The Next 24 Hours

The next 24 hours are big, very big, in my life.

First, P will be home. Ok, looking at the clock, it seems like he should be home in our apartment in 25 hours or so. But in the next 24, he should at least be in the States, and on his way home from the airport if all goes well. That's one more bedtime. The bedtimes are becoming my undoing. Come 6PM and suddenly all hell seems to break loose: the fussing, the squabbling, the crying, the not listening, etc. and I just can not take it. Really no patience at all for fussing and squabbling and crying and not listening. Suddenly I become the shrieker and when it is all said and done, no matter how 'effective' my shrieking may be (it snaps them into some sort of shape), it doesn't feel good to be the shrieker.

I've had a few people comment, "Wow, P's almost home already. That went quickly." Ahhh, perhaps it went quickly for someone not doing dinner and bath and bedtime for three little boys eighteen consecutive days in a row*. To be fair, I've met a number of women (and I am sure this applies to some stay-at-home dads, too) whose partners tend to come home late from work every work day so they, as the main caregivers, are doing dinner and bath and bedtime by themselves daily. However, I am not one of those people. P does not have a long commute and once he is home from work and school commitments, he is fully engaged in the business of getting these munchkins fed and bathed and dressed in pajamas and teeth brushed and stories read and into bed, and into bed again when they get up for the myriad of reasons they come up with not to stay in bed. I miss P's partnering and parenting. Just one more bedtime.

Second, I got offered a job. Wow. A real, out-of-the-house, put on your professional hat, earn a paycheck sort of a job. The process was quite extended so I didn't get my hopes up that I would get the offer, but the phone call came in. And in the next 24 hours, I should have a written offer with details about salary and benefits, including the possibility of my sons attending the school where I am being offered the job. This is huge. With the written offer and the details spelled out, I will be able to make some guesses about how do-able this potential job will be: time-wise, financially, etc. The impact of this decision will not only affect me, but our entire family so I will be waiting at least 26 hours before I make a decision so I can discuss it with P. Ok, really, I'll give him a bit more time than that, but the I will move quickly to decide if I will completely change all our lives.

SOOOO here's to the next 24 hours. Think of me. Raise your wine glass if you are of the drinking persuasion. Send out a prayer if you are of the praying persuasion. Life will be different after the next 24 hours and while I try to make a point to enjoy the here and now, I am really looking forward to tomorrow night.


*Truthfully, I did have my sister-in-law here for two nights and she took on much of the night-time duties.