Good gravy!
Single parents out there, you have nothing but my respect and admiration. It’s hard work taking care of even one child by yourself, especially when they’re on a break from school. Jack heads back on Monday and that day cannot come soon enough. I love the time I spend with him but I’m concerned it’s not the best quality time it could be.
I have to admit, I’ve let my focus wander over these past three days. I’ve gotten back into writing and fixing a few minor glitches on WitnessPath and that’s taken some of my attention away from my little guy. He’s staying occupied, but I could be doing better. Jennifer and I have always been particular about what he watches on TV. Just because it’s a cartoon doesn’t mean it’s well suited to a 5 year old and I don’t mean the violence. There are plenty of cartoons that look harmless until you watch a couple of minutes of them and see the negative language the characters use and how they treat each other. As a parent, you can’t let down, not for a single minute or your child will start emulating what they watch.
Diet is another issue. Our vacation, immediately followed by Christmas and New Year’s turned into a gift wrapped excuse to eat whatever and whenever. I expanded and so did Jack. I give full credit to Jenny, she went to Weight Watchers on Saturday morning and she’s recommitted to getting healthy. I’ve made a half-hearted effort this week to get my butt in gear, but today it fell apart. As for Jack, well I’ve just got to find a way to say ‘NO’.
My strayed focus has led to non-traditional meal times and eating out a little too much. The situation isn’t desperate but I need to get it back under control. When we’re running on all cylinders, Jack’s diet is full of quality proteins, whole grains, fruits and veggies. I can’t wait for Jennifer to get back home tomorrow to help me press the ‘reset’ button so we can get back to how we were running the house before the holidays hit.
Even our Shorkie, Cady Jane, is having a tough time of it. She’s only nine months old and this is the first she’s ever dealt with snow. If you’re a 5 pound dog, squatting your butt into the snow to do your business is not a fun experience. I took pity on her and shoveled off an area of our back lawn so she could “go” without freezing her little tushie off. Still, she’s going inside more than she’s supposed to which is not at all. Thank God for laminate floors.
You would think everything is going to hell in a hand basket around here but it’s really not. I’m happy for the first time in a while. I’m ok with not being perfect for a change. I haven’t scarred the boy for life, either. The world is full of possibilities and opportunities. Tomorrow is another day to apply what I learned from today.
What more could you want out of life?
God bless,
