Full-Time Mom, Part-Time Dad

This morning I had the chance to be a full-time Dad for a few hours. "Full-time Dad," you ask. "When aren't you Clara's father?" I'm always Clara's father, but I work during the day and leave child care to my wife, which makes me a part-time Dad. I carry a full-time job - 40+ hours a week - and am a Dad nights and weekends. I wish that I could be a full-time Dad, being with Clara all day every day, but Kristin and I made a decision that one of us would be a full-time parent, and she won. So she gets to stay home and off to the office I trudge.

I had a fun time this morning, but it was not without its frustrations and difficulties. Clara is now willing to play by herself, banging Duplo blocks together, chewing on animal finger puppets, pushing her little car around, turning the pages of her board books, but she preferred that I kept close by as she played. Each time I walked over to the computer to play a game or went to the pantry to look for some food, I would hear the sound of kneels crawling across the carpet then the hardwood floor. A little face would peer around corners asking with a look, "Daddy? Where did you go?"

When nap time came, I struggled for an hour and was only able to get four ounces down. Ask Kristin, but I just can't hit the window. And she only slept for thrity minutes after I was done feeding her. I had hoped she would sleep longer to aid in the healing process.

Two of us sat looking out the front windows as Kristin pulled into the driveway after church. She didn't see us, so we crawled over to the railing to watch Kristin come up the stairs. Even as she is upstairs with Kristin napping right now I miss her. We had so much fun wrestling, playing with toys and making sounds at each other. I must confess. It is much easier to sit at a desk and write e-mails and or sit and talk in meetings. I was exhausted after three hours. But I had a glorious time. And I will miss her tomorrow.