This past week ended with a bang– and not of the positive style. This is how it went down.
My workload has been rather great these days, as we are down one full-time economist. Really, my job is to supervise and direct the junior economists, but we have just one part time student. He does a great job, but we’ve been down a man for a while, and it’s starting to wear on me. Then on Thursday a student from another Division dropped by. He was terminated via email, which really got my mind realing. I mean, who fires someone by email? It was a very unprofessional way to handle the situation and soured my afternoon a bit. Anyway…
I left work and picked up The Boy, who was cranky and clingy. He has a cold, so it is to be expected. I convinced him that we should go to church so he could see his friends, but his friends weren’t there, and he had a major seperation episode. Like, I could let go of him and his little legs were wrapped around me so tight it was uncomfortable for me. So, rather than traumatizing the child, I took him to the book group table with me where he continued to cling, but then became vocal, so I decided it would be best if we just left. He, however, decided that he didn’t want to go bye-bye, so we had a bit of a power struggle, which of course, I won since we left. Right? Anyway… He cried the entire way home, and I finally got him settled and in bed.
Of course there is a lesson here– I should have paid closer attention to his cues and kept him home. I put my own interests ahead of his and paid the price. It reminds me a lot of my relationship with God. I really need to be still and listen, but sometimes I falter.
Friday night was also a disaster– without going anywhere. The Boy shunned me and cried for two hours. I felt so badly. I knew he was miserable from his cold and didn’t want to nurse, because he couldn’t breath very well. Of course, by Friday I had his cold and was a bit cranky too.
Saturday, however, was a success. He had pictures in the morning, which I am convinced were a flop, but I am hoping they were not. He woke up from his nap cranky, but I sang to him and snuggled and the world got better. We headed to the park, which was a lot of fun– for both of us. Well, except for the part where I had to wade in to ice cold water to retrieve that prized red ball from the stream.
Yes, it was freezing, icy, snowy and all that earlier in the week and seventy yesterday. Go figure.
Leaving the park is always a fight, but we had a blast last night together.
The key to our success yesterday (and today so far) is the focus on giving him the attention he so desperately wants and needs. With Kevin away and no siblings, I need to remember that I am his mama and his playmate!
And so… until later.