I haven’t watched this movie. But if I had to hazard a guess, I would say that Stella was a part time working Mom of 3 lovely, but busy and often whiny tots that she was alone at home with every afternoon, who she had to feed, bath and put to sleep before her husband got home after it was very dark outside. She often had the help of her mother to effect this transition, but it was still a time in the day that she didn’t look forward to all that much.
Then her husband started coming home early. And that my friends is how she got her groove back.
Is that not how it goes?
Well, maybe I totally just told you how we got our groove back over here at the Alfino household. And it’s glorious.
A very rare family photo – one with all of us in it. Together. At the same time. Maybe not smiling… But together
Even the kids are enjoying it. Kyla was just telling me how important it was that Daddy was home to spend time with them in the evening before they went to sleep and how she felt so deeply connected to him now that this was happening. I know this because she said, “I no like it when Daddy home when the sun go to sleep, I love when my Daddy here and me still awake!” She even woke up early yesterday morning to help him put on his shoes, to sit next to him while he styled his hair, buttoned his cardigan and played on his phone – everyone is taking this new routine very seriously.
Our old routine sucked. It sucked so bad. We would all get up later than we should, got done later than we should, I would drop off Knox while Seth dropped off the girls, then he would meet me and we would go through to Town together – later than we should. But now Seth gets up at dawns fart, gets done, packs the girls bags, gets Knox and is gone before I really open my eyes and realise that I was dreaming about flying to Greece for a holiday. I get the girls done take them to school and then I’m off to work.
It’s so lovely. And even though the mornings can be a bit rough, getting them ready by myself while I’m not used to doing it on my own (especially without that first cuppa joe), it has really made me feel like a Mom. Dropping them off at school is a very unique and lovely experience. Sometimes I go and find a spot where I can watch them without them spotting me and marvel at how schooling them so early was a great choice. The way they interact with others yes, but more importantly the look on their faces when they spot each other in the crowd during outside time is absolutely priceless.
And to be honest, I am also really enjoying that drive to work in the morning, even when there is traffic. Having that bit of “alone time” to crank up the volume of the radio to music that I actually want to listen to is glorious. So if you see some crazy lady singing and dancing like a lunatic, that just might be me enjoying my alone time.
So that’s what’s happening in our world right now, what happening in yours? Have you made any routine changes that have made a good difference to your day?