The TSD (Temporarily-Single-Daddy) Update

We’ve completed Day 3 of the week without mommy around, and I’m happy to report the kids are breathing and the house is still standing (although it’s significantly messier than it’s ever been, but that’s what the hour before mommy gets home is for).  Here are a few of the recent highlights events:

• I discovered that playing any Taylor Swift song at high volume will not only wake up my sleeping three year old, but also get her to jump out of bed and run down the hall and into my arms.  This approach has the opposite effect on my 10 year old boy who feigns deep sleep and then tries to punch me when I “wake him up.”
• I’ve let the kiddos dress themselves – this is a dicey proposition in much the same way as when Traci let’s me dress myself.  As an example, here’s a photo demonstrating Sydney’s fashion prowess today (brown t-shirt, yellow sweater thing, black dress shoes, and the socks pulled ALL the way up)  This photo may or may not have been taken in the McDonalds parking lot (apparently the kids need to eat.)
• Today I noticed Braeden with the itchy eye thing going on.  I reminded him that he spent the day near a cat.  He denied it until I pulled a bunch of cat hairs off of his pants.  I did what every good parent would do faced with a minor medical issue – looked for drugs.  He did his dose of Benadryl and then we were off to the park for family fun.  However, Braeden, due to my skilled parenting, spent the entire park visit in a drug-induced coma in the backseat of the mini-van.
• Today became an impromptu “Bring Your Fussy 10 Year Old To Work Day.”  Ethan refused to go to the babysitter because he was twice as old as the oldest kid at the house we arranged.  Fair point – I’d probably feel weird hanging out with 17 year olds all day… (and I might get arrested if I tried)  Anyway, I let him muddle around my office for 6 hours or so.  Three different people gave him candy and he took advantage of the free root beer in the fridge.  So I’m pretty sure he enjoyed work today a bit more than I did.  He also commandeered one of my white boards and on his own decided to do some HTF-Cyclops-ArtWork:

 

So yeah, we’re getting by.