Back to work - me AND my Husband

In one week I will be getting myself ready for work. Hard to believe, but my 4 months of leave have ended and it's time for me to dust of my work clothes and head back to the office.

Not surprisingly part of me is dreading this day. I have so enjoyed being at home with our second child, 4 year old, and my husband. We've travelled, played, relaxed, and enjoyed our time together. I think my 4 year old has especially enjoyed me being at home all day. I'm not sure who will have a harder time with me not being around, my husband or my 4 year old. My infant son will miss me the least. Dad will be there tending to his needs and I will gladly scoop him up each morning and at the end of each work day when I return home. His life will change little.

Dash, my 4 year old, heads back to school the same day. He will likely be more unhappy about not being able to spend the day in his new "Bumblebee Transformer" PJ's. The time I've been able to spend with him while on leave has been just as special as the time with my newborn. We've had many hours of imaginary play and fun excursions. Precious time at a precious age.

My husband, he will undoubtedly have the toughest time. He will be the first to admit that me being home full time means he is on "vacation" from his job as a SAHD. His days of sleeping in and the luxury of napping are ending. I'm not sure why this happens, but it reaffirms my belief that by me working, my husband has an environment where he is a much more involved and engaged father. I parent and care take naturally, and as much as I hate to stereotype myself as a Woman; instinctively. The needs and wants of my kids are first on my list and often I take care of them with out even thinking.

My husband has learned to parent out of necessity, and not having me around to step in or tell him how I would do it, has allowed him to figure out how to do things in a way that works for him. Now somethings will never get done unless I do them (fingernails clipped, cleaning in between the toes), but nothing that is terribly important.

Undoubtedly we will have some adjustments getting used to our back to work schedules and how to juggle our routines with 2 children. We'll be late for school, baths will be missed and I'm sure I will be stressing out next week and barking orders to everyone as I try to get out the door.

The other part of me is looking foward to heading back to work. My adrenaline is spiking just thinking about it! So many things to catch up on, people to meet with, issues to be addressed, decisions to be made. Now I just wish I hadn't eaten so many Christmas cookies as I think about dusting those work clothes off!

Boys and Superhero's

(I'm writing this while watching a Bionicle movie with Dash on a Sunday morning)

I can tell you the exact day my son Dash became obsessed with Superhero's. I took him shopping for a Halloween costume. He was barely 3 years old. I had the idea that I would dress him as curious George and my husband as "The man in the Yellow Hat". It was one of his favorite little boy movies. I had the sense that this would be my last halloween of cute costumes. What I didn't realize is that we had already past that phase.

That was until my son saw the Incredibles Costume in the store. "I want that one!!", was what came out of his mouth the minute he saw the Dash cosutme. It was cute, in a pint sized Superhero kind of way, but it wasn't a fuzzy little Monkey costume. I relented though, knowing that if my son had grown past being my baby in cute a cute costume, then I needed to let him be the Superhere that his imagination believed he was.

That was over a year ago. The Incredible costume has gotton more wear than any article of clothing I have bought for my son "Dash" (hence his blogname). At the time it was way too big for him and I had to roll the pants and sleeves for him to wear it. We have since added a Batman, Spiderman, and Ironman costume to his collection, but the Dash one remains my favorite. Now he is quickly growing out of it in size, and slowly in interest also, moving on to bigger boy toys like Bionicles and Transformers.

With mixed emotions I watch him grow. Wanting to hold on to each phase and not let go, but amazed at how he has grown. I'll do the same with his baby brother "Jack-Jack". I'll be more prepared for my second baby to grow up, but no less sad as he eventually shuns his baby things, but no less proud and excited either.