It's really a half day.
It's 1:17 and my niece has just boarded a train back to Jersey after watching Pooker (Eliza), 3+ months, Kaia, almost 5 and Ruby, 3 for the past three weeks while I finished my duties as a high school teacher. Two weeks before, my Mother-in-law, Dianne watched the baby while the two older girls were still attending preschool. Five weeks ago my wife went back to work. I'd known this day was coming, but, here it is and I'm not really any more mentally or emotionally prepared to accept the responsibility for my three daughters in the harsh oven-bake with sauce that is DC in the summer. Solstice was two days ago... I can't manage a pool visit without help,... walking to museums from our Capital Hill home is technically possible, though more draining than a work out with a wrestler/triathlete/navy seal. Summer is before me and I'm already repeating myself. The girls were outside about an hour ago, playing with chalk and water on the back patio. Ruby had 20 pieces of new chalk soaking in a watering can. The day before Kaia and Ruby left the water hose on. Luckily the sprayer was closed but water still leaked out all night. Now I've cut them off from playing with the hose or out back for a week. An overreaction. But I got exasperated they hadn't listened about the hose and that they felt it was a good idea to soak the chalk. Have to remember the 8 or 9 times to teach them something rule and that it takes 28 times to break an undesirable habit. I learned that from Ruby's preschool teacher Cissy yesterday during Parent/Teacher conference.
Why am I writing this blog? As a release of tension and worry and anxiety over how to navigate the summer. In the past few summers with only two girls, I'd managed okay and felt I'd gotten the routines down to a pseudo science. False consciousness. What I'd managed to do was plan day excursions around meal times and nap times and enlisted help when I could from fellow fathers or mothers across the metro area. I've managed to develop a pretty good list of activities. With the addition of baby Eliza all is changed. Planning will have to be less ambitious. Planning will have to account for tracking Ruby, the 3 year-old and getting help and buy in from Kaia, the almost 5 year old, to help me stay on top of Ruby as she can get willful and noncompliant some (quite often) times. I'm going to try and list all the activities of the past few years and then wonder if they'll be possible (P) on my own this year, or maybe with help (P WH), or Not possible (NP) at all, as in a-what the 'ell were you thinking sorta way. Later we'll have to think about who's available to help and how that might work out.
It's 1:17 and my niece has just boarded a train back to Jersey after watching Pooker (Eliza), 3+ months, Kaia, almost 5 and Ruby, 3 for the past three weeks while I finished my duties as a high school teacher. Two weeks before, my Mother-in-law, Dianne watched the baby while the two older girls were still attending preschool. Five weeks ago my wife went back to work. I'd known this day was coming, but, here it is and I'm not really any more mentally or emotionally prepared to accept the responsibility for my three daughters in the harsh oven-bake with sauce that is DC in the summer. Solstice was two days ago... I can't manage a pool visit without help,... walking to museums from our Capital Hill home is technically possible, though more draining than a work out with a wrestler/triathlete/navy seal. Summer is before me and I'm already repeating myself. The girls were outside about an hour ago, playing with chalk and water on the back patio. Ruby had 20 pieces of new chalk soaking in a watering can. The day before Kaia and Ruby left the water hose on. Luckily the sprayer was closed but water still leaked out all night. Now I've cut them off from playing with the hose or out back for a week. An overreaction. But I got exasperated they hadn't listened about the hose and that they felt it was a good idea to soak the chalk. Have to remember the 8 or 9 times to teach them something rule and that it takes 28 times to break an undesirable habit. I learned that from Ruby's preschool teacher Cissy yesterday during Parent/Teacher conference.
Why am I writing this blog? As a release of tension and worry and anxiety over how to navigate the summer. In the past few summers with only two girls, I'd managed okay and felt I'd gotten the routines down to a pseudo science. False consciousness. What I'd managed to do was plan day excursions around meal times and nap times and enlisted help when I could from fellow fathers or mothers across the metro area. I've managed to develop a pretty good list of activities. With the addition of baby Eliza all is changed. Planning will have to be less ambitious. Planning will have to account for tracking Ruby, the 3 year-old and getting help and buy in from Kaia, the almost 5 year old, to help me stay on top of Ruby as she can get willful and noncompliant some (quite often) times. I'm going to try and list all the activities of the past few years and then wonder if they'll be possible (P) on my own this year, or maybe with help (P WH), or Not possible (NP) at all, as in a-what the 'ell were you thinking sorta way. Later we'll have to think about who's available to help and how that might work out.
- playgrounds (P)
- storytellers/kid friendly entertainment (P)
- yards park wading pool (P)
- summer concerts (day time) (P)
- glen echo (P)
- zoo (P)
- sandy point beach (P WH)
- libraries (P)
- spray and water parks (P WH)
- arboretum (P)
- aquatic gardens (P)
- building museum (P)
- indian museum (P)
- hirshhorn (P)
- natural history museum (P)
- special exhibits smithsonian (P)
- pools indoor (i.e william rumsey) (P WH)
- pools outdoor (i.e east potomac) (P WH)
- rock creek (P)
- farms with animals/playgrounds (P)
- Pick your own farms (P)
- smithsonian merry go round (P)
- walks (P)
- grocery shopping (MUST BE POSSIBLE!)
- errands (P)
- national aquarium (haven't done yet) (P)
- Home activities (i.e. painting, drawing, crafts, chalk, music making (noise), reading books, independent play, dress up, etc. (P)
- Cooking/Baking (P?)
- bicycle, tricycle, scooter near the house.
- Visit friends, colleagues, retirees, family
No comments:
Post a Comment