On Your Own

Dear Jack,

A lot of folks (ladies mostly) have asked me how I get anything done when I have you to look at and play with.

The answer is, really, most days, I don't.

Today, however, I had a lot to get done. More than I could reasonably do during your naps. So you were on your own.

What did you do?

Well, you played by yourself a lot. You spent almost a half hour in your sister's closet, playing with the kitchen and bear family furniture (and blankets). Later, you spent another half hour in your room, playing with the wooden cube that I was going to consign, but you convinced me otherwise.

You explored. You found the do-hickeys that builders put behind doors so that they don't slam open. (The rubber stops had been safely removed three years ago for your sister.) You found the trash can that holds the lint in the laundry room (yum). Then you found that your dad and sister had left both the garage doors open.

Turns out that left to your own devices, you will crawl all the way to the street. Good to know!

Then, when you could entertain yourself no longer. You helped.

And me, what was I doing all day? I was getting this ready:

A big pile of things to sell at a consignment sale (minus the wooden cube with the beads on top). The secret to marital harmony in this house. I get to buy all the clothes I want and your dad gets to spend as little as possible (and these days mostly breaks even -- or would if I handed over those consignment checks).

Everyone wins.

Even independent little boys (who, by the way, is wearing his daddy's blue romper... pretty cute, huh?)

Love,
Mom