my, how time flies

Yesterday marked a month since Jo moved out. I would do well to keep it in mind that, though it feels as if much more time has passed, it's only been four and a half weeks.

Looking at the four of us coping with this change in our family, we're all struggling in our own ways. It's easy to take a look at any one of us in a good moment and to see how well that person is taking it and how little the change is impacting that person. The bad moments are different for all of us.

The Boy is still really struggling with his schedule. He's getting exhausted just about every day because he has to get up and going earlier in the day. He tries not to complain, and he's really being a champ about it all, but he also has developed a need to be close most nights in order to get a good night's sleep.

The Girl is trying to balance the stresses of home with the typical stresses of being in third grade - homework is more extensive, friends are shifting, and she's getting more and more responsibility at home as well. On the surface, she may be handling things the best of all of us, but I wouldn't be surprised if there's something lurking under there.

Jo probably has it worst right now. She's been uprooted from everything that she and I built over more than eight years. She sees her kids almost every day, but only gets to be their Mama with them one evening a week. I can't imagine how hard that must be, and it tears me up just thinking about it. She's trying to be strong and independent and so I'm giving her that space and trying as much as I can to follow Wheaton's Law.

Me? I work really long days. From the moment I wake up until the moment the kids go to sleep, I'm taking care of somebody's kids. When that ends, I have to decide whether I'll take some time for me (a movie on Netflix or a book?) or whether I'll try to catch up on sleep. I feel lonely, but I think it's mostly for lack of someone with whom I can be domestic. In many ways, though there are so many more responsibilities for me to shoulder, it's easier because I know that they're all mine and I always know who's to blame when something goes undone.

We're entering the wet season, to be followed closely by the dark season. I imagine this will all get a lot more difficult for all of us at that time, but until then, I will try to focus as much as I can on the fact that there is still a lot of love and a lot of laughter to be had.