Girl time

The last time The Spouse was gone on an extended business trip, I gained new respect for single mothers. How in the world they manage, alone, day in and day out, I’ll never know.

I still don’t, and I’m still in awe. But now I’ve come to realize that solo parenting when you have a partner is really different than if alone is your “normal.” When you’re a stay-at-home-parent, it’s too easy to let the other person become your main source of adult interaction. I think that’s what’s hardest about the times when he’s out of town. It’s not so much taking care of the Kiddo by myself, it’s how much my brain atrophies when I go more than 24 hours holding every conversation at the level of a 23-month-old.

It’s a little easier here. I’ve become good friends with the neighbors and it’s easier for me to do things on my own with a kid in Atlanta, than it was for me in Seoul. I’ve been more proactive, too, realizing that I need to make more of an effort to see friends I might not normally have time to see and plan some special mom-and-daughter things so that this time is more of a special treat for both of us, instead of this long period of waiting for him to come home.

Still counting the days til he gets back, though.