My daughter has a new best friend.
She has “in jokes” with him. She tickles him. She teases him. And she can’t get enough of him.
Frog and the (self-proclaimed) Northern Love Machine are best buddies at the moment. Forever friends. BFF’s.
Whatever you want to call it, they’re getting along very well. So well, in fact, I’m starting to feel a bit left out.
My husband is a teacher, you see. So during the school holidays he gets to stay at home with our two year old while I go to work. The whole school holiday routine is far more relaxed than non-holidays, as I don’t have the mad rush to collect Frog from the childminder’s – and I don’t have the afternoons grappling with tantrums on my own.
The downside is that everything moves a couple of hours back. With no rush to get out of the door in the morning, father and daughter laze in their respective beds until around 8.30am (by which time I’m already four hours into my working day). That means lunch is later, so nap time is later, so bedtime is later.
Theoretically, the later afternoon nap should give me some time during the afternoon to get my writing work done, leaving me my evenings free to, you know, sleep.
In reality though, I’m the queen of faffers. It turns out I NEED that childcare deadline, to force myself to leave the office and avoid trying to finish just One. More. Thing.
When I get home, I know Frog will wake any minute so I’m hesitant to put on my Work At Home uniform until she’s safely tucked up in bed.
None of that really matters though. Because I have a happy, relaxed husband. I have a happy, relaxed child. They are spending LOTS of quality time together. And I have six weeks free from Mother Guilt, without having to constantly wonder if I can manage the juggle.
I like having a new member on the team in the afternoons. I like those moments of being able to sit down for a minute if I’m exhausted, as the NLM and Frog play together. I like that the onus isn’t ALL on me to be the fun one.
But I do look forward to having Frog back to myself for a couple of hours a day once the holidays are over.
Mind you, judging by her current hero worship of her dad, I’m not sure she feels the same.
How about you? How are the school holidays panning out in your house?
So wonderful your husband can get that quality time with her-mine works from home so he gets to spend lots of time with O too and I totally relate. (I’m the fave as juggle freelance work with looking after him in the day) as soon as Daddy breaks for lunch or finishes work, I’m disgarded as the twosome go have fun-it’s just one of those things and it makes me happy that we both get so much precious time with him-even if I’m not always Top Dog in the house! x
Awww, that is a lovely photo! Holidays so far so good here! Not quite as relaxing as I might have hoped
I think girls always have a soft spot for their daddies and vice versa. But also children at that age are fickle some regular time with someone everyday and they soon become the favourite person
Holidays are juggling time! I didn’t factor the school holidays into my grand plan of ‘I’m going to be a wedding photographer.’ I love the holidays though and I always feel that I don’t want them to end! Having friend’s round is the best thing in the world! They play and I get bits and pieces of work done. Not easy though and have to grab every spare minute! Wouldn’t have it any other way
That picture of them is just so sweet! I wish my husband had the type of job that allowed him to see more of Talitha. I know he does too. Cherish it.
I’m at home with my boy and his dad must feel the same as you. However, I he finds ways to create his own special moments with our son. When things go back ‘to normal’ you’ll find your groove again :0)