Career. Kids. Single mother. How does this work, again?
Over at Career and Kids, Elizabeth is having a scheduling challenge the opposite of mine: she’s got a week filled with kids’ activities, while I’m up to my eyeballs in work. I need a kid-free week, but that’s just not possible. One deadline got pushed back because of a little thing called herding cats: trying to get the other players on the same page. Another three deadlines piled on. Nothing is organized, and the paper trail on how things usually get done is wafer thin, my friends. I was cursing a blue streak in my office. Luckily, I switched to French after a while; I’d run out of curses in English. I’ve got a television in my office, I thought. I can get carry-out and the kid can watch TV.
I grabbed my son from after-care just as the teacher was herding the last few strays to their final holding area. His blue eyes landed on me and he was out the door, jacket in one hand, back pack in the other. “I missed you, mama!!” he chirped. I confessed as how I’d missed him, too, today, and it’s true. I miss being a full time mother to him. But we’re not going to be able to afford a mouse-free house if (the ex doesn’t pay child support) I don’t work two jobs, and so I simply miss him.
“You know where I can see you, mama?” he smiled. “I can see you in my heart.”
Forget the office. It was date night.
For as much as that little kid and I were love at first sight, it’s nights like this, when the love just flows over the top, that make a weary single mama so very, very happy.
I’ll just drop him off at school early tomorrow and catch an extra hour that way.
Tags: career, child-care, love, separation, single-mom, single-mother, work
8 opinions for Career. Kids. Single mother. How does this work, again?
pisceshanna
Mar 12, 2008 at 12:00 pm
Seeing my daughter’s face light up when I pick her up from daycare….yeah I feel the same way. As for your son? What a sweetheart :)
dadshouse
Mar 12, 2008 at 2:42 pm
There’s nothing like dropping everything for the kids to remind you what’s important in life! Work will always be there, and somehow it always gets done. Kids grow up way too quick. (My daughter was in preschool only yesterday, and tomorrow she’s off to college…)
christina
Mar 12, 2008 at 6:08 pm
Thanks, Hanna. He’s a pretty nifty kid. I’m a lucky mama.
christina
Mar 12, 2008 at 6:09 pm
Dadshouse! Shhhhhhh don’t say that. No growing up. I’m already boggling at the fact that mine’s going to be five!
Leslie
Mar 13, 2008 at 10:21 am
Mine about gutted me last night when he asked to give me an extra super special 8 o’clock hug (or something dramatic, I was giggling too hard) even after I’d been so grumpy with homework on top of all the other stuff we had to do.
I felt like a jerk but it’s amazing how they forgive us for being adults time and time again :)
Carrie
Mar 13, 2008 at 10:55 pm
I’ve just started school again, and I know how you feel with so little child time!! I was putting my daughter to bed the other night and she said totally out of the blue “Don’t worry mommy - I look after you. You beaufilly mommy.” I decided I really didn’t need to rush back to my study books - instead I took in some hot chocolate and we had cuddles and read books for an hour past bedtime. We had a sleep in the next morning, so we were both late to school - but it was SO worth it to have some special cuddle time.
You’re doing a really good job Christina, and when your son grows up he won’t say you were never there for him, he’ll say you worked your butt off so that he could have a decent life. *big hugs to you both*
Tips To Become Stress Free | GlamSpirit
Mar 27, 2008 at 11:04 am
[…] Related Articles: How Is Your Breathing? Inspiring Benefits of Being A Mother […]
frenchmom
Jun 5, 2008 at 5:17 pm
While we must balance our work and family time i find it really annoying when the school schedules a PTA meeting or event in the middle of the day. I can neither go to work and then take off early or go to the school and then go to work…between 3 kids i have 9 PTA meetings, 9 report days, 6 school functions which is already 24 days and my annual leave gone…add to that a few sick days for the kids & myself and i will be off work for almost 30 days a year! With no holiday time!
Have an opinion? Leave a comment: