Getting used to a new normal

Pat been working nights again for about a month now and for the most part I think it’s going ok.  We still have time together as a family and we try and make it count.  For us, family time has always been about quality over quantity.  Living two hours away from my parents, siblings and other extended family has taught me to make the most of the time that we have and find the ‘something special’ in every day moments.

Pat has started taking the kids for donuts on Friday mornings before taking Evie to school.  It’s a special time that they have together and I know they all have fun. 

Pat even tries an 'adventures' with Mitch at least once a week.   Sometimes after they drop Evie off, Pat will take Mitch to the store to get flowers.  Pat told me that Mitch is so completely cute about it – he has to hold the flowers as they walk through the store and give them to the cashier.  He said the other patrons in the store get a huge kick out of it.  And Mitch is always so proud to ‘give’ Evie and I the flowers.  Sometimes they go to the store to browse the toys or they go the park.  Pat took Mitch to zoo one afternoon too.

This is what happens with Daddy... :)

I thought that the kids might sleep in a little now that they don’t have to go the babysitter each morning, but that hasn’t been the case at all.  Mitch is usually up before me and I get up around 5:30 to get ready for work.  Evie usually gets up before I leave too so I try to get them settled with cartoons and snack downstairs so that Pat can rest a little more on the couch.  Not sure if that works out well or not.  Pat and I discussed changing their bedtime to be a little later, but we both agreed that it probably wouldn’t make much of a difference.  Our kids have always been early risers.

We still have family dinners on Monday and Wednesdays, and even if Pat’s not there, I make sure I sit down with the kids  - no TV, no phone, no distractions – on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday nights.  Friday and Saturday are more relaxed.  Sometimes after the long week, I take the kids out to each on Fridays.  We also have a ‘snack dinner’ once in a while.  I’ll make a smorgasbord of snacks – tater tots, cheese, pepperoni, pickles, edamame, quesadillas, whatever we have – and let the kids eat and snack while watching a movie.  They love it!

Edamame!

 

Kale, tofu and purple rice!

On Fridays since Pat started working, I’ve been letting Evie stay up late to watch a big girl movie with me.  She has grown to LOVE these Mama & Evie movie nights.  It can be a challenge to get Mitch to bed so we can do this, but it’s worth it.  We snuggle under a blanket with a big bowl a popcorn and Evie gets to pick the movie.  Several times I’ve caught her looking up at me with a little grin and then she’ll lean over to give me a big hug and say “I love you Mama’.  It makes me so happy and a treasure these quiet times.   Since Pat tries do special things with just Mitch while Evie is at school so I don’t feel too bad about including him in this time.

Mama & Evie movie night!

We are making this new schedule work, but it isn’t always easy.  I missing having a second set of hands around to help and I know Pat feels the same.  While it’s not impossible to take our kids out by myself, it’s not stress-free.  Mitch likes to run (I swear I’m thinking of getting him a lease) and he really doesn’t like sitting in a shopping cart.  When we got shopping, there is no browsing to be done.  A list is essential so that we can be in and out as quickly as possible.  I really need to up my game and start to do more online shopping.  

 I’m not going to lie… It can be really overwhelming at times to not have Pat there.  I know he feels the same way in the mornings when I’m not there.  In a lot of ways, I think it’s helping us appreciate each other more.  I hope this schedule is only here on a temporary basis.  I hope that new opportunities present themselves so that we can make the changes we really want to make.  But until that happens, we will just keep trying our best to make out current situation work and be grateful for the blessings in our life.