single parenting

Today's lift-me-up from A Deeper Story

"The truth? 90% of the time, I am completely unaware that I’m doing this alone. I’m convinced it’s because parenting is beauty and magic, wonder and independence, slamming doors and weepy conversations. Single parenting is not hard because I’m single. It’s hard because it’s parenting. The same way it’s hard for my sister who has eight kids and a loving, doting, present husband. When we talk, our conversations are not comparing my single parenting to her married parenting. When we talk, we are talking about how to get five year olds to eat the food you put in front of them. Parenting is not measured in the amount of hands and bodies, but in the depth of heart and presence.
No one really plans on becoming a single mom or dad. It’s not like we who are walking this road schemed this up. So when it comes, and the questions are asked at bedtime and around the dinner table, I remind my daughter that while we cannot change how our family looks right now, we can look at the family we have right now. This dance of hearts, questions, energy, growing. This is just life — parenting is hard whether you are married with 10 kids, married with two, divorced with one, etc. Raising a person to be a nice and hopefully God-fearing adult someday is no small task."

sleep

JD didn't sleep for the first 6 months of his life, and Maia was recovering from back surgery during months 7 and 8 and didn't sleep particularly well. So I didn't sleep for 8 months....almost killed me I think, but, after that they slept miraculously. Like clockwork. Amazing. Wonderful nappers, great at night, etc etc etc.

Until their 3rd birthday.

The weather? Their age? Too much SoCal sunshine? I don't know, but heaven help me, these two got their energy genes from their mother and all of a sudden they seem to have awakened. I have a ton of energy (amplified by a mild diet coke addiction) and hate sleeping. I can run 10 miles, stay up late and get up early, and go weeks without a break. But I am no match for these two energizer bunnies.

The new name of the game is Wear Them Out. Watch out world, because if these two coordinate their combined energies and direct it toward you, they are going to take over. No longer interested in napping, no longer interested in sitting still - we are looking for 12 hours each day of bike riding, swimming, playing at the park, running races, hitting T-balls, playing tennis, high-energy Simon Says and hopefully, hopefully, hopefully crashing at 8:30!