The Best Laid Plans

I went to work today for the first time in 8 months, my first day of work since February 29th! Thinking back to February, man, did I have plans for this parental leave.

Eight months is enough time to train for a very decent marathon. At the very least I would get more biking in than I have since ’99. On January 1st, I actually started riding the rollers in the basement to prepare my legs for the ensuing punishment that all my free time would unleash upon them. Three times a week I would get up early and ride my bike in the basement before going to work. And don’t forget about the house, a more complete and finished house has ever existed!

The reality, there were times when I could barely find the time to go to the bathroom! Seriously, I remember telling Maya to make sure Natasha didn’t bother Jaida. Imagine that – telling a 4 year old to make sure a 2 year old doesn’t bother a 3 month old, just so you can go the bathroom!

Take away the indoor biking I did in January and February, and I biked less this year than last year. And there is no very decent marathon in my near future. And the house, well, part of the basement did get cleaned and some light fixtures went up, but none of that happened until October when our caregiver started working 2 or 3 mornings a week so that she and the girls could get acquainted.

So what did I do with my 8 months? Basically, I spent a lot of time with my girls.

Jaida was 3 months old when this started. Just giver her 2.5 ounces of milk every 2.5 hours and she was happy. Now she’s eating whatever the rest of us are having. She used to nap a lot and I would just carry her around in her carseat. Natasha was still wearing diapers. I just noticed last week that she can now reach and turn the coffee maker on by herself. And Maya, what can I say about her? Outgrowing her clothes every month aside, she made this parental leave relatively easy. Not just by being a great kid, but she really was a big help to me in taking care of her sisters.

So I was a little naïve in what I initially thought I could do with 8 months away from work but I have no complaints. I just hope the girls have no long-term ill effects from spending so much time with me!