Short end of the stick

My wife has been putting in some extra hours at the office lately, catching up on projects, working on budgets for the coming year and so on. She is also the staff liaison to a number of committees, and that translates into weekend work when the committee members are in town for meetings. Her hours are somewhat flexible and she tries to make allowances, but the last few weeks she's missed dinner almost as often as not, and has been scheduled to work 4 out of 5 weekends this month. All this time away from the kids has taken a toll on them, and her.

A couple nights ago she was tucking our 3-year old son into bed, when he turned to her and in a very sleepy voice said, "I miss you Mommy. Come home." It brought tears to her eyes (and I admit my own eyes may have gotten a bit misty when she told me about it later).

She took the following day off. :-)

I know it's hard on her to leave the kids each day as she goes off to work. 5 years ago I really would not have understood, but now having had the benefit of being a stay-at-home dad for so long and realizing how precious each moment is with the kids, I know it will tear me up inside if I ever have to sacrifice that time with them. It feels a bit selfish on my part, but I hope I am able to stay home for a long, long time.

I've said it before, but I'll say it again... I am eternally grateful that, given our circumstances, I was the clear choice for being the one to stay home with the children. I have been truly blessed to have this opportunity with our kids. Hopefully, someday, we'll be able to make things work with both of us staying home (where'd I put that lottery ticket, anyway?). In the meantime, here's to you my love! I couldn't have asked for a better woman to spend the rest of my life with! You're a great wife, and a fantastic mom!