S&A

Erin went down to Nashville to visit her new nephew. I spent a fun weekend home alone with The Great Sosini. Thought I'd chronicle the weekend's events...

Sonia: "Really, Mom? You're going to leave me at home for three straight days and nights with Daddy? Are you sure you trust me to behave?"

Mom: "Yes, Sosi, I know you'll be on your best behavior."

Sonia: "Excellent..."

Sosi and I had a fun-filled weekend together. We went to Gymboree and the Arboretum on Friday, the grocery store on Saturday, and Target and the Arboretum again on Sunday. We watched football (but not too much...she starts to get a blank stare if you watch too much). We also played with the cats a ton. Bobo kept a safe distance.

Unfortunately, Sosi had a wicked cold the first day, and took only two 45 minute naps all day. Then she woke up 4 times during the night and needed constant steam-room treatment, the booger-sucker, and kleenex. Not much sleep that first night at all, for Sonia or me. You can see that Sosi looks pretty tired in this picture the next day.

Still, I had time to cook myself a nice meal Friday night. I knew I'd have to make something that we would *never* have if Erin was home. So, I made a stir-fry chicken and vidalia onion curry with green onions and peanuts. My breath smelled awesome.

The next day, Sosi did really well...almost a little too well. She took naps of 1:15, 1:45, and 1:50. I also took naps of 1:15, 1:45, and 1:50 (mostly dozing in front of football). I made some homemade pulled pork shoulder, and did some laundry and cleaning. Sosi enjoyed eating her solid food and tried a delightful mixture of pears, blueberries, and oatmeal that afternoon.

One thing that goes without saying: kids this age need constant attention. Sosi is decent at playing by herself for about 5 or 10 minutes sometimes, but mostly she just wants to be played with, fed, changed, or just picked up.

On Sunday, we made a fort, and Bobo screamed from the minarets as the Cowboys and Tony Romo got maimed by the Vikings. Protect us from Captain Turnover, Mr. Duck!

Overall, we had a great time. On a serious note, I have always admired what Erin did at home with Sosi, but now I'm even more overwhelmingly grateful. It is tremendously tough work. One of the moms at Gymboree asked me whether it was tougher working or staying home with Sosi (I think she was expecting me to curl up in a ball and whimper that I had failed and wanted to go back to the office). I told her it would depend on the day at both places -- some days are likely better, some days are worse. The tough days (like Friday) took all of my mental and physical energy. And the easier days still have so many opportunities to go the extra mile to help Sosi develop. And Erin navigates her way through both types of days in an expert manner...she really is heroically good at what she does!