Saturday, February 23, 2008

Single parenting

That's what I'm doing this weekend. :)

Last month was pretty tough on Gabe. Because of early pregnancy scares and my bout with bronchitis, he has been on something like triple duty for way too long. He'd come home from work and take over with the kids, (or sometimes stay home with the kids and try to make up the work at naptimes and at night!) and make meals, and clean up the house, and whatever else needed to be done. All the while being sweet and encouraging to me - seriously, the man never complained. Sometimes I think I married a saint - and not just the "we're all saints in Christ" kind!

Anyway, now that I'm mostly normal again (as normal as you can be in early nauseous pregnancy!) and can handle kids and (some of) the house, it was a time for change. So I packed him off for a weekend away from family responsibilities. He didn't argue at all, which rather confirms my suspicion that he needed the break!

He's spending the weekend at a little bed and breakfast in Lake Arrowhead, and he called to tell me how beautiful it is. We just might go back there for an anniversary vacation. :)

Speaking of which - do you know we've been married nearly FIVE years??? Somehow that seems like a really, really long time. And yet not long at all. Sort of like how I feel like I'm still "just out of college" and yet I have 2+ children which sounds so much older.

The weekend here, as a single parent, is actually going better than I anticipated. Jonathan wasn't happy about his Daddy leaving last night, and acted up over dinner because of it. But we switched gears and had a bath for the hour leading up to bedtime (both boys LOVE baths) and things went smoothly after that. Today has gone well, too - I think because I planned it so carefully. I'm a woman with serious tricks up her sleeve. :)

We were going to go to church tomorrow in a borrowed car, but I just realized that we forgot to take the carseats out of our car before Gabe took it away. So much for that plan! If the weather cooperates maybe we'll go for a walk down to the shopping center and have lunch out or something. I think we'll all be slightly stir crazy if we don't get out somewhere. We were going to go for a walk today, but that plan changed due to rain. With luck it will be sunny tomorrow!

Even though it is harder to parent without Gabe here, and even though I miss him and miss being able to have a weekend together, I'm awfully glad that we could send him away. He's happy and enjoying his break, and well, I'm happy because he's happy.

I think maybe I've learned something in these nearly five years together. Because I'm not sure I could have happily sent him on his way a few years ago. And now I can send him off with a smile and an honest joy in his happiness. That's progress in the "don't be selfish" arena. Marriage does seem to help rub the rough edges off your character!

3 comments:

Amber said...

Wow, good for you! (and for Gabe too *grin*) And I hope you do get to go for your fifth anniversary, that would be lovely.

And I think I'm jealous. I'd be more specific... but I probably shouldn't. Let's just leave it at that. :-)

Dy said...

That was so sweet - of both of you. Zorak once pointed out that the 50/50 of marriage isn't exactly correct. Sometimes it's 90/10, sometimes it's the other way around. The key is that it always equals 100 and that you strive to keep a balance in the overall picture. Keeping that in mind has helped both of us be ready and willing to be the ones to give more when the other needs it.

Linds said...

Sounds like a nice day - reminds me of back when we were in college and sometimes it was better for our relationship with Christ to spend quality time with loved ones on Sunday than get to church. Seems like God granted you one of those days. :)

And my goodness! Almost five years! That means I've been married for almost four years! That's ridiculous. I only just got married yesterday, I swear.