Walking on Eggshells.

Scott has started back to school which means that I have been on full-time Mommy duty. Robby, who had been sleeping until 7:30 during the summer, is suddenly awake and ready for adventure at 6:00 AM. By the time the sun is setting, he is still going strong and I'm exhausted. I wish I had his energy!

I am fairly certain that Scott and I hate his first week back to work although our reasons are probably entirely different. He becomes bored in what I dub the "I believe that children are our future" meetings which monopolize his schedule during these first in-service days. I used to love teaching, but I don't miss the mandatory meetings! This year I decided to give Scott a back-to-school present and loaded Hotspot Shield onto his smart phone. This way he can log onto the school's wireless network and discretely surf the internet without being blocked. Needless to say, this simple gesture propelled me into the strata of "World's Best Wife." 

I detest the first few weeks of Scott's school year because my husband becomes grumpy and short tempered when his summer vacation closes. I realize that he's tired and is trying to adjust to a new schedule. I also understand that the required meetings are dreadfully frustrating and exhausting. I've learned through the years that I can't change his mood and that it is best to go into stealth mode by trying to stay out of his way and allowing him plenty of room to decompress without putting undo demands on him. I am always walking on egg shells for the last few weeks of August. Let's be honest, I've never been adept at walking lightly!

Perhaps the most pertinent and difficult adjustment is experienced by Robby. He misses his Daddy dearly when he is at work. I know that his days will soon be occupied by school and friends, but in the meantime he quickly becomes sad because Scott isn't here. Two or three times every hour he asks if his Daddy is coming home from work yet. I understand his being anxious, but if I hear "When is Daddy coming home" one more time I might pull out my hair. 

Because I don't have anybody to watch him, Robby has been relegated to accompanying me on my appointments. He sits and plays on the IPad until I'm done with my meetings, never making a peep. I know that this isn't a lot of fun for him, but I have been so proud of how well he has been behaving when he is forced to come in tow.  When my work is done, usually by 12:00, I try to do something fun with him, so although it hasn't been terribly hot, we've been spending our afternoons at the pool. Apparently cool temperatures and frigid water don't stop my little water bug!

Scott has off today and tomorrow, but will resume his meetings on Friday. I know that the next week will be difficult, so I'm going to just try to enjoy the next two days. The Summer of Awesome will continue, at least for a few more days.