I did it! That is a phrase we use in our house often these days. If August climbs into his high chair by himself, he’ll say, “I did it!” Or if Finley kicks the ball really well – or even not well – he’ll shout, “I did it!” Now it’s my turn. I drove my kids from Los Angeles to San Francisco and took care of them myself for a week. Yes, I did it!
Ever since I gave birth to twins nearly two years ago, I’ve equated caring for them with something close to climbing Mount Everest –- a very dangerous, nearly insurmountable task that requires lots of special training and a Sherpa.
Whenever Matt has to work late, I beg my sister-in-law to come over and help with the chaos that is dinner-bath-bedtime. On the few occasions I’ve gone to see a movie on a weekend with a friend, I arrange it so the boys will be napping at least half the time I’ll be away. Because who on earth could take care of twins alone for more than a couple of hours!? It’s impossible! You at least need a Sherpa.
Of course, our nanny Flora takes care of the boys for eight hours a day, but I’ve often suspected that she is a superhero disguised in clothes from Forever 21.
But then three things happened.
1. I got laid off my job. (More on that later)
2. Matt had to go on a business trip to New York.
3. I saw a middle aged dude in my neighborhood strolling newborn twins around. We stopped to chat and he told me his partner was out of town so he was taking care of the twins alone all weekend. I almost fainted. "Oh," he said, "we both travel for work a lot. We do this all the time."
1. I got laid off my job. (More on that later)
2. Matt had to go on a business trip to New York.
3. I saw a middle aged dude in my neighborhood strolling newborn twins around. We stopped to chat and he told me his partner was out of town so he was taking care of the twins alone all weekend. I almost fainted. "Oh," he said, "we both travel for work a lot. We do this all the time."
I figured if this regular looking non superhero dude could handle twins alone, I could too. Since I have a lot of time on my hands and my husband was going to be out of town, I decided to take August and Finley on a road trip to the Bay Area.
And you know what: It was effing awesome!
I was even more exhausted than usual. There were several days when I did not shower. I got up every morning at 5:30 a.m. and went to bed by 9:30 p.m. I did not read the news, log onto a computer, watch TV or consume any media. But I spent a glorious, bonding week with my boys. I fell even more deeply in love with them. I introduced them to many of my friends. I found out that my kids are cool and funny and adaptable and even more fun than I realized.
More than anything, I discovered that I can totally climb Mount Everest.
No comments:
Post a Comment