Lucy and Sophia playing with pumpkins as you can see above. They did this for at least an hour. And Jasper falling asleep in my arms as we took the hayride. So sweet!
Having some lovely grown-up time, including delicious dinner and wine, at my friends' Jennifer and John's house on Sunday night while the kids played.
Spending Monday afternoon with the kids at a wetland up in Snohomish County (north of here). During our walk on a boardwalk through the wetland, Jasper sidled up to Lucy and asked her to hold his hand. Watching them from behind as they walked along holding hands, on a warm afternoon, through a huge grassy bog with no buildings in sight was heavenly.
I went to sleep cuddled next to Lucy every night and stayed in her bed all night, except when Jasper needed me. Lucy never comes to our bed any more and Rob usually puts her to bed, so I really appreciated this time with her. And truthfully, I don't like to sleep alone...
And the biggest highlight of all: getting the call from Rob on Wednesday night that his plane had landed in Seattle. Yeah!
Balls - coinciding with Rob's departure, Jasper became attached to a few of his balls. He has even slept with a ball each of the last three or four nights. And he frequently carries a ball around with him. This all calls to mind a little boy I saw at a friends' house years ago who had a "special saw" he carried with him everywhere. And Jasper frequently asks me or Lucy or Rob to play a "football game" or soccer or volleyball or basketball or a baseball game with him. All of these "games" look exactly the same except for basketball which requires that one of the players holds a small wicker basket into which the other player attempts to throw his ball. Jen tried to offer Jasper a fuzzy cuddly soft ball, but he seems to prefer his hard orange plastic one or the yellow tennis ball we found at the park, gulp...
Rob bathed the kids tonight while I typed this and for that I am so, so grateful.
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