We’re almost two weeks into my life as a work widow and I’m still waiting for things to get easier. Oh, and to see my husband on occasion. That would be nice. As tough as my life is right now, his is even tougher as he tries to rebuild his battered department. I’ve tried to be empathetic but guess what: his employees don’t crap, puke and scream at him all day long. Well, at least not the good ones.
On the home battlefront,The Slug rolled over for the first time but has stopped sleeping at night. And The Hurricane, welp, at least she’s consistent with her name. To add a Dead-Sea-sized dose of salt to my wounds, my mother-in-law announced a couple of weeks ago that she’s no longer taking Haddie on Wednesdays. You know. The one day I actually had to clean, shop, shower and blog.
Knowing that no breaks and no husband would surely send me over the edge, I marched down to our local YMCA and signed on. I was not motivated by their newly-renovated facilities or long list of programs, but by two blessed words: CHILD WATCH.
I didn’t have any issues with leaving obsessively social Hadley in the care of someone else because her first words to us were, “Don’t let the door hit your butt on the way out.” It was sweet Bode I worried about because he’s still so little and needy.
Turns out I was worried about the wrong person. In a matter of minutes, Bode wooed all the ladies and they absolutely dote on him. The Hurricane, on the other hand, is having a tougher time. Maybe it’s because she’s in the pre-school class where they are supposed to be 2 1/2 and potty training (she’s neither) and the peer pressure to go to the bathroom has almost sent her over the edge. But unfortunately not to the bathroom.
Her latest meltdown yesterday was over one of the child watch providers who dared to prop her injured foot up on a chair. When I came to pick Haddie up, one of the ladies pulled me aside.
“Do you have a rule in your house about putting your feet up on chairs?”
What I wanted to say:
“Sure we do. Haddie’s rule is to find every chair, couch and countertop upon which to put her feet.”
What I did say:
“Why, yes! How did you know?!”
“Well, that explains why your daughter was having such a tough time with Melanie putting her foot up. You have quite the little rule abider in your house, don’t you?”
“You pegged her. That Hadley. Always, always, always following those rules.”
Yeah, right. “Rule abider?” The Hurricane? Obviously they know nothing about living in the anarchy of a natural disaster….
I'm a Canadian-born mom of two, former Denver Post columnist, family travel writer, editor of MileHighMamas.com and 9News contributor. Expert on all things Utah, Denver, family and travel. Lover of laughter and life. Happily married to a man obsessed with growing The Great Pumpkin. 