10 Things I have Learned as a "Single" Dad

So 15 out of the last 30 days, I have been a single dad due to Laura's world travels.  It has been an awesomely exhausting and exhaustingly incredible experience.  This is what I have learned:

1. Two out of these three things can go on a walk when it is just me.  Avery, Charger, and her wagon.  When we let Avery walk Charger, we always let her hold one leash and we hold another one for real control of Charger.  This seems to work pretty well until she gets tired or falls down.  Last evening I ended up holding Avery, who was holding Charger's leash, who was tied to the wagon, which I was pulling.

2. 5:45 is the beginning of the "Danger Zone."  If you are out on the town or walking to the mailbox and there is not milk and/or crackers within reach then there is the potential for a full meltdown.  See Item 1 as a corresponding result of entering the danger zone.



3. Dinner can consist of a Ritz Cracker and a Strawberry.  For both of us.  Surprisingly this was one of the nights that she slept through the night.  The next day I asked the teacher what I should bring in for their bag lunch picnic today and she asked "What does she like to eat?"  I laughed and said, "I don't know, that's why we send her to school, so she will eat."  As long as she goes to school then I know she is getting fed, because she is not getting fed at home.

4. 2am is a far better time for her to wake up than 4~5am.  At 4~5am she wants to watch cartoons after her milk and stay up the rest of the morning.  This is not a great result for someone that has to go to work the next day and do thinking.

5. I love working from home.  I may not get to interact with adults other than on the phone or ordering my lunch, but I am a much happier person not spending 1.5 hours a day in a car to sit in a cubicle to talk to people on the phone.

6. Toddler clothes are impossible to fold.  The great thing about it is I am not going to worry about a wrinkle on her shirt since I can't do her hair and she will probably come home covered in dirt/food stains.  If you are peaking into her classroom, my kid is the blond kid that looks homeless, but with a huge smile.

7. She is smarter than refusal to eat food would make her appear.  After reading 1000 books to her over these last few days, she has "Goodnight Moon", "Not the Hippopotamus", and "Brown Bear, Brown Bear" memorized to the point where she will read them out loud to me.

8. Going to Harris Teeter is a great adventure for Avery because there is always a cookie and/or cheese on a stick and they have racecar buggies.  However going to Wal-Mart and Lowes is a great disappointment due to the lack of free cookie/cheese samples.  Usually we would travel with a diaper bag full of snacks to offset this disappointment, but that diaper bag is in the back of a Honda Pilot in a parking lot in front of Charlotte Douglas Airport.  See item 2 for potential complications.

9. I am better at coming up with a concept for a blog post than I am at executing it.  This seemed like a great idea at 4:45 this morning when I started.

10. Hanging out with this smiling person is well worth it.  It is amazing how much she smiles and how much I enjoy having her around as my buddy.