We're home...
Cassie and I got in at around 8pm last night.
I've come to a few conclusions after being a single parent for 4 days: I wouldn't want to be a single parent all the time, which is good; and it's tough being 3 years old.
When you're 3, people have higher expectations of you. You're a big kid, relatively--not a baby anymore, anyway. it's not as cute anymore when you make a mess. You should be able to pay more attention, and stay where you're supposed to stay. But at the same time, being 3 is all about testing your wings, testing your limits, and testing your abilities. Can I climb this? Can I do this by myself? How far can I walk away from mom before she calls me back? What happens when I touch this?
It should be no surprise to me that Cassie's learned the accurate use of the word "frustrated" this week. No kidding. I've heard, "Oh, Mom! I'm frustrated!" more than a few times this week.
It's important that she learns what those limits are, and that they're appropriate. I try really hard to phrase them positively instead of negatively ("Look with your eyes, not your hands!" is something I say a lot), but I still finding myself saying, "No!" an awful lot too. And a 7-hour drive alone with a 3-year-old is enough to test the patience of a saint. We took a whole hour for dinner (and finished it with an ice-cream cone) because we both needed the break.
And now I'm launching into spring cleaning as well as redecorating Cassie's room this week. It's still in the gender-neutral, yellow and blue, stars and moons mode--which I like, but isn't really her anymore. I want her room to be somewhere she enjoys being. So I picked up some cute multicolored polka-dot curtains this morning, and I'll be painting her walls light purple this week.
Jay finished up work on the bathroom while we were gone. I'll post some pictures later today.
I've come to a few conclusions after being a single parent for 4 days: I wouldn't want to be a single parent all the time, which is good; and it's tough being 3 years old.
When you're 3, people have higher expectations of you. You're a big kid, relatively--not a baby anymore, anyway. it's not as cute anymore when you make a mess. You should be able to pay more attention, and stay where you're supposed to stay. But at the same time, being 3 is all about testing your wings, testing your limits, and testing your abilities. Can I climb this? Can I do this by myself? How far can I walk away from mom before she calls me back? What happens when I touch this?
It should be no surprise to me that Cassie's learned the accurate use of the word "frustrated" this week. No kidding. I've heard, "Oh, Mom! I'm frustrated!" more than a few times this week.
It's important that she learns what those limits are, and that they're appropriate. I try really hard to phrase them positively instead of negatively ("Look with your eyes, not your hands!" is something I say a lot), but I still finding myself saying, "No!" an awful lot too. And a 7-hour drive alone with a 3-year-old is enough to test the patience of a saint. We took a whole hour for dinner (and finished it with an ice-cream cone) because we both needed the break.
And now I'm launching into spring cleaning as well as redecorating Cassie's room this week. It's still in the gender-neutral, yellow and blue, stars and moons mode--which I like, but isn't really her anymore. I want her room to be somewhere she enjoys being. So I picked up some cute multicolored polka-dot curtains this morning, and I'll be painting her walls light purple this week.
Jay finished up work on the bathroom while we were gone. I'll post some pictures later today.