A notable Saturday morning

I am spoiled.

DT is an amazing dad. He is exceedingly good with children (it's an occupational hazard for him) and, while he has never managed to breastfeed, he does his share of everything else. I feel confident that if he could nurse, he would do it gladly, too. Because of this, I rarely feel like a solo parent, which seems to be a bit unusual when I look at our family and friends. DT's work schedule is more traditional than mine, so I often have both kids by myself after school until dinner, but that's usually as far as it goes. Like I said, I'm spoiled.

This weekend, though, DT has to work. This means he goes in early and comes home when he's done, which could be noon, could be 5pm. I dread these weekends because I'm very aware that my mental health hinges on feeling like I have a partner in crime, I mean, parenting. (I know it's a cliche, but I reallyreallyreally don't know how single parents, military parents, etc. do it. I. Do. Not. Know.)

Given that buildup and history, I have been pleasantly surprised today. When Rocco woke up, DT got him and I slept a few extra minutes. WonderGirl didn't wake up until after DT left, and the three of us had a relaxed breakfast. It was clear that Rocco was already sleepy by then, and I put him down for an early nap. There's a whole post on his sleeping issues coming at some point, but suffice it to say that if he sleeps longer than 30 minutes, it is only because pigs are currently airborne. This morning, he started whimpering after 30 minutes, but I left him in his crib for a bit, and after 10 minutes or so, he fell asleep again. It was wonderful. WonderGirl and I snuggled and read multiple books, then had a snack. Rocco woke up an hour later (refreshed for a change) and we all played and got dressed. We went to the Y for WonderGirl's gymastics/ballet class; Rocco went to the play center while I walked on the track and watched WonderGirl. They were having a health fair at the Y and the poor free-massage guy looked so lonely, so I got a wonderful 10-minute chair massage before doing some weights and then gathering up the chillun'. DT called to say he was done working just as we were leaving the Y, so we all met for lunch.

I feel like an actual competent parent. Both kids are napping again now. (Okay, fine, WonderGirl is just resting, but at least she's horizontal. Okay, so she wasn't horizontal until I just checked on her, but now she is.) They're both fed and healthy, minds and bodies stimulated and rested as appropriate. It's a friggin' miracle.

I am, however, still dreading tomorrow, when I will probably be revealed as a terrible mother and my children will eat processed foods and attack insects. But for today, we're all good.