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Ronnie posted yesterday that he’s home…YIPPEE. He has been home a week, and we are all adjusting to him being home. I know it sounds a little silly, we LOVE when he comes home and are all so happy to have him back, but there is always an adjustment period for all of us that can feel a little hairy.
There’s an obvious adjustment for Ronnie. He has just spent 3 weeks in the “quietness” of his hospital room. There are very little demands of his attention and time. He can sleep when he wants (kind of…I know nurses and PCTs like to come in at 2AM to do stuff they could do in the middle of the day…just because they don’t use their brains. HA!) He only has to worry about himself and getting better most of the day, everyday. He can eat when he wants to eat. He can sleep in. He can stay up late if he wants because he can sleep in. But when he comes home he has to hit the ground running. There are kids yelling and hanging on him. There’s a wife talking his ear off and expecting a partner to take on 50% of the household chores…and more than that, there’s a wife that wants to leave the kids with him and run out the door for her own little “quietness” after 3 weeks home alone. To say there’s a bit of an adjustment needed is the understatement of the century.
The kids and I have to adjust too. By the time he comes home, our days and routines have hit a new groove that works for the three of us. I’m used to being a single mom. Our morning routine looks a certain way. Our nap time and bedtime routines look a certain way. Our schedule fits what works for the 3 of us vs. factoring in Ronnie’s schedule as well. My evenings look different. I shut down post bedtime and retreat to my room to watch TV and crash early. All of that needs to shift again back to the old routine, or at least an updated version of the old routine (we sometimes use this time as an opportunity to reboot our routines).
The kids have to adjust in their own way too. They are no longer the center of attention like they were before. They now have to share my attention at home, in the car, etc. with Ronnie. For Mckenna this can be hard. Keni is our little talker. She talks non-stop. When daddy is gone, mommy almost always has an ear to listen. When daddy comes back, she has competition for my ears. When it’s just me at home, I plan our days to include stuff that is very kid-centered a lot of the day. Once Ronnie is home, it’s back to a more healthy balance. She also is very excited to see Ronnie, but has to share his attention with me and Bennett. It’s a tough adjustment for her.
With all that said, we are so thankful to have him home. It makes life so much more awesome. My mom said it best when I told her we were having to “adjust to Ronnie being home”. She responded, “nice to have to adjust.” Amen to that! Nice indeed!
