A Round of Applause for All the Single Moms Out There

     I harbor secret (or not so secret) feelings that Jeff "doesn't do anything around here!"  That is not entirely correct. True, Jeff does not clean, cook, do laundry, send family (his too) the appropriate pictures of the girls, birthday presents and thank you cards, and that sort of thing.  Jeff does do a lot of things around here that go unappreciated : the most notable being the guardian of my sanity.  

     This is not a long absence for him, just one that lots of exhausting crapola happened during.  Things that if I had to deal with on an every day, every week, every month, every year basis without a partner with equal investment in these children would WEAR ME OUT.  My kids would go to school with homework not done and hair not washed, they would not eat square meals, my house would not be even slightly clean, I would not be running, I would not be fit to live with.  My admiration for moms who do the kid thing alone is sky high.

      I don't always consciously acknowledge his contributions to our family - his humor to diffuse a volatile situation, his firmness when mine is slipping, his wisdom when I'm freaking out, not to mention the totally obvious things like helping with Molly's math homework I don't understand.   (Um, and mine too).

     We should probably have a round of applause for Jeff too.