25 Miles out of the way

Typically, driving 25 miles out of the way would cause severe irritation, frustration, and an incredible urge to skip breakfast and stop at McDonalds to fulfill my calorie intake for the day, but today was different. After our recent move that I’ve mentioned in previous posts, it was decided that my husband would now be Mr. Mom and take the kids to, and pick up from daycare because it was much nearer where he works than where I am currently working. I was more than elated! Finally, Adam was going to understand what I go through every morning…the rush of getting two kids around and still trying to make it to work on time. At first, it was amazing to wake up and only get myself ready. I wasn’t sure what to do with all of my spare time…so I slept in of course! It was great. I woke up refreshed, the house was quiet, I had time to make coffee and take a long, hot shower. I had NO responsibilities!

For a few days I was able to fulfill my “motherly instinct” by packing the kid’s clothes for the next day in a “to-go-to-daycare” bag, and preparing a snack box full of fruit, granola bars (Koala bears as Ben calls them), and juice for the car ride to daycare…but then when the snack box was coming home full I realized that the kids didn’t really need that, so I stopped. After a week, I missed my kids and packing their clothes ever night was not quite enough “mom” time for me. I was getting home from work around 5:30 pm, rushing to make dinner, then putting the kids to bed shortly after. It was weird, I wasn’t aware that I would ever miss someone that lived in the same house as me and I’m starting to become a little nervous about how I will handle the time when my kids go off to college or move out of the house.  I decided last night that although it would be much easier for my husband to take the kids to daycare, I needed to be involved too. I would drive the extra 25 miles in the opposite direction if that meant that I was the one that could wake them up, prepare an actual breakfast, and give them their “goodbye, I love you” hugs at daycare. So this is what I did today, it may not be able to happen every day, but as much as I complained about having to do EVERYTHING in the mornings, I missed it when I wasn’t able to do ANYTHING. So, my solution to missing my kids?  Spend an extra hour with them in the mornings. Although there may not be much dialogue in the mornings with my grumpy Benji and my less than verbal Presley, I didn’t realize how much I missed that time until I didn’t have it anymore. I’m so thankful that I’m able to have the option to spend more time with my kids, even if it is only an extra hour…I realize that not all parents have that luxury. So, today was perfect. I was more focused at work as I wasn’t sitting daydreaming about my children all day, and I feel better about seeing them tonight as I won’t have to smother them with constant hugs and kisses for an hour because I missed them all day! Today, I am so thankful for my extra 25 miles out of the way!