During the month of May I undertook a favor for a friend that ended up becoming an experiment in family relations and home economics. Zander was born in March and although his mother (Monica) planned to stay home for 12 weeks, in the end she had to go back to work early. The daycare center where her daughter goes didn’t have a spot available for Zander until June. So, Aaron and I stepped in to bridge the gap. Let me just say that Zander is a sweet, laid back little guy. He also loves to sleep. None of these easy going traits seemed to make an impression on Violet. He may as well have been screaming and needy all day long, as far as Violet was concerned. Violet (and I) suffered the kind of regression that is generally associated with getting a new sibling. Essentially, we all got a little taste of what it might be like to have our own new baby. We didn’t get to go to the park everyday. My lap wasn’t empty enough for frequent book readings. It was very confusing and frustrating for Vi, which made both of us very tired. We are all in recovery now, in fact Violet has actually started to sleep through the night. I am once again sleeping and beginning to reclaim my house from the dirt that accumulated during Zander’s stay. I cannot imagine how hard it would have been for us if Zander was a difficult child. It gives me pause to think about the future of our little family and whether or not it should get any bigger.
