A day at the office and Independence

Worked today, here is a quick synopsis of my day:

• wake up at (5:30 am)
  
• try and eat something (I have a lot of trouble eating that early!!)
• pack my pannier bags (hopefully not forgetting the essentials!)
  
• jump in the car
• drive to Mousette Beach and park (20 min)
• get my bike off the car
• bike to work (25 min)
• shower
• log into my computer (7:30 am)
  
• work until colleagues get me for coffee at Tim's (9:30 am)
  
• work some more
• go for lunch when colleague comes to get me for lunch (11:45 am)
  
• work some more
• change for biking (3:15 pm)
• bike to car
• drive to Chelsea, sometimes stopping off at the grocery store for food)
• pick up girls (4:30 pm)
  
• get home and feed screaming baby and girl
• prepare dinner
• eat dinner (6:00 pm)
  
• give girls bath
• put girls to bed (7:00 pm)
• come down to have some me time playing!!
• crash and go to bed (10:00 pm)
• tend to crying child (3:30 am)

Repeat 5 times Monday to Friday.

My friend Beth blogged about independence in her children and it made me think of our life and how we are at the very infancy of independence in Abby. Tonight was a perfect example. Abby was done dinner, so she excused herself politely (OK maybe in my little fantasy world she did, but in reality she said "I'm done" and got down from the table), she went into the kitchen and we heard rummaging around in the lazy-susan cupboard. She came walking back with a bag of cookies in her hand for dessert. Opened the bag and grabbed a couple of cookies, then jumped up in her chair and started eating them... the next thing that happened was that after her cookies, she went up to the TV room and started yelling "Mommy - turn on the TV!!!" I said no, if she wanted to watch she would have to turn it on herself (which she had never done before). I added that if she needed me to point out the power button, she could bring the TV controller down and I would show her. She apparently didn't need even that amount of help because the next thing we heard, she was yelling "Mommy!! I turned the TV on!!!". I realized when I read Beth's blog that while she was a few years down the line on us, we were just at the very beginning and that I should really cherish every moment that I have with them as little girls. We all know that as time moves on they become more independent and as a result more distant. I certainly did when I was a young girl!! It must have been tough on my parents. But no matter what I always loved them just the same even if I never really showed it.

PEI 1976