Big Changes Ahead

Four years ago, I accepted this crazy new job that takes us around the world, and T closed his business to come along for the ride and be a stay at home dad.  For four years, he has been the primary caregiver for our four year old, and then our two year old when she came along.  For four years, he's changed diapers and done laundry and cooked dinner and arranged playdates and so much more.   He's dried tears and given time outs and attached band-aids and offered snacks and done drop-off and pickup at preschool.  He's given hugs and picked up toys and washed crayon off the furniture.  He's been there for first steps and first words and first adventures of all stripes.  And, he has loved (almost) every moment of it.

Yesterday he got offered a job.

I'm thrilled for him.  It's part time, as least to start.  He's ready to have some adventures of his own outside of the house, and with Miss M in school every day for almost full days, and SB just about ready for preschool, as well, the timing is pretty good.  He's going to have time on his hands.  We also have full time household help, so we have support at home.  We'll have to adjust her hours to accommodate his new schedule, and we may have to hire some additional help, especially if T gets more hours than we expect.   So we are pretty set.

But wow.  Talk about sea change.  I'm really excited for him.

Of course, it's opened a bit of debate about exactly what we should do with SB, and when.  She's 27 months now, highly verbal, with increasingly fluent Spanish.  "I don't want this," she said to me last night in Spanish.  Argh. . .the terrible twos are alas upon us, and she doesn't want much, especially if she thinks we want her to want it.  But at least she can be disagreeable in two languages.  We put Miss M in preschool when she was two and a half, because she really needed it, and frankly, T needed the break from her at that point (amidst HER terrible twos!).  Preschools are heading for summer break now, so if we started SB in September when they reopen, she would be two and a half.

But, I would really like her and Miss M to go to the same school.  Miss M's school, however, only accepts children from age 3, and the school year ends in December.  The new school year starts up at the end of January, when SB would be close to 3, and I'm pretty sure I could convince them to take her. . .if she's potty trained.  Sigh.  She will tell us when she has to poop, but steadfastly refuses to use the potty.  In fact, she's quite adamant that she NOT use it, so we're just letting it go.  And even if we could make that work, January is still 6 months away.

We have a little bit of time to sort it all out, as T won't start work for a little bit, as there is some administrative stuff that has to be sorted before he can start.  And truthfully, it's a wonderful problem to have.

But it's also a bit bittersweet, and the end of a little mini-era for us.