End of the First Inning

Well, today is the end of the first inning of my new game; mommie to two. Tomorrow starts the second inning; DS1 starts preschool, and my mornings alone with DS2 are over. Tomorrow, we all go to preschool and on thursday and friday just DS1 and I. I'm taking advantage of the preschool phase-in to also introduce DS2 to a full day with the daytime sitter. Thursday and Friday they will be together all day, but I still can connect with them for lunch. Monday, yes Monday, I'm back at work.

DS2 was a good boy this morning. We went to the dinner had a great breakfast, and I may be the only one to hear it, but I swear he can now say "sausage" clear as day!. After breakfast, we went shopping/exploring. I figure with school/work starting it was time for me to revisit the grocery story and see what kind of food short cuts are available. Personally I like to cook from scratch, but with all of us trying to figure out our new routines, it simply isn't realistic anymore. We didn't buy anything, but we touched everything in the store! I think the clerks thought we were bizarre.

The things that caught my eye - there now exist boil and mix asian noodle kits, but the hamburger helper of my childhood is gone. There were lots of other pre-made pasta sauces and plenty of noodles to choose from that I could make my own hamburger/tuna helper. We found already made peanut-butter and cracker snacks! We found frozen vegetables without preservatives and fruit pre-cut in syrup. Another childhood favorite I couldn't find, but honestly I don't think I would let the boys eat it, although it was truly my favorite after-school snack; pre-cooked hot dogs with cheese bits inside. DS2 is on high fat protein diet, so the full fat yogurt and pudding snacks will come in handy.

We played at home for a while and I told him all about the impending changes. I think he understands a fair amount of what I say. Clear the gist of day-to-day activities, but maybe a dozen or so single words. At lunch time, our usual hand off to the sitter, DS2 gave me a firework display. It was either designed to let me know he understood the conversation about our last morning together on a weekday, or designed to scare the begezers (don't know the correct spelling here and spell check didn't help) out of the sitter!

When I think about our 8 weeks together, wow, we've both grown. I'd like to say with the language and physical changes on his side, he's grown the most, but I'm giving him a run for it. I feel more and more like an adult daily. I know I've got responsibilities that I must see too; the kids, DH, the house, and the extended family. But I'm also seeing the importance of carving more time for ME as well. I've had the luxury of not working for a few weeks, but I think I've cleaned up the house a bit and simplified a few things around here, so it will work a bit smother going forward. I think the boys are ready to have more fun and less instruction on how to behave, so they may not miss me totally. I feel stronger about and more deeply in synch with DS2. It's still a bit like taking care of the neighbor's kid, but at least now I feel a greater sense of ownership and responsibility to the neighbor. I feel like the mother of two, not just one.

Second inning, bring it on!