The crying begins at 5:45 AM. That is the moment my wife leaves, raising the garage door and inadvertently informing our youngest she is gone. I rise reluctantly and pluck the child from the spot on the floor in the hallway where he weeps every Tuesday at this time. I bring him back into the bed and we sleep for a few minutes more as the rest of the house comes awake.
The middle child is next. He peaks in through the bedroom door, silent as a ninja. I se him and call him over. He gives me a kiss and wanders downstairs to dress and watch cartoons. The first born follows.
These are the easy moments of my single dad Tuesdays. I recognize the misnomer. I am happily married. However, my wife leaves early on Tuesdays only to return well past bedtime. It is that second half, the moments after school, that are the hardest. It leaves me in a state where I cannot do anything for myself or my teaching or my learning until they are fast asleep. As the hours wear on they grow ornery, and that leads to trouble.
Tonight the youngest tried to break my laptop in a fit of rage. He was mad for nothing and at nothing. He was simply disappointed about being tired. That is what happens when you don’t nap. So, I’m going to go nap right now.