These Are Their Stories ... Duhn-Duhn
I don’t have to tell anyone with kids that time is the most valuable commodity as a parent. Time has a way of getting away from you and suddenly you are behind completely on any number of things.
I have subscriptions to several magazines and I think I’m several months behind on all of them. About the only thing I have done in a timely fashion lately is pay bills, which my wife would be happy to know.
A favorite event for me and my wife is TV night. There is no time to watch our favorite shows like ‘Law & Order’ and ‘CSI’ during the week, so we tape them and watch them all at once on Friday or Saturday night. It’s funny how we sometimes eagerly await the arrival of TV night during the week, as it signals the start of the weekend and a brief respite from the rollercoaster ride of parenthood.
A recent article in the Chicago Tribune confirms that we are not alone in enjoying TV night. The article reported on a study published in the journal Science that found that working women were happier watching television and that way down on the list was taking care of the children. While it is rewarding, the article also concludes (rightfully) that taking care of kids, particularly younger ones, is hard work, grueling, and relentless. “Who wouldn't like watching television more?”
An old friend who now lives in Oregon checked in recently after a lengthy period under the radar. She had her third child this year, so she understandably has been very busy. She apologized for not having been in touch, explaining that one son started kindergarten this year, her other son is into everything, and her new daughter requires so much time. To exacerbate matters, she noted that her husband has been away on business a lot during the past three months. Major yikes.
This friend quipped that she only has time to glance at the computer as she walks by it on her way to the next chore, let alone turning it on and typing out e-mails to people.
No explanation was necessary, of course. I think there is this implicit understanding among long-time friends who become parents that communications are going to be scarce, but that it has minimal, if any, impact on your friendship. When you are able to touch base, you just pick up where you left off and appreciate those moments.
Then, there are the moments which appear on the surface to be major time-sucks, but actually can be the most endearing. This weekend, our son was taking a much needed nap on the way home from an errand. We were reluctant to extract the car seat when we got home for fear that it would awake him, so I stayed in the car with him and listened to the radio, so he could continue his nap. My wife graciously brought out sandwiches and she and I ate lunch in the front seat of our car parked in the driveway while our son slept in his car seat in the back. That’s time well spent.
I have subscriptions to several magazines and I think I’m several months behind on all of them. About the only thing I have done in a timely fashion lately is pay bills, which my wife would be happy to know.
A favorite event for me and my wife is TV night. There is no time to watch our favorite shows like ‘Law & Order’ and ‘CSI’ during the week, so we tape them and watch them all at once on Friday or Saturday night. It’s funny how we sometimes eagerly await the arrival of TV night during the week, as it signals the start of the weekend and a brief respite from the rollercoaster ride of parenthood.
A recent article in the Chicago Tribune confirms that we are not alone in enjoying TV night. The article reported on a study published in the journal Science that found that working women were happier watching television and that way down on the list was taking care of the children. While it is rewarding, the article also concludes (rightfully) that taking care of kids, particularly younger ones, is hard work, grueling, and relentless. “Who wouldn't like watching television more?”
An old friend who now lives in Oregon checked in recently after a lengthy period under the radar. She had her third child this year, so she understandably has been very busy. She apologized for not having been in touch, explaining that one son started kindergarten this year, her other son is into everything, and her new daughter requires so much time. To exacerbate matters, she noted that her husband has been away on business a lot during the past three months. Major yikes.
This friend quipped that she only has time to glance at the computer as she walks by it on her way to the next chore, let alone turning it on and typing out e-mails to people.
No explanation was necessary, of course. I think there is this implicit understanding among long-time friends who become parents that communications are going to be scarce, but that it has minimal, if any, impact on your friendship. When you are able to touch base, you just pick up where you left off and appreciate those moments.
Then, there are the moments which appear on the surface to be major time-sucks, but actually can be the most endearing. This weekend, our son was taking a much needed nap on the way home from an errand. We were reluctant to extract the car seat when we got home for fear that it would awake him, so I stayed in the car with him and listened to the radio, so he could continue his nap. My wife graciously brought out sandwiches and she and I ate lunch in the front seat of our car parked in the driveway while our son slept in his car seat in the back. That’s time well spent.
posted by DC-Giant at 10:44 AM
2 Comments:
Who is the friend from Oregon?? What happened to the dark blog? I like this new happy, light blog. Also, did you notice on my background I have the same thing... you know how much I like Law and Order...send a picture of your little one. I want to see how much he's grown.
From Bocker's Mum-Mum: I'm smiling.
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